Senior Jocelyn Garrido

Spain

Why did you choose to go to Spain?

One of my top choices was Spain. I ended up staying with that choice and was recommended to have my stay there, since I already am a native Spanish speaker and would acclimate more easily. However, I wanted to know more about a different Spanish-speaking country, mostly in learning the different customs, dances, cuisine, and lifestyles that Spain has to show.

How long did you visit?

My stay in Spain was a duration of two weeks. I stayed with my host family in Fuensaldaña for 23 days. I spent the last three nights in Madrid, Spain, in the Chaminade University Residency.

What did you study?

We would take Spanish classes in the morning until the afternoon every day in the city of Valladolid. We were able to dive more into Castilian Spanish, which was fun to learn as there are differences from the type of Spanish that I speak. They shared about different foods, places, customs, and music they had, and in exchange, we did the same.

What were your favorite parts of the trip?

I could say everything about this experience was my favorite, but one thing I enjoyed was having the opportunity to make new friends and family. I was anxious at first about not being able to have a relationship with my host family or make any new friendships along the way, but I immediately became comfortable with my host family. They made me feel welcomed like I never left home. To my surprise, I made a new group of friends on this trip. They were also students from St. Louis, all from different areas, traveling to the same place. Along the trip, we got close to each other and stuck together the rest of the trip. I was able to make unforgettable memories with amazing people by immersing myself in a different environment.

When and where in Spain did you stay?

I stayed in the town of Fuensaldaña, Spain with my host family and and I would travel to the city of Valladolid, Spain, for classes and activities.

Aurelia McGinnest

Egypt

Why did you choose to go to Egypt?

At first, I did choose Japan, but somebody else ended up going there. Then it was the same with Argentina and they told me to think of a place that I’ve never been, so I was like, “I’ve never been to Egypt.”

How long did you visit?

In total, the trip was like a month, but I want to say I was there for three weeks

What did you study?

We studied a lot of things, the main thing we studied was the language, of course. I got to stay with a host family, you know, a family from Egypt.

What were your favorite parts of the trip?

Definitely my host family, I wanted to cry when I left, and learning Arabic was fun.

When and where in Egypt did you stay?

When I first got there, we stayed in a hotel together for an introduction, we had some meetings, so we knew what we were allowed to talk about down there. Then I stayed with my host family for a little more than a week.

What life lessons did you learn there?

It makes the world feel a little bigger.