For example, one of the school buildings is called Casa De Alumno, which means “House of Students.” However, I overheard a conversation between Valencian locals speaking in what sounded like Spanish but wasn’t. With a bit of help from Google, I learned they were speaking a dialect named Valencian. A dialect is a language variation that belongs to a specific region. Through this language-learning experience, I realized that I have so much to learn about Valencia’s rich culture.
After a few days, I realized that my lifestyle back in the U.S. was causing me some trouble in Spain. In the past, I went to sleep at 9 p.m. and woke up at 5 a.m. every day. However, I learned that my host family eats dinner around 10 p.m., which was very shocking. As a result, I adjusted my sleep schedule a bit to share dinner with them. Secondly, Valencia is known for its amazing nightlife. This means that many people use the night to spend quality time with their friends and family. By going to sleep early, I couldn’t spend time with friends in the city. I was struggling to find a balance between my lifestyle and Valencia’s culture. As a result, I wanted to find new ways to become closer to Valencia’s community.
When I brainstormed activities, I thought, “What if I made new Spanish friends through rock climbing?” Although I was nervous about the language barrier, I was determined to try rock climbing in Spain. To my surprise, the rock-climbing gym was packed with people! I felt happy to share my passion with the people of Valencia, and it didn’t take long before I made a few friends, too. Similarly, another activity that really helped me settle into Valencia was going to school. If you were to spot me in class, you’d see me with a huge smile on my face.
