Ryan Tomlin
H-SC May Term Abroad
Alcalá de Henares, Spain
Summer 2018

Arriving in Spain
Everyone always says, “There is a first time for everything.” While I am not sure if that is entirely true, my trip to Spain has been filled with multiple new experiences. Before the flight on May 27th, I had never flown on a plane and I had never left the country. I had never lived with a host family, nor had I studied at any other university. With that being said, the trip has already given me experiences that I will never forget.

But, why did I end up in Spain? Since I want to go into medicine, I studied Latin in high school. I thought the course was difficult and I did not like how the language wasn’t widely spoken. When I got to college, I wanted to study a language that I could learn to speak. Spanish seemed like the perfect option for me. Since Spanish is widely spoken in the United States, I figured that learning the language would be helpful in the workplace. On the other hand, I wanted to learn Spanish quickly because I have a lot of other science courses to take during my time at Hampden-Sydney. I asked my friends from Hampden-Sydney for advice and I was told by multiple people that the immersion experience in Spain would be my best option.

When I got to Spain, I was terrified that I would not be able to communicate with my host mother. I was very nervous, and I did not speak much initially. I could understand what she was saying to me, but I was struggling to speak back to her. On the other hand, I was much more comfortable speaking to my host brother, whose name is Victor. I spoke to him for a few hours on the first day and started to gain my confidence. By the second or third day, I was having conversations with our host mom. In the short time I have been here, I have learned more Spanish than I ever thought possible.

I was also worried about the Spanish 201/202 classes that we are taking at the Universidad de Alcalá. We are in class Monday through Thursday for around 5 hours with a 30-minute break. Both Dr. DeJong and a professor from the University teach our classes. Each class is primarily, if not entirely taught in Spanish. Again, I was very intimidated during the first day of class. Listening to Spanish the entire time was exhausting and frustrating. After the first day, I was intimidated. But by the second or third day as I gained confidence, I started to buy into the full immersion experience. I realized, while it is very challenging, I’m learning so much. Now, I am enjoying the classroom experience as well.

To end my thoughts for now, my goals for the trip are simple. I want to learn as much Spanish as possible, while seeing everything that this beautiful country has to offer.