The Experiment: Spain: Spanish Language & Culture

Last summer, I spent three weeks in Spain, and it honestly changed the way I see things. Being in a totally new place pushed me out of my comfort zone in a good way. I had to figure things out on my own, try new foods, get used to the language, and adjust to a completely different lifestyle. What I loved most was how social and laid-back everything felt. The people there really take time to enjoy life, food, and each other. I met so many kind people and learned a lot just by being present and open. That experience helped me grow more confident, independent, and open-minded. It wasn’t just a trip for me. It was a moment that helped shape who I am now. Hopefully I can go back!

Upon arriving in Madrid, I already could feel this would be one of my life's different and best months. The trip was full of fun adventures and unique and new experiences. I created bonds with people that I will forever be appreciative of. Every single person I met on this trip left a long-lasting impact on me. I learned lessons of gratitude, Spanish history, and culture, the Spanish language, and the diversity of Spain. The lessons I learned during my time abroad I have taken back to my home with and I will never let them go. I created bonds with people that will last forever. The hardest part of this trip was saying goodbye, not only to the people I had spent my month with but to the many various places I had created lifelong memories.

Upon beginning the program, there are many resources available for my family and I to get all the information I needed. Along with this, we had a personal online helper, which we could email about any questions – I definitely used that to my advantage. Applying for the program was fairly easy through their website. The in country staff was amazing and cooperative with the students along with my personal leaders who were very caring. I made many friendships with a variety of American and Spanish people. The immersion of culture was a quick paced environment, but enjoyable nonetheless. I was able to meet many residents of the village I stayed in, this helped me further my Spanish and push me out of my bubble. I was able to learn many new words and try a variety of different foods. I am so happy to have had this experience!

I left America with one family and returned with two. At the beginning of the trip, my main goal was simply to make friends and lasting memories during the month abroad. Those goals stayed the same throughout, but I left with a deeper love and gratitude for the new people in my life. The group of kids I left the airport with soon became the ones I’d laugh, cry, and experience newfound independence with. We all got lost together, tried new things together, and got homesick together. We occasionally would bicker just like siblings, but it only made us understand each other more. In terms of my host family, I couldn’t have asked for a better one. My sisters saw me as one of their own, and their mother and grandmother were always there to ensure I was comfortable, happy, and loved. While in Spain, I learned the importance of gratitude and how many ways there are to show your love to someone. If I were to do the program again, I can’t think of a better group to do it with.

I absolutely loved my trip to Spain. I found that the interactions we had with our Spanish peers were one of a kind, and we connected with them more deeply than I could have imagined. I appreciated the intense cultural immersion we had, and I truly feel like I know Spain and Spanish culture. I especially liked that I walked away from this trip feeling like I could give my family a tour around Granada or Guadix if I wanted to. I was really able to get to know the places we stayed in and the people we got to know. I would definitely recommend this trip to others!

This was undoubtedly one of the best experiences of my young life. The whole application was extremely easy and the team was amazing. I got to visit places I could never imagine and meet incredible people. Honestly, I didn't want to leave. Going to Granada and Guadix gave contrasting yet starking experiences of spanish life. The people I met in spain are some of the most amazing and inspiring I have ever met and I am still in contact with many even now. Throughout the trip I also got assilamed into spanish culture. My spanish is hundreds of times better now than it was before and I can now confirm that siestas are amazing. The first half of the trip involved our group going to the cities of Madrid, Toledo, and Granada. We spent a few days in Madrid getting orientated and meeting our amazing guides from CELEI. We ate some typical spanish meals and toured the city. Next we went to the historic city of Toledo which is one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen. We wandered around the city and saw the cathedral which was stunning. after leaving Toledo we went to Granada which is where we were for two weeks. There we met local kids and did all kinds of activities in the city. We saw the ancient alhambra and went to a flamenco show among other things. We also took part in interactive spanish lessons where we would go one the street and learn spanish first hand. After taking day trips to Cordoba to see the cathedral-mosque which was one of the highlights of the trip, we went to guadix where we took flamenco lessons along with spanish cooking and pottery lessons all in spanish. In guadix we spent a ton of time with the local kids and went out to the city for food or to play soccer a lot. In guadix the focus was much more about Spanish culture and we spent more time exploring culinary and home life aspects. We even spent a day with a spanish family. As a whole it was an amazing experience and one I will never forget and I thank the people at the experiment as well as the amazing teachers and guides at CELEI. I would highly recommend this program for someone looking to have an immersive experience in spain.

By far the best experience I have ever had the privilege of being apart of. Not only did I gain a better ability to speak Spanish and experience another culture, but I also was gifted 5+ absolutely amazing role models, who opened my mind and altered my ways of thinking for the better. We visited the most beautiful cities and sights: Madrid, Toledo, Granada, Guadix, Cordoba, Castril, and the beautiful Alhambra palace and fortress. There was definitely a lot of walking, which I enjoyed; In Granada, most of the neighborhood streets are paved in river rock and the architecture is stunning, the 100+ years old stone walls, the archways, and homes, everything was absolutely breathtaking. Our residence had the most beautiful view of the Alhambra. While in Granada we went to school, both teachers were absolute delights, they were understanding, funny, and really cared about our educations and well beings, Im really grateful I was able to meet them. During our stay in Granada we did many activities: our guides took us on a graffiti tour of the neighborhood ( the artwork was skillful and beautifully crafted, the locals admired the murals greatly), we walked up to a gorgeous viewpoint to watch the sunset over the entire city, hiked a mountain path to overlook the landscape and get to know some of the local teens, traveled to the river to have a survival skills class, visited the Alhambra and toured the grounds with an amazing and knowledgeable tour guide, visited multiple Cathedrals, and roamed the neighborhood and shops. While Granada was packed with adventure, Guadix was equally great. Our activities included Flamenco, Art, Cooking, and Ceramics classes, we spent our days with local teens from the area, whether we were swimming,on the trampoline, playing connect four or uno, or just hanging out, we were always making new friends and getting to know each other. Due to Covid-19 we were unable to have host families, but we did each go with our friend/s to their homes and spent the day with them and their families. On the last day of our stay in Guadix we all participated in a talent show for the residents living where we were staying, there was skits, dancing, and music. While on this trip I made some amazing friends and even more amazing role models, people who truly wanted to help others and see change in their communities. We were taught to "Act Local, Think Global" when it comes to making a change in our communities. I left this trip with a completely different mindset than I had come with. I have truly grown so much as a person because of this trip and I could not be more thankful to The Experiment for allowing me to experience something I never thought I could.

The Experiment in International Living gave me so many opportunities I wouldn't have gotten anywhere else. I learned so much about a beautiful country with such a rich history and culture. I can confidently say I learned at least one new thing everyday, and I did that not only by touring places and walking around the cities, but also from the people I met along the way. I got to form many incredible relationships with the other American students I traveled with, my amazing group leaders that supported me throughout the whole trip, and all of the people I met in Spain. It was truly amazing to get to look into how people my age live and do things differently in different parts of the country. The experience as a whole was so eye opening and pushed me out of my comfort zone just enough to really get a life changing experience. In addition to learning about the history, culture, and Spanish language, I also learned a lot about myself. What I can do when I push myself, new likes (and dislikes) and what I want to do in the future. Getting to live in Granada for those 12 days was just so amazing and I almost immediately knew I had to go back there. After talking to one of my group leaders, I learned about the University of Granada and decided I want to study abroad there in college. I got to learn and grow so much and I will be forever grateful for this trip.

Over the summer, I had the privilege of taking part in the Experiment in International Living's Spanish language and culture program. While abroad, I had the opportunity to learn things about myself that I never thought I would. I got to broaden my horizons and see things from a lot of other people's perspectives. I often found myself taking what felt like literal leaps into what was easily out of my comfort zone, but these experiences changed me for the better. The way I view myself as a leader has definitely changed. I have become much more confident in my decisions, and have also found it easier to voice my opinions to those in my group. Thanks to the comforting yet exciting environment that was established from day one in our groups, I was able to ease into the entire process of becoming a leader. Another way this trip helped me become a better leader was the fact that I was able to improve my communication skills. Through this program, I learned how to properly share ideas and converse with my peers in a way that pushed us towards our goals. I also learned the importance of asking questions in a group setting, while also asking questions in a more private one-on-one setting. In this way, I could get an accurate opinion of what the group wanted as a whole, while also getting individual thoughts and ideas from people that weren't influenced by a large group setting. I also developed my skills in regards to coming to a compromise, finding myself being better able to discuss and reach an agreement in terms of what the group wanted to do. With my fellow experimenters working to reach compromises as well, there never seemed to be a dull moment as we worked together to pick out the most enjoyable activity for the group. It was through these activities that we picked out together that I got to step out of my comfort zone and enjoy new experiences. We came to many decisions together as a group. Whether it was on what to do during our free days or the best place to get dinner, there would always be a new experience just around the corner. We went on a variety of excursions that had me feeling hesitant at first, but then later embracing them and the fact that I actually did them in the first place. With these brand new experiences came an expansion of my comfort zone. I often found myself trying brand new foods, swimming in an ocean that was completely foreign to me, being placed in situations where it was just best to accept the awkwardness of them. Although easily the biggest stress on my comfort zone was becoming a part of someone's family and getting perspective on their lives. The idea of going into a homestay made me incredibly nervous at first, and that feeling had persisted until I actually met them in person. It was through them that I got to see what Spain was really like, what teens my age did, what the nightlife was like, and the best places to get tapas, as well as seeing the most famous sites in the area. It was through my wonderful homestay family that I got to truly go out of my comfort zone and experience life in Spain. The trip was a first in many ways for me. It was my first time traveling to Europe or even a new continent, my first time traveling alone without a parent, my first time visiting Spain (although hopefully not the last!), and my first time truly taking a leap and traveling abroad to learn about the life and culture in another part of the world. Beforehand, it had only ever been an activity that I could dream about doing, and I was lucky enough to have my dreams realised during this amazing trip. Over the course of this trip I felt the level of confidence I had in myself grow, as well as my ability to be a leader. It was through this that I let myself go out of my comfort zone, in doing so I only added to the amount of growing confidence I had in myself. After each new experience brought its challenges, but thanks to the previous ones, I felt better equipped to handle them. Even now, I still sometimes think back to what I did in Spain, and the challenges and personal victories I had in order to bolster the amount of confidence I carry with me today. It was through the trip that I gained an amazing friend group that I carried back with me to the U.S, while also still having another incredible group of friends (and family) in Spain. If I had another opportunity to do this trip, I'd take it in a heartbeat. This trip was an experience that I plan on carrying with me for the rest of my life.

I had such an amazing time abroad. I met the greatest people that i've met, experienced a gorgeous country, and practiced a language. My peers were so open and supportive and i found a sense of home with them. I had such a great time exploring the cities for miradors, or souvenir shops, or just places to eat. The local teens are amazing and so welcoming, and will always be willing to talk to you-- It's super easy to meet friends outside of the program. Our homestay families were all so sweet, and the freedom to hang out with them outside was amazing as well. The freedom in general really helped my experience. Of course the planned activities were helpful as they encouraged immersion and learning about the history of Spain, but nothing can beat actually going out, exploring, and living like a local.

I loved the Experiment trip Spanish Language and Culture! I learned so much about the culture there and improved my speaking skills way more than I would have if I didn’t go on this trip. I met people I will never forget! I am so grateful for the opportunity to attend this program.

This program allowed me to have the most amazing summer of my life. The leaders were amazing people who were so helpful, fun, and loving. They wanted to make sure we had a great time and they really succeeded. The experience was shared with an awesome group of other teenagers. We all shared our memories together and we became close super quickly. Overall, The Experiment does everything they can to ensure we really enjoy our trip. I highly recommend. Spain is amazing and it is so great to be able to make memories with some of your new best friends.

My experience abroad was fantastic. I got to explore major and minor cities and areas of Spain which helped me develop my perspective of Spanish life. I loved how different Madrid, Toledo, Granada, and Guadix were in comparison to the U.S. because I felt like I was learning from simply walking around and observing the world around me. I found that being present was very beneficial to the whole experience, so when I was at my homestay I let myself be immersed into the culture. In Guadix I went to a pool, a beach, a cave town, an art workshop, a park, we went on an excursion through a cave and I overall just explored everything in between. In Madrid, my group went to a series of restaurants and tried so much food and I loved it all. Somethings I ate I never thought I would like ever and I ended up finding everything delicious. In Toledo, I learned the history I why it is not the capital city of Spain and I got to try more food there as well. In Granada, I visited and learned about the history of the Alhambra. I also got to do a lot of shopping there and I took language classes. I particularly enjoyed being able to explore the city and other areas with smaller groups. I felt like I was in control of my experience which made me feel at home.

Spain was a life changing experience. My group leaders as well as my peers made this trip turn into one of the best experiences of my life. They were always there when I needed them whether if it was to help me with a decision or even to fix my hair @AliciaKeys. The friends and memories I've made on this trip will most certainly unforgettable. My group made me see a side of myself I've never discovered before and I thank them for everything they've done.

Going to Spain with the Experiment was the best decision of my life. Not only was I able to understand the Spanish culture and language but I was also immersed in courses where I learned Spanish, ceramics, and flamenco dancing. I was able to do tours of authentic places in Spain where the tourist population is minimal to none. I felt like doing this I was able to have a better experience and understanding of the Spanish culture and improved my Spanish because I was forced to communicate by speaking only Spanish. I was also able to make friends who are now like family to me and I consider like my brothers and siblings. There is nothing I would want to change about my experience and the program.

I must say that my trip to Spain was all that I expected and more. Throughout the trip, I was taught the Spanish language through complete immersion, and I learned more than I thought possible. I think it's important that future participants realize that this trip is a learning experience designed so that any Spanish language background is fine. This was most emphasized by my lack of in-depth knowledge because of the few language classes I had taken prior. However, it is essential that I state, that this lack of knowledge, though troublesome, was efficacious in altering the experiences I had. Through my struggles with the language barrier, my trip was made unique. I forced myself out of the so called 'comfort zone' and into the unique country of Spain. I learned the names of foods in Spanish by simply eating them and figuring out what I ate after, and I learned subjunctives through the explanations of kids my age in Spain. Overall, I must say that this trip was a learning experience, and any future experimenter should know that the best way to learn in Spain is full immersion. No matter how little Spanish you know, it's good to meet locals and just talk to them.

This program was so much more than a simple trip abroad. From living with a wonderful, caring, and supportive host family to making countless connections with locals and fellow Experimenters alike, this experience was truly one that I will never forget. Despite previous travels abroad, this experience allowed me to completely immerse myself in a foreign culture more fully than any opportunity that I had had before. It was truly amazing to be able to meet local Spaniards and create unique, memorable friendships with them while learning about Spain’s beautiful language and culture. However, I still believe that the best part of this experience was the ability to live with a host family for an entire week and a half. Although the availability of this aspect of traveling abroad is harder to find nowadays, it is, in my opinion, what made this trip so unbelievable. During this time period, my Spanish skills improved remarkably and I made unforgettable personal connections with my host family and their friends which will undoubtedly last a lifetime. All in all, my participation in this program has provided me with indescribably precious memories and friendships that I am sure to treasure for the rest of my life.

Going abroad by itself can be lifechanging, but the ease of transitioning and the help of my group leaders is really what helped me be as open and excited as I was. Not only were leaders there to teach us life skills and skills for abroud, they also were emotionally there for us when the reality of situations hit. Being with The Experiment, I never felt unsafe or out of place wherever I went. The bonds I've made and people I've connected with exceeds any other group experience I've had domestic or abroad.

"Por favor ayudame"- A piece of cardboard held between tired hands grabbed my eye. A woman, maybe late 30's, held out this cry for help, asking pedestrians for spare change. Her sign then continued to describe how she has 2 children in need of food. Unfortunately, during my time in Spain, I saw this too often. "How are they allowed to beg?" I asked. Arturo, our in-country advisor, had a solemn look on his face and explained how homelessness is a big issue in Spain. It seemed to me that asking for change was legal and often ignored. As well as sleeping on benches, ledges, or anywhere you can lay your belongings down. I had never seen something like this before. I knew homelessness was a problem, but I have never realized it was to this extent. In my hometown of Key West, begging is not tolerated. So this situation was something extremely odd and foreign, but to Arturo, it was something sad and typical. In Granda, as we took our hike to where we would have our language classes, we stopped at "La Mirador de San Nicholas" A viewpoint overlooking La Alhambra. There sat an older woman, next to her, boxes of castantes. Shell-shaped clappers connected with string. As people passed by she looked longingly. As if praying for someone to look at her product. As someone would walk by, she would play the castantes. This woman stayed in my mind throughout the day, as we began to leave the school, I saw her again still playing her castantes. Then almost every day on our way to school I would see her. It bothered me so much I began to not even look at her. But as we pass more and more people without homes, I saw others do the same. Too ashamed to watch and to distracted to care. I then saw how instead of becoming the solution, I was ignoring the problem. Over 40,000 people in Spain are homeless,1.5 million families are living in shelters, and over 100 million people are homeless worldwide. As these statistics continue to rise, so does the rate of unemployment. These events have unexpectedly made me realize that because of my actions I might have affected someone's life. I was feeding into these statistics without even realizing it. Although I might not be able to help them financially, I could help with my body expression and what I say. Sometimes just being kind to someone can change an attitude. Or perspective. Too many times have I seen mothers with their children hold just a little bit tighter while passing by someone less fortunate than them, or see someone looking down at them because of their situation. Unfortunately, people are put in that position of being homeless because of being laid off at work, addiction, etc.… Since my Experiment in Spain, I've found myself being kinder. Saying hello instead of silently judging, or offering a warm smile while passing by instead of moving away. I believe that people follow by example. I am now a senior in high school and have learned that what I do is seen by others. Therefore what I do or say can influence people positively or negatively. I want to be that change that people see in the world. I am a leader and a role model to the younger generation. I believe that educating people on the statistics of homelessness and showing how to be kind to people can help better the future and help create a more peaceful world. This program has enlightened me in so many ways that I could go on forever about my experience. I've chosen this story to talk about to show that actually experiencing the country does not always mean rainbows and butterflies. This has opened my eyes to an issue that I otherwise would have never thought about and has made me realize that I can influence change from the knowledge I've learned in my experiment abroad.

Being able to compare my culture to that of the children is Spain was breath taking and truly changed my perspective on my own life. The Spanish classes for two week in Granada was the highlight of the trip! The program was able to make school enjoyable (haha). The other students and I became so close as friends, we truly were a family by the end. Walking around to different historical sites with our in-country leader helped me make connections to what we learned in school as well as giving me a broader and deeper understanding of the influences and culture of my surroundings.