As the infamous bell rang to end school for the much-anticipated spring break, many students scuttled home, kicked off their shoes and relaxed. But, for a few of AHS’s students it was the beginning of a journey that would take them across an ocean.

Around thirty Edgar Allen Poe alumni from AHS visited Spain for their spring break as a part of a Spanish language initiative to immerse themselves for six days in a Spanish-speaking environment.

“I was really excited. This was my first time out of the country without my parents,” junior Jessica Campanilla said. “However, once we got to Spain, I got really frustrated when it came to trying to understand and translate what people were trying to tell me. It definitely took me a while to get used to hearing another language around me besides English, I knew that when I would try talking in Spanish, the locals were able to tell that I was an American student.”

It was a rush from the start as the students settled in and unpacked, but as time flew many got accustomed to the fast pace and started enjoying the sightseeing and various activities Spain had to offer.
This included sights such as the Spanish Royal Palace Parque Guell, one of Spain’s most prominent gardens, and the famous La Sagrada Família Cathedral and some of Spain’s sandy beaches.
But it wasn’t just the landmarks that the group saw on this trip. The students were also able to immerse themselves in the day-to-day lives of those in Spain.

“Everybody [in Spain] woke up really early and had bread for breakfast and around one in the afternoon they got three hours off school or work for their lunch and siesta.
Then they went back to work or school and then came home and ate a humongous dinner, mostly of bread at like nine at night,” freshman Megan Ryan said.

The group had the luck of visiting Madrid that same night they won and came home after the Spanish Cup.

Thousands filled the streets and celebrated until the late night as Real Madrid players paraded through the crowd and when asked what their favorite memory was,“Watching wild Madrid fans invade the streets after the King’s cup!”  freshman Fransisco Lam said.

Exploring Spanish restaurants and cuisine also played a large role in this trip across the globe. Eating breakfast, lunch and dinner overseas introduced the students to many new foods and dining experiences.

“The paella and the thick bacon was muy delicioso!” Lam said.

Paella is a traditional Spanish cuisine consisting of meat, seafood, mixed vegetables and sometimes beans.

“We were packed in a small room seated at a small table of four. That was apparently [Spain’s] traditional way of eating,” Nguyen said.

“They didn’t expect us to give them tips for providing good service.”“It was amazing and exhilarating. Everyone was so happy and carefree,” freshman Erica Johnson said.

Campanilla compared Spain to some parts of Washington D.C.“In Spain, it’s normal for the locals to bike, walk, or take the metro to the market, rather than to use their cars.” Campanilla said.

“My experience in Spain led me to open my eyes, that there are endless possibilities when it comes to traveling abroad and sometimes the most unexpected things turn out to be one of the greatest experiences of your life,” Nguyen said with a smile.