University of Minnesota Athletics
Jo in Spain - Blog No. 2
6/2/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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Joanna Hedstrom recently completed her study abroad trip to Spain. Her wrap-up blog post is below. Click here to read her first entry.
Spain: Much More Than Soccer and Sangria
I got home from Spain Tuesday afternoon, and am currently recovering from being "jet lagged." I'm reflecting on the trip, and am so thankful to have had the opportunity to travel abroad for two weeks. It's one thing to be a college athlete at an amazing university, but to also be given time to travel to Spain?! Below are some of the highlights of my trip (as well as a few things that make me happy to be home) :)
In the last two weeks, I have doubled the amount of pictures in my phone's camera roll, I have tried over ten different types of food, and I have met at least three new close friends. I even brushed up on my high school Spanish and I feel like it came back to me pretty fast!
Things I Enjoyed:
One of the site visits that I enjoyed the most was to La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. I loved seeing Gaudi's masterpiece and going up in the towers to see the view of the whole city. It is unbelievable how intricate the architectural designs are and how much thought was put into the significance of the structures. I also enjoyed the Codorniu visit because I love wine and seeing the underground wine cellars was super cool. I would have enjoyed seeing the vineyards as well.
Another highlight for me was being able to explore Madrid and Barcelona on our free weekends. I was able to visit markets in both cities and eat crepes, gelato, croquettes, and Spanish ham. The Prado museum in Madrid was interesting to see on the free weekend, as well as the beach and beautiful weather in Barcelona. The local restaurants such as the authentic tapas bars were a highlight, because it seemed as if any restaurant I went to had amazing food.
Things I Will Not Miss from Spain:
Despite my great experience, there were definitely times on the trip that I missed aspects of being home in the U.S. For example, I really missed the free water we get at restaurants in the U.S. It was extremely frustrating to feel dehydrated from travel and the weather, yet have to spend money each time I want some water with dinner. Although it may sound like something simple, I definitely appreciate the free water here at home now.
I also was really annoyed with the crowded streets by the end of the trip. There are so many tourists, and yes I was a tourist too, but I miss being able to walk on the University of Minnesota campus freely without having to weave between a lot of people! When we visited the Barceloneta beach it was even worse, and added on to that were the street vendors. I definitely prefer the relaxing beaches on Minnesota's lakes where there aren't people asking if you want a mojito every 30 seconds.
It feels great to be back, but I will for sure miss my experiences in Spain and I am glad I had the opportunity to make so many memories!
