Admiring the Plaza de España in Seville

Author: Eva Allen | Major: Public Health

Despite the European heat wave of the century, Spain was the perfect place for me to spend the summer going into my senior year of college. I chose to study Spanish at Nebrija University in Madrid. As a Spanish minor, I wanted a full immersive experience in which I could speak and hear the language every day for a whole month.

As a premedical student, I want to be able to speak Spanish as fluently as possible so that I can better communicate with future Hispanic patients. Although “Spain Spanish” is different from the dialects of Latin America, I was still able to expand my overall Spanish listening and comprehension abilities. At first, understanding the Spanish way of speaking was a bit of a challenge, since we are so used to American Hispanic dialects here in the south, but by the end of the trip, I was using the “vosotros” form regularly.

I chose to study the language in Spain instead of a Latin American country because I seemed to know much more about Latin America than the country in which Spanish originated. In my studies at least, Spain was a European country that had the Inquisition and Colombus, but in the more recent centuries was not given as much attention as other parts of Europe. I wanted to experience a country that I did not know much about and learn about it firsthand.

At Nebrija, I took a Spanish culture class and a general advanced Spanish language course. I loved learning about the history and culture of Spain and asking my professor specific questions. I found the dictatorship of Francisco Franco particularly fascinating, since it had not been discussed much at all in my European and World History courses in high school. The teachers at Nebrija were amazing and wanted us to do well. Attending class and actively participating in the daily discussions were more important than busy work. The instructors were passionate about their jobs and worried much less about numerical grades than teachers in the U.S.

Spain overall is more laidback than the U.S. People start work late, take long lunches, and try to avoid the heat as much as possible. Virtually every restaurant of Spanish cuisine has the exact same menu. Patatas bravas, tortilla de patata, and croquetas can be found on any street corner in town. They are a people not much for spicy food, and they like simple, whole ingredients, which was a bit of an adjustment for us spicy-food lovers. I will say that the common Spanish drink of tinto de verano – half lemon Fanta and half red wine – might be my new favorite beverage. They drink it more than water over there.

On the weekends, my new friends and I travelled to different cities: Toledo, Segovia, Seville, and Ibiza. Segovia and Seville were my favorite cities with their thousands of years of history. Spain is unique because it is a country of many historic nations, mixing Christian, Muslim, and Jewish cultures. Segovia boasts a 2000-year-old incredible Roman aqueduct and one of the castles that inspired Walt Disney. Seville is a southern Spanish city with rich Islamic influence seen in its 1000-year-old Alcazar, one of the filming locations of Game of Thrones. The gardens and water features were incredible, and I loved the ducks and peacocks all around. The Plaza de España of Seville was a filming location of one of the Star Wars movies as well. I loved how the whole city was walkable and full of fragrant gardens and wildlife.

If travelling to Spain, it is important to know that Spaniards and Europeans in general dress up much more than Americans. Those who wear athleisure give away their American status immediately. In Spain however, nicer shorts are common because of how hot it gets there. For someone who loves new experiences, a rich mix of cultures, and beaches, and does not mind oppressive heat, I highly recommend this program. I could not have asked for more from Nebrija University, except more time.

Although I could have stayed in Spain for another month, I missed spicy food, fried chicken, and the wide-open spaces of the United States. Whenever I start feeling overwhelmed about my responsibilities in the future, maybe I will try to remember how to live like a Spaniard and enjoy the little moments of every day.