Students in American Universities are faced with the stereotype of a miserable dorm, boring lectures, 400-student classes, and having to cram finals in spite of skipping multiple classes. It was forbidden to skip class on Valencia’s campus. Many students complained bitterly about the rule, but I found that my grade provided an additional incentive to go to class. Although I wasn’t exempt from classwork or finals, which are part of the freshman year, it was an amazing experience to study abroad in Valencia, Spain.
With the Cultural Activities Program, I was able visit numerous places in Spain. Jaca included, as did Madrid, Barcelona, Andalusia and some of the towns surrounding these major towns. This relatively unique journey I took had a profound impact on me. It is expected and natural that someone will grow and change in their first year away. It is true that I have changed and grown in ways I never imagined possible. It takes time to adapt to a new culture and to learn a language. Recently I was introduced to the Spanish phrase, merecerla pena. This means that something is worth it. As I reflect on my time at Valencia, the hard work really was worth it. There is no way I would change my mind if time travel was possible. My fairytale first-year abroad story could use a few tweaks, but I am only regretful that after 11 months in Spain, I still cannot converse in Spanish with ease and perfection. Although I improved my Spanish skills by ten times, they were completely non-existent when I arrived, I had hoped for a dramatic improvement, but it never happened. If I had the chance to do things again, I’d be more immersed in Spanish culture, language, and people. I’d also attend all of the Spanish intercambios that were offered by my university. The only problem I had with the Spanish people I met in Valencia was their enthusiasm to learn English. It made it impossible for me to improve on my Spanish. It was also aggravating that my Spanish was not as good as theirs, and that we had to use English when discussing serious issues.
My struggle in learning Spanish was due to the fact that I shared a room with 150 English-speaking classmates who all slept, ate and were together 24 hours a day. The program would not have encouraged the same “family” spirit if the students and staff were living in Valencian homes. Staff members from the Valencia program are a great example of this. They were able not only to plan fun interactive events, but also transport 150-200 students around Spain to places like Jaca and Madrid. The staff members of the Valencia program were not only able transport us to different cities, but they also kept us entertained and safe throughout our stay.
Valencia is a beautiful city. But, visiting these other parts of Spain has helped me to appreciate it more. I was relieved to be back in Valencia after these exciting week-long excursions. It was not only the trip to Jaca or Madrid that I think had the greatest impact on the students’ perception of Valencia. Spain is often referred to as “the party peninsula” despite its topographical diversity. Valencia, for example, is beautiful, but if you only visit coastal cities it will reinforce this misconceived idea. Spain is definitely a great party destination, but I also find that it offers a wealth of culture, history, and art.
Jaca was one of four compulsory trips I took as part of this program. Jaca’s history was fascinating to me. Jaca not only has a great deal of medieval history, but it was the capital Aragon several centuries ago. Jaca Cathedral was the first Romanesque building in Aragon and I was intrigued by its unique checkerboard-like pattern. The activities in Jaca were appealing to me as a nature lover, and the fact that they took place outdoors made me expect more from subsequent trips.
In the interest of full disclosure, I want to say that we had a lot of fun, even though it was a different sort of fun. We did not go on an outdoor adventure, but instead visited museums and galleries. Jaca stood out for the rural activities that we did. My love of the mountains is unquenchable. The students were treated to a two-hour hike along a section of the Camino de Santiago. This hike was incredibly relaxed. There were no tour guides to herd us along like cattle. Even those not so interested in nature appreciated the social aspect of the trek. The following day was spent in a white-watering adventure that is still rated as the most exciting trip of the four required semesters. This high-energy, adrenaline-filled adventure twisted along a ravine as we sailed through the mountains. Each raft had six people on it and an instructor. They were all jokesters that played games with us. For example, they would push or pull the students in the cold water. Jaca has been a great experience for staff as well as students. The views were spectacular at both events, but the first was especially impressive, as the section of the Camino de Santiago we walked looked out over France and Spain. The weather was perfect throughout our entire trip. Aside from the occasional gust of wind, we were rewarded with a sun that shone down.
Although Jaca was my most interactive trip, I wasn’t disappointed by the other programs. Each location offered me a different perspective on Spain as well as a wealth knowledge. It was my pleasure to visit Madrid and Barcelona on two separate occasions. The second time I visited Madrid, it was much more enjoyable. There was no learning curve so I was able to use my time more efficiently. The National Archeology Museum had been a part of my mandatory trip to Madrid, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. During my second visit I visited the museum on a voluntary basis. The program took into consideration that I was a freshmen student and changed the schedule for both the Madrid and Barcelona summer trip so that we wouldn’t be bored by the information we already had in these cities.
We chose to visit the controversial Valle de los Caidos instead, or the Valley of the Fallen. This was both fascinating and terrifying. The unnerving element was that the monument seemed more like a shrine to Francisco Franco, Jose Antonio and not a memorial of those who perished during the Spanish Civil War. I asked a few people what they thought of the basilica and they all said it was cool. However, when I told them that thousands of political detainees died building this structure, their perspective changed. Our professor gave a brief overview of the Valley of the Fallen to our group after we had walked through the structure. This helped clear up the confusion of many students.
In the spring, there were many events, including the Dali Museum in Figueras, a tour of La Sagrada Familia, which is the most spectacular creation I have ever seen, and various other Antoni Gaudi conceptions, such as Park Guell. In the Spring, there were a number of events, including the Dali Museum and La Sagrada Familia. This was the most stunning creation that I had ever seen, as well as various other Antoni-Gaudi designs, such Park Guell. The Dali Museum is interesting because Salvador Dali designed the gallery to include a lot of symbolism and play-on words, as well as optical illusions. We were allowed to explore the entire museum after the guided tour.
Castillo de Sant Ferran was an old fort that the students visited during their summer trip to Barcelona. The idea seemed a bit dull at first. Immediately after we received hard hats, miner’s lamps, and other safety gear, our moods improved. Our guides ushered us into rustic Jeeps before driving us through the moats in a hurried, chaotic, and therefore exhilarating way. Our helmets may have been necessary for our Jeep adventure, but we soon discovered their true purpose as we entered the pitch-black tunnels which were used by various rulers throughout history to thwart sieges. Our lights were also used to guide us through the spring water pathways underground in small boats. The Dali Museum was certainly not a replacement activity for this day’s activities.
After a hectic week of travelling, I was relieved to have a chance to unpack again in Valencia. Valencia wasn’t the most relaxing place to be. Las Fallas is the largest, strangest festival I’ve been to. Las Fallas, besides being a huge party event, was also a culturally eye opening experience. The event lasted two weeks and was my first exposure to Valencian. Before this, I’d only heard Valencian spoken in newspapers or on city signs, but not by anyone. After almost seven months in Spain, I thought my Spanish was better, but I couldn’t understand Rita Barbera Nolla as she spoke to the city on the first night of Las Fallas. She was clearly speaking Valencian, so I asked my Valencian friend to translate. He could not understand her words because the mayor was drunk before the ceremony. I found that the next time I encountered Valencian, the language was much more clearly spoken. I could identify the jargon and understand the falleros’ and falleras’ words. The fallas were a collection of elaborately painted, satirical statues that often contained explicit content. It is both shocking and amazing that these statues were set on fire to end Las Fallas. Nevertheless, I am grateful for the chance to see their splendor before La Crema. Although watching the fireworks that ignited the fallas was thrilling, I was not interested in wasting my time, talents, or materials.
I had a great time in Valencia, even though the streets were crowded. I met people from all over the world, including Slovenia, The Netherlands, and Spain. The two-week celebration was not only fun and exciting, but the intense emotion made me feel even more like a Valencian. Even though I felt a sense of belonging with the Valencians I became angry at the tourists that flooded the streets.
La Plaza de la Virgen was my favorite place to hang out when Valencia wasn’t thronged with visitors for Las Fallas. Even if you do not know the history of the surrounding cathedral, government building, and basilica, this bustling place is so pleasing to the eye that you feel compelled stop and grab a drink or snack or even sit on its ledge. The ten-kilometer stretch of the Jardin Del Turia is another of my favorite places in Valencia. This was the area where I spent the most time, whether it was to study, exercise or just enjoy the plants and people around me. This elongated area is also a great way to get to the beach if you prefer sand to grass. The Valenbisi bicycle system makes this possible.
El Miguelete’s bell tower, located on top of the Valencia cathedral, is another beautiful spot. The 360 degree panoramic view is not only stunning but mesmerizing. You can see all the neighborhoods of Valencia and the rooftops of every significant building. When looking down, the people look like ants. Birds can be seen flying in the distance. It is truly a bird’s-eye view. It may be because of the 207 stairwells to reach the top. Or, it might just be that the view is breathtaking. My experience in Spain can be described in one word: sweeter that a Valencian Orange.
