Author: Madelyn Dibee | Major: Advertising, Public Relations & Journalism | Semester: Spring 2025
Cliffs of Moher
This month there was no time for resting. I felt that I had to push myself to my limits in order to see as much as I can, especially as my program is already halfway over. Some of my highlights from this month were visits to Ireland, Palma de Mallorca, Huelva, Cordoba and Granada.
The first weekend of March, a friend and I went to visit the Spanish island of Mallorca. It was absolutely stunning. We went during the non tourist season, so the island felt almost abandoned. While on our way to a mall, we stumbled upon this beautiful garden scenery on the side of the road. We walked through it and found some people playing bongos and other instruments. The whole experience was super cool and serene. On our second day in Mallorca, we went on a tour of the Caves of Drach. While very crowded, the experience was wonderful. These caves were unlike anything I have ever seen, they felt like they belonged in a science fiction movie. There was even a short orchestra concert in the caves as well.
The week following, I had my midterms. Since there is not as much graded content in the structure of this program, it was actually a relief to have something to study that documented how well I am doing in the classes. These midterms were much more writing heavy and content based than I was used to, but I felt like I was actually able to fully absorb the content in order to prepare for them.
The following weekend, I went to Ireland. We chose to go the weekend before St. Patrick’s day in order to avoid the extreme crowds. We stayed in Cork, the second biggest city in Ireland behind Dublin. It was really nice to visit a country that spoke English, as it was the first English speaking country I have been to since coming abroad. We got to explore a Fort and a castle and we also saw plenty of sheep. On Sunday, we took a bus tour to visit the Cliffs of Moher. We got to meet a student who is studying abroad at the University of Cork and learn a lot about her experience so far. We also met a couple of Professors from North Dakota who were in Ireland visiting one of their students!
After getting back from Ireland, my boyfriend came to visit! It was so nice having him here and getting to show him around to all of my favorite spots in Sevilla! Seeing him have all of these new experiences really made me think about what I felt like when I first arrived in Spain. The culture and everyday living is so different. He only had a week to take that in, but I have been fortunate enough to get an entire semester.
The trip I took with the ISA program this month was to Cordoba and Granada Spain. My favorite part of the entire trip was getting to visit the Alhambra in Granada. The Alhambra is a monumental palace and fortress that overlooks Granada. It is known for its incredibly intricate Islamic architecture. I knew nothing about the Alhambra before I came to Granada, so I spent the entire tour in total shock at its beauty. Granada is also well known for giving out free tapas with every drink ordered. It made dinner much more affordable, as you do not have to pay for a drink and food, but just a drink. The tapas are random so you never know what you will get. The most interesting one I tried was sardines over chips. It was quite salty!