Loren Saulsberry -- Spanish Arts and Culture (ESG)

"EL SOL, JOVEN Y FUERTE HA VENCIDO A LA LUNA QUE SE ALEJA IMPOTENTE POR EL CAMPO DE BATALLA."
"The sun, young and strong has defeated the moon, which moves away powerless out of the battle-filled countryside."

The quotation above is an excerpt from a song my group and I learned during our theater classes in Guadix, Spain. Guadix is a fairly small but cozy city where my Experiment group, an amalgam of teenagers from around the United States, formed a bond that would intertwine our lives over the next four weeks. Originally, when I arrived at John F. Kennedy airport in New York City I was a member of a group under the leadership of Ms. Brenda Leaks. I had just met what I deemed to be a regular group of teenagers. Little did I know that in my group there were comedians, scholars, musicians, and artists.

When I left for Spain I found myself put into the ultimate social situation. Living with such a varied group of students for five weeks taught me so much about how to relate to others through understanding their point of view and simply learning about the life they lead. In getting to know my group members so well I went from an independent person only looking after herself, to someone that others relied on in times of need for comfort and for encouragement. In the process, I learned how to not be afraid to open up to others and tell them about who I am. However, it was not only my group members that assisted in my metamorphosis; my host sisters, their friends, and my host mother also held a role. When I first arrived at my host family's home in Granada about two blocks away from the Bulls' Plaza, or La Plaza de Toros, I was terrified. Fears of my host family disliking me or not being able to communicate in Spanish engulfed my mind. I hoped that I would be able to establish a real connection with my host family that would be sustained and developed in the future. My two host sisters and my host mother were as quick to embrace me in their arms as they were to accept me into their home, for the minute I walked through the door they showered me with hugs and kind words. I will always remember their warm, jovial hospitality.

The first night of my home stay, my youngest host sister, María Jesús, invited me to come along on an afternoon walk with her, so overwhelmed with anxiety I accepted her invitation and prepared to leave the house. We walked down Gran Vía, a main street noted for its traditional architecture and the famous Italian ice cream shop, the best ice cream in the city. Before we knew it, Marí and I were walking under a dark star-filled sky as she inquired into my life back home. It was an enthralling, rewarding feeling for me to know that my host sister was as interested in me as I was in her. We passed the Alhambra (a famous military fort and palace of the Islamic Moors), and sat down at a tapas bar to grab a soda and a little bite to eat. When we returned home that night, I looked at my watch and noticed that we had been out walking for over two hours. I was enjoying myself so much that I had never even considered the time or how long we had been walking. In fact, for the duration of my stay in Spain I never once remember worrying about the time or looking at my watch during an activity. I would be enjoying myself to an extent that time would become minute and inessential. That night, after Marí and I had prepared for bed, she found me, gave me a hug, and said goodnight. My host sisters, Marí and Sandra made me feel so comfortable in their home that I soon found a commonality with the environment. I doubt my home stay would have been such a graceful, incredible experience if my host family had not taken the time out of their busy lives to unselfishly attend to own feelings and needs during that week and a half period.

While developing and exercising my people skills was an invaluable aspect of my experience in Spain, I also found the traveling of the Culture/Folklore program to boldly enhance the trip. For as long as I can remember I have loved to travel; there is just something about seeing new places, observing alternate types of architecture, and observing the ambience of dissimilar cities that excites me. Hence, traveling from Madrid to Toledo to Guadix to Granada to Coma Ruga to Barcelona assisted me in getting a broader sense of the type of country Spain was geographically and culturally. Going to six cities around the country exposed me not only to a European lifestyle but also to various ways of living. For example, Guadix and Toledo are much smaller cities than Madrid and Barcelona. As a result, I was able to observe a slower pace of life in Guadix and Toledo. Having never lived in a city that was not a cosmopolitan monstrosity, I was exposed to a much more peaceful lifestyle in Guadix where the people took their time to eat and talk to each other, everyone was not always in a rush, and people set aside time each day to rest or simply sleep.

One of the greatest memories I have of Spain is the last night in Barcelona. In the sitting room in the lobby of our hotel, my group sat together sharing our favorite memories about the trip. Suddenly, the entire room went silent; as I looked around, I saw that everyone in my group was crying. Why is such a poignant moment one of my favorites? In that one moment I realized the sheer grandeur of what we had all been through together. Each of us had encouraged another to keep going when he/she felt homesick or frustrated about the language barrier. We had arranged group activities during our home stay in Granada, so we could be supportive of each other as we attempted to form meaningful relationships with our host families. We laughed together, watched out for each other, and matured together. On our last day in Spain, when we boarded the plane back to the States, we were all different than who we were five weeks prior. We were changed for the better, and our eyes had been opened to a world brighter and broader than we ever could have imagined.

Our sun had risen, and just like in the song, we each had conquered our own moon, or personal obstacles, in order to become more knowledgeable, mature young adults. Sure there were times for everyone, I believe, where they had to struggle during the trip whether emotionally or physically. In Spain, I was faced with challenges I had never encountered before: navigating a city and challenging my comfort zones. Even with the new challenges on the trip, my peers and my group leaders always provided me with the tools to come out successful in the end.

I was taking home with me a little piece of every person I met in Spain: my host sisters and host mother, my group members, my group leader, my pottery teacher, my theater teacher, my traveling guides, and many more. I set out to guide my life by the same kindness and hospitality I encountered in Spain, and I fully intend to dedicate myself to selflessly opening my life up to others just as my host family let me into their lives and their hearts. After this past summer in Spain, the way in which I approach obstacles or even everyday life has changed. On any topic, I know that every person could potentially have a different opinion, and I consider each outlook to be indispensable to the conversation. This past summer I learned that even with diverse backgrounds and strong beliefs, the most rewarding accomplishments are realized when people respectfully and sincerely work together. With the cross-country and international friendships I made this past summer, I am unequivocally positive that individuals from all walks of life and all places around the globe can come together, despite differences, in the same kind of fellowship I experienced in Spain and hope to facilitate in the future.