Ever since my first day at the University of Minnesota, I knew I had a strong desire to study abroad.  Since I had been studing Spanish since sophomore yeay of high school and I new that I wanted to cintinue studying it in college, my country of choice was easy, and I was quick to choose Spain.

      After two and a half years of undergraduate education in Spanish, a handful of meetings with the Learning Abroad Center, and several meetings with the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, I was ready to set out on my Spanish adventure.

       Now I had always known Spain was a country rich in history an culture however, it wasn't until I arrived that I realized the extent of its cultural richness.  During my four moths abroad, I not only experienced several of Spain's beautiful cities, but also experienced many of Spain's traditions and cultural uniqueness through my Spanish host family as well as through my own exploring.  Throughout this blog I will highlight some of my fondest memories of my study abroad experience as well as explain various cultural aspects and traditions that together makes Spain such a great place to be. 

       I can still remember the snowy January day I left, january 13th 2011 to be exact.  I had successfully packed all of my belonging in one large suitcase, a backpack, and a purse.  After saying goodbye to my parents at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport, and after a slightly delayed take off because of the heavy snowstorm, I was finally off!

      This is a photo of Toledo, Spain which by the new high-speed AVE train, is only about 30 minutes south of the city center of Madrid.  Toledo was where I spent the majority of my time in Spain because it was where my host university La Fundación José Ortega y Gasset was located.  Two of Toledo"s most important landmarks are the cathedral which is of this picture's left as well as the Alcázar which is on this picture's right.  Today the cathedral is still a very beautiful place of worship and the Alcázar is home to both a library and a museum.  The Alcázar's library was a favorite study spot for many students at La Fundación José Ortega y Gasset.

    In addition to the cathedral and the Alcázar, Toledo is also famous for its narrow, winding and steep streets.  All of my professors at La Fundación José Ortega y Gasset referred to Toledo's streets as a large labyrinth.  Here are several photos of them.  

                                                                                       

       Well that's all for now, I hope you have enjoyed my first post!  In my next post, I will continue explaining more about the beautiful city of Toledo this time with a special focus on its architecture and nature.