For the past 3 weeks, I have been living in Valencia as a part of the FSU Valencia Study Abroad Program. My expectations for the program were high, but nothing could have prepared me for the experience I have had thus far.
I wish I could say my travels to Valencia were smooth sailing but unfortunately, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had other plans. All of my flights had delays due to the FAA system being down, and I had to change my route entirely. After missing and rescheduling flights, I finally made it to Valencia Airport. Unfortunately, my bags did not. Fortunately, the FSU Valencia staff were extremely kind and worked with the airport to get my bag back. While this situation was extremely inconvenient, the FSU Valencia study center staff reassured me that they would figure it out for me and not let it impact my first few days in Spain.
After this setback, my advice to International travelers who check bags would be to put an air tag or some kind of tracker on your checked bag so that in case it is lost, you can tell the airport exactly where it is. My second tip after losing my bag is to keep two days worth of clothes in your carry-on so that you have fresh clothes in case your bag is lost. If you need to buy anything while your bag is lost, keep the receipts and show them to the airport, as they will likely reimburse you for misplaced items.
My next travels were to the city of Madrid with friends from the program. For this trip to Madrid, we rented a car from the airport. Surprisingly, renting a car is not as easy as it may seem. Most of the car rental places require you to be 21 in Spain, whereas in the US it’s 24. Overall I would not recommend renting a car, rather I would stay in a hostel or an Airbnb. Driving in Spain was stressful as Google maps made many mistakes and the roads are confusing.
In Madrid, we went to the Palace of Madrid, which had the most amazing interior design I had ever seen. Pictures of these rooms are not allowed, but the memory of them alone is forever in my mind. We went to a tapas restaurant called Gato Gato, which had unique and exciting tapas for a reasonable price. From there we walked to the central market right next to the square. The square is another staple of Madrid, as it is a hub for shops and architecture. FSU wants its students to experience the culture of the country they study in, so they arrange school trips to different regions of Spain.
The first trip was to the Aldulacia region of Spain, with stops at Cordoba, Seville, and Granada. Cordoba is an important historic site in Spain and is a must to stop in. I recommend spending 4-5 hours in Cordoba, exploring the old Mosque and wandering the streets, as it is very picturesque. Next, we went to Seville, which is another important city in Spain, and by far one of my favorites. The architecture in Seville mixed old with new, and the food was phenomenal. Seville is home to a magnificent building that has been featured in many movies, such as Star Wars, and The Dictator. Next we went to Granada, which houses the famous ancient city of Alhambra, a UNESCO world heritage site. Wandering the grounds of Alhambra, I felt like I was in a scene from Game of Thrones.
After Granada, some friends and I took our own ski trip to the Sierra Nevada. I enjoyed skiing a lot but there are some things I wish I had known beforehand. For first-timers, buy a ski lesson; yes it is worth the money. My second tip is to go on a weekday, as the slopes got so busy on Saturday that we had to leave early due to crowd aggression.
So far, these trips to Valencia and around Spain have forced me to grow in ways I would never have if I had stayed in Tallahassee. The FSU Study abroad program encourages this method of learning by exploring new cultures, which is something I believe is unique to FSU. Although I have only been in Valencia for 3 weeks now, I have made many friends, had new adventures and made new memories.