What a packed week! I don’t have much time to write today because I’m going to a fútbol game tonight, but I’ll just give you a day by day rundown.
Monday - Flamenco class was so much fun. The lady who came to teach us had possibly the most beautiful smile I have ever seen. That smile never left her face as she was dancing. Even though Monday was a rougher morning, I couldn’t help but smile and laugh as she taught us how to move our wrists in and out while our arms moved up and down. I absolutely love dancing and am excited to take this class every Monday.
Tuesday - I am in a class called Accion Solidaria (service learning) which started this week. I took a bus with two friends an hour into more rural Spain (it was so great to see fields and farmland again!) to meet with the family who runs a secondhand shop. From what I gathered, the profit of the secondhand shop goes to people in need. We have the choice to either work in the shop, hang out with students of a martial arts class while they are on their break, or teach an English class. I think I’m going to choose to teach the English class even though I have no ESL training. The students here aren’t very motivated to learn English, so wish me luck! I’m going to try to make the class interactive and with a variety of activities to make it lively, fun, and a place the students want to be.
Wednesday - We had encuentro, where the students in our program get together to sing some worship songs and listen to a short talk prepared by our student ministries leader, Bailie. Then my friends and I tried to plan some trips. I booked a trip to Rome for a long weekend with a friend, and then I’m planning a week long hiking trip with three other hiking-inclined pals. I’m also trying to go to Berlin around Christmas time because I heard it was magical. If you have any suggestions for things to do in these places, please let me know!
Thursday - We went and played bingo at a retirement/nursing home for older men. The guy next to me was sassing me around a lot, which I rightly deserved! Thankfully he helped me catch some of the numbers that slipped by me. I think we will go there and play bingo every other week, so I’m looking forward to continuing building those relationships.
Friday - We went to Córdoba on Friday and saw a mosque that had a cathedral built inside of it. We also walked across a bridge that was built in the first century. Finally, some of my friends and I took a stroll all around town trying to find some gardens that were actually right across from our bus. We never ended up seeing the gardens, but hey, we got to see a bunch of random stuff that no other group did! Moral of the story - use google maps, not apple maps.
Saturday - Some of my friends and I went to the beach. It was pretty comical because we woke up before sunrise to catch a bus. There were only like 8-10 people on the bus, and we were the only ones talking. When we got to the beach 2 hours later, it was cold, drizzling, and deserted. I couldn’t stop laughing at how ridiculous the trip started out. However, after some time, the sun came out and so did the people. We spent most the day near part of an upside-down tower from the 1500s just chilling in the ocean.
Sunday - Today I tried out a new church. We were going to try a different one, but we couldn’t figure out the bus system… So we ended up taking the metro to our second option. I felt so urban, like someone in a Spiderman movie. Anyway, someone from the church met us and introduced us to a bunch of young people in the church around our age. They were so welcoming and even invited us to go to a youth retreat this upcoming weekend with them! I know what you are thinking - “Allison, aren’t you a little old for a youth retreat?” I asked what ages the youth were, and they said anywhere between 12-30! They told me to bring a costume and a sleeping bag, both of which I don’t have, but hey! I’m sure this will be an experience I will never forget. I don’t really know what to expect, but that’s half the fun.
The best part about this week was that I got to know some more people from Spain. The family in my Accion Solidara placement, the men at bingo, and the people at the new church - all of these interactions will help not only my Spanish skills, but also will help me feel like I belong here and have community here. While hanging out with my friends from the States is fun, I want to understand the culture here and I want to know the people. I’m looking forward to pursuing these relationships more as well as getting an Intercambio, which is a person who I can meet with one-on-one to practice my Spanish skills and their English skills.
Another really fun part of the week was going on so many fun adventures with known beginnings and unknown endings. I love just hopping on a bus or metro and not knowing what the day will look like, just knowing that an adventure awaits. This semester will be full of these experiences, full of exploring, full of mistakes, and full of growth. Stay tuned!
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