Upon arrival, it was like being thrown into a completely new world. Everything was different and nothing was familiar. Having only an intermediate level of Spanish to go off of, I was excited but completely and definitely scared. After a long day of travel and arriving during the daytime in Spain, when it was nighttime for me, was a bit of an adjustment. First meal was a taste of not only the food in Spain but the true atmosphere and culture. I got to meet my host mom the next morning and settled into my new room and apartment! Once everything was set up it finally hit me that I would be living here for the next 5 months. Next step… to see all that I could around my new city and start my adventure.
The old portion of the city of Oviedo is truly breath taking. The cathedral in the city founded in 781 A.D. towers high, showing the true authenticity of Oviedo. It is unbelievable to think of something built before my own country was even established. Buildings surrounding this area are loaded with hundreds of years of history and though I have seen many already, there is so much more to discover.
Our first weekend trip was to the coastal city of Gijón and lucked out with a beautiful sunny day! There is so much history in this city as well, with a cathedral right on the ocean and beautiful cliffs and beaches.