University of Minnesota Athletics
Abernathy Recaps Study Abroad Experience
7/25/2016 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Gophers gymnast Bailey Abernathy spent her May term studying abroad in Spain. It was a global studies seminar called "Hiking through History" that was centered around the ancient catholic pilgrimage known as the Camino de Santiago. The hike was an 800-kilometer (around 500 miles) trail that leads to the city of Santiago de Compostela. She was in Spain for about three weeks, and hiked about 20 kilometers every day. Abernathy stayed in a new city every night, usually in a hotel or a hostel. Hear more about Abernathy's experiences in this Q&A.
What interested you in studying abroad in Spain?
I was interested in this trip for many reasons. The history and global studies school credits were really nice because I struggle to be enthusiastic about history, but being immersed in such rich history and seeing artifacts from big events make the subject much more interesting to me. Also, I am a Spanish minor so I really wanted to go somewhere where that could come in handy. Also, my high school would have a week every year where we would do outdoor education. That would entail anything from hiking, canoeing, rock climbing, backpacking, skiing, etc. I really loved those trips, and missed having those great opportunities. This study abroad program really enticed me. I love being in nature and seeing new places so what better way than to walk across Spain?! I am also a spiritual person so the religious aspects of the trip was icing on the cake.
What did you learn from your trip?
I learned so much from this trip - both historically and personally. I can share a couple of fact nuggets from both sides that I think are pretty cool. Along the way we were able to visit Atapuerca, an archeological dig site where the oldest European ancestor remains are found. These remains are approximated to be about one million years old. It was so cool to hear how the scientists go about their digging and how they can piece together a story for the remains and the location that they were found. For example, they know that a certain site used to be a cave where humans would lure animals in, kill them and take them elsewhere to eat. Another site could have been the location of the first mass burial. In my mind, that is astonishingly specific for something that happened a million years ago!
Another amazing thing was being in the beautiful cathedrals that are hundreds of years older than our country. One that really stuck out to me was the cathedral in Leon. It's full of stained glass windows. There is little other decoration because the glass is so stunning that nothing else is needed. A previous pope who visited the cathedral once said, "There is more glass than bricks, more light than glass, and more faith than light". Our tour guide was fantastic and showed us the difference between the original 11th Century glass and the "newer" 16th Century glass (hold up, something from the 16th Century is considered "new"?!) Turns out the original glass is much clearer and the colors are brighter. Who would've thought?
Personally, one big one was the realization of how little steps add up over time. Starting with a daunting 800 kilometers, and looking at a map and seeing that we would literally be walking across an entire county just shocked me. But slowly and surely we arrived in Santiago just three weeks later. Some days it didn't feel like we were moving very quickly, especially when we were really sore after a long day, but we always reached our destination. I also learned how to be comfortable with the unexpected and how to be more adaptable. There were days where we didn't know if it would be blazing hot or if we would be walking through a rain storm. We also never knew if the place that we would be staying at had Wi-Fi, let alone a nice shower. I learned how to wander around a new city seeing the sites and how to find my next meal while conversing with people who don't speak my native language. It was a wonderful adventure.
How did you spend your free time?
We were hiking for about 5-7 hours a day, and when we first arrived in our next city we would usually shower and sleep. Spanish culture is great because they have a built in nap time called Siesta. The whole town closes for a couple hours from around 3-5pm and people go home to sleep, eat and recharge before the second part of the day. Of course, we wanted to immerse ourselves in Spanish culture so we oftentimes took a nap after a long day of hiking. Other than that, we would walk around the cities that we were in, read some great books, and wrote in our journals.
What was the most memorable part of this experience?
The other pilgrims, or "peregrinos", that I met on the trip were very memorable. People come from all over the world to hike the Camino. They all have their own reasons for their journey too. Some hike for the religious reasons while others just had some vacation days they wanted to use to explore a new country. Everyone I spoke to mentioned that they enjoy all of the time to think. It seems to me these days that we are always bombarded with information, so to get away and be on a trail is a great mental relief.
Other than the people, one of the most memorable things along the trail for me was the monument called Cruz de Ferro. Tradition has it that pilgrims will carry with them a small stone to symbolize their burdens and when they arrive at the monument, they lay their stone at the foot of the cross. Emotions run high at this spot, as it is truly a beautiful thing to actually release the burdens that you have been carrying both emotionally and physically.
What surprised you?
Being an athlete I was surprised at how sore I was! There were a couple of days where my calves and Achilles were the sorest they have ever been. I dreaded going down stairs because that would mean catching myself with those muscles and tendons. I also was surprised to see that there were snow capped mountains in the distance for some of our walks. That view reminded me of my hometown of Denver, Colorado and always put a big smile on my face.
What was the best meal you had on the trip?
Every meal tasted amazing because I was always so hungry from walking! In all seriousness, one of the best meals that I remember was one we made ourselves in one of the hostels. We bought all of the ingredients fresh from the farmer's market and made a beautiful tomato salad with pasta, ham and cheese as the entrée. I think the freshness really struck me and because I had a big part in making the dish, I think I enjoyed it all the more. Another great meal that we had that was a signature dish in the Spanish region of Galicia is Octopus or "pulpo". I was hesitant to try it, but I ended up loving it!
Where do you want to travel next?
I currently don't have any plans for future travel, but I would love to continue to explore the world. My roommate and teammate Kaitlin Rahon has always wanted to go to Iceland, so perhaps I'll join her for that!
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