So my finals are done and this is my last day in Alcalá. It seems so surreal that four months have already past and it is now time to return home. The experiences I have had here and all over Europe have been some of the biggest blessings of my life. To be able to learn about and experience European culture first hand has been so exciting and enriching for me (given my major is European Studies at home), I really can't begin to explain. I have loved being forced to use Spanish on a daily basis, and although I am still FAR from fluent, I have become more brave in my attempts to speak. My brain is so confused now that I can't speak or write either language (Spanish or English) correctly...and I love that.
For some Alcalá wouldn't be a dream study abroad location, but for me...I couldn't have picked a better place in Spain to live for four months. As a tourist, there may not be a full day's activities to do in Alcalá, but living here for me had so much Romantic and historic beauty that I am often overwhelmed with how content I feel just walking the streets in the Plaza de Cervantes or people watching on the bus (the old men who walk around the plaza in cardigan sweaters are especially wonderful to observe ;)
My classes have been great, I have loved being in classes that only speak/teach in Spanish. The teachers here make learning in Spanish about different topics really enjoyable, and they really become your friends.
On top of all that, i have met so many wonderful individuals during my time here. First off: my 4 apartment mates. They are the most wonderful girls ever, heck, they put up with me for four months! ;0) In all seriousness though, i really couldn't have picked better girls to live with, they were such a blessing to me and made being away from home so much less lonely. I will miss them more than they know. I was part of an English-Speaking Bible study compiled of members from the U.S., the UK, and India. They gave me a sense of family and community while being abroad, something that was so valuable to my experience here. Their hospitality and generosity humbled me. I pray that God will continue to bless and guide them where ever they are on this globe. I also had an "intercambio" with one Spanish guy and three girls from Belfast (Northern Ireland). Basically a time to talk in Spanish and English to learn about our cultures but also to help each other with a foreign language. They were so fun to meet with and talk with once a week.
So adiós to Alcalá. It is very bitter sweet to be leaving you: I am excited to see my family and friends in the US, but also sad to end my experience here. I hope to return someday to see you once again and remember all the blessings I have found here.
Pictures of las Residencias (where I lived):
Pictures of my classes at Trinitarios/IUEN (my school, part of the Universidad de Alcalá):
1. Civilización y Cultura Española with Olvido Adújar!
2. Técnicas de Escritura with Mar Martín de Nicolás!
3. Gramática "Superior" with Javier de la Cruz
4. After graduation with Ernesto Filardi (Profesor de Literatura español del Siglo de Oro)
5. Not pictured: Yolanda (profesora de "España y la Unión Europea)
My Journey to School Each day...:
1. The bus stop:
2. Inside the Bus (2P or 2C :)
3. Sequence of shots from the bus stop in the Plaza to our school door:
Shots from the Plaza de Cervantes:
1.Modern Art Statue of Quixote
2. Tree Canopy with Christmas lights
3. The infamous Cervantes Statue! (Had been hidden from view until the last two weeks as it was being refurbished!)
4. Pavilion with Nativity Scene
5. The Christmas Tree!
6. Lights in the calles
MISC:
1. The storks have returned to Alcalá (kind of like the Swallows to San Juan if you will)
2. The Mercadona! (the grocery store I went to all the time)
3. Random statue in front of the Train Station
4. The RENFE (train station) I took all the time to get to Madrid or else where:
5. My Bible study (some members missing)
6. My intercambio girls from Belfast (missing our Spanish compañero):
7. Corral de Comedias (saw a play here for class)
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