Cuando en Valencia

I have wanted to study abroad since the day I started at San Francisco State University. The idea of being in a different area and practicing my passion for writing and photography was a dream that I wasn’t sure was possible. After being accepted into the ieiMedia, I was ecstatic and knew my thoughts of travel writing were that much closer. I am going to Valencia, Spain, a place I know absolutely nothing about, yet so many people have visited and have traveled all over.

As an Afro-Latina, being in Spain was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up, especially since I needed to work on my Spanish. My mother is Mexican and my father is African American and I was never taught Spainish. Yes, I took the classes everyone has to take in high school, but I didn’t retain much since I didn’t practice it. I never needed to practice because everyone in my family would always speak English. Yet, I always feel guilty about not being able to communicate with my grandma on my mother’s side every time I would go over to visit. I saw this trip as an opportunity to revive myself with her. Since, I would have no option but to communicate with the people here in their language. My goal was to go back home knowing more than I did leaving the states. I said I knew nothing about this place, and I wasn’t lying. The people here speak Spanish, but they have their own dialect it’s called Valeciano. Not only that, if you go to Barcelona, they have their own dialect as well called Catalan. For someone that already doesn’t know Spanish I was beyond shook. Luckily, I am not alone on this adventure. Emily, a friend from school, will be coming on this journey with me and lucky for me she does know Spanish fluently.

Upon arriving to Valencia, the area looked similar and it gave me a familiar feeling to San Francisco. A feeling that gave me a reside in my heart that everything was going to be okay. There are tall, historical buidlings on every corner. The floors are lined with marbled flooring, the kind if you aren’t wearing the right shoes you can easily slip and fall. But that doesn't stop some of the women here. The women strut the sidewalks like they are on a runway with styles that inspire me to go shopping. They have shopping centers with different names then them from the state but similar clothings that you can find at a Pacsun, Arepostal, or Forever 21.

After being here for only a couple of days I soon learned the cultures fast and the hard way. My host mother is very sweet, but is strict on time and manners. The first incident I had with her was making sure to communicate with her if me and my roomates will be coming home after school for lunch. A communication skill I had to get used to doing because I was alone for a year in San Francisco, and the only person I relied on making me food was myself. I did the grocery shopping and if I had nothing left in the fridge, then I would eat out or order Uber Eats. Another incident that happened was table manners. I was taught etiquette, but the culture here is a little different from those in the states. I am blessed with a host that has no problem cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As a sign of respect, when she is setting up the table with food, I would wait for her to sit down and enjoy it with us as well. “Tu comida se esta enfriando,”she would say, meaning your food is getting cold. Once the food is on the table, start serving yourself and eat up as much as the food as you can.

I never been the type to really pay attention to the food that I would eat, especially if its good then I will continue to eat it till I get tired of it. But here I never ate so much bread and potatoes in my life. Im the type to make fun of those that would talk about carbs and how they are trying to watch their intake. But I found myself doing the exact samething as well. I was suprised at my host mom and the different kind of meals she made with the same ingrediants. It is a lesson I will take back with me to the states so that I can be more resourceful with the food I purchase at the grocery store. My mother would always be on me to eat my vegetables and I am a picky eater so the last thing that would be on my mind is eating a salad or implimenting vegetables into my daily routine, but I learned soon enough of the importance of implement as much vegetables into your diet as much as possible.

So far I have been able to enjoy the longer days and the perfect weather of an average of 70 degrees. The sun doesn’t set until 9 p.m. and the weather has allowed me to enjoy a day trip to the beach. Understanding cultures before visiting a place is really important, so that you do not come off as disrespectful even when you don’t mean it. I went to Playa las Arenas, a beautiful beach that has restaurants nearby to enjoy foods that would satisfy everyone. One thing I didn’t know before entering the beach that it was a topless beach. I’ve only heard of a beaches like that and never would I have thought that was going to be the day that I would expose myself to something like that. I was startled at first as I saw naked kids and women with their breast out. They weren’t only sunbathing topless, but they were walking around as well. For someone that is conservative, Playa las Arenas is not the place for you to go. I am openminded, so I didn't mind it especially since it is the culture here and I am the tourist. Once I was able to rap my mind around what was exactly happening I was able to pull my towel out and layback and enjoy the sun as well. I enjoyed myself because the beach was clean and the sand was soft.

Through my first week in Valencia, I learned the importance of doing your research before going to a new country. Brushing up on my Spanish before coming here could have benefited me with being able to better communicate with others. Reading articles on what to expect as far as what peole cultures are like here is important. That way when go to the beach in Valencia, Spain you won’t be as culture shocked about seeing naked kids and topless women walking the beach. All in all, I look forward to getting to know the culture more and discovering more about myself as well.