How this travel abroad experience has changed me

The most obvious way this experience has changed me personally is I now have a much greater appreciation for my home the great state of Texas. Within the first week of being gone I was already missing soaking up the burning Texas sun and barbequing poolside at my friend Ken's house. I never want to leave Texas for more than 2 and a half weeks again. Another way I can see that this has changed me is I kind of have an envy for the way Spanish people live. I hate having to be on a schedule and I felt like nobody there was on a schedul. Stores were open when they wanted to be open and closed when they wanted to be closed. Denise told me having to be on schedule was part of growing up but I still dont like it and am going to avoid it. I would see a guys with two or three beautiful girls sitting at cafes sipping coffe and bottled water. Hours later I would pass by again and they were still there relaxing. How Nice! Those people know how to relax maybe a little bit to much,but still I think they have a much better quality of life than we do. I have noticed that after coming home from school I eat lunch and take a 3 or 4 hour siesta like the Spanish do. It's to hot to do anything else anyway.

One thing that I did enjoy even though it meant being on a schedule was all the hands on learning experience. It was much more interesting and rewarding to go see an actual painting displayed in a museum than to just read about it in a book and see a picture that does the painting no justice. Instead of just reading about the spanish and thir culture I got to see what they looked like and I got to talk to some of them. Instead of reading a recepie in a cook book and giving a risky attempt to make it, I could walk across the street and have a professional prepare it for me.

The main way this trip has changed my views on the world is I thought everyone was going to be very cold toward us because we were Americans. Some were but it was only when we deserved it. People would only tease me about being an American in a jokingly way. I loved it when the spanish females would call me Yankee because their accent made the word yankee sound so funny. Within a couple of days I relaized everyone didnt hate us and I felt very comfortable in Spain. I didnt think that there would be so much American Influence in Spain I knew I would see Mc Donalds but I was surprised to see a lot of other fast food chains there as well. I was shocked to hear more songs that they play in America and that Im very familiar with than songs that I wasn't while I was drinking beer in bars or writing and checking email in the cyber cafes.

Im very glad Palo Alto gave me the opportunity to travel to Spain. I am almost certain that if it wasn't for Palo Alto I may have never gotten the chance to visit Spain.This experience has made me want to travel outside of the United States more, just not for three weeks at a time. I hope A.C.C.D. continues to offer their students these great opportunities to enhance there education and lives.