The Glorious 4-Day Week

After being imprisoned in a 5 day work or school week for the past 14 years, coming to Spain and knowing that I would only have class Monday through Thursday was shocking. At first we didn’t realize what a gift it was to have a three day weekend this semester, but once we started planning road trips, flights, and other events for the next three months, we adored the Spanish schedule.

That being said, I am still taking 5 classes and they are all in Spanish. As an accounting major in the business school and planning to take the CPA exam right after graduation, it is extremely pressing to find the space for 150 credits in 4 years. Fortunately, the credits this semester count towards that 150 credit rule and I won’t be behind when I return to Notre Dame in the spring.

La Fundación, however, does not offer business courses, but rather general Spanish knowledge building classes. I, for example, am taking purely humanities courses now: Spain and the European Union, Master Painters of Spain, Spanish Philosophy, Cultural Heritage of Spain, and Spain since 1936. I have never in my life had such a relaxed, non-science, non-math schedule! So far, all of my classes actually seem very interesting. Most of the professors commute from Madrid, where they teach in their primary university, and then spend a day in Toledo teaching us international students.

My favorite of the five has to be Master Painters of Spain. In all honestly, I entered that class thinking what a waste of time it would be. No one pays any attention to classical art in this day and age, anyway, and the syllabus said we were going to be learning about 6 dead guys, most of whom I had never heard of before… It wasn’t until the first day of classes, where we jumped right into investigating El Greco (a citizen of Toledo), that I knew I was wrong all along. By immersing yourself into a master painter’s work of art, you really start seeing the reasons why he became famous and what makes him distinct among other artists. El Greco, for example, was originally from Greece and had artistic formation when he spent several years in Italy. My professor argued, though, that you don’t choose where you are born, but you choose where you spend your life. El Greco spent the majority of his life in Toledo and therefore, according to my professor, is a son of this city. With his elongated figures, anti-natural colors, asymmetry, and spiritual intentions, El Greco was truly a unique man for the XVI-XVII century. Furthermore, looking at all these elements of a painter, one naturally ascends into more intellectual discussion: religious politics of the Counter-Reformation, historical disputes in his paintings (namely the mixture between Christ’s life and figures of the “contemporary” XVI century), and the philosophies and values of El Greco, who was a popular man already before his death. This class also requires three visits to Madrid with the professor on certain Fridays to the Museo del Prado and Museo Reina Sofia. Yesterday was our first of those three visits, where we actually saw these jaw-dropping paintings of El Greco for our own eyes.

My other classes have also already shown their brilliance, exposing us to a different way of thinking and offering a different point of view. One professor asked us if we, as Americans, perhaps thought of ourselves as “bigger, better, or more important” than other countries or citizens of other countries. This comment alone humbled us and showed us that things will not be done the American way here.

The four day week is not only a gift, but also a fantasy! How is it possible that I have five classes that I love and find interesting, relatively little work to do for those classes, and three day weekends to simply explore Spain and Europe? Returning to Notre Dame and all of its rigor will be much harder than I expected…

First Impressions

As you may know, Spaniards indulge in the activity of siesta. In short, the entire country closes down for 2-3 hours and citizens go out for a drink, meet with friends, sleep, relax, etc.

As much as I want to become a part of Spain and its life, siesta is starting to become impossible for me. Before I came here, I thought I was going to completely lose myself in siesta and nap as much as I could every day. After all, this semester abroad doubles as vacation for me. However, I came to the conclusion that I cannot bear to lose even a minute of my experience here in Spain…

Instead of coming home, kicking back, and taking advantage of the down time, I try to leave the apartment and the school and do what I can to see the rest of this city. Yesterday was particularly exciting. After my first day of school (consisting of just one class!), I went walking around with a small group from La Fundación. What started as a short walk turned into a four hour adventure by the city murallas (walls), the Puente de Alcantara (a bridge overlooking the River Tajo), el Museo de Santa Cruz (a museum of sacred art), and finally tinto (wine and soda) in Bar Enebro. The best part was that after I realized I needed to return home for dinner, I was not even tired of walking and seeing the what the city had to offer. I was floored by everything – the scenic panorama by the river, the ancient artifacts still preserved, the relaxation and comfort around food and drink… It was truly a representation of a freer, slower life that everyone should have the chance to experience. It was also reassuring to know that I was doing this all out of my own free will. It proved that I am in the right place.

As I mentioned before, sacred architecture and artifacts are around every corner of this city. The streets are named after saints. The shops sell crucifixes. The priests are roaming the alleys just as much as the tourists are. The most monumental edifice in Toledo, though, is La Catedral Primada. It is said that if you know where the cathedral is, you can get anywhere. That almost sounds like our faith, doesn’t it? If you know where God is, you can get anywhere…

Naturally, the first Sunday I spent in Spain, I needed to go to this famous cathedral that everyone was talking about. My host dad even said that it was the most beautiful church in all of Europe. Biased or not, I wanted to see what they meant by that. I ran into the one Japanese boy at La Fundación in the street, who was also heading to the cathedral for mass. “Eres católico?” I asked him. He said he was not catholic, but that he also wanted to see what the interior looked like. So we headed in together.

Upon entering the cathedral, I actually needed to stop myself from losing my balance. The amount of decor and the height of the building went beyond my expectations. When I started seeing the amount of paintings, chapels, chalices, and altars, I felt a tightness in my throat. It took 300 years to build this cathedral. And all this time, it has been adored and cared for by the people who visit it. Even people like the Japanese student who I came with loved the cathedral. “It is like a palace. I don’t have a religion, but I respect this very, very much…”

I was finally able to fall on my knees at mass held in a chapel and thank all the heavenly figures that guided me safely towards this incredible place. Not only was I enamored by the streets, the people, the school, and my host family, but also by the least visible elements that are actually most prominent in this journey.

We have arrived!

After an 8 hour flight, 1 hour bus ride from Madrid, and 10 minute walk to our new school… We have officially arrived in Toledo! I will try to keep my experiences to this point as brief but as detailed as possible.

Our first day consisted of the arrival in Toledo, check in at La Fundación, exploring the small curvy streets of the city, touring the school, meeting the host families, and finally coming to our respective apartments to get settled in for our first night. I live in Old Toledo (called El Casco) not far from my school. My host family’s apartment is perfectly situated for the best European experience: above a small cafe, one block from the plaza, with a scenic view of La Catedral Primada out of my bedroom window. Needless to say, the location is much different than both Notre Dame and Minnesota, but I couldn’t have asked for a better place to study for a semester.

La Fundación is a very small school with mostly American students, but it does not take away from the immersion experience. I’m already from with most of the people from various US schools, a few Puerto Ricans, some Spanish locals, and even our single favorite Japanese boy! A mix of academic orientation events and voluntary nights out with them has brought us closer together… and school hasn’t even started yet!

Toledo is beautiful beyond words and more European than I thought it would be. The most interesting part to me in the presence of the era of “cohabitation” of the three major religions – Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Symbols of these faiths are everywhere. Even the Catholic churches, such as San Roman which we toured today, have Arabic influence in their architecture. It was a way of Christians showing tolerance to Muslims living in Toledo. As the tour guide put it, “After establishing Christian dominion in Spain, Catholic royals said to the Muslims: ‘Because you lived in peace with us for 400 years, we will also live in peace with you’.”

Because the Spanish way of life calls for late nights out, walking silent Toledo in the morning to school is like a dream. One of my Notre Dame friends even called it a “movie set” with beauty made of the stage and the clear sky only a temporary backdrop. It’s sad to think that already in December, the theatrical boards of the buildings will fall away and the Spanish actors will exit the scene, signifying our return to the United States. It’s a good thing I am already deeply adoring this country and its people… As long as I leave with no regrets, it will all turn out great!

New York, Concrete Jungle Where Dreams Are Made Of

Before my departure to Spain, I decided to spend a night in New York. This was primarily for insurance purposes, to allow myself more than enough time during the layover (the travel agency booked our group’s ticket out of JFK), but at the same time I found it to be a wonderful goodbye to America. I stayed with some family friends and, instead of seeing the common sights that tourists usually attend, we spent the afternoon at the newly remodeled South Street Seaport. The beautiful area right on the port was exactly what I needed before a hectic semester — peace, fresh air, and the calming water near the Atlantic that was silently beckoning me to the other side of the ocean…

“You got the best deal!”: 4 days

This past weekend was the first time I questioned my decision to study abroad. It was my dream since I was a little girl to go to this faraway place called Europe for more than just a summer… Could that dream have fallen apart after just one weekend at Notre Dame?

For the people who have never experienced a Saturday during a home football game at Notre Dame, the description of the day might not mean anything. For those who have, though, they know the feeling of seeing families roll in on Fridays, while sitting anxiously in a 3:00pm class, ready to leave and join them. They attend drummer’s circle at midnight, and they wake up earlier with the sun listening to the marching band practicing in the lots by the library. They are familiar with the opaque air from the smoke of the grills on the quads, the acres of tailgating, the repetition of “I’m Shipping Up To Boston”, the generations of fanatics in line at the stadium… Knowing you’re a part of that tradition, almost nothing else is important to you — except for God, Country, and Notre Dame.

So, naturally, I took the opportunity to attend the only football game I was able to go to before I departed for Spain. Instead of feeling closure, though, I began realizing how truly lucky the people were that got to stay for yet another season of these traditions. I even told my roommate that I was sad that I only got to wash in my dorm’s shower twice during the fall semester and that I wish I could wake up every morning knowing I was at Notre Dame for the semester.

However, when one of my best friends, Juliana, heard this from me, she turned to me and said, “But Julia, you got the best deal! You get to experience a football game this season and leave for Europe next week!”.

I couldn’t help but smile and come back to understanding that studying abroad is a privilege, just like being at Notre Dame. Although I’m sacrificing one semester of these very familiar traditions, I am opting for three months of immersion in a foreign country and meeting an entire new band of people along the way.

Go Irish! And soon– Go Spanish!

Countdown to arrival in Toledo: 9 days

I woke up this morning to this sight, which I found impossible not to capture on my phone before I even left the room. The things laying on my floor were familiar ones as I pack to go abroad – clothes for various weather types, cosmetics, comfortable shoes, gifts for families I will be visiting. But there were also some things I was not used to bringing with me – notebooks, writing utensils, a Spanish dictionary…

If you know me, you know this will not be my first time out of the country for more than a few weeks, but this will be my first time studying abroad. As the piles of clothes stack higher, so does my anticipation for finally arriving in Toledo, Spain. As my to-do and to-buy list gets longer, so do my worries about being prepared enough for this experience. The one thing that I can’t stop, though, is time and as I race to finalize my suitcase, I can only think of the place I will be landing in just nine days, whether I’m ready or not… Toledo, here I come!