As a way to familiarize their students with Spanish culture and activities, CIEE (my program provider) organizes fun outings for us to do. Here are the two that I’ve participated in so far:
Kayaking / Paddleboarding
I’ll be honest, I had thought my kayaking and paddleboarding experiences in the United States would have lent me sufficient skills for this to be a relaxing activity. However, kayaking and paddleboarding in a calm Colorado lake is very different from doing so in a choppy Mediterranean Sea.
Our group was divided into two halves and each half tried both activities for an hour each. Unfortunately, it was a pretty windy evening, and so even the smallest of actions was made almost impossible by the wind. On the paddleboard, I didn’t really attempt to stand up (trying to coax the paddleboard in the right direction on my knees was hard enough) and in the kayak (we were in kayaks for three people), our group could never seem to go anywhere quickly.
Regardless of their difficulties, both of these activities were a blast and I enjoyed getting out and taking advantage of the water.
I’m on the right side 
Paddleboarding
Tapas Making Class
Tapas are basically small plates of food that you eat when you go out with friends at night or go to snack and drink before dinner. Spain has a very extroverted culture, so going out for tapas is one of the most popular things to do here. CIEE organized a class for us to learn how to make some of the most popular dishes (there are hundreds of different types of tapas).
We were broken down into six different groups and each group had a different tapas to make. There was a chef and his assistant to help us along, but for the most part we were on our own!
My group was in charge of making the meatballs, a really popular tapas item and a meal that my host mom has made for me a couple of times! I specifically helped mix everything into the meat and shape the meat into balls (yes, I did this all with just my hands). I’m not a huge meatball fan, but they tasted pretty good in the end!
(I’ll go into more detail about the other tapas in my upcoming blog about Alicante cuisine!)
Two more things before I sign off:
- Yes, I am here to study (although it might not seem like it with all these fun activities!), so in case you were wondering, here are my classes that I’m taking this semester:
- Feminist Literature (specifically focusing on Spanish female writers and what feminist literature looks like in Spain–spoilers: it’s very different than that of the US)
- Colloquialisms in Spanish (basically, learning how to speak like a native)
- Popular Culture (the different parts and pieces that make up Spanish culture today)
- Spanish and Latin American Literature (specifically looking at the nineteenth and twentieth centuries–this is the class I’m enjoying the most so far!)
2. I just have to brag on my God a little bit, because He takes such good care of me. I had been very nervous to go to my first official CrossFit class (so nervous that I accidentally left 40 MINUTES EARLY) because it’s always nerve-wracking to go somewhere where you don’t know anyone and only kind of speak the language. Once I got to the class, however, there was another American student there who is doing the exact thing I am–studying at the University to learn Spanish–and who was just as out of depths as I was! I think God knew I just needed something familiar, because I relaxed after I realized I wasn’t all alone. How great is our God? He’s definitely got me in the palm of His hand!
More posts to come!
¡Hasta luego!
— Grace
Where in the World Is Grace Elizabeth? 