Author: Marie A Gleason

Submitted by Dara McNally on the 2022 spring semester program in Athens, Greece…

This week was far slower than the last, but I did try my best to explore some foods! If you’re looking for an inexpensive lunch I would highly recommend gyros! They’re usually between €2.50-€3.00 and they can vary a good bit between shops. It’s very fun to seek out a new shop each time! There are also a bunch of bakeries to check out nearby. A lot of the pastries have flavors like honey and hazelnut and a good handful are made with layered pastry sheets.

However, if you are ordering from a food app, make sure you know what the place has because sometimes the menus are in Greek or partially translated!

Submitted by Cameron Kravitz on the 2022 spring semester program in Madrid, Spain…

These past few weeks in Madrid have been more slow-paced and relaxing in comparison to the prior weeks, which was really refreshing especially while studying for and completing our midterm exams. Although, I have dedicated a lot of my time towards schoolwork recently, I have learned that it is important to maintain a healthy balance regarding my academic responsibilities and other activities. In order to make studying more enjoyable, I tried out new cafes as well as the rooftop of one of our study halls – both of which quickly became my two new favorite study spots! I also took the metro to walk around and read at Retiro Park a couple of times since the weather has been so sunny and warm lately. Afterwards, I would go to Mercado de San Ildefonso for lunch, which is one of my favorite food places here. In this market, there are so many different food options and cuisines to choose from, including Korean food, Mexican food, and Japanese food. Last week, we also went to a candlelight tribute concert, which was such an amazing experience! The concert that we went to consisted of four violinists playing Taylor Swift songs, and we are already planning to go again when they have a tribute for another artist.

My time in Spain so far has been incredible and I already feel like I have learned so much. Not only have I been able to balance my priorities more and establish a better schedule for myself, but I have also improved with speaking in Spanish and traveling around Madrid. Before coming to Spain, I did not know any Spanish and although I am still not great, I have definitely picked up on common phrases and am able to get around more comfortably. I also have been navigating the metro better as well as recognizing more and more of my surroundings. As my time continues here, I am looking forward to bettering these skills and becoming even more familiar with this city!

Submitted by Hannah Kirby on the 2022 spring semester program in Athens, Greece…

We spent another weekend exploring one of the less famous, yet still highly recommended, Island of Rhodes. The trip started with a bang when we were greeted with a walk through the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes to get to our Airbnb. Surprisingly, walking through this castle is a daily route for a lot of locals – can you imagine? The medieval city was beautiful. The architecture was breath-taking. Lucky are the people who live here year-round.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were also able to see where one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World stood in its prime. The Colossus of Rhodes stood at the entrance of the harbor for all to be greeted by. This 105-foot-tall statue of Chares de Lindos was built between 292 and 280 B.C.E., but sadly fell due to an earthquake in 224 B.C.E. Pieces of the statue fell onto land and long ago one was able to see them, but those pieces have since been sold. While we were saddened to not be able to see such an extraordinary piece of history, it was easy to imagine it in all its might. One Ancient Wonder down, six to go.

Submitted by Jade Schlegel on the 2022 spring semester program in Madrid, Spain…

Before coming abroad, I was really worried that I would struggle with FOMO. If you’re not sure what that is, it’s the fear of missing out. I like to be in the loop and even on campus I would sometimes feel myself being worried that I was missing something. Before coming to Spain, I did all the preparation given to me by the University of Delaware and I knew I should keep busy and stay off of social media. And if I’m being totally honest, I wasn’t sure if it would really help me. But being halfway done with my semester abroad, I can assure you that my feelings of FOMO have only hit me a few times. You are definitely going to miss your friends and being able to spend time with them; that is something everyone goes through. However, there are a few things you can do here to make sure you don’t feel like you’re missing out. The first thing is to surround yourself with a good group of friends. While I know this is easier said than done, if you put in the work and put yourself out there, you will meet some amazing people abroad. And this might take you a little to do, but once you find the right people you will feel more comfortable abroad. The second tip I have for limiting your feelings of FOMO is do everything you can while abroad. There is so much to see and do. Whether it’s weekend trips to the south of Spain or going to the Prado for free with a friend, take advantage of being abroad and soak it all in. If you don’t spend your time doing the fun things you have the opportunity to do, then you will find yourself feeling like you’re missing out and wanting to be home. While abroad, you’re supposed to be taking advantage of all the amazing things your host country has to offer, so make sure you do all that you can. And finally, take breaks from social media when you know you need to. I will be honest and say I am on social media more than I would like to admit, but I know when it’s time for me to take a break. Make sure you know yourself and know when you need to take a step back. Being abroad, I really had to find a balance of talking to my friends at home, but also not being too in the loop with what they are doing. For me texting and weekly video chats with my closest friends have been great for us and it allows us to stay connected even when we are an ocean apart. Being abroad is truly a balancing act, you can read all about what to do before going, but once you’re there it’s really about what works best for you. It may take a few weeks to find what works best for you and even then ,you may need to change what you’re doing as time goes on. As long as you keep doing what works best for you, you will really enjoy your time abroad and you will find yourself not so worried about what’s happening back at home.

Submitted by April Pappas on the 2022 spring semester  program in Salzburg, Austria…

My first week in Austria was breathtaking. From the cobblestoned streets and endless shopping down the Linzergasse Pedestrian Zone, I have been enchanted by the classical city. As soon as I got off the train from Munich, I saw the beautiful old buildings and historical architecture. I definitely experienced some culture shock when ordering food during my first couple of days. On my first day, I had the classic pretzel soup of Austria. I remember I ordered an iced tea or as they call it here an Eis Tee, and I was shocked when it arrived with no ice! Everyone I’ve met in the program has been welcoming and has helped to ease my transition.

Submitted by Dara McNally on the 2022 spring semester program in Athens, Greece…

This week was another last-minute travel week. I went to the Temple of Poseidon on one of the southern peninsulas. I would strongly recommend checking the weather for the next days if you’re booking last-minute trips to prepare yourself before leaving! But even with clouds or rain, you can often see quite dramatic scenes! The tour guide was fantastic and gave some tips for Greece in general. Apparently, on the first Sunday of the month, entry to most museums (excluding the Acropolis Museum) is free! And a lot of museums have student discounts! So, I’m looking forward to taking advantage of that soon!

Submitted by Amanda Reed on the 2022 spring semester program in Granada, Spain…

It has been another exciting week in Granada, with new learning opportunities, travel destinations, lots of homework, and great food. Last Wednesday, I started my first “voluntario” in a local middle/high school. In this volunteer role, I will serve as a teaching assistant in an English class of 13- and 14-year-old Spanish students. Another UD student is also volunteering in the same class. Our first day, we introduced ourselves, drew a map of the United States on the chalkboard, and tried to explain to the students where we are from, where we go to school, etc. After these short introductions, the teacher prompted the students to ask us questions for the remainder of the class period. They asked us a little bit of everything: how we like Spanish cured ham, what we think about the meal schedule in Spain, what it’s like to live in the United States, and of course, what our favorite movies, songs, and TV shows are. I was surprised by how animated the students were in class. In the United States, I’ve been in many classrooms where it’s hard to get anyone to talk or participate, but these students were yelling over each other, asking tons of questions, and even breaking into applause at some of our responses to show their agreement/excitement. It was a truly fun classroom culture, and I think it will be a great way to break up the week and have a little bit of fun in between my studies.

Because yesterday was “El día de Andalucía,” the holiday celebrating the southern-most region of Spain, we all had a long 4-day weekend. A big group of students in our program from Boston College went to Copenhagen. Because we UD students are not allowed to travel outside the country with Covid restrictions, a few decided to spend a couple days in an Andalusian beach town. However, because I had been to the beach the past two weekends, I decided (somewhat spontaneously) to take my first solo trip to Valencia, a location that has been on my list to explore. I left on Thursday evening and took an overnight bus to Valencia, which lasted about 7 hours and 15 minutes. I was slightly too optimistic about my ability to sleep the whole ride there. I may have slept 3 or 4 hours, leaving me pretty exhausted when I arrived in Valencia the next morning. However, I had booked a cheap Airbnb through a nice woman who rents out a small room in her apartment. She let me enter the Airbnb that morning, made me a strong cup of coffee, and I started my weekend off strong.

While in Valencia, I visited the Science Museum, el Oceanográfico (the biggest aquarium in Europe!), the beach, and several other museums, national monuments, and viewpoints. I usually ate breakfast at a café, made my own lunch (with materials from the grocery store), and went out to a restaurant for dinner. One big hurdle for me was getting over my fear of sitting alone at a restaurant. I still don’t feel completely comfortable doing it, but over the course of the weekend, it started to not bother me quite as much. Overall, I think travelling solo really helped my confidence about being here in Spain. The whole weekend, I was able to practice my Spanish with my Airbnb host, with other travelers, and with people at restaurants. I learned to be more confident in my abilities to navigate cities, plan activities for myself to enjoy, and look after myself in a new place. I also met another solo traveler from Romania on the beach, and we chatted for a while and took pictures before going our separate ways. Although I prefer travelling with other people, travelling solo was a great exercise in my independence and it allowed me to explore at my own pace. This week, I have class Tuesday through Friday, and will go on Saturday to visit La Alhambra for the first time. More on that in my next post!

Submitted by Hannah Kirby on the 2022 spring semester program in Athens, Greece…

I was one of the few lucky souls to be able to spend my birthday in Greece. While a 21st birthday isn’t as big of a deal in Europe, my roommates made sure to make me feel special. We spent the weekend exploring the streets of Athens. We had a decadent brunch composed only of only desserts. I spent hours shopping in antique and vintage stores, like a child in their grandparents’ attic. I found so many birthday treasures to bring home. I even had a waiter serenade me on camera to finish out the night.

As if the weekend couldn’t be any better, we met people from all over the United States (Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts), Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Israel. The group was amazing, welcoming, and more than willing to celebrate my birthday with us. I felt so loved and happy. It was my first birthday without my family and these strangers were willing to become my temporary family for the night. I am grateful for them and the experience.

Submitted by Jade Schlegel on the 2022 spring semester program in Madrid, Spain…

After wrapping up winter break, I wanted to write again about traveling when abroad. I’ve touched on this topic before and I will continue to emphasize how important it is to travel during your time abroad. And yes, you can travel to other countries and see the cities that everyone talks about like Paris, Munich and Rome, but I recommend you travel within your host country. Over my winter break, I was able to visit Granada and I can say that I fell in love. The narrow streets were perfect for walking and I can say I spent hours walking these tiny streets. And they are just as you would picture them; tiny balconies hovering above the street with flowers and plants growing over the edge. The streets are too narrow for cars so you end up just wandering down the cobblestones. They are the perfect place to get lost and see a slower, more peaceful side of a city. But these little cities may be the ones that students overlook and pass over, instead visiting the larger cities everyone talks about. Cities like Granada and Toledo aren’t cities you book whole trips to, so it’s not likely you’ll spend the time to ever see them again. Take the time abroad and spend it in your host country. There are very few times in your life that you will be able to simply move to a different country for a few months and then go back home with such ease. Take this valuable opportunity in a new country to learn about the culture and see the cities you may never have the opportunity to see again.