For the first three weeks of my study abroad program in Spain, my program stayed in a small town known as Cuenca. The reason for this is because little to no one there speaks English, and my professor wanted full immersion. Coming to Spain, I had taken 2 prior Spanish classes in college so my knowledge was limited. To be honest, the first two days I was very overwhelmed and now know I was experiencing culture shock. I thought to myself that I wasn’t cut out for this and I had made a mistake. However, by the end of my three weeks I had come to learn a lot about Cuenca and myself.
My host mother spoke no English, so to communicate I had no other options but to learn. It was the same with my classes, my professors only spoke in Spanish. Every day I was learning so much, and being pushed outside of my comfort zone. In my classes, I made sure to stay focused and take notes. The most important tool for me to learn was asking questions. Anytime I didn’t understand something I asked my classmates or my professor for clarification. When talking to my host mom if I didn’t know a word, I used other words to describe it and used hand gestures. While it was hard, especially the first week, I realized I was capable of adapting and learning.
While learning a new language I was also learning so much about Spain and more specifically Cuenca. Cuenca is a smaller town but has a lot to offer. It’s most popularly known for its “hanging houses”. Which are buildings hanging off of a cliff. The whole city is medieval-looking and is really unlike anything I have seen. There are also a few different hikes in Cuenca that are very meaningful and beautiful. For example, we did the hike of San Juliรกn who was a hermit in Cuenca. He is most known for weaving baskets for the poor because they had nothing to carry anything with. It’s crazy in our day and age to think they didn’t have any baskets or bags but this was life-changing to people back then. They now could carry more food home with these baskets. Anyway this is a Saint born and raised in Cuenca and it was very special to learn about while hiking up to see the place he made the baskets. Getting to know Cuenca and it’s history made me appreciate and love this city, and one day I would love to go back to visit.
After Cuenca, I was able to reflect on my time there. I had never left the United States before, I knew there were different cultures and countries but I had never experienced it. Cuenca allowed me to see and experience something I never had before. It opened up my eyes to the world around me and showed me how people live differently than I do. I was able to learn that where we come from is a part of who we are and makes us unique. I’m so grateful for my time in Cuenca. I was able to push myself outside of my comfort zone and also meet some of the friendliest people I have ever met.