Reflecting on Barcelona

July 6, 2019

I returned back to the United States about a week ago and I have had plenty of time to reflect on my exchange in Barcelona. Looking back on the trip, I learned lots of important lessons and experienced many new situations. It was my first time ever traveling alone with no one else that I knew and at first that was a scary thought to me. I did encounter many set backs on my journey there and back, but once I arrived in Barcelona I felt like I could do anything because I had managed to survive a 6 hour and 8 hour flight by myself. I felt a little uncomfortable during my first couple of days which I imagine is normal because I was living with a family who I had never met before. But towards the end of my trip, I started really feeling like a part of their family. They really cared about how I was doing and if I was having fun or not.

I noticed that living in a completely new place does not only affect the way I now see the world but my personality and who I am. There are so many factors that go into my familiar life at home but during exchange, almost all those factors are totally changed. In Spain I had different parents, ate different food, had different living accommodations and a different city to explore. Throughout this trip, I started to change. All these outside factors that I had little control over where affecting me in different ways. I had to learn how to deal with new things such as eating dinner really late. I started to see another side of me and I realized that my personality is composed of many things. My emotions and actions are influenced by my lifestyle and physical location. I believe that when my exchange student comes to visit that it will be a completely new experience for both of us because we will both be different people because of the new physical factors influencing us and our actions. 

Lastly, I really owe this entire experience to my parents and teachers. My parents encouraged me to do exchange as they both participated in it during their time in college and high school. My teachers, Spanish in particular, taught me so much and allowed me to be comfortable using a new language in a foreign country. I would also like to thank my host family for making this an unforgettable experience!

La Sagrada Familia

View from the Plane

Farewell Dinner with Laia

An Amazing Experience That I Would Definitely Recommend!

Armin Hamrah

             I had an amazing time and a unforgettable experience on my exchange program this summer. Visiting Nantes, France had many beneficial outcomes that will help me for the rest of my life. For example, hearing all fluent french speakers in France has enriched my french accent, which will help me for many years to come. I also made many friends in Nantes, so if I ever plan on visiting France again, I can stop by in Nantes to see all my friends I made (most importantly my exchange partner, Melvil). I furthermore learned many more French words, developing my French vocabulary.
            Although this may not make sense, I additionally got used to being challenged when speaking, and as a result, I got used to this manner. Nowadays, I use a more complex vocabulary when speaking and writing, as I am used to having to think about what I communicate longer that I did before. On top of these benefits, I also became more independent, which is a useful skill that will serve me well as I am transferring into high school in a couple of weeks. I certainly enjoyed my exchange program experience, and absolutely recommend for anyone debating whether or not to participate in the Sacred Heart Prep summer exchange program!

¡Hola Barcelona!

     My flight for Barcelona is tomorrow, and I have a lot to do between now and then! I had a busy couple of days (summer school final was due, championship swim meet, and swim team awards dinner), but I could not be more excited for my trip. Over the course of the past week, my mom and I have been gathering things I will need for the trip, both round the house and at the drugstore. We have made sure that I have all of the random items that are nearly always forgotten, like a converter, sunglasses, sunscreen, bug spray,  and appropriate chargers for my phone and laptop. I was also able to complete a couple of online shopping purchases, ordering new clothes and shoes for the trip. We also purchased/picked up gifts for my host family, including a Menlo Park candle, SHP gear, California coffee table books, and more. My suitcase is nearly full to the brim, but I am confident that I am prepared for nearly anything that could happen while in Barcelona. In addition, my family has given me envelopes and packages to open while I travel abroad. Also, last night I got the very best surprise. Two of my best friends stopped by my house with fresh baked cookies and a letter to say goodbye before I left! It made my day, and I was sure to tuck their letter in my suitcase.
     My exchange partner, Laia, and I have been communicating using instagram and whatsapp in an effort to get to know each other and talk about expectations for the trip. She gave me advice about what to pack, and laid out a rough schedule of what we are going to do in Spain. We have been talking a couple of times a week since early February, and I could not be more excited to finally meet her in person! I have had limited contact with the rest of her family (parents and younger brother), but my mom has been emailing with Laia’s mom, discussing the logistical side of the trip. As much as I love summer in California and the amazing experiences that come with it, part of why I am so excited for my exchange is to get away from everything for a couple of weeks. I’m ready to meet new people and enjoy the time/space to decompress from the hectic pace of Silicon Valley. Also, more obviously, I can’t wait to be in Spain and practice my Spanish! I have never visited Spain before (but have always wanted to) and have been taking Spanish classes for 12-ish years. I think that I have been prepared well, learning about the culture and language of Spain in class, so I am excited to finally make the jump from textbook to real life. I know it will be tiring, and even scary at times, but I am excited to switch from a life of comfort and stability to one of spontaneity, all by myself.

Salut Amiens!

I am two weeks into my stay here in Amiens, and I have two weeks left to go. I arrived through Charles de Gaulle Airport and Meryem's sister and dad were there to pick me up because Meryem was in an exam. This was the first true test of my French, as neither of them speaks English and I think I did pretty well, although I did not understand as much as I would have liked. However, two weeks into my stay, I can confidently say that my French speaking and comprehension abilities have become much better than they were when I first arrived here.

So far, we have been to Disneyland, Astérix Park, Paris, and Versailles, as well as explore Amiens. All of these excursions have been very fun, although Paris and Versailles were my favorites. Versailles is so pretty and you need a whole day to just explore the Château, and another day dedicated to the gardens. Paris is also beautiful, and I loved seeing the city from the Eiffel Tower. Next weekend, we are going to Belgium and I am so excited for the new experience and to see the city of Brussels. As well as see different parts of France, I have also explored the town of Amiens. The cathedral here is the tallest cathedral in France, and we saw a light show projected onto the cathedral at night, which was very pretty. I am so excited for these next two weeks and can't wait to spend more time here in France.

                                                               Meryem and I at Disneyland Paris

Meryem, her sister, Aby, and I on the Second Floor of the Eiffel Tower

À Bientôt Amiens!

I got home from France one week ago, and while I do miss Meryem and her family, it is very nice to be back home with my own family. My exchange trip was so fun and I learned so much while I was in France. My French is much better than it was when I arrived in France, and while my French is not as good as my English, I can now hold a full conversation in French, which is something that I was not able to do when I first got to France.

As well learn more and get better at speaking French, I also went on day trips to Paris, Versailles, and Brussels, which all allowed me to learn more about the history of Europe and I am so thankful for Meryem and her family for taking me on these trips and allowing me to have these wonderful experiences. I am also very thankful to Meryem's family for always trying to help me understand what they were saying and trying to understand what I was saying, because it made me a better French speaker and made my experience a much better one.

Almost to Amiens!

I have about a week until I leave for Amiens, and I am feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement. Meryem's family speaks no English, so while I know that this will make me a better French speaker, I am also nervous because I will have to rely on my French comprehension and speaking skills to communicate with Meryem's family. My family had a Skype call with Meryem's family last weekend which was very helpful because it helped me understand what daily life will be like for me and Meryem.

I am so excited to be able to explore the town of Amiens and learn what a typical day is like in France. While I have visited the tourist destinations of Paris and Marseille, I want to know what a regular day in a small French town is like. I am also excited to visit Châteaus and museums in France to learn more about French cultural history.

Excited for Taiwan!

After waiting all summer, I finally get to go on my trip to Taiwan. I look forward to practicing my mandarin and learning more about the culture there. I am very excited to meet my host student, Emily, who I have been talking to over WhatsApp for the past few months, and I am also excited to meet my host at school, Caroline. Emily has been telling me about her life in Taiwan and sending me pictures of her school.

On my exchange, there is a two week culture camp with girls from Sacred Heart schools around the globe. I am very excited to participate in the camp and meet all of the girls. There is a three-day trip within the culture camp where we will go sightseeing around Taiwan which will be very fun. I cannot wait to go to Taiwan and explore night markets, try interesting food, and meet my host sister!

我很开心去台湾！

-Ciara Moses

Having a blast in Nantes!

Armin Hamrah
Summer 2019
Exchange Program

Nantes, the city I am staying in, is very interesting and full of great areas to visit. Me and my exchange partner, Melvil, go downtown almost every day and normally get a non-alcoholic drink there. We also visited his grandparents house in Bordeaux for 5 days and Paris at a friend’s apartment for 3 days. Melvil also introduced me to his friends and cousin’s family, and I have became close with each one of them. The food here is much different as people eat more bread and less fruits than in America (one thing that I miss about the States).

I also have been somewhat tired during this trip as it a different experience as what I am used to. I miss my family and friends and although I want to see them all again, I love Nantes so much that I don’t want to leave. Me and my exchange partner have become very good friends and are even thinking about doing another exchange next summer if he likes California! I am excited to come back in a few days, but also will miss all of the amazing people I have met here. 

Au Revoir Bondues

Even though my exchange experience ended 2 weeks ago, I still remember all the memories I made with Sarah, my exchange host, my host family, Sarah’s friends and classmates, and constantly hearing French everywhere I go. For my final week in Bondues, I experienced a little bit of a French student’s summer vacation. Sarah and her mom took me to Brussels, Belgium, which is an hour drive from Bondues. I’d never been to Belgium before so being in a new country was exciting. I still heard French around me, and I was able to taste mussels and french fries, or moules frites, which is well known in Belgium. I also tried the famous Belgian waffle! On another day, I traveled around Lille with Sarah while she was running a few errands. We took the train to Lille and went to the hair salon, the mall, and had tea time with Sarah’s grandmother. It was a great day being able to experience everyday things that I would do in California but see it in a different country as if I were a local.

I’m extremely thankful for being able to have such an amazing experience with kind and caring people. For three weeks, I experienced so many cultural differences. I’m so glad that I had the chance to go to Sarah’s school as well! I feel that I was able to learn many casual French phrases and live like a local. It’s really interesting to be excited to run errands on exchange than when at home. I hope that my French cultural and lingual exchange will help me in the future when visiting France again!

                                                          The Atomium in Belgium

Reflection on my time in Sevilla

I have had time to reflect on my experiences in Spain and I now realize what a great opportunity this exchange trip was. In Sevilla I got to expirience a new culture, try new foods, practice my Spanish, and make new friends. This exchange trip showed me that the best way to become proficient in a new language is to actively practice it as much as possible. 

The Spanish culture and everyday life was very interesting to me, as it was very different to the culture in America. One example of how life in Spain is different than life here is how they divide up their meals. In Sevilla the lunches that I had were often larger than the dinners that followed. Another important piece of Spanish culture that differs from our culture is bullfighting. Many people find the practice of bullfighting to be cruel to the bull, or too dangerous for the matadors, but to Spaniards bullfighting is an important part of their history and culture. 

My exchange student and his family did not speak very much English, which allowed me to practice my Spanish whenever I was with them. We would have dinners where we would converse entirely in Spanish and I could practice my Spanish while getting to know my exchange students family. By the end of the trip speaking Spanish became natural and much easier. 

My trip to Sevilla Spain was truly an incredeble expirience that I will not forget soon. The connections that I made and the time that I had to practice Spanish were both parts of the exchange trip that I will miss, and I hope to go back to Sevilla soon to practice more Spanish and visit all the people that made my expirience so great.

Sad to leave Barcelona

When I had to leave Barcelona I had mixed emotions because I missed my dogs, my bed, and some things from home but I also loved being with Txell's family, learning knew things, and seeing cool things. I was conflcited because I got to know Txell, Aina and Nel very well and they joked around with me and we teased each other, similair to how I am with my siblings. Her parents were also very welcoming and made me feel very comforabtle in their family. One thing I really apprecited was that we always had at least one sit down family meal which I always love to do in my family but we often don't get to do it because with four kids with all different schedules it is hard to get everyone in one place. This was a really nice way to get to know the family and make it feel more like home.
Also, I loved getting to know Txell's friends because they were all a little shy at first and didn't speak english but once we got comforable with each other most of them knew english and we were able to communicate with the little spanish I know and the little english they know. I think getting to know her friends and family is what made the trip so different than a trip with my family. Although there are some benefits to traveling with my family I think getting to expeirence the real day to day life is what I loved most. I am exctied for Txell to come in August and I hope I will be able to reciperacate the good expeirence.

Barcelona: Adventure Always Awaits!

June 22, 2019
I am about halfway through my trip to Barcelona and a lot has happened since I got here, but my trip started off with a very unfortunate event! The day I arrived, I met my family and they were so nice and patient with me. The customs line took about one hour and 15 minutes to get through and they waited the entire time. I felt very welcomed into their home and family. The following day, Laia and I went on an adventure and visited numerous places around the city one of which included the biggest park in Barcelona. Just after we had taken a row boat out in the pond, we sat down in the shade. I looked to the left of me five minutes later and noticed my bag had dissapeared. That day turned into a wild goose chase. Someone had taken my backpack and neither Laia or I noticed. We spent hours looking around the park and walking in big circles checking every bush and trash can. We had no luck. Inside my bad where two jackets, a pair of shorts, a hat, my water bottle, my debit card, and lots of euros. It took a while for it to sink in that I would not have those things for the entirety of my trip. I immediately called my mom and told her what had happened and made sure that she canceled my debit card. Laia’s parents even met us at the park and helped us look around for the bag. After two hours of looking, no food, and a bottle of water, we drove to the police station across town. There we reported to the police what had been stolen and who to contact if found. This was quite the experience for me. I had to use my Spanish speaking knowledge to communicate with a policeman and it was a challenge. The family and I knew that there was a very little chance that my bag would be returned but we knew that we at least had to try and find it. Since I lost my only jacket, they were so nice and took me to a shopping mall and bought me a new one so that I would not get cold the rest of the trip. Even though this incident may have not been the best way to start out my trip, it really displayed how caring and nice my family is here and how much they are willing to help me out. I also had the chance to experience a part of living in Barcelona that I would have otherwise not encountered if my bag had not gotten stolen.

The first couple of days were hard, not only because I felt the insecurity of getting robbed, but also that I had to adapt to an entirely new lifestyle. I missed my family a lot. I was always hungry and I had lots of trouble going to bed, but each day was really fun! After about five days, my body was fully adjusted to how late we ate lunch and dinner and went to bed. I noticed that here in Spain, people eat a lot of bread and grains rather than fruits and vegetables. Very rarely do they serve salads at home or in restaurants. Barcelona is also a city full of people and they are from everywhere around the world. We have had the chance to visit numerous placed around the city such as the various neighborhoods, her school Sagrada Corazón Diputació, and the Sagrada Familia. They also took me to the Camp Nou stadium where the Barcelona Men’s Soccer Team plays and we got to take a tour and go on the field. I have been having lots of fun trying new food and visiting pretty parks and beaches all around the city. They took me up the north coast to Cadaqués which is a cute beach town with a strip of restaurants. I really enjoyed our time there and all the pretty views. I am very excited to see what the rest of this trip has in store!

Passeig de Lluís Companys

 Cadaqués Beach Town

First Day!

¡Hasta Luego Sevilla!

After two wonderful weeks in Sevilla, Spain, I have finally had to say goodbye. I had a wonderful time getting to know such kind people and becoming friends with both my host, Marta, and all of her friends. Her family was super welcoming and kind and they made my stay with them in Sevilla so easy and enjoyable.

Throughout my trip, I did many exciting things. First, I went to a fun event with my American friends the first night, and really got a taste of Spanish culture and fun. Soon into the trip, I visted Italica, which is a ruin-like location where an episode of Game of Thrones was filmed, and it used to be the home to many early settlers in Spain. After a hot day, it was nice to cool off at Isla Magica, the local waterpark where I went on rollercoasters and log rides with my American friends and our hosts. Every so often, my host family would take me down to the city of Seville, and we would visit many beautiful parts of the city, including the river, restaurants, and my personal favorite part, Plaza de España, a historical spot and the most popularly visited tourist location in Seville, where the movie Star Wars was supposedly filmed. Afterwards, Marta and I walked towards the "American Square" and fed pigeons (see the image below). Throughout the trip, I also visited the pool a lot and even went to the beach one night after school. One Saturday, I also celebrated the 17th birthday of my host Marta's best friend Rosea. It was super fun getting to bond with my host and her friends, and I know I will never forget the friendships I made in this beautiful city.

I am sad to leave Sevilla, but I know that the experience I had and the memories I made will last forever. Though my host Marta has already visited me in America, some of my friends' hosts are coming to visit in September and I am so excited to see them again and show them around California.

Hasta luego Sevilla and thank you for an amazing trip,
Caroline