Reflections on the First Two Weeks

This week's student guest blogger is... Emma Grace Barnes! Emma is a rising senior from Charlotte, North Carolina. See below for her account of her first two weeks here in Madrid! :

As we are now almost halfway through this program, I wanted to reflect a bit on everything we have already done. Alongside our daily classes, each student participates in an exercise that requires us to interact with native speakers. After this, we have what I consider to be the most influential part of this program, a cultural activity. Every day the activity is representative of an important aspect of Spanish culture, and, usually, we are required to take the bus or Metro to said activity.

Within the past week, we have visited la Plaza de Toros -- some of the more fearless ones in our group returned later in the week to actually watch the bullfight, explored the city on bikes, and divulged ourselves in European culture and history in the National Archaeological Museum. However, our weekend trip to Segovia was perhaps the most memorable experience we have had so far. Despite some delays on the way there, we not only grew individually but as a group. From kayaking around the Hoces del Rio Duratón Natural Park, walking up the many, MANY steps of a Segovian aqueduct, and trying our best not to look like your average tourists, we learned the importance of patience, tolerance, and closed-toe shoes. 

This past week was and the people I have met were, as the Spaniards would say, ¡super guay! (super cool!)

Scroll below for some amazing photos!!