It's been a few weeks since my first post on this blog and much has happened since then. I arrived in Alicante on June 4th, and at the airport I met some fellow Americans who are studying with me here in Spain, which was a huge blessing because we immediately had a group to explore and practice Spanish with. Upon arrival, I met my wonderful host mom (in Spanish the title is "madre"). She is an amazing cook, very friendly, outgoing, and gracious when I make mistakes with the language. Even though I've only been here for two and a half days I feel noticeably more comfortable conversing in Spanish because of my many casual conversations with her. Here is a picture of us at a beautiful little park in the area:
In case you're wondering what kind of strange arboreal structure is looming behind us, I have no idea. I've never seen that type of tree except for in Alicante, so of course I had to snap a picture with it.
Being a native of Nebraska and a student in Michigan, I'm fairly accustomed to unusual and unreliable weather, but in Alicante the weather is absolutely gorgeous. It certainly gets hot in the peak of the day, but there is often a delightful sea breeze that wafts its way through even the most crowded streets. It's the perfect gentle guardian against the rays of the relentless Mediterranean sun. Slender palm trees, vivid purple, pink, and yellow flowers dot the landscape, painting a breathtaking picture of tropical beauty. Here are a few photos I was able to take on my walk around town:
El Paseo de la Explanada
Palm trees in the evening light.
This two pictures show part of a wharf in Alicante, which is crowded with fishing boats, leisure boats, ferries, and even house boats! On the left is an old-fashioned ship that I don't actually know the history behind, but I love the aesthetic contrast between it and its modern compatriots. And yes, the photo on the right is my attempt at gazing whimsically into the distance.
Besides all of the wonderful sights to see, I also came to Spain to take classes, right? Right. And today I had my first classes! The classes are at the University of Alicante (en español: La Universidad de Alicante) and are a part of the university's foreign studies program. So my classes are with people from all different countries. It's wonderful for learning because the only language we have in common is Spanish! So we are forced by sheer necessity to only use Spanish. Besides the classroom work, this casual conversation in Spanish is so helpful for language learning. I've taken a few pictures of the campus (see below), but I will take more in the future! It's really a beautiful university. It's very modern in technology and conveniences.
Note that this building looks a bit unusual for a college campus? There is a reason for that. It actually used to be a radio command tower in the airport that existed before the University!
This sculpture of a hand was crafted by Pepe Diaz Alzorin to respect the universities and teachers of times past.
Well, I think I've briefly covered the most notable experiences I have had so far. Tomorrow the program will visit El Castillo de Santa Barbara, so more pictures and posts to come! Again, thank you all for reading my blog and supporting me in this venture, whether through prayer, thoughtful messages, or just kind words of encouragement before I left home. I am so blessed to study in this beautiful country, but I'm even more blessed by the wonderful people who grace my life.
Bendiciones,
Laurel
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