Eleven Days of Forever

A Report from Spanish Exchange Student Melissa August '09
Writing from Spain / March 29, 2008

"All I can say is: I don't want to leave," says Max Allegro '10, one of twenty-four students from Bishop McNamara High School currently overseas for this year's spring break, experiencing far more than they bargained for. Any trip as extensive as traveling to Spain for two and a half weeks has expectations, expectations that something great will come out of the trip or that something new will be learned. Personally, I think Spain has helped all the students realize that this trip is less about what they expected and more about what they did not expect.

The people here are different, the food here is different, the lifestyle VERY different. Being immersed in a completely different way of life can take some getting used to. The first couple of days we suffered jet lag in the high paced city of Madrid. Madrid was just a warm up for what we were about to see. Toledo was jaw-dropping. It was like a cliche romantic movie set in Europe, except IT WAS REAL. Never had I expected so much.

Cordoba was a nice change of pace. It had many good qualities, but because Toledo overshadowed it, many found Cordoba lacking interest. Following Cordoba was a smaller city called Merida. Merida is known for its many well-preserved ancient Roman monuments, including an ancient Roman Amphitheater, and a Roman Theatre where a summer festival of classical theatre is presented each year. At this point on the trip I was at a loss for words. The cites are so beautiful, and the history has made such a profound impact that I, along with my classmates, have really stopped holding on to any expectations, because they have all already been fulfilled.

Harolyn Phillips '08 shared that "This trip has felt like 3 months, and I'm still not home sick." This trip has truly been the opportunity of a lifetime, for it continues to give us far more than seven days in a week. We have been in Spain for only 11 days with still one week remaining, and it has felt like forever.

By Bishop McNamara HS |  March 31, 2008; 8:53 PM ET Features
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