For the majority of students enrolled in American universities, their first year of university life involves stereotypical and unpleasant dormitory life, boring lectures in mixed classes of 400 students and cramming for exams, after skipping class several times. First of all, skipping classes was strictly forbidden on the Valencia campus and, although many students complained bitterly about this requirement, I found it helpful to have an extra incentive – that's my grade – to attend classes . Even though I was not exempt from the class work or exams that are part of freshman year, my first year of college was a fairy tale that unfolded while I studied abroad in the historic city and wealthy from Valencia, Spain. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay Through the cultural activities program, I had the opportunity to travel to many sites in Spain, including Jaca, Madrid , Barcelona, ​​Andalusia and some towns located on the outskirts of these important cities. I expected my relatively unique journey to impact me; it is natural and expected for a person to grow and change during their first year away from home. But I feel like I've grown, changed, and learned in more ways than I thought possible. Moving to a new place requires adaptation and my move to Spain is no exception; Getting to grips with Spanish culture took time and learning Spanish required all my patience. Recently I came across the Spanish expression merecer la pena, or worth it. Looking back on my time in Valencia, I can confidently say that the hard work was definitely worth it. The experiences I had alone and with other students were supernatural and I will never have an experience comparable to studying abroad in Spain again. In the rare chance that time travel ever exists and I can go back in time, I will. definitely choose to study abroad again in Spain; there is no reason for me to change my course in this regard. Granted, there are a few chapters of my fairytale story of freshman year abroad that I would change, but my only real remorse is not being able to converse fluently and perfectly in Spanish after spending eleven months in Spain. That said, I improved my Spanish skills, which were non-existent when I arrived, but I was hoping for a dramatic improvement – ​​which unfortunately never happened. Therefore, if I were allowed to do it again, I would immerse myself even more in the Spanish culture and language, meet new people, and attend all the Spanish intercambio offered by the university. Although I made many Spanish acquaintances during my stay in Valencia, the problem with my Spanish friends was their eagerness to practice their English, thus hindering my goal of improving my Spanish. What was even more aggravating was the fact that their command of English was already far superior to my knowledge of Spanish, which not only sometimes embarrassed me because of my mistakes and my lack of vocabulary, but also forced English to be the default language of our conversations if we always had serious topics to discuss. My difficulties with the Spanish language were a natural consequence of having all 150 English-speaking students sleeping, eating, and socializing together 24/7. Maybe if we lived in familieshosting with Valencian families, this problem could have been resolved, but it would have diminished the “family” bond that the program encourages when students, staff and faculty are together. On that note, one of the most impressive aspects of the Valencia program staff was their ability to plan interactive events for the entire group of students as well as transport the approximately 150 to 200 students. between us to various locations in Spain, such as Jaca, the aforementioned Madrid, Barcelona and Andalusia. Not only were they able to transport us from one city to another, but they also managed to keep us safe and entertained throughout our stay, a combination that must be difficult to achieve when dealing with young adults. Although Valencia is a fascinating city in its own right, excursions to these different regions of Spain have enhanced my appreciation and understanding of Valencia; both historical and cultural. Plus, after these activity-filled week-long trips, it was a bit of a relief to come “home” to Valencia. In addition to the increased appreciation of Valencia, I believe the trips to Jaca and Madrid were of the utmost importance for students who had never traveled to Spain before or who had not learned much about the country in general. The topographical diversity that the country has to offer is often overlooked by Spain's reputation as the 'party peninsula'. As beautiful as Valencia is, if one only goes to the coastal towns it reinforces this misconception. Without a doubt, Spain is a great place to party, but aside from getting groovy, I find that Spain has a lot to offer in terms of history, art and architecture. Of the four mandatory trips organized by the program, I was most delighted with the functions planned in Jaca. From a historical perspective, I found Jaca both charming and captivating. As well as being an important stop on the Way of Saint James, Jaca has a rich medieval history and was even the capital of Aragon a few centuries ago. In particular, Jaca Cathedral, which was the first Romanesque church built in Aragon, piqued my interest with the unique checkerboard stone pattern present throughout the architecture. Additionally, being a nature lover, the activities we did in Jaca appealed to me because the majority of them took place in the great outdoors, which gave me unreasonably high expectations for the subsequent obligatory trips. insert a disclaimer that our excursions were nevertheless exciting, albeit of a different kind of fun; instead of outdoor adventures, we visited important places like galleries and monuments. Jaca was simply unique for the rustic activities we participated in. In addition to feeling happy outside, I also have an unquenchable adoration for the mountains; so the Pyrenees was everything I wanted after my first month in Spain, when I started to crave the fresh mountain air to take a break from the daily 35 degrees Celsius in Valencia. To fulfill this wish, the students undertook a two-hour hike through a segment of the Camino de Santiago. This hike was the epitome of relaxation; no tour guide herded us like cattle – as often happens when we are guided through one museum or another – and we were allowed to take pictures with each other and take photos of the view whenever we wanted. seems to us. Even those who weren't so much nature lovers seemed to enjoy, at the very least, the social side of this hike through the mountains. The next day it wasof an activity which remains the most exciting of all obligatory trips; Even after four semesters abroad, the whitewater rafting event still tops the rankings. This highly interactive and exciting journey took place in a ravine where high peaks silhouetted against the sky above us. Each raft carried six people and an instructor, the latter of whom were all amusing pranksters who played tricks on us, such as pushing or pulling the students into the cold water. Overall, Jaca has been a huge success with both staff and students. Both events offered extraordinary views, especially the first, given that the part of the Camino de Santiago we walked looked towards both France and Spain. We were fortunate to have such good weather throughout our trip; Aside from the occasional gusts of wind, the sun shone on us, rewarding our dedication to nature. While Jaca turned out to be the most interactive city, I was not at all disappointed with the subsequent travel programs. Each different place gave me a new perspective on Spain and a wealth of knowledge. I had the pleasure of traveling twice to Madrid and Barcelona. My last trip to Madrid was more satisfying the second time; there was no learning curve so I could use my free time more productively. I had enjoyed a mandatory visit to the National Museum of Archeology so much on my first trip to Madrid that I returned on my own on the last visit. The program was respectful of freshmen like me and changed the schedule for summer trips to Madrid and Barcelona so that we wouldn't get bored with the information we had already learned in those cities. We went to the controversial Valle de los Caídos instead. , or the Valley of the Fallen, which was both amazing and frightening. The disturbing aspect came from the idea that this monument was more of a shrine to Francisco Franco and José Antonio than a commemoration of those who lost their lives during the Spanish Civil War. Almost everyone I casually asked for their opinion of the basilica simply said they found it “pretty cool.” Needless to say, when they discovered that thousands of political prisoners had died during the construction of this site, their tone completely changed. Luckily, our teacher was in our group to provide an overview of the Valley of the Fallen after we walked around inside, which cleared up many students' confusion regarding this structure. The learning curve was also dissolved for the Barcelona trip, however, the large number of students participating in the summer trip made the excursion more hectic and less relaxing compared to the more manageable number of students participating to the spring semester trip to Barcelona. In the spring, events included the Dalí Museum in Figueras, a visit to the Sagrada Familia, the most spectacular creation I have ever seen, and various other Antoni Gaudí designs, such as Park Güell. The Dalí Museum was interesting in that Salvador Dalí created the gallery himself to depict a large amount of symbolism, puns and optical illusions. Fortunately, after the guided tour we had free time for lunch, during which I happily explored the entire museum again. During the summer visit to Barcelona, ​​instead of visiting the Dalí Museum, the students were treated to an extremely exciting tour of the Castillo de Sant Ferran, an ancient day fort. At first, the idea of ​​visiting a citadel seemed mundane and unnecessary.However, as soon as we were given safety helmets and miner's lamps, our mood improved. Our tour guides helped us into rustic-looking jeeps, then drove us around the vast dry moats on a quick, random, and therefore exhilarating ride. While we may have needed helmets for the Jeep ride, their purpose was elucidated as we entered the subversively pitch-black tunnels that have been used in various sieges throughout the ages. Additionally, we used our lights to navigate underground spring water pathways in boats that barely passed through the corridors. In this way, the activity that day was certainly a decent substitute for the Dalí Museum. These trips through Spain were informative and entertaining, but, as I mentioned previously, it was relieving to unpack once again in Valencia after a busy week of travel. That being said, Valencia was not also the epitome of relaxation. During my spring semester in Valencia, I had the chance to participate in the biggest and most unusual festival I have ever attended: Las Fallas. Aside from the massive amount of partying that Las Fallas is known for, I found the experience culturally eye-opening. This two-week event introduced me to the first Valencian language I heard. Until now, I had only seen Valencian written on signs all over the city or in newspapers, but never spoken. The evening the Fallas began, I was confused and slightly irritated by my inability to understand Valencia Mayor Rita Barberá Nolla as she addressed the city; I thought my understanding of Spanish had improved after almost seven months of living in Spain! I quickly realized she spoke Valencian and turned to my native Valencian friend for the translation. Ironically, he could barely understand her garbled words himself; Apparently, the mayor had overindulged in libations before the ceremony. Fortunately, my later encounters with the Valencian language were much more pronounced and I was able to get a good idea of ​​identifying the jargon, although I never managed to understand what the falleros and falleras were saying. One of the most impressive aspects of Las Fallas, besides the Spaniards' ability to party seemingly at all hours of the day and night, were the fallas themselves, or richly satirical - and often explicit - statue constructions. painted. I remain amazed and dismayed that they were burned at the end of Las Fallas, but certainly grateful that I was able to see them in all their glory before La Cremà., the last day of Las Fallas. Certainly, watching the fireworks that ignited the fallas was thrilling in itself, but it was the prospect of wasting time, talent, and equipment that didn't appeal to me. Although the alleys of Valencia during the Fallas were often too busy for my liking, with so many people in the city, I was able to strengthen my cultural connections and understanding by mingling and sparking friendships with people from various nations , like Slovenia, the Netherlands and Spain, of course. Even though I barely slept during those two weeks, lost some of my hearing to the gunpowder mascletas, and ran for my life from the firecracker-crazed borrachos, Fallas was worth it not only for the pleasure, but also for high intensity emotion during these two weeks. the celebration made me feel more part of Valencia than before. I was even so disappointed in my sense of belonging among the Valencians that I found myself muttering angrily at the tourists who.