After nearly three weeks in Spain, our adventure in Cádiz is coming to a close. On Friday, we had our last day of classes. My classmates and I all had to give five-minute speeches on a topic we were passionate about, which was an excellent way to practice our Spanish. That afternoon was also the last day of our Extracurricular Classes, and we gave presentations to show the other students what we had been doing. The Photography class presented a slideshow of their photos, the Culture and Conversation class performed skits, and our Flamenco class danced for everyone. I was a bit nervous to perform, but I think Annika, Julia, and I did well. We had learned a lot in just two weeks! We then celebrated with a picnic on the beach at sunset with everyone bringing homemade tapas.
On Saturday, we went on our last big excursion, to Ronda, a beautiful city in the mountains that was a two-hour bus ride away. It was great to see some other towns and more of the Spanish countryside as we drove by. Once in Ronda, we looked at some amazing views (not good if you’re scared of heights!) and went to a museum dedicated to bullfighting. Bullfighting is a lot more gruesome and bloody than I’d originally thought. It was interesting to hear about, but I’m glad that we didn’t watch one.
Today was a relaxing day, as Sundays usually are in Spain. We had the option to visit a different beach, called Cortadura, which was perfect for sunbathing and enjoying the waves. Tomorrow will be another laid-back day for last-minute shopping and visiting our favorite places in Cádiz before we go. For our last day, we’ll be visiting a water park on Tuesday and enjoying one last group dinner before saying goodbye. From there, some of us will be continuing onto Seville and Cordoba, while others, including me, will be heading home.
These past three weeks have been some of the best in my life. I met super interesting people from all around the United States (and Korea!), learned a ton about the Spanish culture and language, saw amazing places, and definitely ate my way through Spain! I am going to miss my friends, my teachers, and my wonderful host family so much. I’ll probably never get another experience like this Abbey Road trip again, but because of the fun we’ve had here, I am sure I’ll come back to Spain!
-Dana