Post Program Reflection

Abbey Road made my experience in Spain unbelievable! It was my first time going to Spain and with the help of Abbey Road, it was so fun and it made me want to stay so much longer. The program guided me and showed me how to make the best of my stay in Spain. I had no idea where to go or how to do things in Spain but with the Abbey Road staff there to help me it became very easy for me to get around and I became so familiar with the town of Cadiz! The staff was super nice there, it was great having them as our teachers and as our guides because we would be able to bond with them and become very comfortable around them. They were all very responsible while at the same time being very funny and not too strict. The homestay family was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Getting to live with a welcoming and caring family while we stay in Spain was great! They would help me with Spanish that I didn't know, and they also told me about cool parts of the city and nice restaurants to go to. Aside from the helpful suggestions it was also nice to just sit down and have a nice chat with them. We all became good friends and would enjoyed spending time with each other. The classes in Spain were very fun and helpful! The teachers knew what they were doing and we tried to speak Spanish in classes as much as possible. Honestly, in the beginning I expected the classes to be boring just as they are in school, but the classes were so fun! Instead of staying in the classes the whole time, we went into the city and talked to locals, went to museums and visited restaurants to enhance our speaking and vocab! All the people that attended Abbey Road were so fun and cool. We all bonded and had a lot of fun doing activities together. The activities that we did were also very fun. We watched flamenco, we went to beaches, went to water parks, ate at very nice restaurants and much more. The abbey road experience in Cadiz, Spain was amazing and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is aiming to improve their Spanish, embrace themselves in Spanish culture, and just to have fun!

AquaLand!

Yesterday was the most fun I had on this trip! For almost the whole day we went to Aqualand in Jerez. Aqualand is a big waterpark in Spain. We went as a whole group and got to stay there until 4:30. There were many cool rides there including tube rides and bodyslides. Our group favorite was definetly this bodyslide that had 6 lanes and you could race down to the bottom. It was like a very large slip n slide that you would put in your backyard. It was very fun and we went on that ride many times. After that we went home and had the rest of the day free. My roommate and I decided to take our family out for dinner as a small thank you for their hospitality. We went to a good restaurant that they chose. It was delicious!

Last Day of Classes!

Today was such a fun day! It was the last day of classes, but that wasn't why I was so happy, I was actually looking forward to the classes. We started off the day with our last day of class, in that class we made a mini tour guide packet, for the kids in the next sessions. We mentioned stores, restaurants and places we really enjoyed. After we gathered our information we discussed our places for recommendations, over some tea and coffee treated from our teacher. It was a very nice way to end our last day of class. After that and our siesta, we also had our last day of electives. For my elective, photo, we displayed to the class our favorite pictures that we took over the period of the entire 7 sessions of this class. Our class was able to see the amazing pictures that everyone took, it was really cool! After that and dinner our group went to a place near the coast, where we listened to some classical music that was very good. When that was over some of the group and I went to playa victoria, and we got a couple of nice soccer jerseys. Today was a nice way to end classes with a bang!

Torre Tavira

These are some pictures that I took whilst atop the torre tavira, which is one of the highest point in Cadiz. Also located in the middle of this building is a camera that gets a full live 360 degree view of the city of Cadiz. It is very cool!

Sunset at the Castillo

Here are some pictures that I took as we watched the sunset from the castillo here in cadiz.

Tea House!

Today was yet another fun filled day! We started off the day with our usual classes, in which today we learned about art and visited a museum that showcases a lot of 16th century paintings. After classes we had our siesta, then for our evening activity we went to a castle near one of the small beaches in Cadiz. This castle had many art exhibits that featured different painters with different styles. The paintings were all very appealing and was nice to see after we just learned about art in class today.  For our night activity we could either go for a run along the beach or go to a middle eastern tea shop. I decided to go to the tea shop because I very much enjoy tea. The place was very cool and had a wide range of teas to choose from. I chose the lima japonesa tea, which was very good. After that activity we were given free time where most of our group an I took a walk along the beach. It was an awesome day!

Movie Night!

Yesterday a very fun filled day! We started off the day with our school classes. We studied literature and different Spanish vocab words pertaining to literature. After classes were over I went back home where I had my siesta break and I took a very nice nap. Right after siesta I had my photo elective. In class we were taking portraits of ourselves, with a white backdrop that our teacher was able to bring in. It was really cool! After that we had a special dinner. Our directory Chris, gave us each 10 euros to use for tapas at any where we wanted. Most of us went to a nice restaurant called La Gorda. The restarurant was very retro and had large portioned tapas for a cheap price, it was a delightful meal! After that we went to the movie theaters and watched Ice Age 4 in spanish. It was a very good and funny movie. This was one of my most enjoyable days yet!