By Gwendalyn B.

Published March 11, 2025

At the end of February I traveled from Barcelona, Spain, to Brussels, Belgium, for an exciting opportunity. I was one of a group of 20 young Gilman Scholars from across the U.S. currently studying in a European Union member state, invited to participate in a study tour funded by the European Union. We met in…

By Fisher M.

Published March 4, 2025

One of the more surprising things about Alicante has been the number of stray cats wandering around. On the second day I was here, we took a short trip to the old part of town (by which I mean over 1,000 years old). As we were walking up the steps that led up to the…

By Isabelle B.

Published March 3, 2025

I can hardly believe it, but month two in Spain is almost over. I currently have classes five days a week, and my weekends are full of plans with friends traveling to new places and trying new things. But I am so grateful for busy weekends because I have been able to check a few…

By Kaitlyn H.

Published March 3, 2025

Now that I have been living abroad in Spain for almost two months, I have a pretty set daily routine. Of course small things change day to day, but overall, I have created a life here that I love. For my blog this month, I wanted to share a bit of what an average day…

By Asher F.

Published March 3, 2025

Out of the cuisines of the world, it doesn’t seem like Spanish food is particularly well-known among us Americans. Beyond tapas and paella, people often assume that it must be just like Italian food, or maybe like Mexican food. While it has much in common with neighboring countries, Spain has a cuisine all its own.…

By Taylor E.

Published Feb. 28, 2025

Before coming to Spain, I was a very picky eater (“picky” in Spanish is “tiquismiquis” — a very fun word to say). In Spain, I am very grateful to not have the option to be picky anymore. When my host mom puts a plate of food in front of me, I could ask what I…

By Kaitlyn H.

Published Feb. 6, 2025

I landed here in Alicante the early morning of Jan. 4, a beautiful and warm Saturday. The weekend to follow was filled with sightseeing, pastries, a lot of walking and even more jet lag. What I didn’t know was that the upcoming Monday, Jan. 6, is what is known as Día de Reyes here in…

By Isabelle B.

Published Feb. 5, 2025

For years, I had been wanting to study abroad, but it was only a recurring bucket list item. Even the planning and preparation process seemed unreal. Until a month ago, I hugged my family goodbye before boarding the plane that was taking me across the world to fulfill my dream. I told my mom at…

By Fisher M.

Published Feb. 4, 2025

https://flic.kr/p/2qK8hJ4 Flying into Alicante I've been in Spain for a month now. One of the biggest challenges of living here so far, or in almost any other country, is the language. I've been studying Spanish since middle school, but being immersed in the language all day long is very different from any classroom setting. The…

By Taylor E.

Published Feb. 3, 2025

Two months ago, I was sitting in Ellis Library, avoiding my Spanish homework with the help of Google Maps. I dragged the little street view man 4,000 miles away from my home and dropped him in the middle of Alicante, Spain. I dragged him around, looking at the buildings and the street signs and the…