My time in Spain was like
none other. Every day was a brilliant collage of new and exciting
experiences.
My host family was very accommodating
and had no problems being generous with their time. Both of them had
occupations in the medical field, which are very stressful jobs, but they still
managed to make time for us to get to know each other. The mother, Pilar, was a
nurse and an aesthetic surgeon all at once! She was highly expressive and
lovable. I loved laughing with her and trying to teach her how to pronounce
English words. I even went to Zumba with her twice and tried Body Combat for
the first time! She was great company and always had a warm, gummy smile and a
crinkled nose that could light up the whole world. I visited her resident
hospital at one point because her son, Manel, had what seemed like an infected
finger and Pilar wanted to nip it in the bud. I was not surprised to find that
all of her coworkers were infatuated with her positive energy and contagious
kindness. It was awesome to see her in her stomping grounds, ordering
consultations and drawing blood like a maniac. I can only imagine the butt she kicks
during surgery! My host father was a heart surgeon. He had a modest air
of dependability and intelligence about him. Practicing his English with me was
his favorite thing to do. At one point I had to tell him to lay off (nicely, of
course) so that I could have an opportunity to practice my Spanish! His
knowledge about art, culture, and history was endless and he was a bottomless
pit of colloquial sayings. The son, Manel, was really a special guy. He was
charming like his mom and intelligent like his dad. Some of his favorite
pastimes included cooking and magic. We spent the majority of our time
together, meeting up with his friends and neighbors or visiting the historic
center of Alcalá.
One of the experiences that
left a lasting impression on me were the mornings I spent out on the terrace
with their West Highland White Terrier, Coco. He would curl up in the sun on
the terracotta tiles, harnessing the sun’s energy while I sat at the table
reading and eating breakfast. This was the time I took alone to reflect about
my stay while consuming some seriously delicious magdalenas with milk. The book
I bought was one about astrology in Spanish. I would challenge myself to
understand the vocabulary and use some of the words I’d learned in
conversations later that day. Astrology ended up being a really incredible tool
for connecting with new people. Whenever I went to new pools around the city, I
would bring the book as a conversation starter. I have since finished the book
and think I learned over 100 new words.
Overall, Spain is an
experience I will hold on to until the day I return. I hope that these
experiences I was lucky enough to have will serve me well in the future and
help me recognize that the world is my oyster. I found that a lot of people
were appreciative of my outgoing personality and natural ability to socialize
and communicate and now I am more proud of that skill and willing to wear it on
my sleeve. If I want to go to college in Europe, that is definitely a
possibility! I have learned to be more social and affectionate with my family
and friends through the way of life in Spain.
Matthew Walsh
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