Sara in Spain!

 June 4, 2023 As the trip is coming to a close, we had our final dinner at a Flamenco dancing restaurant. It was not what I expected at all. I did not know there were a surplus of men flamenco dancers. There was one woman dancing with two men. The men had more of an exaggerating on their loud stomps while the woman elaborated on her skirt movement and form. I loved the different type of claps that they did, and how perfectly choreographed all of the footwork was. If I were on the stage, I think there would be an ACL tear in my future. I was not a fan of the loud stomping, but the entire performance was a great cultural experience to end the trip. While sitting at dinner, I began to reflect on the trip, and how much I have grown from start to finish. Although I was only here for three weeks, I was able to see my independence flourish while navigating a foreign city. I came into the trip confused, and left with confidence and knowledge that I am excited to bring home to the United St...

June 3, 2023      I have been looking forward to this day the entire trip! We get to go Toledo. I feel like I knew what to expect due to my research powerpoint being on this city! I was so excited to see the areas that I taught about in class. Along the route to Toledo, we stopped at a wine vineyard known as Bodegas y Viñedos. This was one of the coolest experiences ever. I had no clue how wine was made, but we were able to get a tour explaining to us the entire process. The facilities were so advanced; everything was done by a machine as the vineyard only has fourteen employees. At this vineyard, they process the wine with all the branches and leaves. This shocked me. I thought that the grapes were bare when wine is made. Our guide took us through all the machinery, and even to the bottling area. This is exactly what I imagine a high tech factory looks like. It was so clean and perfectly organized (a type A person's dream). One thing I have always been curious about is w...

June 2, 2023      Our final medical visit. It made me realize how quickly this trip has gone by. I have gained so much knowledge that I am able to use in my future. Our last visit was at a facility known as “Anda Conmigo” which means “walk with me” in English. Their goal is to help children with intellectual disabilities improve their function in school and society. They take many cerebral palsy and autism patients, but they can also take individuals with less severe diagnosis. In the facility, there is occupational, speech, physical, and psychotherapy. The founder had a child with cerebral palsy, and spent most of his time taking his son to specialist appointments. He realized that having a localized place for all of his needs would be less time consuming and more effective. This led to the founding of Anda Conmigo. Walking in, the first thing I realized was the lack of space. Because the center is in the heart of Madrid, everything is more expensive. The owner explained...

June 1, 2023      Today was our last class of study abroad, and it also happened to be my presentation day! After working hard to find all the important information about Toledo, Katie and I were ready to present. Our goals for the presentation were to minimize the words on the slides and cover the basic knowledge of Toledo. Presenting our topic to the class made me even more excited to see the city. After class, we had a health visit to an NGO known to empower and support women in different stages of their life. It was a small, hidden building that we entered, and were guided to a room filled with chairs. Because we don’t speak Spanish, James had to translate everything the coordinator was teaching us. She talked about the organization’s mission which is to provide therapeutic support and advocacy for women that are pregnant, not having children, abused, or going through a divorce. Their goal is to make them feel like they have fulfilled their life no matter what positi...