My Incredible Experience on a Dialogue to Spain

¡Hola!

My name is JJ French and I’m an incoming second-year majoring in finance and accounting. I just returned from my five-week Dialogue of Civilizations in Spain, where I took two classes that will contribute towards my Spanish minor. The past five weeks were unbelievable and some of the best of my life, and in this blog, I will share some of the aspects of this trip that made it unforgettable.

My journey started and ended in Madrid, but it certainly was not stationary. After two days in Madrid, we left for Pamplona, which held the private university where we studied for three weeks. On the weekends, we took excursions to San Sebastián, San Juan de Pie de Puerto, and San Juan de Luz. These small trips were amongst the most enjoyable of the Dialogue; each offered something unique and exciting. Once our three weeks in Pamplona were up, we traveled to Bilbao for two nights, stopping at Guernica on the way. Next, we moved to Valencia, where we spent the final leg of our trip. Once the nine days there were finished, we returned to Madrid for two days, making a visit to Toledo as well. Evidently, we were constantly on the move, yet we still spent enough time in Pamplona and Valencia to feel comfortable and immersed in the city.

The two courses I took in Spain were a mix of traditional classroom lessons and cultural experiences. My professor at the University of Navarra was a native Spaniard; the entire college experience in Pamplona felt authentic. During class, there a mutual exchange of ideas. She would share her knowledge of the language as a native speaker, and we would in return educate her on the intricacies of the English language: essentially, all of our slang and expressions. Our culture course was less concrete. We had occasional lectures, but the majority of our “class time” was spent touring different sections of the city or experiencing traditions with our Spanish student leaders. This was the epitome of experiential learning, as just about everything we did presented us a lesson in language and culture.

One of my favorite traditions is one unique to Pamplona: juevintxos. Every Thursday night, residents of the city go out to the bars and eat pintxos, which are small, but delicious, plates of food. These nights are always a lot of fun and a great way to get to know each other. Besides juevintxos, we visited a bunch of churches and museums, including the Guggenheim and the Reina Sofia. During our time off in Valencia, we went to the beautiful beaches and relaxed by the Mediterranean. We ate paella, a famous Spanish dish that lived up to its reputation, although nothing will be able to top the orange juice in Spain. I could continue this list, but in the spirit of brevity I will omit some activities.

In spite of all of the great components of this Dialogue, the trip would not have been the same without the people. Over the duration of this trip, I developed friendships with people who I might not have met otherwise. My group consisted of a variety of different ages and majors, yet everyone coexisted well and grew close. Throughout the five weeks, I learned about the experiences of Northeastern students in different residence halls and majors, and now I feel that I have a better perception of student life on campus, ironically. The friendships that grew from this Dialogue, though brief, are strong and will translate over to campus in the fall.

This trip was five of the most chaotic and action-packed weeks of my life, but I wouldn’t change a thing. I improved my fluency and was immersed in Spanish culture, in turn expanding my perspective about my home as well. I saw some of the most beautiful places I have ever witnessed, and even got to nerd-out when I visited San Juan de Gaztelugatxe (Dragonstone in Game of Thrones). I could write pages about my experiences, but above all I formed lasting friendships and connections that will form the basis of my memories of this trip. If you have the opportunity to go on a Dialogue, take it. You don’t want to miss out on a potentially life-changing experience.