The entire summer leading up to the trip it always felt far away and as a result I never put much thought into my expectations for the trip. However, a couple of days before departure I got hit with an intense realization that I was about to be out of the country for an entire month. My only prior experience abroad was a trip to Paris, France for my 15th birthday. I remember being amazed by the architecture and how different buildings were designed compared to the U.S. It is fair to say that the architecture in Spain does not disappoint. The Sagrada Família was one of, if not THE most beautiful Cathedrals in the world. I was blown away by the size and design and am extremely excited to look inside. In addition, one of my preconceived notions was that you had to walk frequently. The amount of walking we have done in week one quickly validated that notion. One interesting thing I have observed is the rarity of overweight citizens. This can be attributed to a couple of things. First, walking really does burn calories and helps to run a caloric deficit. Second, their food seems to be sourced from healthier providers and all of the meat, fruits, and vegetables are fresh. They do not fry food and certainly take pride in their local restaurants. Lastly, the proportions are not like we have them in Texas or the rest of the United States. On multiple occasions, I will leave meals initially with a full stomach, however, I tend to get hungry shortly after. I’m not identifying this as an issue, I merely think American consumption culture changes how we process food. As we have created our own Texas A&M community here, I am impressed with the compatibility of the students on our trip. We have all had an amazing time so far and I am looking forward to continuing this journey with great people.
