It's the Small Things / Son las Cosas Pequeñas

 Over the past five months, I have been in Spain while being immersed in the Spanish language the entire time. I took university classes in Spanish last semester and now I have an internship where I speak solely in Spanish. I also speak the language at home given that I am living with a host family. I have certainly made progress in Spanish, but that is not to say that the language learning process doesn't come with its peaks and valleys. I feel it is important that I share not only the high points but the low points as well, because I think there is much to be learned by reflection on the low points. Lately, I have been reflecting on the relationship I have with my foreign accent. Having a foreign accent is new for me given that I am a native English speaker and I haven't spent extended periods of time in other countries besides the United States. As I write this post, I am in a valley and have various thoughts going through my mind; I wonder why it has taken me so long t...

Spending my days at ACPACYS has taught me a great deal about the needs of people with disabilities and how important it is that those needs are fulfilled. These are needs I was not as aware of prior to beginning my internship given that I am able-bodied and my friends and family all happen to be able-bodied as well. Although people with and without disabilities might have different needs to some extent, they have similar needs when it comes to feeling like their voices, strengths, and talents matter. During my internship, I have become more aware of what everyday life is like for people with cerebral palsy and other affectations, but also more aware of how inaccessible much of the world is to people with disabilities. In society, it is not uncommon for the voices, strengths, and talents of people with disabilities to be overlooked. Fortunately, ACPACYS focuses on helping its members reach their full potential. However, outside of ACPACYS and similar organizations, the world is not ofte...

 When I was at Bolonia Beach in Cádiz, with the Italian-speaking friends I made during the trip, I spent a significant amount of time taking in the amazing views from where we were sitting: the clear turquoise ocean, the soft white sand, the green dunes and other plants, and the mountains in the distance. In particular, I couldn't help but notice the large hill behind where we were sitting. It was quite steep and I was curious about what was at the top. Given that the views of the ocean and landscape were already amazing from where we were, I predicted that an even more amazing view was on the other side of the hill. I imagined beautiful cliffs with the ocean below. I knew I wouldn't be able to leave the beach without knowing what was on the other side of the hill. Who knew when I would be back at Bolonia Beach again. It was either now or possibly never. I asked my friends if they wanted to hike up the hill with me. Although most of them were too tired and too hot, I had one t...

Although getting to live in Spain for six months has been one of the most enjoyable and transformative experiences of my life, being so far away from my family in the United States is not always easy. I miss home the most when my family is going through a hard time and I am unable to be there. Since arriving in Spain at the end of January, there have been two deaths in my family. My grandma passed away from Alzheimer's in April, and my dog passed away in June due to a sudden illness that caused organ failure and significant damage to her spinal cord. Although my grandma's death brought me a lot of sadness, she had been declining for a long time and thus hadn't been herself for years. Even before her death, she was already dead in a way. Prior to leaving for Spain, I made sure to see her because I knew there was a strong chance she wouldn't be alive before I came back, and unfortunately I was right. Finding out my dog passed away was especially heartbreaking because she...

Recently, I went on a trip to the province of Cadiz (a province in Spain known for its beautiful beaches) with Erasmus (an exchange program for European students). Even though I do not hold an EU citizenship, I have been lucky enough to go on several Erasmus trips during the past semester because of how inexpensive they are given everything that is included. I couldn't wait to escape the heat of Córdoba and get to the beach, but I was also a little nervous because I did not know anyone else who was also going on the trip given that my friends from PRESHCO (my study abroad program) had left at the end of the semester. I was the only person from the United States on the trip as well as the only person who spoke English as their first language. This was a new feeling for me, as for most of my life I have been surrounded by native English speakers and other people from the United States. During my time in Spain, this has shifted and I have experienced what it feels like to be the “only...

Getting in a vehicle is a simple act for me and I barely think anything of it. However this summer I have witnessed firsthand that for people with disabilities, this requires a lot of planning and unfortunately sometimes humiliation as well. This post aims to highlight the different experiences of people with and without disabilities when traveling by taxi or bus. Taxi At ACPACYS, there is an autonomy group designed for adolescents and young adults who need extra support with everyday life skills. Every week, they have an outing in order to practice their social skills and navigating different types of environments as independently as possible with a disability. I have connected especially well with one member of the group and have gotten to know him well because we are often at ACPACYS at the same time. He is currently in a vocational training program that will allow him to work at ACPACYS full time as a social educator. His patience and heart for others is inspiring. He is c...

  Hello! I am already a couple of weeks into my summer internship and I am finally posting for the first time. My time in Spain so far has been wonderful; my coworkers at my internship are friendly and helpful, I enjoy spending time with my host family, I have friends to hang out with, and I have been escaping the intense summer heat by swimming in the pool at the gym and going on excursions to the beach. However, I have taken awhile to publish here due to the writer’s block I have been struggling with. I started this blog to write about my experiences interning at ACPACYS, a nonprofit organization that helps people affected by cerebral palsy, as well as my experiences in Spain outside of my internship. However, when I sit down to write, I often worry about my posts coming across as cliche or saying the wrong thing. When I get in this mindset, I become discouraged and writing begins to feel so overwhelming that I have to step away from my keyboard. Sometimes I have ideas for blog p...