Salamanca

Salamanca is another place we are looking at for studying abroad. Natalie or I have ever been to this part of Spain. We are actually leaning towards Salamanca because this is the program that offers to the longest trip, about three months. Natalie actually has family there and we might be able to stay with them instead of a host family. That might make us more comfortable from being away from our families for three months. I know that I will be homesick. Salamanca is in the north-west part of Spain. It has many beautiful pieces of architecture as well as Seville, including the Romanesque Cathedral and Monterrey Palace. Also, La Plaza Mayor is one of its most popular spots to hang out, do a little shopping, eat unbelievable food, and enjoy different markets. We would be studying at the University of Salamanca, which is very popular and very famous for several known faces went there including Miguel Cervantes (Don Quijote), Miguel de Unamuno, etc. The climate is Mediterranean. It is smoking hot during the summer months, normally around 80-120 degrees, and can be extremely cold during winter, although normal temperatures during winter are around 30 degrees.

Here is a picture of the Monterrey Palace.

There are many ways to get around the city. There are buses, trams, cars, and an airport. There are many things to do, including playing sports, hanging out with friends at different plazas and restaurants, and even taking a leisurely canoe trip down the Tormes River. Salamanca is a very touristy place, which is the central activity during the summer months. It is one of the larger cities, but it is very intimate and makes people feel as if they were in a small town. This is another reason we are leaning towards Salamanca. It is a beautiful city. Click here for a map of where it is located in Spain. Other than that, enjoy the pictures :) Have a great week! Next time, I'll probably begin talking about midterms, since they are just around the corner. Ahhhh.

 This is the view of Salamanca from one of the cathedrals.

 This is the Tormes River and the view towards to Old Cathedral.

Seville

This post, I will give details about Seville, Spain. Maybe this can be somewhat of a pro-con list for me to decide!
Seville has a lot to offer. It is in Southern Spain. The climate of Seville is very warm during summer and sometimes it may snow or not in the winter. There are beautiful sites to see in Seville. Bullfighting is one also known as "running with the bulls." Also, the flamenco (a style of dance) is known here. This is a beautiful presentation. The women dress in colorful dresses, with ruffles at the bottom. They also dance with different instruments. The boys normally dress in tuxedos. It is a combination of ballet and contemporary dance. There are three different forms, dance, song, and guitar. Seville is also home to the largest medieval Gothic cathedral.

Seville is known for their other architecture as well. Seville also has many museums and sites to see. There are beautiful parks that are full of luscious nature. Also, Seville holds one of the most popular plazas in Spain; Plaza de Espana. Seville also celebrates Holy Week or Semana Santa. It is a festival that celebrates Easter and the Resurrection of Jesus. The university that we would attend is called Menendez Pelayo Internacional University. It has a student population of 5,000. It is a very intimate college where one-on-one with the professors is very important. Seville is a smaller city, but has a lot to do also at night. Most people do not even start going out until about midnight. The drink of Spain is known as a Sangria. In order to tour the city, buses, taxis, as well as subways are all available.

Overall, Seville is a great city. Click here for more information about Seville. It has so many options and we would be staying right on campus in a dorm-type room. It is going to be a hard decision to make. Next time, you'll find out about Salamanca!

Spain 2011

     As seen in previous posts, I am studying abroad in Spain in the summer of 2011. I am going with a girlfriend I have known for about 3 years now. Her name is Natalie. She is not majoring in Spanish like me, but rather minoring. However, we are both beyond excited. The study abroad fair yesterday was a huge success. We are traveling through a company known as International Studies Abroad (ISA). It is a great program that offers programs in basically all major cities of the world it seems. However, we have several options. We must put a down payment in December and until then, we are going to be researching the locations available, the classes offered (and will hopefully transfer, and the excursions we will be participating in. As of right now, we are leaning towards Seville or Salamanca, Spain (see map of Spain). Seville is a gorgeous city. It is smaller, more intimate.    However, Seville has a great university as well as night life! When I went to Spain in high school, Seville was one of the stops we made and it was beyond gorgeous. Salamanca is also beautiful, from the pictures I have seen. I have not been there. We are leaning towards Salamanca because neither of us has been there and it would be a great experience to share this new place together.
     Overall, the trip is going to be about $10,000. There are many scholarships available and we can both apply for financial aid. I decided to give my parents a break and am going to pay for this all on my own! The program includes a place to live, the schooling, food, laundry, and four excursions. The only thing Natalie and I would be responsible for is the extra spending money and the plane ticket. However, there is no price that can be put on such a grand experience. I will be able to share this experience for the rest of my life.
     I am truly out of my mind, crazy about going abroad for three months. Of course it will be a long time away from my family, friends, and boyfriend. However, absence makes the heart grow fonder right? Cheesy, I know. For the next couple of weeks, I will be going into detail about the sorts of things we get to do. If anyone is seriously interested in joining us on our adventure or need any information at all, let me know. I am providing a link for ISA's website. It is a great place to look at. You can even request a free catalog to look at all the opportunities offered.Until then, hasta luego!

Spain Pictures!

 Part of Granada!

 These were my roommates for the trip!

 The whole group!

 Don Quijote's Windmills.

El Flamenco.

What's the Hype about Spanish?

Spanish is a beautiful language. Even deeper, it is an even more beautiful culture. They have passion for things so different from what we Americans have passion for. I went to Spain when I was 18. It was a short trip, only two weeks, but I fell in love. Even before this, I was hooked. I began taking Spanish when I was sin 8th grade. It was easy for me, learning numbers, letters, seasons, months, days, years, and the present tense. It was not too hard. Then high school came. I took Spanish all four years and was in advanced classes for it. For three of those four years, I had the same teacher. Her name was Kyleen Cunningham. Kyleen was the best teacher I have ever had. She was a great friend too. Always striving for her students to be the best they can be. Having a great teacher also made me fall in love with the language. Kyleen not only taught me why I wanted to teach Spanish, but also why I wanted to become a teacher. She was so enthusiastic about school and life. She loved it all.
     After these four years, the trip to Spain was just a deal-breaker. For two weeks, 25 students and four chaperones traveled ALL across Spain. We saw all of the greatest historic sites, ate at the best restaurants, saw the best plazas, and met some amazing people. More importantly, we saw a sneak-peak of Spaniards. I got to speak Spanish for two whole weeks straight. Most of the Spaniards were so helpful and patient when we were trying to speak (remember, we were all not fluent yet!). It may have been the best experience of my life so far. There are no words to describe how beautiful and unique this country is. My favorite places were Madrid, Cordoba, Seville, and Granada (and, of course, Costa Del Sol (the beach)). If you want to see a map of Spain, we traveled to just about all of the major cities. I'll post my own pictures as well :)
     Stay tuned, next week is the study abroad fair. For a few weeks, I will be discussing to all of you my study abroad trip next year and encouraging all of you to partake or at least travel abroad sometime in your life!!! 

Here is Cordoba!

Pictures of Teacher Cadet!

Here are some other pictures of my classroom and me! Hope you enjoy. They were the best kids and I couldn't have asked for a better experience.

Teaching

As a student, it is easy to see myself in this classroom setting forever. I love it. Like I said in my last post, I love learning and I wish I could continue to learn all of my life. Which, in essence, I will. Ever since I was five years old, I have wanted to be a teacher. Truth be told, I used to sit in my bedroom and pretend that my cats were my students. I would literally take the pencil and put it in their paws and help them write. I would also make my own handouts and pretend to give them tests. Once I began to grow up, my sister and I still used to play school all the time with each other, friends, our barbies, etc. I was a fast learner and I also developed a photographic memory, which helps! Once high school hit, I fell even more deeply in love with school. Not just school however, but Spanish. I loved being able to choose the classes that I wanted to take. I loved being able to enjoy the freedom of being a high school student. I made great friends, I fell in love with a boy for the first time (yikes!), and I learned to love the idea of becoming a teacher. This idea is my motivation key in getting through college. I want to be a teacher. I want to be a Spanish teacher. And I know I will be able to fulfill this dream.

       When I was a senior in high school, I got to take a class called Teacher Cadet. I would go over to Clarkston Elementary everyday after I was finished with my classes, and teach 2nd grade. It was such an intense year. I had to write lesson plans, make up tests, design projects. Most importantly though, I had to teach. I was in charge, the authority figure, the mentor to these kids. It was such a blessing to me. For a lot of the other students who took this class, it was a curse. They hated it and did not want to be teachers anymore. Yet, I wanted it even more.

Here is a picture of me teaching my 2nd grade classroom!

      A few weeks ago, I turned in my teaching application to the University. I was nervous, but I was more excited. I find out in November if I made it in or not! Next post, I will tell all why I love Spanish and how I fell in love with a new language and culture! Until then, adios!