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A Semester’s Travels
Finals are behind me and I’m on the cusp of winter break, where I’ll be spending a week in London and Ireland and then traveling for a week through Portugal, and I figured I should do a recap of the...
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Here, there, and everywhere
Winter break is behind me and I’ve returned to Madrid, exhausted, resistant to starting classes again, but content. It’s strange to see so many of my friends prepare to go abroad, watching them through...
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Adventures in Munich
I’d like to start this blog post off by apologizing to any readers. I have not blogged since October on account of a few very busy months and my incredible procrastination skills. Here is a post that I...
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A Taste of Andalucía
In the months of October and November, I ended up visiting Andalucía, the southern part of Spain, three different times. The first trip I took was to Córdoba with my program, except this time it was an...
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On the meaning of home
I’ve been having a lot of conversations recently about place and identity, and the fact that I’ve been away from home for so long just hit me when I visited an old friend studying in Florence. When I...
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When you host everyone under the sun
Life in Madrid has continued as normal, with the exception of the amount of visitors I’ve hosted for the past five weekends. This might give a clue to why I haven’t posted for a while: I hosted friends...
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Study, travel, repeat
Spring is descending upon Madrid and lifting me out of an academic-induced stupor. The sun sets around nine, taking its time in its daily arc, and the reality of my impending final exams and essays is...
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Nunca adios, siempre hasta luego
I’ve been home now for a week. I have the highlights of my year and month long backpacking trip planned and polished for when I’m asked, I’ve seen both sides of my extended family, and experienced a...
View ArticleDestination: Madrid
“I have long believed that any man interested in either the mystic or the romantic aspects of life must sooner of later define his attitude concerning Spain. For just as this forbidding peninsula...
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Adjusting to my new home
It’s crazy to think I have already been in Spain for an entire month! Where has the time gone?? Every since I landed in Madrid my time here has been a whirlwind of going to orientation meetings, trying...
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Lesson Plan #2: Adjusting to Madrid
Subject: Studying Abroad Topic / Lesson #2: Adjusting to Madrid Time Frame: First month Lesson Taught By: Shaniya Stengl Bienvenidos a España! I’ve been in Spain for a little over a month by this...
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I’m going to Spain, but first cookies
When I was around 10 years old my grandmother gave me a recipe box. It was empty at the time, so she gave me a few recipes to start with and one of them was her sugar cookie recipe. I have since filled...
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I want to speak Spanish to the French
Today is the first day of my travels and my first time in Europe. Going through the check-in process at my USA airport was interesting. Since I plan to travel around in Europe after my program ends I...
View ArticleWhat to Pack for a Study Abroad
My advice on what to pack for a study abroad really has more to do with what you shouldn’t pack than what you should. Generally, the less stuff you have to drag around, the better. Also, you’ll want to...
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Every day is an Adventure
I have been in Spain for 5 days now and have done so much! Navigating the public transportation system is very easy and honestly it feels like I have been here for months. Except for the first day when...
View ArticleLearning to dance
Last week in my class I introduced myself to a girl, asking her a question about how to access the homework. Throughout the class I pondered whether or not to invite her to the free dance lesson I was...
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I think I chose the wrong program but then I went to Tarragona
I have been in Barcelona for over 2 weeks now and feel very comfortable with the city. I anticipated my struggles with cultural and language barriers and expected them. But what I didn’t expect was the...
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We’re All Learning
It’s hard to know where to start recounting the happenings of the past week, my first week in Spain. I’ll start before the beginning: My mother dropped me off at the airport after a mostly sleepless...
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(Un)Comfortable
Hello class! Today’s bonus word is… (Un)Comfortable! Who remembers what adding “un-” does to a word… So, this is my Two-Weeks-in-Spain post, even though I forgot to send it in until three weeks had...
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Make it New
So, I’m in Spain teaching English. This should be an area that I have some amount of expertise in because I just so happen to have spoken English my whole life and have dedicated my higher education to...
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