Written By Eli, Latitudes Year ’22 Spain
Hola de La Costa Del Sol in beautiful Southern Spain! Soy Eli and I am excited to share with you what life is like in one of the most beautiful parts of the world. I have been living in the wonderful, historic city of Málaga, which is located in the Andalusia region of Spain. Over the last six weeks, I have been studying Spanish, exploring the southwestern corner of Europe, and immersing myself in Spanish culture.
My first few weeks here were spent with a lovely, caring host named Sophie. She is an extremely kind, hospitable, and intelligent woman. She speaks four languages including English, but we tried to speak Spanish as much as possible since I am still in the early stages of learning the language and need all the practice I can get.
One of the first adjustments I had to make here was learning the differences between España Spanish and Latin American Spanish. I had to temporarily abandon some of the words and concepts I learned during my first classes in Guatemala and Costa Rica. Por Ejemplo, in Spain a car is called a coche instead of a carro, which is what I was used to. I also quickly learned that one of my favorite drinks has a different name. One of my first café experiences taught me this. I was planning on ordering a jugo de naranja (orange juice) and while looking at the menu I discovered that juice in Spain was called zuma, not jugo. I also had to incorporate “Vale” into my new Spanish vocabulary. I never heard this word in Central America but it is very common here in España. It is basically the Spanish way of saying “okay.” As far as grammar goes, I also had to incorporate “Vosotros” into my lexicon as in Latin America you use “Ustedes” instead.
There are many more linguistic differences I could discuss, but adjusting to this new dialect was not too difficult. Perhaps the most difficult part of my time here in Málaga was catching a case of Gastroenteritis at the beginning of my stay. I still don’t know if it was caused by some bad ahi tuna or something else, but I do know that spending almost a week in bed with unbearable stomach pain was not a good way to spend my second week abroad. Especially when the only things my stomach could handle were small amounts of bread, chips and Powerade. Luckily Sophie was extremely helpful in getting me to the doctor and translating for me at the reception desk. She was awesome and I am still in contact with her even though I moved out over four weeks ago.
After my two and a half weeks in the homestay, I moved into an apartment across the Rio Guadalmedina in Central Málaga. This area of town quickly became my favorite part of town, as there are lots of restaurants, cafés, shops, and entertainment. It is also very close to Playa de La Farola, my favorite beach in the city. Some days I do not even leave this part of town because everything I need is so close to my apartment. My roommates are extremely nice too and I have quickly become friends with them. They call all different parts of the world home, from Japan to Denmark. I love learning about them and the culture of their home countries.
That brings me to another favorite part of life in Europe, meeting people from all around and discussing each other’s cultures. At OnSpain, my Spanish school, I have met people from all around the world: Brazilians, Moroccans, South Koreans, and many more. Discussions with my classmates make me want to visit, explore and learn more about their country. It is one of the main reasons I love my school. Another reason I love my school is because of my wonderful teachers, Pedro and Andreas. I have only known them for about six weeks but I would already call both of them friends. Pedro teaches me grammar in the morning from 9:30-11:30. Usually grammar class in any language would be boring and dull but Pedro makes it fun with his unique personality and effective teaching style. From 12-1:30 I have Andreas for conversation class. This class is exactly what it sounds like. We basically talk about whoever, whatever, whenever. It may seem like a waste of school time but it is actually an amazing way to practice your Spanish skills and how to apply them to everyday life. This class is where I learn the most vocabulary. We have all sorts of discussions, such as fun ones that have us laughing until tears fill our eyes and serious ones where we discuss real-world problems. It is easy to forget I am in school during this time because the conversation is so natural and Andreas is always interested in what we have to say. Anytime there is a slight stall in the dialogue he asks us “¿qué más? ¿qué más?”
Perhaps my favorite aspect of my school schedule is the fact that we finish at 1:30. My after-school afternoon activities vary widely. Some days I swim in the Mediterranean sea with my classmates, other days I go straight to a Spanish restaurant and enjoy some Tapas. Some days I visit local landmarks such as the Picasso Museum or the Castillo de Gibralfaro, other days I relax in the sun and journal on the terrace at my apartment building. I enjoy exploring the city on foot and it seems like even six weeks in I am still discovering new parts. I love walking down the street where I can watch street performers and admire beautiful street art directly inspired by Málaga native Pablo Picasso. Dinner is usually at 9:30-10:30 in Spain which I thought was absolutely preposterous when I arrived. However, a few weeks in, I was eating at 10 every night without even thinking twice about it.
My weekend activities vary widely as well. I have explored the region by bicycle, going westward 20 km up the coast to the community of Chichles. Biking is one of my favorite activities as I find it very peaceful and refreshing. The following day I biked up north to visit the scenic and picturesque Botanical gardens of Málaga. I was lucky enough to be in Málaga when the annual carnival took place. It is perhaps the biggest festival in Malaga and is a weekend full of concerts, street performances, parades, parties, fashion shows, and celebrations of Spanish heritage and culture. There is arguably no better way to become familiar with Málaga than through the carnival. Confetti flies through the air everywhere and bands of singing men in costumes line the streets telling jokes and performing songs. It is really unlike anything else. Unfortunately, I missed the second weekend of the carnival, but for a great reason. I visited the beautiful city of Lisbon, Portugal. I could write pages of why this city is magical and like no other city, but I will just recommend that you go see it for yourself if you ever have the chance. I also got to see the most western point of Europe on the coast. This previous weekend I had the privilege to visit Caminito del Ray, where I hiked on suspension bridges high above a beautiful teal river.
The following day I was watching monkeys steal apples from a man’s bag on top of the rock of Gibraltar. Both places were absolutely stunning and I am already itching to go back to both. I also caught my second Málaga C.F. game, which was a 0-0 tie. I have only been a fan of the futbol team for about a month and a half now, but it seems like longer. The atmosphere at the games is incredible and the local fans have a burning passion for the game. Even though there were no goals scored in the game on Saturday, I still had a great time waving my Málaga C.F. scarf in the air and cheering on my new favorite sports team with my friends. Some weekend trips I am looking forward to in the future include the Spanish cities of Sevilla, Cadiz, and the African country of Morocco, which is only 80 miles south of Málaga.
I don’t think I could single out one specific favorite part of my time here in the Costa del Sol. It has all been one whole life-changing experience that has sparked interest in many different ideas, cultures, and places. Sometimes when you see your friends in the U.S. almost reaching the halfway point of University, it is easy to overthink and worry that starting college a little bit later will be tough, but in reality, no typical straight-out-of-high-school college experience can replace the people, experiences, and things you encounter on a gap year. Traveling is perhaps the best form of education there is, and I will forever be grateful I took a gap year to this wonderful part of the world.
Signing off from Málaga Spain,
Adios,
Eli