¡Hola desde Zaragoza!

With the help of my host sister, I finally figured out how to charge my computer! So, now I am presented with the task of trying to summarize my first five days in Zaragoza, Spain in one blog post.

After three long flights, two long layovers, and one long (and hot) bus ride, I finally found myself in Zaragoza, Spain. Although it was not a very efficient way to travel, I was really glad I took the group flight because I made a lot of friends. Here's a picture of the group flight members in the Boston Logan Airport before embarking on our adventure.

Once the autobús pulled into the Zaragoza bus station, we all had to say goodbye for the weekend and go off with our families. I was super nervous while waiting to meet my family, but as soon as I met them I knew they would be great. I mostly spent the first weekend at the pool with my host sisters Carla and Natalia. Carla is 16 and Natalia is 12. My host mom's name is Inma and my host dad's name is José Antonio. All four are super nice and very understanding when it comes to interacting with someone who is trying to learn their language. The first weekend I couldn't understand them very well, but now I can understand the majority of what they say! Its amazing how immensely complete immersion has helped my Spanish in such a short time. Here are some pictures of me with my host sisters Carla and Natalia.

Zaragoza is an amazing city. There are many Spanish tourists here, but little to no foreign tourists. I really like this, because I feel like I'm getting a very authentic Spanish experience. Although not a popular tourist destination, Zaragoza is home to many impressive cathedrals and beautiful streets. One of the most famous sights is the Basilica de Nuesta Señora del Pilar, which is very important to Spain's catholic history.

As I mentioned above, Zaragoza has some very pretty streets. My school is located in the Plaza Aragón, which is a bustling center of the city with beautiful old buildings towering above an open plaza. Although these pictures aren't of the Plaza Aragón, they are some of my favorite street pictures so far. The Pilar is in the background  of one too!

My first few days of class were super fun. It was really nice to be with my American friends again. Being with people who are in the same boat as me when doing something as amazing and difficult as studying abroad is really helpful. We have morning classes that start at 9:30, and a rest time in between our two morning classes. During this time, my friends and I like to walk around the neighborhood and pop into the various cafés, bakeries, and shops. After rest time, we have another class (or excursion), and then return home for siesta around 1:30. From 1:30 to about 4:00, we are at home eating and resting with our host families. Then, we have classes again from 4:00ish to 8:00ish. After that, home for dinner with host families.

We also go on lots and lots of excursions in order to learn about Spain and its history and culture in an interactive way. On Tuesday, we visited the ruins of a Roman theater. It was really cool to learn how far back the history of Zaragoza goes. After visiting the ruins we walked back to school through the city and, of course, made a pit stop at the American Store, which is basically just full of American junk food.

Yesterday, we had classes and lots of free time. In the afternoon we were given a piece of paper with nine questions, and told to go gather as many answers as we could from random strangers on the street! That was scary at first, but looking back it was pretty cool that I could walk up to a random Spanish person, ask them a question in Spanish, and understand their answer.

Today, we had morning classes and siesta as usual. I returned to school early to grab a small espresso called a cortada at a café across the street from school with a friend. Then, we went to the Parque de Atraciónes, or the amusement park! This trip was not so much about learning as it was about fun, and it was great to be able to just relax with my American friends (plus one Brit and two Spanish host brothers)! Here are some pictures from the Parque de Atraciónes.

Although I'm working very hard to improve my Spanish, I'm also having a ton of fun. I'm really starting to feel at home in Zaragoza. I can't believe my first week is almost coming to a close! Although it feels like I left Logan Airport a million years ago, I know the rest of the month will go very fast. The best is yet to come!