Shaye in Spain!

Hello! My name is Shaye Brockenborough, and I am a rising junior studying Elementary Education. This summer, I spent five weeks studying abroad with Centro MundoLengua at Asociación de la Prensa (ACP) in Cádiz, Spain! As I reflect on my time in Cádiz, I cannot help but think about all the amazing opportunities and people that I encountered along the way.

  Posing at Castillo de Santa Catalina

One thing that I really appreciated about my trip was the support of my host family and professors. Accents are a big distinguisher between people from Spain and Latin America. Spaniards have very thick accents and pronounce many of their words with a lisp. For example, they pronounce their Zs as “Th.” So, “Cádiz” becomes “Cádith.” At first, it was difficult to understand, but my host mother and her daughter (who lived next door), helped me by talking slower or using hand motions. I really appreciated their patience. In class, my professor Gloria gave us many diagrams and visuals to aid us in our learning. She had also studied abroad in the United States, so we had a special bond with her. Dr. Sotomayor, a professor at UNCG, required us to speak in Spanish during our history class. It was definitely a challenge, and because many of my peers were native speakers, the course was very fast-paced. Thankfully, Dr. Sotomayor would always have students explain things in English or put us in small groups to discuss the material. She also gave those who were not as advanced ample time to talk at their own pace. Because of this, I could tell that my listening and speaking skills grew tremendously!

My host family and roommates! Our roommate, Karen (center), was returning to Hong Kong the next day. We customized a cake from a local bakery and had an early thank you party for our host family. It was so much fun! 

My Spanish Conversation professor, Gloria!

One of my favorite activities in Càdiz was surfing on Playa de Victoria! I had never surfed before, so I was extremely excited to try it. Let me tell you, it is not as easy as it looks! I kept envisioning the movies Soul Surfer and Lilo and Stitch, but I spent most of my time falling off of my board and inhaling saltwater. Even though I was not achieving my goal like I wanted to, I did not give up. If there’s one thing my Mom has always told me, it’s “practice makes progress.” Finally, right before we ended our session, I made a momentous trip across the water on my knees! Surfing was hard, but it is definitely something I would do again. I enjoyed cheering on my friends and conversing with other surfers in Spanish.

Getting ready to surf on Playa de Victoria!

Not only did I get to experience Spanish culture, but I also learned a little French! For our free weekend, my friends and I wanted to take a day trip to Paris. We spent days deciding on what locations we wanted to tour and where we wanted to eat. It was going to be a jam-packed day, but we were ready! But, our day turned out to be a lot different than we thought. As soon as we stepped out of the airport to call an Uber, we realized that French was not as easy as it seemed. We knew nothing, and most of the drivers that we encountered did not know Spanish or English. So, something as simple as finding an Uber driver in a crowded airport took at least an hour. Then, it hit me! Being in the Honors College, I’ve learned all about the aspect of performance and play. Thinking quickly on my feet, I remembered that the Google Translate app had a conversation tab. It allows two people to speak in their native languages while translating everything for all parties to understand. Using that helped my Uber driver to take us to where we needed to be. By the time we got to our location, it was too late to do many of the things we had planned.  But, that didn’t stop us from having an amazing time! We walked around the city, ate crepes, and took pictures at the Eiffel Tower. Before we finished our pictures, my friends said, “Wait, you need a picture with your dragon!” Elisa, a name I always used in my high school Spanish classes, had been roaming around with me all throughout the trip. She was a mascot for my group of friends, and we included her in many of our pictures!

Watching Elisa in awe as she pushes the Eiffel Tower!

My time in Cádiz has allowed me to develop a stronger empathy for international students who come to the United States. Being in another country where you are not completely fluent in the language is hard, and I was thankful to have people who helped me along the way. Right now, I am interning with Duke University’s Summer Session for High School Students, where the majority of the participants are from other countries. My experiences in Cádiz have allowed me to better connect with my group of students, and we are able to bond over our diverse cultures.

On our last day in Cadiz, several of us decided to end our journey watching the sunset at Playa de Caleta. 

Posing with Elisa and fellow Honors students (L to R): Shelby, Max, Elise, and Casey at the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain!

I hope that this blog post has inspired you to look into the summer program in Cádiz! It is a city filled with rich history and exciting opportunities. If you have any questions or want to see more pictures and videos, feel free to follow me on Instagram @shayebrock and check out my highlights tab “Viajes.” Hope you all are having an exciting summer! ¡Hasta luego!