Submitted by Caitlin Werner on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…
This past weekend, our program traveled to Fuenteovejuna, a small town outside of Cordoba. In class, we are currently reading the play Fuenteovejuna by Lope de Vega which takes place in this town. The play is about standing up and fighting against injustices. Every summer, they transform this plaza into a huge theater with over 1,200 people in the audience every night. We got to meet some of the actors/actresses and they performed some parts of the play for us. We also dressed up in costume and performed some of the monologue of the main character in the play. It was such a great experience and a very special place for our program director, Amalia. I loved learning more about this small town and how important the play is for them.
Submitted by Ceara Stewart on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Barcelona, Spain…
Week 7 was midterms for all of us studying at UAB. Lots of studying was done and many cafe con leches were drank. All of my marks were good. The only class I have any difficulty in is Spanish. Over here it is way harder than what is taught at Delaware and with only a year of speaking Spanish it is quite difficult for me. But I’m learning a lot and speaking with my host mom and her daughter helps. Hopefully by the end of this experience, I’ll be able to answer the locals when they ask me directions.
Week 8 I was lucky enough to go to Rabat and Chefchaouen with Morocco Exchange! We left the day after midterms. We flew out of Girona into Rabat and that evening we had a huge dinner with our host families. Usually, only one member of the family speaks English and lucky for us it was a girl about our age so we had a lot to talk about such as boys and life for a girl in Rabat.
The next day, we toured the Mausoleum of Mohammad V and Chellah. We learned about the concept of a mosque and about the Roman history in Salé. After another huge lunch with our host families, we got private tours of the city with local university students. We discussed the many differences and similarities between our two cultures and it was really eye-opening.
That evening, we visited the Hammam or the hot baths that are used for bathing. It was a shock because all the woman bathe completely naked! Some of us got scrubbed down professionally with a weird brown soap, but our skin felt so soft afterwards. Before leaving the baths, we had a huge scare. One of the other girls started to feel faint and passed out from a lack of drinking water and the overpowering heat of the Hammam. She couldn’t leave to be taken out of the heat because she was only in her swimsuit. Luckily, there was an old professor on our trip who knew how to cool her down until our program leader arrived. She stayed the night in a clinic and was completely fine the next day. But it just showed us all how quickly things can turn bad even in the most relaxed of situations and that it is super important to drink water and tell others how you are feeling even if it is embarrassing, because it could save your life.
Saturday, we left Rabat and headed North. We stopped in a little town in Ouezzane and had the opportunity to shop for some food. I bought dates for super cheap! For lunch, we stopped in a little rural village in the mountains and had lunch with a local family. We had a long conversation about rural life in Morocco and what it means to raise a family and move up in society. It was an interesting experience to compare suburban to rural life and it was amazing to hear that parents are very content with their lives and everything they do is for their children to move up in the world and have better lives than them. That really made me miss home and my family.
That evening, we arrived in Chefchaouen and had a big group dinner. We stayed in a nice hostel and before bed we reflected on our trip so far. The next and last day, we got to shop around Chefchaouen and take pictures in the blue city. We got a personal tour from our Rabat guide who loves the blue city. That afternoon though, we had to say good-bye and we left for Barcelona.
Morocco has been my favorite experience since the start of this program. The ability to travel to an underdeveloped country and see how people live their lives and see how happy one can be with very little is such an eye opener to the way I live my life. I always thought I was underprivileged because I come from a lower class family and work towards everything I want independently. I’ve had a job since I turned 14 and I’ve been working towards my goals ever since and every trip I go on, everything I do is the money I earn and I’ve felt different from others because I can’t just lay back and let my parents pay. But going to Morocco, I’ve seen that my ability to even have a chance to work independently towards my dreams is something that sometimes isn’t possible elsewhere and it makes me proud of all my work, but it also makes me feel guilty because some people will never have the chances that I do. So I am overly thankful for the life I live, where I come from, and where I am going.
Inside the Mausoleum of King Mohammad VOutside of the Mausoleum of King Mohammad VThe courtyard of the MausoleumChellah: The Roman ruins Im SaléThe rural village where we had lunch and talked with a familyA little village in the mountains and it’s food marketA typical Moroccan dishChefchaouen
Submitted by Daniel Bailey on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…
This past weekend, my program took a group trip to Madrid and Toledo. These couple of days in Madrid were noticeably different from my experiences so far in Granada. Since it is the capital and largest city in Spain, Madrid is so much bigger with so many more things to do. The first day we got to see the Congress building and learn a little about the Spanish government, which was especially interesting because it was the day before the presidential elections. I was also able to see the Prado Museum, one of the largest and most important collections of art in the world.
However, possibly my favorite part of Madrid came as a surprise. The official Game of Thrones Expo happened to be in Madrid the same weekend I was there, so I went with a couple friends. We saw real props, sets, and costumes that were actually used in the show, which was amazing since I am such a huge fan of the show.
After leaving Madrid, we stopped in Toledo for a couple hours. Toledo is a very small city and had a completely different vibe from Madrid. It almost felt like a medieval village up on a hill. We were lucky enough to find a great spot high up on a hill next to the Tagus River where we were able to get amazing panoramic pictures of the whole city. Both Madrid and Toledo were beautiful and I greatly enjoyed my time in each city. However, I’m not sure if I could see myself spending more than a couple of weeks in each place. This made me grateful once again that my home is now in Granada, because I really think it is the perfect city to study abroad.
The front of the Prado Museum in Madrid
Me sitting on a replica of the Iron Throne at the Game of Thrones Expo in Madrid
Me and my friend Corey taking in the panoramic views of Toledo
Submitted by Caitlin Werner on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…
This past weekend, I took a trip to Barcelona. I loved seeing the Sagrada Familia and Park Güell because they are such beautiful sites. I got to take a tour of the Sagrada Familia and learned so much more about Gaudi and his plans for it. I am excited that it will be finished in a few short years in 2026. It was very different to be in a much larger city with more tourists than Granada because I heard so many more languages and a lot of English.
Submitted by Emily Gray on the 2019 fall semester program in Prague, Czech Republic…
I am writing this in the wake of a most stressful ordeal: almost missing my flight to France. My friend and I decided to visit three European cities during our mid-term break this semester, and we couldn’t be more excited at the prospect of discovering the world. However, our journey from Dublin, Ireland to Nice, France was less than ideal. I would like to blame this solely on our airline, which is notorious for being both terrifically cheap and horrifically unreliable. My own inexperience with flying is also to blame, though. Traveling alone or with another friend can be stressful, especially when you don’t feel at home in an airport. There are a few things I intend to do differently on my next flight to ease some of this stress.
Firstly, I want to get to the airport earlier. The general rule is two hours before your flight, but I would recommend even earlier if you don’t know anything about the airport or airline you’re flying. I am also going to familiarize myself more with the details of my flight by checking in earlier and researching luggage requirements. Most importantly, I am going to stay calm. This was my first time “cutting it close” with a flight, and it reinforced all the travel anxieties I’ve been trying to fight. It’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed in situations like mine, but keeping a cool head is essential to navigating your journey in a foreign place. Moreover, you have to remain positive despite the stress. Don’t let a long line in security or problems with luggage ruin your attitude. At the end of the day, traveling is an amazing thing! While flying can be a nightmare, it is a necessary evil to see the greater world.
Submitted by Nicole Caracciolo on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Barcelona, Spain…
On Monday evening, I received the news that my dog had passed away at home. It was a phone call I never expected and never wanted to hear while I was so far away. It was by far the worst night I have had since I’ve been here. I was absolutely devastated because she was our dog for 14 years and I left for Spain not knowing that was the last time I would see her. My roommates were really supportive and even bought me some ice cream to try and cheer me up a bit. I wasn’t myself for a few days. I was quiet, not in the mood to socialize much, and was easily flustered or frustrated when something went wrong. This was definitely, and hopefully will be, the greatest challenge for me here.
Some of my friends and I went kayaking in Costa Brava over the weekend. We got to kayak through beautiful coves and snorkel in some of the reefs.
Submitted by Zachary Shulman on the 2019 fall semester DIS program in Copenhagen, Denmark…
At the time of my writing this, I am only about 24 hours into my trip to Berlin, Germany, but next week’s blog post will include reflections from the entire vacation. For the time being though, I would just like to reflect on the trip so far and what it means for my semester going forward.
To begin, I should point out that this travel adventure is unlike any I have ever embarked on in my life. At the same time that I am unburdened by the typical social pressure of these types of excursions outside of the host country, I am solely responsible for my itinerary, budget, and problem-solving. Fortunately, Berlin has no shortage of things to do and see; I also pride myself in my frugality. But problem-solving? Well, I suppose that depends on the problem. Certain problems like travel delays (which I had) and language barriers (which are a dime a dozen in Europe) are easily workable. Travel delays are not typically crippling to one’s experience, and mine was a simple 30-minute bus delay coming into the city. In terms of the language barrier, only certain individuals grow impatient when you can’t quite understand them; restaurant employees and ticket salesmen are used to misunderstanding tourists.
Far and above the worst problem I have ever dealt with during a study abroad program involved money. When I studied in Rome, my ATM card was dysfunctional for the first week, stripping me of my access to any of my money. I had a similar issue in the beginning of my semester in Denmark with my credit card. Both of those issues eventually straightened out, but not after days of headache. I assumed that my money problems were all, but gone by this point in the semester.
Then, just as I was getting comfortable, my ATM card stopped working. On top of that, my credit card was only selectively working, but that didn’t matter much in a city much more cash-oriented than Copenhagen. I was running out of options, and there was no way to contact my bank and solve the problem. I plunked myself down at a nearby Dunkin Donuts (thankfully, they took card), completely defeated with no idea what to do. I was inches away from hitting the panic button when I realized something. That just wasn’t an option.
I had no safety nets, no friends nearby to help me, and no one to call and have my problem fixed. I was in a brand-new city, with almost no access to money, and it was daunting. But in any situation where the obstacle seems insurmountable, your response to it boils down to choices. If I had chosen to sit in that Dunkin Donuts, with free Wi-Fi and a charging station, I would have spoiled one of my few days in this city, and perhaps not identified the solution I eventually did. Instead, I took out my notebook and wrote down every positive thing I could think of regarding this trip; a safe place to sleep, the ability to purchase food, etc. Then I compiled a list of all of the places I want to visit in Berlin and divided it by those that cost money and those that do not. To my delight, more than half of the items on that list did not cost any money, and I spent the day focused on them.
This is what being a traveler is all about. You will never go on a trip without having to put up with some problems. Sometimes those problems will be minor and easily fixable, and sometimes they will force you to dramatically change the course of your trip. In those moments, it is crucial to keep your head, focus on the positives, and work your way to a solution. Find a way to learn from what happened, and most of all, enjoy yourself.
Submitted by Caitlin Werner on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Granada, Spain…
Had a lovely weekend here in Granada! I love traveling, but I also love staying in Granada because there is still so much to see and do! It’s nice to have a good balance between the two. I went to the Science Museum this weekend! It exceeded my expectations and was the coolest museum I have ever been too. I loved all the exhibits about music, the human body and animals. They also have a BioDome and a planetarium, but we couldn’t do it all in one day because there was so much to see. Can’t wait to go back and see the other parts of the museum.
Submitted by Danielle Tahan on the 2019 fall semester program in London, England…
I can’t believe we have already had our fall break! This sadly means that my program is already somehow halfway over. I had the absolute trip of my life that would not have been possible if I had not studied abroad.
I started break with fourteen other CAPA students in Mykonos, Greece. We stayed in a beautiful villa and got to enjoy the picturesque island even though it was near the end of their season. This meant that it was not overcrowded with loads of tourists, so we gained more of a local sense of the area. I really appreciated exploring the island at a calmer time so that I could experience all it had to offer. I loved walking around the beautiful streets of Mykonos Town which was full of local products and creations. We also had a beautiful boat tour to two other islands including the archeological site of Delos Island. Greece is definitely somewhere that I plan to return to and explore more areas of!
I spent the second half of break with my friend in Amsterdam. I am so intrigued by the Dutch culture and lifestyle; we constantly questioned how certain elements were possible because we could not fathom it in America. I greatly admire their freedom of expression that is very evident in their culture and I would love to understand and explore more of it in the future.
On boat tour to Delos IslandStreet in Mykonos TownOne of the many canals in the center of Amsterdam
Submitted by Nicole Caracciolo on the 2019 fall semester study abroad program in Barcelona, Spain…
Over the weekend, three of my friends and I went to Switzerland. It was supposed to be five of us, but our one friend bailed at the last minute after already paying and committing to the trip. She texted us this Thursday night when our flight was at 7:00 am the next morning. She claimed that she needed to stay in Barcelona so that she could catch up on homework, but we saw that she was out having fun with some other friends while we were in Switzerland. I know that I didn’t lose my money from her not coming, but I was mad that she lied to us about why she didn’t want to come. We have a couple of other trips planned together, but now we feel like she will bail on the rest of them, too. Loyalty is one of the most important qualities I seek in a friendship, and this experience taught me that just by being somebody’s friend does not make them a loyal friend.
This is the fountain in Parc Ciutadella. I walked around and explored the park after class one day by myself.
