Today marks the first full week of my trip to Spain, and let’s just say I’m unsure if I will return to the United States when my trip is over. For the next 4 weeks (I just completed my first), I have the wonderful opportunity to shadow doctors in Hospital General in Almansa, Spain. I have been anticipating this trip since November, dreaming of the filled hospital rooms and the beautiful sights that Spain has to offer. Sitting here now reflecting on my first week, I cannot believe that my daydreams have finally become a reality.
My first week in Spain has been a whirlwind. When I arrived in Almansa last Sunday, I had little idea of what I was about to experience. As my train from Madrid sped closer and closer to Almansa, I was getting a little nervous. The buildings were becoming less frequent and the farms and scattered houses were surrounding me. I am not used to this type of rural area, growing up in a populated area outside of Philadelphia. But my nerves were calmed once I entered the lovely town of Almansa, with a population of just 20,000.
For the past week, I have been staying in a quaint hotel about 5 minutes from the hospital that I shadow in. I have become immersed in the language of Spanish, which made me realize that sitting in a Spanish 200 classroom at Penn State is much different than trying to communicate with a native speaker who speaks at the speed of lighting. Nevertheless, I am learning and can already feel myself improving mi Español.
My first week in the hospital was such an unbelievable experience. I have shadowed kind and brilliant doctors in the fields of internal medicine, emergency medicine, and gynecology so far. Despite the slight language barrier, I am learning so much. I am so grateful for these doctors. Instead of looking at me as an American student who is wasting their time, these doctors try their hardest to ensure that I understand their consultations and procedures (with the help of ridiculous hand motions and google translate). I feel so at home even though I am one ocean and thousands of miles away from my small town of Collingswood, New Jersey.
As if the Hospital isn’t enough, I am able to travel easily to different parts of Spain. Thanks to the European high-speed train station, I was able to spend the weekend in Valencia, an exciting city on the southeast coast of Spain. While Almansa is nice, I fell in love with the beautiful architecture and young energy of Valencia. I probably walked 1,000 miles this weekend, but it was well worth it. If you ever want to see the best aquarium in the world, I 10/10 recommend the Oceanográfico in Valencia. The coolest part of the trip was the people that I met, though. I became close to my 8 peers who are in my hospital program, while I met other students from all around the world. Everyone is young and eager to learn about the world, and I think I am in the right place along side of them.
As you can probably tell by now, I am thoroughly enjoying my time in Spain so far. I am learning a new language, pursuing a possible career path, and making new friends from all over the globe. I cannot wait to see what the next four weeks bring, and I am sure I will be just as enthusiastic in my posts to follow!
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