A Beautiful Castle, Beach and History of Peñíscola, Spain

On the weekends, Tarjona language school takes some of its students on excursions to see different sites that we may not know about. On July 24th, we got on the 2 hour bus ride and headed to Peñíscola for the day. On the bus, a few students in our group were able to get to know other students from different countries who were from different Spanish classes. When we finally got there, I was so excited to see the amazing views. When we hopped off the bus we got to see a glimpse of one of the beaches, then started our journey up to the old castle. On our walk, we were able to see the beautiful roads filled with flowers, take pictures of the bright blue water, and pass by many little shops. When we got to the castle, we were able to see artifacts, the church, and if you went up the skinny steep staircase, then you would have seen the most amazing view of Peñíscola. 

For my Game of Thrones fans out there, you would have noticed that many scenes were filmed here, which was really exciting to see in my opinion! We were able to take some pictures before heading out on our own for lunch or the beach. A lot of the restaurants were overlooking the water! At the end of the day, we all met up for some fun on the beach before getting back on the bus for another 2 hours. I wish we could have stayed longer in this beautiful city!

We have completed three weeks of language school and almost a month of being away from home.  We’ve walked many, many miles – a couple students logged 30,000 steps in one day as they walked the entire riverbed park – La Turia – in Valencia.  It’s been very hot as many countries in Europe experienced another heat “storm” and many of the buildings in Valencia have no air conditioning.  As we all prepare to reorient ourselves to our families and friends, cooler weather and prepare for what comes next, we invite you to read a few of our final reflections.

– Shania Coleman

Discomfort and Adaptation

Wrapping up cross-cultural this week, I have been reflecting back on things I’ve learned about myself throughout the trip. First, I’ve learned how to be okay being uncomfortable and adapting to a new culture. I feel like traveling is one of the best ways to really grow and learn about yourself because every day is different with new opportunities. Traveling is not going to go smoothly 100% of the time, so learning how to navigate and handle those issues is a big lesson I have learned in Spain. Another thing I learned about myself on this trip is that I need alone time. I feel like when we are traveling in a big group and we all have roommates, it’s hard to get that alone time and regroup. I didn’t know how much I would need that until I came to Spain. Luckily, we have a great group of people in this cross-cultural group who have an understanding of people’s needs and are self-aware individuals. Overall, this trip has been extremely beneficial to learning more about myself. I think it was important for me to come on this trip and get out of my comfort zone! 

– Hannah York

Reflections on Our Experience 

I was given the hard task of wrapping up the entire trip into one blog post. When thinking back on this trip there were so many high points that I’m not sure exactly what I want to talk about most. Was it all of the museums, the bullfight, the complex history behind the architecture and the city, or was it something as small as being happy to see clouds in the sky, hearing cracked tile beneath your feet on the walk to school, finally being able to have a conversation in Spanish and understanding what was being talked about, or was it something else underlying that made this trip so exceptional? 

Some of the best parts of this trip happened when we all gave into the culture and really tried to understand the similarities and differences between our culture and aspects of Spanish culture –  when we weren’t afraid to use our Spanish and grow our vocabulary by talking to local people or when we learned how to navigate city transportation with only a few missed stops. 

Being on this cross-cultural has provided every single one of us with opportunities to not only grow the skills we came into Spain with but also to learn new skills like speaking better Spanish, navigating a new city, and learning how to fit into a new culture all while discovering new things about ourselves that we will be able to bring back to the U.S. with us. 

If you would have asked me before I left for Spain if I thought requiring cross-cultural was a good thing, I’m not sure what I would have responded with. After being in Spain for nearly a month, I can say with certainty that I will now always say “yes”. Although we were only here for a month, we made thousands of memories and learned priceless skills that will help us as we move into the workforce and back into our home communities. As we start our journey back to EMU, I can say that I am going to miss everything about Spain; its welcoming community, the laid-back culture, and the beautiful architecture are a few things that I can say I will never be able to forget. 

– Abby Clayton

Poem 

To Sweet Valencia:

Surfing the skies,
Riding the trains,
Walking the streets,
And learning their names.

Welcoming every day faster than last,
Glancing aback at the ghosts of the past,
Learning her customs, her language, her ways,
In the sweltering heat of the sun’s mighty rays.

Her people, her people, are her heart and her soul,
The root of the good, the evil, the whole.
For though we might struggle or draw a poor hand,
Laura can laugh and yet understand,
And in even the darkest and hottest of nights,
Salva’s quick wit fans our spirits alight.

Though within our own group, some choice moments transpired,
And it’s here that I’ll read off some quotes I’ve acquired:
Ladies of the night were often invading,
And biodegradable straws were biodegrading,
Is it potatoes or the Pope that we’re baking?
Does lactose intolerance improve decision-making?

Maybe we listen to Larry the Cable Guy more than we should,
But it’s an established fact, his spit tastes kind of good
Whether being too white to get a tan,
Or milking someone for as long as we can,
As we ready ourselves to fly off to the West,
There’s no doubt our quotes are the best of the best.

For these are the memories,
The new bonds we share,
Forged on the streets
Of that old city fair.

And though we’re eager to come home,
Having appeased EMU’s intelligentsia,
May we all someday return,
To sweet Valencia.

– Isaac Spicher

Bullfighting in Spain

On July 16th, around half of our group decided to go and watch a bullfight here in Valencia. It’s the centuries-old Iberian distillation of the most classic of conflicts: Man versus Nature. Recently, bullfighting has become taboo out of concerns for animal welfare. To watch an animal slowly lose blood and eventually be stabbed through the shoulders with a sword is not for those with a weak stomach.

Paradoxically, this statement of humanity’s triumph over a primordial fear of the natural world also demonstrates that we still deeply desire the risk of life which we strove to eliminate eons ago. None of us would have attended if there was no risk involved; indeed, many of us were at our most excited when one of the matadors was flung through the air by the bull. I and several others left the arena without fully processing the crossroads of ethics and tradition that is embodied by the bullfight. We are all trying to keep open minds to cultural differences between Spain and the US, and this is one Spanish tradition that we are having difficulty digesting. Is it ethical to continue a tradition that includes avoidable suffering? By watching this event, are we casting a vote for the preservation of bullfighting? What is the grand narrative that this tradition celebrates? We are still processing these questions and more.

-Isaac Spicher

June 23

Luke, Laura, Ben, Jacob, Kate

24 hours from the time of writing, our group will be scattering: some of us will be camping out for a night in the airport before connecting flights, some will already be exploring other countries or continuing to explore Madrid, and some will be unloading our baggage into the EMU parking lot or our houses. Regardless of the physical location, all of us will be readjusting—to our recent adventures settling into memories, to bonding across states instead of across tables, to the doubts from our “real lives” shifting abruptly from procrastinated to present. Here are our final reflections.

As our time in Valencia came to an end, six of us decided to head up north to San Sebastián for a few days of free travel. A 9-hour train ride took us from 90s and humid to 70s and beautiful (though the 80° water temp in Valencia was preferred). 

We spent our time getting sunburnt on the beach, eating burgers from Bar Pepe, climbing to the Sagrado Corazón, and drinking some of the best-looking cocktails you’ve ever seen. We wrapped up the trip by watching “Top Gun: Maverick” (thankfully in English), and even though the time was short, it was great to be able to share it with some awesome people.

-Luke Short

After splitting up for free travel, it was wonderful to meet up again as one big group. We were hosted by Bruce and Merly Bundy in a lovely house where we could cook and play games together. In our place near Villaviciosa, we were in the countryside, which was refreshing for many of us after living in a city for a while. We had cars to get around, allowing us to have a variety of adventures. Two days we hiked parts of the Camino de Santiago, with people stopping whenever they got tired. Another day we went to a nearby beach, where some of us rented surfboards and taught ourselves how to surf (a few people had watched YouTube videos before, and that’s all you really need for most activities—right?) Another day we toured a sidrería (cidery), which is a large industry in Asturias since it is the apple capital of Spain. …For this reason it was also fitting that we sang Johnny Appleseed before a lot of our meals… 

All the activities we did were great, but what made this part of the cross-cultural special was the group we were with. Due to COVID forcing a lot of other cross-culturals to be canceled, a good chunk of our group are seniors. As the trip is coming to a close, we seniors are feeling the sadness of knowing we are moving on from college, and moving across the country from friends. During the days in Asturias, everyone gave a final presentation on various aspects of the cross-cultural. It was obvious in the topics chosen and responses to others’ presentations that the friendships formed on this trip and throughout college are something special, and saying goodbye and heading separate ways from people will be hard for a lot of us. Asturias gave us the space to gather again as a group and share tears, laughter, late nights, stories, meals, affirmations, and love on each other a little more before the cross-cultural comes to a close.

-Laura Troyer

This past week in Asturias has been a great way to conclude our six-week journey in Spain; it was awesome to be in a large house together after being separated by free travel. During our time at Asturias, one of our nightly activities was personal reflections. This was a space for each student to share and reflect on their time in Spain. Throughout the four nights of reflection, there were many happy and tearful moments reminiscing on memories from the past six weeks and our shared college experiences. 

A common theme for many of these reflections was questions about our future. With our group having a majority of recently graduated seniors, the question of “what’s next?” was a common reoccurrence. Many of us are unsure about our future after Spain. While this can be an uneasy and scary feeling, it is reassuring to know we have a group of people that will support each other in our different walks of life. 

Similar to others, I am also unsure about my future after Spain. While clarity about my future would be helpful, I have learned that it is sometimes okay to not have a set plan. Currently, I am seeking peace and contentment in not knowing answers about my future. I hope to reflect and see how my experiences on this trip affect my future life and career.

-Ben Greenleaf

Throughout this trip I have taken a lot of time to get out of my comfort zone and try new things. From trying exotic foods like octopus and raw squid to even just exploring the cities by myself, I feel as though I have definitely achieved that goal that I had set for myself. One specific example that sticks out to me is when a group of us decided to surf at the Beach of Rodilles. Although it was harsher conditions and the waves were quite powerful, I found the courage to put on a wetsuit and try to tame the ocean with my rented surfboard. While I fell almost every single time I tried to stand during the first hour, I still persevered and had some great encouragement from my friends on the trip. For the last hour of surfing I felt much more confident and was able to consistently catch a wave and then stand up for at least a few seconds. While I will not be attending any competitions soon, I certainly feel as though surfing could be something I would enjoy doing from time to time when I have the chance to. If anything, this trip has taught me the importance of trying new things even when at first they might seem to be too overwhelming.

-Jacob Durren

A Senior Farewell

As we come to a close on the journey through Spain, the group was asked to reflect on their time and experiences. Compared to a semester-long cross-cultural, six weeks seems like a blip in time but, holy cow, there was so much that happened in those six weeks. One of the unique things about this trip was the number of graduated seniors who attended. A pretty obvious question we asked ourselves on this trip was: what’s next? Some of us knew, others had an idea, a few left it to the gods, and some (myself included) came in with a plan but found it totally unraveled during the trip. It’s funny how people who are in a similar group and time of their life walk such different paths. Despite the differences in our walks of life, there is always one constant that we take for granted until it’s time to leave and that is our community. Community celebrates with us in our good times and supports us in our not-so-good times. The past four years, we have been building this community person by person, but now it is time to part ways. The best part is, it isn’t goodbye; just because we are parting physically doesn’t mean the support stops—we just have to be more intentional. So while Spain was a time to learn about a new culture, it also gave an opportunity for each of us who are parting ways to say, “I can’t wait to see you again.”

– Kate Zuercher

(Leader’s note:  We are so full of gratitude for this group of 24 students who wholeheartedly lived into their 6 weeks of intercultural learning.  We saw a lot of Spain, learned new Spanish words, ate some incredible food and shared stories together.  As we wrapped up it was clear that, for many, the relationships nurtured and deepened during our time together is much of what will be celebrated as we move into our individual and scattered lives.  One of our goals was to help everyone become better travelers.  There is no question we are all better travelers and better humans for having shared these experiences.)

June 4

Putting down roots in Valencia—getting to know the city and its opportunities, our host families, and Taronja, our school—has greatly enriched these past few weeks. As we face our last week here, we wanted to share reflections on past moments, enjoyable activities, those who have been kind enough to open their homes to us, and the school we’ve been attending. 

Finding Joy in the Most Unlikely Place

We left Madrid about two weeks ago and have been in Valencia ever since, staying with host families and studying Spanish. However, one of my favorite experiences from the trip so far happened in Madrid, so I would like to share a little bit about that experience (even if it is a little bit of a step back in terms of the timeline of our trip.)

This experience happened in, of all places, a laundromat, a day or so before we were slated to leave Madrid. It was later in the evening when I somehow struck up conversation with the only other person in the laundromat. He didn’t have enough change to start the washer so I lent him some so he could get his clothes started before going to get some change at a nearby store. He did so and came back with something to drink for both of us. We sat and talked for a while until two couples came in with the same problem. They both went to the store and got some change and came back to chat while we all waited for our laundry. It turns out that the first man is from Chile and one couple is from Brazil while the other is from Honduras—so six people from all over the Americas met up in, of all places, a laundromat in Madrid, and enjoyed time together.

I personally had a great time and think this is something that I probably will never forget. I think it goes to show how simple, unexpected, things like this can be some of the most fruitful and I’m encouraged to look for more experiences like it in the remaining three or so weeks of our trip.

—Cole Ours

ACTIVITIES

• This past Tuesday we had our weekly paella party where we were able to all have a meal together in the beautiful streets of Valencia.  On top of that, there were many other students from Taronja, our school, at the dinner.  After about 30-45 minutes of talking, relaxing, and drinking with those around us, the paellas were ready. After waiting in a short line, I received the Valencian style paella which included chicken, rabbit, and, most of all, rice. After eating one plateful of paella I was more than satisfied with the amount of food I ate. However, for those who wanted it, there was plenty of paella for seconds or even thirds.  After eating, relaxing, and conversing with those around me, I called it a night as others had already started to trickle out. 
• This past Thursday, most of our EMU group signed up for paddle boarding.  When I got there, I made sure that the first thing I did was lather myself in sunscreen.  Immediately after I finished putting on the sunscreen they informed us we would be wearing these tight wet-shirts they had for us—essentially negating the sunscreen process I had just gone through.  I soon got over the fact that I had wasted 2 euros-worth of sunscreen, and they taught us how to use the paddle boards.  We made our way into the Mediterranean sea where the “waves” were slightly bigger than you would find in the Great Lakes—in other words, the waves were big enough to make paddle boarding challenging, but not impossible.  I found it to be pretty easy to stand up on the board; however, I also found myself to be pretty challenged with staying on the board once I was standing.  I fell many times, and found it impossible to stand up while going in the direction of the waves.  If you were to go against the waves, attacking them head on, it was much easier. Seeing the waves come at you made the movements of the board predictable, enabling me to stand for longer than 5 seconds.  After about an hour, me, Jackson, Jason, and Morgan decided we needed something more to do on our boards; therefore, we started attempting front flips off of the paddle board into the sea. As it turned out, it’s difficult to get much height jumping off of a paddle board, but it was fun nonetheless. We ended up being out in the sea, not too far off shore, for a little over an hour. Overall, I personally had a blast with our group and getting the opportunity to paddle board for the first time. 
• The next activity on Thursday was a tortilla-making class at the school—tortillas in Spain are much different than a tortilla you would find in Central America. The only ingredients in Spanish tortillas are potatoes, onions, eggs, olive oil, and salt.  So immediately after paddle boarding I zoomed over to the school with 5 other EMU students (Jonathan,  Kate, Zach, Laura, and Jonas) in order to participate in the class. Altogether, there were probably 20 students in this smallish room with a small kitchen in it. Chef Nando starts off by playing an intro song for himself as he busts out of the pantry. Chef Nando just had this unbelievable energy to him as he informed us about the Spanish tortilla and demonstrated how it’s made. After Chef Nando’s demonstration, he sat us all down in the next room around this large table. Chef Nando then explained that the best way to eat the tortilla is when it’s room temperature, with a slim piece of bread, and then a spread of tomato paste on the bread. When it is all put together, I can truly say that it tastes amazing. As we all ate, it was great to be able to intermingle with other people in the school and hear their stories. I was blessed with the opportunity to talk to Crystal, a student from Switzerland, for about an hour as we ate. It was fun to hear differences in our cultures, countries, and lives. 
• The last event we had on Thursday was a flamenco show in this not-too-small but definitely not-too-large bar. There’s a small wooden stage and tables full of people surrounding it. One by one the three flamenco performers came out from a back hallway. First was the guitar player who started the guitar a little. Next was a fellow who primarily does the flamenco tap dancing, and then finally came the singer who also performed a fair amount of tap dancing. They performed for about an hour, sharing a number of songs ranging from slow to extremely fast and quiet to extremely loud. I was quite intrigued throughout the entire show. The show finished up around 11:40 which left me with a short 42 minute walk back home. 🙂

Continue reading →