Hi Everyone!
This is my very first blog entry EVER! I am currently entering into my senior year at the U of A seeking a degree in Marketing Management. Right now I'm on my way to Madrid, Spain - I'm going to spend the rest of the summer doing an intensive month program in Salamanca and then I'll move to Barcelona for the fall. My only other abroad experience was a three week survey of India this past winter that I participated in with a great group of students from both the Walton College and the MBA program. India was like nothing I've ever seen, and I'm expecting my trip in Spain to be equally as interesting and wonderful.
I was much more prepared for this trip than I was for my trip to India, both mentally and materially. I am thankful to have had a prior international experience that was much shorter so that I was able to more comfortably and confidently pursue, plan and prepare for this current opportunity.
It was hard to say goodbye to my family at XNA, because 5 months away is a loooong time, but as soon as I got through security I felt prepared and ready to go. I am so excited for this trip. I am hoping to immerse myself fully in the Spanish culture and soak in all the charm that Spain has to offer. If you're gonna go, go all the way. I know that I will not only learn so much more about the world and about other people and ways of life, but I will also learn a lot about myself.
I am doing homestays in both of my programs, so I will be staying with two different families. The only thing I know so far is that my first family has hosted international students before and they've said the family is very kind and welcoming. I found out who my roommate is going to be, and have been in touch with her a little through facebook. She is currently finishing a program in Granada, so it was great to be able to ask her some questions about packing and suggestions that she had for travel. She seems like a sweet girl and I am excited to meet her and the family that I'll be staying with!
I bought a copy of Rick Steves' Spain 2011 Travel Guide to bring with me and I read a little bit of it on my first flight. It's a great book! Very interesting and easy to read and extremely relevant. Spain, much unlike the United States, is more of a collection of distinct regions rather than a centralized nation. The book says that "people think of themselves first and foremost as Basques, Catalans, Andalusians, Galicians, Leonese, and so on...and only second as Spaniards." There are 45 million people that live in Spain, and they have 50 million visitors annually. What I found most interesting and significant to the development of the current Spanish cultural state is the fact that under the fascist dictator Francisco Franco, and with the help of the Pyrenese Mountain barrier, Spain secluded itself from the rest of Europe for almost three centuries. This isolation contributed to the unusual customs that are now staples of Spanish culture, such as the bullfights, flamenco dancing, and the interesting national obsession with ham. The isolation period ended with Franco's death at the end of the 20th century and since then the culture has swung far from its conservative past. Spain is still 94 percent Roman Catholic - yet the country has come to the forefront of movements in affairs such as liberal reforms in abortion and gay marriage. Extreme religiosity has been transformed into extreme secularism and the enticing culture of consumerism has changed the saving and spending habits of the Spanish people. Yet they balance the seeping influences of the 21st century with a solid sense of their roots - Spaniards are still largely family oriented and a good part of the country still follows the "siesta schedule" focused on a large meal in the middle of the day with family and friends.
So as of yet I don't have much to report about my trip, other than the fact that the first flight was FREEZING! My mom always tells me to dress warmly on planes, and I always shrug it off and don't really pay attention. But boy did I pay for it this time. Lesson #1 of the trip - Mother is, still, always right.
Sorry for the overload of Rick Steves, but he has one more article that I wanted to share. It's called his "Back Door Travel Philosophy." He has some excellent quotes that I think will be extremely helpful for me to keep in the back of my mind and to help me get the most out of my trip. He says, "Travel is intensified living...maximum thrills per minute and one of the last great sources of legal adventure. Travel is freedom. It's recess, and we need it. Connecting with people carbonates your experience. If your trip is low on magic moments, kick yourself and make things happen. Seek the truth. Travel, like the world, is a series of hills and valleys. Be fanatically positive and militantly optimistic. If something's not to your liking, change your liking. Thoughtful travel engages us with the world. In tough economic times, it reminds us what is truly important. By broadening perspectives, travel teaches new ways to measure quality of life."
"Globetrotting destroys ethnocentricity, helping us understand and appreciate other cultures. Rather than fear the diversity on this planet, celebrate it. Among your most prized souvenirs will be the strands of different cultures you choose to knit into your own character. The world is a cultural yarn shop, and Back Door travelers are weaving the ultimate tapestry. Join in!"
Hope everyone is enjoying their summer...I'll be in touch soon!
Ariel
This is my very first blog entry EVER! I am currently entering into my senior year at the U of A seeking a degree in Marketing Management. Right now I'm on my way to Madrid, Spain - I'm going to spend the rest of the summer doing an intensive month program in Salamanca and then I'll move to Barcelona for the fall. My only other abroad experience was a three week survey of India this past winter that I participated in with a great group of students from both the Walton College and the MBA program. India was like nothing I've ever seen, and I'm expecting my trip in Spain to be equally as interesting and wonderful.
I was much more prepared for this trip than I was for my trip to India, both mentally and materially. I am thankful to have had a prior international experience that was much shorter so that I was able to more comfortably and confidently pursue, plan and prepare for this current opportunity.
It was hard to say goodbye to my family at XNA, because 5 months away is a loooong time, but as soon as I got through security I felt prepared and ready to go. I am so excited for this trip. I am hoping to immerse myself fully in the Spanish culture and soak in all the charm that Spain has to offer. If you're gonna go, go all the way. I know that I will not only learn so much more about the world and about other people and ways of life, but I will also learn a lot about myself.
I am doing homestays in both of my programs, so I will be staying with two different families. The only thing I know so far is that my first family has hosted international students before and they've said the family is very kind and welcoming. I found out who my roommate is going to be, and have been in touch with her a little through facebook. She is currently finishing a program in Granada, so it was great to be able to ask her some questions about packing and suggestions that she had for travel. She seems like a sweet girl and I am excited to meet her and the family that I'll be staying with!
I bought a copy of Rick Steves' Spain 2011 Travel Guide to bring with me and I read a little bit of it on my first flight. It's a great book! Very interesting and easy to read and extremely relevant. Spain, much unlike the United States, is more of a collection of distinct regions rather than a centralized nation. The book says that "people think of themselves first and foremost as Basques, Catalans, Andalusians, Galicians, Leonese, and so on...and only second as Spaniards." There are 45 million people that live in Spain, and they have 50 million visitors annually. What I found most interesting and significant to the development of the current Spanish cultural state is the fact that under the fascist dictator Francisco Franco, and with the help of the Pyrenese Mountain barrier, Spain secluded itself from the rest of Europe for almost three centuries. This isolation contributed to the unusual customs that are now staples of Spanish culture, such as the bullfights, flamenco dancing, and the interesting national obsession with ham. The isolation period ended with Franco's death at the end of the 20th century and since then the culture has swung far from its conservative past. Spain is still 94 percent Roman Catholic - yet the country has come to the forefront of movements in affairs such as liberal reforms in abortion and gay marriage. Extreme religiosity has been transformed into extreme secularism and the enticing culture of consumerism has changed the saving and spending habits of the Spanish people. Yet they balance the seeping influences of the 21st century with a solid sense of their roots - Spaniards are still largely family oriented and a good part of the country still follows the "siesta schedule" focused on a large meal in the middle of the day with family and friends.
So as of yet I don't have much to report about my trip, other than the fact that the first flight was FREEZING! My mom always tells me to dress warmly on planes, and I always shrug it off and don't really pay attention. But boy did I pay for it this time. Lesson #1 of the trip - Mother is, still, always right.
Sorry for the overload of Rick Steves, but he has one more article that I wanted to share. It's called his "Back Door Travel Philosophy." He has some excellent quotes that I think will be extremely helpful for me to keep in the back of my mind and to help me get the most out of my trip. He says, "Travel is intensified living...maximum thrills per minute and one of the last great sources of legal adventure. Travel is freedom. It's recess, and we need it. Connecting with people carbonates your experience. If your trip is low on magic moments, kick yourself and make things happen. Seek the truth. Travel, like the world, is a series of hills and valleys. Be fanatically positive and militantly optimistic. If something's not to your liking, change your liking. Thoughtful travel engages us with the world. In tough economic times, it reminds us what is truly important. By broadening perspectives, travel teaches new ways to measure quality of life."
"Globetrotting destroys ethnocentricity, helping us understand and appreciate other cultures. Rather than fear the diversity on this planet, celebrate it. Among your most prized souvenirs will be the strands of different cultures you choose to knit into your own character. The world is a cultural yarn shop, and Back Door travelers are weaving the ultimate tapestry. Join in!"
Hope everyone is enjoying their summer...I'll be in touch soon!
Ariel
