Devin Hall- May 28, 2014

Wow. Where do I even begin? Today is our last day in Valencia with our host families and we only have a few days left before we all go home and to our daily routine. This trip has been such an amazing experience and I think I speak for the whole group when I say we are all so blessed to have been apart of this beautiful adventure.

So far we have done so much in these short few weeks. We have taken a bike tour, participated in a movie night and discussion about Shakespeare in Spanish at the University of Valencia, a paella cooking demonstration, service learning projects, went to an aquarium, took a special trip to Barcelona, got make overs by Rosa, and so much more. Instead of focusing this blog on that aspect of this trip, I want to talk about our home stay experience.

For this study abroad trip we were all placed in family’s homes to stay and reside in for the next three weeks as opposed to staying in a hotel or something like that. At first I was a little nervous about the whole situation. I wasn’t sure what to expect at all. I didn’t know how I would feel or act going into someone’s home and living there for three weeks. Looking back now on how I felt then, I feel foolish.

This home stay experience has been something I will never forget for the rest of my life. I have made a wonderful, long-lasting connection with this family and with my roommate, too. The mother, Carmen, has made this whole study abroad trip so great. She has made being away from my mother a lot easier, and I truly thank her for that because I felt so horrible leaving my mother on Mother’s Day. She really treats Jessie and I like we are her own daughters. She has taken care of me when I woke up not once, but twice with a huge, swollen eye from the killer mosquitos here. She always took care of us and made sure we were fed any time we needed. Jessie and I DEFINITELY took advantage of that. We will be going back probably 20 pounds heavier! She was such a great cook, too. One night Jessie and I made dinner for the family to thank them for welcoming us into their home with open arms. Even though she didn’t speak much English at all and we weren’t really fluent in Spanish, we made a connection with her and created an incredible relationship.

This was such a great experience for me and I feel sad for anyone who studies abroad and doesn’t get to experience something this awesome. It is a bittersweet feeling leaving them tomorrow. I can’t wait to get home to my family and loved ones, but I will miss this. I’ll miss my “Valencianhome”.

Emily Strobl- May 27, 2014

I initially went into this trip with notions and expectations which have proven to be in stark contrast to my actual experience, and I could not be more grateful or blessed for the adventure which has unfolded before me. Today´s adventure was one I had been planning for a while now. We were informed even before our departure that we would have one “free day” in Spain. I knew right off the bat that I wanted to take a train somewhere, but where? After talking with our ISA director, Manuel (our amazing contact of endless knowledge) I settled on the ancient city of Sagunto. My roommate, Kate and I ran out the door of our homestay mother´s home early this morning with “Hasta luego! Muchos gracias!” on our lips and a homemade lunch in our hands. Spain has taught me many things, but one of my favorites is that the loving care of a mother crosses all barriers, even the language one! Soon we were on a train to Sagunto with our teacher, Josh. Only 4€ for a round trip ticket and a day of adventure ahead of us. After a fifteen minute ride through gorgeous Spanish countryside I caught a glimpse of ruins peeking out from the mountains. We climbed up, up, up, through a quiet town, followed by ancient steps until we were standing before the beautiful city itself. A kind man at the entranceinformed us, to our pleasant surprise, that the tickets were “gratis”. Excitedly we ran off to explore the incredible history around us. At this point I must admit I´m endlessly grateful for cameras because no matter how I try this is not a sight I could put into words. One of the most amazing aspects of Spain is the breathtaking way the mountainscascade into the ocean; however, I´ve never seen it quite as perfectly as today. We stopped to have our picnic in a little nook carved out of the mountainside; a welcomed rest from the strong Valencian sun. It was in this quiet moment, eating and laughing with two of my dearest friends, that I was overwhelmed with gratitude and joy. This trip has molded, strengthened, and awoke my spirit in ways I never could have anticipated. For this I am blessed, but I´ve had a second realization beyond this. It is not enough to simply be blessed. As global leaders, it is our responsibility to share our experience, and use our new found skills to benefit the lives of others. All this was in my heart as the three of us continued to explore the ruins, and try our best to capture every bit. After roughly four hours of pictures, joke cracking, and a wonderful conversation with a vivacious Englishman-who may or may not have actually been John Lennon- we started down the mountainside to find our way back to the train station.Luckily for us we first found a small restaurant in the back yard of a Sagunto residence where we could rest and have a drink. Here we poured over the day´s photos, relaxed, and as always laughed. The day´s adventure reflected this trip in many ways; I didn´t know what I was getting into, it exceeded every expectation, and it left me exhausted and exhilarated all at once. Spain has been good to me!