Week One

cathedralNora plazaEspichaIt has officially been a week since I arrived in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain! I was nervous upon arriving since this has been my first time traveling internationally without my parents. However, once I met my host mom at the bus station, received my luggage, and started my classes on Monday the nerves turned in to pure excitement. This is my new life for the next month and I couldn’t be happier. I have met so many amazing people from my classes in just one week. All of the other international students here seem very open and kind, which has definitely helped me adjust to being away from home. In addition, I have been busy outside of classes with various activites. It is easy to spend a whole afternoon wandering around the winding paths of the city. Every street is dotted with sidrerias, carnicerias, and confiterias where you can shop for the three main Asturian staples: cider, ham, and pastries. On Tuesday, I attended Ayuntamiento with classmates, which was a tour of the Oviedo municipal building. We learned about the rich history of the city, ancient rulers, and different saint festivals that date back to the medieval period. On Friday, my class attended Espicha, which is a traditional Asturian welcoming dinner. The tables were filled with an assortment of tapas and giant barrels of cider. Bagpipe players (due to a strong Celtic influence in the city) and traditional Asturian dancers with castanets performed as students mingled. On Saturday, I went to Playa de San Lorenzo in the local beach town of Gijon. It was a spectacular afternoon as students dipped in and out of the warm waters of the Bay of Biscay. I cannot wait to explore more of this wonderful country both in and out of the classroom.

I will be studying abroad with the SUNY New Paltz summer program in Oviedo, Spain for the month of July. I am a double major in Communication Disorders and Spanish and the six credits I will earn in Oviedo will count towards my Spanish major. Upon completing study abroad in Spain, I hope to become fully fluent in Spanish, which has been one of my top goals since childhood. My interests include crafting, cooking, yoga and being outdoors.

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