¡Buenos días de Toledo! I’ve just finished my second week here in Toledo, and despite what my title literally translates to, I haven’t been at a loss for things to do. Rather, I’ve taken this phrase and what it means in Spain as my motto for this trip. “No pasa nada” is a common saying that essentially means “Don’t worry about it”. As I‘ve gotten more comfortable in Toledo, this is the approach I’ve tried to take in my daily life. Did I just mangle a conjugation of a verb? Sí. Did I answer “yes” to a question that wasn’t a yes or no? Of course. Did I accidentally ask my host mom’s daughter if she likes mojitos? Absolutely. Does any of it matter? Of course not. No pasa nada. I have realized that I’m going to make mistakes speaking Spanish because I’m still learning. The only way I’m going to improve is to allow myself to fail, learn from it, and move on with the conversation.
In the city itself, my classes have really kicked into gear and I’m having a blast. One class is about the five greatest Spanish painters: El Greco, Velázquez, Goya, Picasso, and Dalí. As someone who loves art but has never taken an art class, it is really opening up a whole new subject matter for me to explore. I also feel as though I’m absorbing much more about Spanish culture just by learning about its artistic heritage. My second class, Art and Architecture in Toledo, explores different historical buildings from the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian cultures that are still prevalent in Toledo. This class is particularly interesting and has immersed me much deeper into Toledo’s history than I ever would have been without it. I even find myself noticing the same styles and themes we talk about in class as I walk down the street.
Without a doubt, my best experiences have been building relationships with Spanish citizens. At this point, I’ve met most of my host parents’ family, including their three sons, a daughter, and two granddaughters. I find the differences between them in terms of age, interest, and way of speaking to be fascinating. It has certainly helped me become a better speaker. I had to speak with their grandkids, ages 7 and 10, for 2 hours! I’ve never felt dumber around kids before, but it forced me to speak and speak well or I was going to get made fun of! Even around Toledo, I’ve managed to make friends with the local population. These are people like Emilio, the bartender at the bar we go to, or Rosa, a worker at one of our favorite stores. Each person and their stories adds a little more depth to my Toledo experience.
As far as travel goes, my whole school took a trip down to Andalucía over the weekend. What a magnificent trip that was. We saw the Mezquita-catedral de Córdoba, a stunning cathedral that is inside what was formerly the most important mosque in Spain. After that, we worked our way down to Granada. T
hat was one of my favorite cities I’ve ever been to. Two events stand out. One was a flamenco show in a gypsy cave. To me, this was a true cultural experience, watching the flamenco being performed as it has been for generations. The next day, we toured La Alhambra. This was one of the most spectacular things I have ever seen. The art and architecture are simply breathtaking. I truly don’t think I can do it justice with words.
That’s a wrap on week two. I’ll be back soon. ¡Hasta luego!