I swear, last night, I felt like I was 10 years old again, restlessly laying in bed, anxious to begin the 5th grade. Except, this morning, I was eagerly waiting to begin the 15th grade;-) Yes, I enjoyed a very long summer, but today was the day. For anyone who may not know, this program is (balls to the walls) full Spanish immersion. My professors speak very little to no English, but I have a really interesting course load. My classes include a Hotel Management and Tourism course, Spanish for Business and Tourism writing and negotiating, Globalization, Human Migration, and Tourism using the Balearic Islands as a case study, a history course on Palma in the Mediterranean, and finally, a course that explores Spanish Politics and Society. I'm enthusiastic about the material and all that I will learn.
Today, I had three classes, well not really. The Hotel Management class, my only course in the number one nationally ranked Escola d' Hoteleria, did not begin today. It will start on Wednesday, but someone forgot to tell the International kids. I was a little disappointed, especially because this class is scheduled for 9 am. Furthermore, I was all dressed up in my mandatory uniform, black pants with a white blouse. Don't worry, I had a change of clothes and a snack. I was ready for my 11:30.
Next was the Globalization and Human Migration course. This, like my other four classes, is a CIEE course, which means that only CIEE students have enrolled. This fall, we are a quaint group of eight students, and as a result, my classes are small too. Four of us are taking the Globalization course. For this class especially, I am grateful for the small class size because I have a final project due for the term. It is so intense that we will need to meet individually with the professor biweekly as well as email him for help, not a T.A. He seems like a really nice and fair guy. I just need to organize the course material and focus on a topic as soon as possible.
My last class of the day at 3:30 was Palma in the Mediterranean. It is a class of only three students. This professor has a very active syllabus with field trips and a midterm. I am going to enjoy this course in particular because I have never learned about the history of the Mediterranean empire and its geography. We got rolling right away today, and I have already picked up a few interesting facts. Did you know that there was an invisible line separating the occidental and oriental halves of Europe and Northern Africa, mandated by the Romans? Also, call me geography challenged, but I never realized the the very southern tip of Spain is so close to the most northernness part of Africa, Morocco! It's like traveling from Miami to Cuba. Yes, the Straight of Gibraltar! I've heard of it, just couldn't tell you where it was located.
In conclusion, the first day was insightful and a success. One down!
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