Spain: Technology & Innovation in Urban Culture

I truly enjoyed this experience in Spain and the wonderful people with the Experiment. Even weeks after, I don't go a day without thinking about my host family or my group and of the fun things we did everyday. This experience has truly changed my life for the better and I hope that it will do the same for anyone who decides to partake in this program.

As a group we traveled to 4 different regions in Spain: the first location we traveled to was Madrid, the second was Valencia, the third was Málaga, and the fourth was Barcelona. Each location has such cultural beauty that is indescribable with word alone.

In Madrid, we participated in the program Urban Democracy to remodel the parking lot of a local school in Villaverde. The experience of collaborating with US residents and establishing long lasting bonds with the residents of Spain truly enriches my day to day life by improving my ability to form interpersonal relationships.

Junior year started and I wasn’t ready to think about the summer to follow. I had just become an upperclassmen thinking I’m just that much closer to becoming a senior. While having that in the back of my mind my junior seminar teacher told us about the opportunity to study abroad with the Experiment of International Living, EIL. I went home and talked to my mom about it and she thought it was a great opportunity for me to pursue. Later that month there was a mandatory meeting, so we could get started with the application process. While filling out the forms, I began to worry about many aspects of our trip. This trip took me completely out of my comfort zone. I had never left the country before or even away from my parents for a long amount of time. Additionally, I was afraid that I might not fit in with the other students in our travel group. Meeting new people and not being as social as others I knew it would be a challenge. However, it is apparent to me that this trip showed and made me appreciate the person I am inside and out.
After getting accepted into the program, I was given the invitation to go to Spain. Now for the best part of the travel prep, shopping. I bought my suitcase, passport, and even a case for my passport ,so I wouldn’t lose it! While packing my clothes and making sure I had everything needed for my trip, I noticed I didn’t. I didn’t have my full heart into it. Yes, I was excited about leaving the country and yes I was excited about this being a new experience for me, but I really set my hopes up for the United Kingdom program studying journalism. With this being a bump in the road for me I had to push myself to keep an open mind and to appreciate the opportunity I have been awarded that not many other high school students are able to get.
As my departure time from John F. Kennedy Airport arrived, I started to notice that this trip was going to either make or break me. I initiated casual conversations with the people in my group and got to know just the surface of everybody. When we boarded the plane I was shocked that we all weren’t sitting next to each other. That’s when I thought to myself “not only am I alone on this flight overseas, but I am not close to anybody that I “quote un-quote know”. Honestly, this scared me. At this point I knew it was time to grow up. Beginning with improving my skill of being responsible. I had to keep track of my plane ticket, make sure I had all my things together and not become astray from my group.
Once we landed we began to do projects and come together as one; it was as if we had known each other for years. In Madrid we really got to see ourselves produce something that could possibly be used in everyday life. We designed many things for a park that was really ran down. We started off by brainstorming together to see what the area needed. Most of the conversation was self-lead, but taken in consideration we are all teenagers somebody needed to step up and mediate when things got a little rough. I took it upon myself to make sure our conversations went smoothly, which overall helped my leadership skills. We engaged with the community by going around asking them exactly what they would like to see in the park. Thereafter we gathered all the information, went back to the drawing board, and started to produce the actual objects. In the center where the 3D printer was we sat in front of computers with a partner and started to design. Most of the time in the partnerships each person wanted to do something different so to cause less confusion I decided to make a list of everything that needed to be made and everybody as a couplet choose one. This seemed to work out very more successfully than how we were doing it in the first place. We also designed many bike racks for the vast amount of riders in the community, thinking it would be a good idea to give them what they need. The racks were cut out of wood from a laser cutter that our instructor taught us how to use. During this process I learned that it’s okay to not only be a leader by my actions, but also by the things I may communicate. The city of Madrid was the place that I noticed this trip was going to make me a better person overall.
To end this wonderful experience I learned that I can do things on my own and not rely on anybody. While learning how to be independent I also improved my leadership skills by helping out the group when need be and help lead group discussions. Honestly, I feel like this two to three page limit is not enough for me to explain how much I grew on this trip. Just know that this experience was truly an experiment and I got the result I hoped for.

On my trip to Spain, I learned a lot about the Spanish culture. I participated in experiences that took me out of my comfort zone and into a learning environment where it was easy to have fun in addition to learning. I ate new foods, met new people, spoke a different language, and visited new places, in addition to educating myself about how cities in Spain worked and how people used them.

On this program we learned a lot about different cities in Spain and what changes they have been through and are currently going through. From this information, we brainstormed and came up with many ideas on how we change these cities for the better. On projects we used 3-D printers, laser cutters, models, etc. We also had tons of fun throughout the trip too. We did things such as travel to beaches, bike rides, tours around the city, to staying up late playing cards with each other, and etc. Over all this trip was amazing and it's the people that I met that made this trip so amazing.

Reflecting from my whole experience, I realize how vital it is to visit different countries. The culture, lifestyle, history, and language made me appreciate Spain and life outside of the US. When the trip was over, I told my family that I wasn’t ready to leave yet. I miss siesta, my host mother’s seafood and chicken paella, strolling through Las Ramblas in the middle of the night with my friends who I’m still in contact with, and my group dinners where we were always laughing. These moments shaped and made a stressful year into one of my most memorable. This trip inspires me to continue learning Spanish and to take advantage of the study abroad opportunities in college. I was also thinking about pursuing a career where I get to travel to different countries. Even though I dislike long flights, I love being exposed to new cultures and meeting people. My goal for this trip was to find myself and have fun, and this experience exceeded my expectations.

This is a year that I will never forget. I met a lot of people I consider family or very good friends on this trip that I did not know going into this program and became very good friends with. Also, the experience itself was amazing. From the eye popping murals, architecture, and in general immersion in the country I got I felt as though I was a regular citizen in the country, everyone I met was so nice and relateable that I am glad I got the opportunity to go. I like my homestay family it was really humbling to say the least that what my parents have taught me really helped me in this program and made my bonds with my host family even stronger and with the people in my group even better. For any of you deciding on where to go do this program and don't be afraid to put yourself out there and try new things because sometimes being adventurous can be very gratifying and not everyone has this opportunity so don't squander it.

The experiment is a great program for student to be apart of. When I was in Spain I was able to learn about the culture and visit important sites, while still being able to pursue my interest of technology and urban development. My group was able to create a model, using 3D printing and laser cutting, to help develop a new park in Madrid. In Valencia we helped promote bicycle riding and bike lanes. Lastly in Mallorca we helped paint a wall to bring color to the area. Through the experiment I have made many relationships and I was able to immerse myself into cultures outside my own. The experiment really gave me an amazing opportunity and I highly recommend others to take part in this program.

This program was an amazing opportunity to both discover and understand an urban culture that is very different from what you're used to. You'll be able to design and create your own 3D models using 3D printers and laser cutters, while simultaneously learning about tourism and it's effects to urban designs. This program nurtures your curiosity about the world and how much you can impact it. You won't ever forget the experiences and memories you can make in this program