When I first saw the chance to study abroad in Spain on a Global Experience Seminar, I instantly hopped on the opportunity. I had been studying Spanish language and culture and this seemed to be the perfect fit. And that was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

The Summer Seminar in Spain offered on-site learning opportunities regarding the initiatives taken both by the people and the government of the region to turn a previously heavily industrialized area into a more sustainable one, and how they utilized the Green Paradise as a scope of tourism. A typical day in Spain involved waking up early in the morning, conducting site visits to various locations, enjoying delicious local cuisine in different towns, and returning to our Residencia in the afternoon. At the end of the program, we had to select a research topic and conduct in-field visual sociology and interviews to present a final paper for the program.

Amid the fast-paced two-week duration, we got to slow down a bit for 4/5 days in the beautiful mountains of Northern Spain in a place called “Soto De Agues”, symbolically translated to “Sanctuary by the River”. I can speak for almost everyone on the trip when I say that the stay in that small village was the most favourite part of the entire trip. We were staying at a small cottage run by a very lovely woman, Sandra, who cooked appetizing local food that I remember till this day. While in Soto De Agues, our assignments prompted us to explore the village itself and nearby villages and interview locals to understand the social atmosphere of this UNESCO-designated site. This was one of those moments when teamwork came into play; there were students with limited linguistic skills, but high observational and inquiry skills, and then there were students fluent in Spanish. Everyone worked together to get intel from the people of the region to share among themselves. Our understanding of the place was further elevated by our interview session with a political official of the region, who also happened to be Sandra’s husband from the cottage we stayed in. My personal highlight from the stay in the village is climbing the top of a bell tower at a church in the town, and post-dinner walks that involved gazing at stars, hearing owls and wolves, and making friends with a stray cat that followed us to our cottage home.

While being in the city of Oviedo, I went to the downtown multiple times, shopped around, even haggled with the shop owners, and got lost multiple times. This was an interesting experience as I was navigating a new place on my own with limited language proficiency, and no one by my side! This experience has made me more confident in my abilities to be independent and trust strangers.

I will forever cherish this summer seminar as a blend of learning mixed with adventures, and lots of fun!