Calma en Palma

They say that you can't find yourself if you are not lost...

Most travelers spend their first day in a new city walking around in order to adjust to their new surroundings. We figured that our travelers would like to do the same. On our second day in Palma we sent the kids out on a "Gymkana", also known as "scavenger hunt" throughout the city so that they could familiarize themselves with their new environment. We split our 36 "chavales" into groups of four and they traveled around Palma to distinctive landmarks where our Program Leaders were located to give the next clue on where they had to go. It is not uncommon to see fear in the eyes of students who are sent on a mission to go explore the unknown, for fear of getting lost in a city they are not familiar with. However for these chavales they jumped at the opportunity to charter the unknown. They all have the hearts of a true traveler. 

The staff is very impressed with the motivation that the chavales have to learn the language and to also be a part of the Mallorquin culture. They have come into this program with a set of goals to accomplish before the end of the trip. 

“Before coming on this trip, I had three main goals to accomplish. The first was to improve my Spanish and to be able to communicate with my host family. I also wanted to learn the culture and customs of the locals on the island. And lastly, I wanted to enjoy myself and create strong friendships on this trip. I feel as though I am already accomplishing these three goals, and I am excited to continue growing during my time here.” Peter aka Pedro is already taking full advantage of his time here, and we expect that he will not waste a minute of our precious time here. 

^Pedro still adjusting to the heat in Mallorca.

“I really want to be fluent. I really want to make new friends. But most of all, I really just want to try new food!” Lily was so excited to try the local Mallorquin plate “ensaimada” for breakfast. She even uploaded a video to her snapchat of her and her new friends eating ensaimada. 

As for the friendships, the group is getting along very well. The staff here is very excited to watch the chavales grow and accomplish their goals as they continue to charter the unknown waters of their adventure in Mallorca.