Walker ’25 and Emily ’25 recount their first day in Cadiz, beginning with an introduction to Centro MundoLengua, followed by some basketball, and ending the day with an evening yoga class.
Today was our first full day spent in Cadiz, and with our host families. My day started with waking up around 9 to a light breakfast with my two roommates, Luka and Gabe, as well as our host mom. I myself was not particularly jet-lagged, and everyone else seemed ready to go for the day which was great. One thing that stood out to me was the coffee that she made us. Served hot in a tall metal kettle, it was rich with flavor, and a much needed energy boost for the day to come. Breakfast, which is a much lighter meal than other meals, consisted of some toast and fruit, which was perfect for us to start our day.
Luka, Gabe, and I walked with our host mom to learn the route we would take each morning to attend MundoLengua, which is the school we will attend during our time in Cadiz. The walk was short, scenic, and we got to the school no problem to meet up with the rest of the group. We got to meet each member of the staff with MundoLengua. We got to meet our Spanish teacher, Juan, who was very welcoming and easy to talk to. The trip members played a game of two truths and a lie with Juan, and we learned that Juan doesn’t like soccer, and has loved basketball ever since he was a kid. Afterwards, we got to explore a grocery store near the school, and relaxed in a shady courtyard with some snacks.
-Walker ’25
After we grabbed snacks at the store, we returned to the school to play a version of “hot potato” where we asked questions of one another. This was during a break for many of the school students so they watched us with wide eyes as we stood in a circle. After our game, though we were instructed to head back to the houses, we eagerly asked if we could join the students in their games of basketball and were excited to be given permission. Some students stayed with a group of young girls who excitedly used what English knowledge they had to try and communicate with us while we used our best Spanish to speak to them. Others played a game of basketball with one young boy who was better than most of us. After their recess finished, we headed back to our houses as well to get some rest and lunch.
Elena and I entered our house and our host mom made us chicken and rice which was delicious. The smell filled the apartment as did the sun from outside. We rested and then met up with Walker, Luka, and Gabe to go to the beach. It was a short walk and the breeze coming from the ocean made it an enjoyable one too. We walked on the beach and then went into a store that seemed small from the outside but turned out to be very large. Next to the store was a taco place that Walker and I decided to try and it was delicious. We were both full from lunch earlier but the tacos were small enough to try. They were only one euro each and were worth far more than that as they were packed with flavor. Luka then got some for himself and validated our take that these tacos were fantastic. After our snack, we walked around a bit more and entered a few other shops before we headed back to our apartments.
At 6:00 pm, everyone returned to the school where we gathered briefly before heading to the beach. It was completely full and we observed both the skill and lack there of in the paddle players and volleyball players. The game of paddle was new to us, and it seemed like a mix between tennis and badminton. We gathered on towels and learned a bit about one of our trip leaders from MundoLengua as well as learning about the norms and policies of the program. Afterwards, we walked down the still very sunny beach to get ice cream. The flavors were mounded high in the display case and everyone was pleased with their choices. We then finished the night as a group with yoga. Though the main take away there was the collective lack of flexibility, it was calming and fun as we watched the beach empty out and were guided by our instructor Bea. We returned to our apartments and Elena and I spent the night eating and getting to know our host mother. We had a very long conversation about our families, and showed each other pictures and told stories. Finally, we got ready for bed as we actively anticipated our trip to Bolonia tomorrow!
-Emily ’25
