MY TIME IN ALICANTE

As a part of my degree program, I had the opportunity to study abroad during the spring semester of 2022. As someone who has grown up with tri-annual trips to Mexico, I had familiarity with a culture that’s main language is Spanish. When considering my options, I decided I wanted to push myself, and experience something I was unfamiliar with. My heart belongs to Mexico, but I wanted to live in new culture; one that was completely different in location and ideology. In order to advance my Spanish speaking skills and accomplish these previously listed goals, I chose Alicante— a small ocean town in the south of Spain. During my four months of study, I advanced my language abilities, met lifelong friends, and grew as a person more than I could have ever imagined.

Originally, my learning goals for Spain was to simply advance my language skills. I wanted to become fluent and maybe try some foods I hadn’t had before. Overtime, these goals progressively changed. As most citizens living in the EU know, every country in Europe is incredibly interconnected. I found myself not only living among Spaniards, but people from the UK, Denmark, Norway, France, Germany, and much more. I found my daily interactions were hardly ever with people only from Spain. Usually, I would converse with many others whether it was restaurant owners, tourists enjoying the beach town, or exchange students. I was able to maintain my original goal because all my courses were taken in Spanish, and I had frequent interactions with those I lived around. What I was surprised to find was that not only did I also advance my knowledge of the culture in Spain, but I also grew insight to the culture of these other EU citizens. As the trip progressed, my goals shifted to wanting to learn more about how different cultures interact and how my culture has played a significant part in the interactions I had as well.

When I first arrived in Spain, I had a difficult time adjusting. I would say a large part of this was because I observed few cultural similarities between Spain and the United States. The beginning was characterized by changing modes of transportation, eating times, and methods of greeting people, all with the addition of speaking a new language. Because I lived in a city, I had to walk everywhere. In the United States, I live in the suburbs and Clemson University is a small rural town. You need a car to get from one place to another. Living in the new city, I could get anywhere with a thirty-minute walk, and taxis were not accessible. To get to school, I was expected to take a forty-minute tram ride, and this was quite difficult to navigate at first, as I had never used public transportation previously. I came to notice that our class times were formed around the tram schedule, as it was typical for all teachers, students, and employees to get to school using the tram. You never had to worry about being late, because if the tram broke down, your teacher and all other classmates were right there with you. In general, their public transportation was also very reliable. The train, tram, and bus ran on a strict time schedule and usually adhered to it. Especially with the train and tram, they’re not affected by traffic because they run on their own road system. This made owning a car rare as people could go anywhere, at any time, and ensure that they arrived when they needed to.

Another big difference I observed was the time people eat their meals. In the US, it has always been typical for me to eat my breakfast, lunch, and dinner at 9am-10am, 12pm-1pm, and 5pm-7pm, respectively. In Spain this was shifted to much later times; breakfast around 11am, lunch around 3pm, and dinner around 9pm. I was in a constant state of hunger as I was adjusting. This timeline of eating aligns with their concept of a “siesta”. A siesta is a break in the afternoon designed for people to go home, eat lunch with their families, and take a nap, before returning to work. At 3:30pm-6:00pm every day, businesses in the service industry would close, such as laundry mats, salons, bakeries, and local corner stores. Restaurants would close at 3:30-9:00pm and then reopen for the dinner crowd. This was a big adjustment for me, because I typically do my errands and eat dinner between this time. I had to completely alter my norms in order to accommodate to my new life in Alicante.

The way people viewed at first took a toll on me. For the first time in my life, I was seen as an outsider. People naturally assumed things about me because I am from the United States. Many people assumed that my life back at home was easy and that attending college was a walk in the park. They presumed Americans are ignorant to the rest of the world, and while this may be the case for certain populations, I would argue that any person raised in the US public education system has a good bit of awareness to countries outside our own. While learning more than English is not common, we certainly aren’t ignorant. I took these assumptions to heart at first and felt very unwelcomed among the locals. Later on, I learned to take it less personally, as it is a general assumption. I feel once people got to know me, and other students on my program, their thoughts also tended to shift. Situations became more welcoming, and I believe the way I was perceived was changed in a positive light.  

Regardless of my difficult adjustment, my experience in Alicante was life changing. I was in a small group of other students in my classes which allowed me to get close with my classmates and teachers. Additionally, our program took us on many excursions to cities nearby such as Madrid, Valencia, Granada, and Guadalest. I got to visit aquariums, stroll down historic roads, explore castles, and sample some of the best paellas. Because of the close proximity to other countries, I also was able to travel to Ireland, Scotland, France, Denmark, and Portugal. In these places I met locals, got to explore different cultures, taste different foods, and visit the most beautiful landscapes I’ve ever seen. The weekend that stands out to me the most is when we visited Valencia as a program. Upon arriving, we walked around the central market, which is one of the most famous markets in all of Spain. We sampled cheeses, breads, and meats. I was amazed by the liveliness of the market. Thousands of people were roaming around, laughing, collecting their goods for the week, and overall enjoying themselves. Following this trip, we headed over to L’Oceanográfica, voted the best aquarium in Spain. Visiting aquariums is one of my favorite pastimes, so I felt very connected to home while wandering through the mazes of sharks and fish. We stopped for a long lunch on a bridge overlooking a river and ate paella until we were stuffed. Then we finished the day with a walk around the city center, learning about the rich history Valencia holds. I remember feeling so amazed at all the new and wonderful things this city held. What made it even better was the people we talked to along the way, discussing their way of life and how their culture is important to them. This memory, and my memories from Alicante in general, will have a lasting effect on me. Viewing these new cities, and new cultures, has instilled a desire in me to experience more. For that I will always be grateful.

Studying abroad greatly enriched my academic experience. I took numerous advanced-level Spanish classes, which helped me progress from a medium-level to fluent. I believe this was possible because we were encouraged to only speak in Spanish and went on field trips around the city to practice with locals. I also learned more about subjects I previously had no knowledge on. I had classes that were about the culture in Spain and the structure of the European Union. These classes gave me new insight and helped me gain global insight.

My experience in Alicante was truly invaluable. I grew in my Spanish speaking skills, gained a new insight to a culture different than my own, and made lifelong friends along the way. This time abroad helped me grow as a person. I feel significantly more independent and prepared for my future. I hope that I will be able to return soon to the place that holds such a big piece of my heart.