Author: Haley Turman | Majors: Spanish and Nursing | Semester: Summer 2024
Views of Alicante
In late June, I fell asleep on flight 1947 in Dallas and woke up as we hit the runway at Madrid Airport. The landing commands were no longer in English, and I stared out the window at the runway signs, trying my best to decipher them and practice my Spanish. Traveling to Spain had always been a dream of mine since my first Spanish class in elementary school. I have always been fascinated with the Spanish language and culture, eager to learn more. After studying Spanish for two years in college, I felt confident enough in my Spanish to take it to the next level. I wanted to push myself as a learner and as an individual by taking a leap and traveling to a new country.
Deciding to travel abroad was daunting at first. I always knew I wanted to, but never knew where to start. Once I started to research programs on my own, this foreign idea became more and more comfortable. My excitement grew as I worked through my checklist of things to do before summer arrived.
Upon arriving in Madrid, I excitedly met my three roommates who I didn’t know at the time would later become some of my closest friends. As roommates, we did everything together and quickly became close. It was comforting to know that we were all in the same boat of new experiences. We pushed each other, comforted each other, and grew together. Our first day of classes was terrifying, but we braved it together. Thankfully, we all had at least one person we knew in each class. I felt like I was living in a whole other world where my teachers didn’t speak English. I couldn’t ask for help on assignments or classwork in my comfort language. I had to figure it out or explain it the best I could. My professors in both of my classes were some of the most amazing and understanding people I have ever met. They genuinely wanted us to learn about their culture and to succeed in their classes. I felt supported every step of the way. Even when I didn’t quite understand everything, I grew confident in my ability to figure it out. I learned more about myself and the world around me than I ever could have imagined.
On the weekends, we decided to make the most of our time in Madrid and learn the city. We explored something new every day, ranging from markets to stores to parks. On our second to last weekend, we decided to go on an excursion to explore Valencia. Unsure of what we were getting ourselves into, we got on the train and were about to experience one of the best weekends of our lives. In Alicante, we visited some of the most gorgeous beaches we had ever seen. We spent our day hiking up a castle to view the city we would later explore. It was truly a magical place where even its pictures didn’t live up to reality.
In the end, my journey to Spain was not just about learning a language but about personal growth, making lifelong friends, and experiencing a new culture firsthand. It was an adventure that exceeded my expectations and left me with memories that will last a lifetime.