Expectations

It is pretty much guaranteed that anyone who has been on a year abroad refers to it as ‘the best year of my life.’ However, this does not mean that it was always easy. It also does not stop the anxiety I am feeling pre-departure!

Currently living in The Netherlands, I’m hoping that my expat background will give me a heads up when moving to Spain. Coming from an English/Dutch family and having spent time in Holland and the UK, I can now say I feel at home in both countries; a pretty lucky asset to have. Nevertheless, this new beginning still seems incredibly daunting…

Despite growing a love for Spanish, I have to admit that before this summer I hadn’t seen much of Spain; a school trip to Toledo and a week in Barcelona was about it. However, this year my friend Harriet and I decided to explore the country a little more. Starting in Valencia, we spent around two weeks experiencing its true flavours thanks to those we stayed with along the way.

Back home, I now have a better feel for the place and have realised what a vast amount it has to offer. Travelling from city to city also gave me a clearer idea of what to expect in September, so I thought I would reflect on my impressions of Spain so far…

Friendliness

Firstly, what struck me most about the Spanish was their hospitality. Wherever we went we were given a warm welcome, including by those we’d never met or knew little about.  Everyone seemed interested in us, frequently complementing our level of Spanish, and conversation was effortless. Even strangers started talking to us, asking about our travels. I’d never felt so comfortable abroad! We were also constantly introduced to various friends and family and there was a true sense of inclusiveness. This has given me hope that it won’t be too hard to make friends next year. (Fingers crossed!)

We were also extremely well looked after. People willingly opened up their homes to us, trying their hardest to make us feel at ease during our stay. And the food! Meals were endless, with delicious meat dishes presented around the clock. Portion control was difficult though as it became hard to turn down more.

Fiesta

Besides this, thanks to our welcoming hosts, we were given a taster of the infamous Spanish fiesta. This included having a few beers or glasses of sangria before heading to a lively bar where Latin based music got you dancing salsa. Dance lessons are popular with both sexes which meant people were really good! Surprisingly, these places are known as ‘pubs,’ (pronounced ‘poovs’) a pretty different scene to the pubs we were used to.

We were also lucky enough to experience a more traditional fiesta. In one village, entire families (second cousins included) would gather to eat together. Huge meat and potato dishes were prepared while a live band patrolled through the streets, stopping occasionally for vino and chorizo. After the meal, everyone gathered for more music in the town square. This was followed by a rather precarious fireworks display, including rockets flying out of a metal bull in to the crowd. (I have to add that these late night celebrations happened on a Monday night!)

Variety

Another interesting aspect of the trip was the huge distinctions between different regions of Spain. Although we only covered a small section of the country, unique regional qualities soon became apparent. While staying in Barcelona, we realised that it was inaccurate to see Spain as united. You could not ignore the city’s strong sense of Catalan pride, with the regional flag frequently appearing and the Catalan language dominating public signs and information points. We suddenly had to be careful when talking about ‘Spanish,’ referring to it as Castellano as opposed to Catalan. My friend Laia admitted she didn’t feel Spanish at heart, and claimed that a Barcelonan was totally different to a Madrileño.

There was also a lot of talk about the North-South divide. As the majority of our trip was in Northern Spain, we heard frequent jokes about the Southerners and were explained some of the stark differences between the two sides. We realised, like in England, that Northern and Southern Spain saw each other as totally separate entities. So that pretty much sums up what I learnt during my travels in Spain this summer. It was a truly valuable trip with unforgettable memories and, underneath all the nerves, it has made me all the more excited for my nueva vida in September.