Hello! My name is Emilie Palmer, and I had the pleasure of studying abroad for three months in Burgos, Spain. My semester in Burgos was my last at WMU and it was the perfect way to end my undergrad career. I graduated with a major in General Psychology and a minor in Spanish. While in Burgos I learned so much, went on many adventures, and met some wonderful people, all while living in what felt like an entirely new world.
I decided to study abroad because I knew the experience would be like nothing I had ever done before. I had traveled out of the country once to Costa Rica while in high school. It was an amazing experience but it only lasted 10 days. This was a chance to actually live in another country for a short period of time. I knew it would have a major impact on me and my views of the world in general.
Me and my study abroad friends in front of the Burgos cathedral.
Burgos is a wonderful city full of illustrious history. The most well-known location in the city is the 800-year-old Burgos cathedral. Our group was lucky enough to live in a residence right around the corner from it. We were able to walk past it each day and be in awe of its beauty each time; it never got old.
Burgos is also home to a medieval castle that is situated above the city. Our visit to the castle was one of my favorites, as it gave us a wonderous new perspective on Burgos and all it had to offer.
The Burgos program offered many incredibly interesting and informative courses, but one of my favorites was our course on Atapuerca, a pre-history archaeological site located just outside the city. It was designated a World Heritage Site in 2000 and excavations are still ongoing today. At this location, hominid remains have been found dating back 800,000 years, the oldest of its kind in all of Western Europe. Some of the other courses we took included a cooking and dancing workshop, political history, more classes on local history, and even courses centered around palaces, cathedrals, and a lot of really amazing Spanish artists.
My and my classmates visiting the Atapuerca archaeological site.
While abroad, I definitely took advantage of having the opportunity to explore my new surroundings. I went on several trips, all equally fantastic, to places like Madrid, Barcelona, Segovia, and even Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Each place was different in its own way, despite being part of the same country. One thing, however, that you could find almost anywhere in Spain was the infamous Spanish dish called Paella. It turned out to be one of my favorite dishes I tasted while abroad. It consists of different types of seafood mixed with rice, almost like a seafood stir fry!
Paella: one of my favorite dishes.
One of my most rewarding experiences while abroad was a volunteer opportunity. My first Spanish instructor at WMU, and now my dear friend, lives in Burgos. She invited me to volunteer at her job working with young kids. She is what you would call a social worker here in the US, although it is not quite the same. Two or three times a week I would take the city bus to her neighborhood and help her with the kids, usually with homework and studying. There was a definite language barrier, as I am not completely fluent in Spanish, but I made relationships with many of them all the same. It will be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, I am sure of it.
My new friend and volunteer buddy Lara.
I think everyone should take advantage of the opportunity to study abroad. It doesn’t matter how cultured you think you might be, studying abroad in a foreign country will change how you view the people of the world. It is so rewarding and so fulfilling, there really isn’t anything like it. It can be scary, and you will face many challenges but in the end, all of it is worth it.
Categories: Burgos, Spanish, Activities & Excursions, Volunteer