May 24, 2019 - Tyniquia Taylor

Wow! Time has flown by incredibly fast. I can’t believe that on Sunday we all go back to the states. I woke up this morning, excited to finish my last day of classroom lectures. However, this excitement slowly began to dwindle once I stepped outside and saw that it was pouring buckets of rain. Despite the gloomy weather, I headed to the University with positive vibes. We first watched a video that talked about the five biggest threats faced by the European Union. Afterwards, our guest lecturer discussed more about major influences that have shaped the economic, political, and social climate in the European Union. For me, this was very interesting because I made many connections between both United States history and Spain’s history. After lecture, I engaged in one last debrief with my peers and teachers. After class, my roommate and I headed back to our homestay for lunch. I ate gazpacho soup with bread, a hamburger with sweet onions, potato chips, and an orange. Lunch was very delicious! After lunch, my roommate and I both engaged in siesta which means we both took a short nap. Later in the evening, I went to a small cafe called Savory where I ate one of my favorite smoothie bowls: Acai Special.

Savory Cafe.

This is an Acai Special which is composed of Acai smoothie blend, peanuts, chocolate, bananas, strawberries, chia seeds, and granola.

After leaving the cafe, I went to La Plaza de Ayuntamiento to go sightseeing and shopping. No matter how many times I walk around, I never get tired of the busy streets of Valencia; this study abroad trip has made me realize that I love the city because there is always something to do. I needed to go souvenir shopping, and I ended up finding a good place called Ale Hop that sold a lot of neat stuff such as electronics, clothes, jewelry, etc.

Ale Hop.

Once I left the shop, I continued to wander around and take in the scenery around me. Everywhere I walked, I observed how locals hurried around the busy streets. Some were talking very loudly while using expressive hand movements while others were engaging in street performances. I saw one where a person was dressed in an all gold cowboy costume; he did not move unless you dropped one euro into his bucket. Once it started to rain again, I headed back to my homestay. For supper, I ate rice soup, bread with hummus, salad, ham, and eggs. It was very delicious! Once dinner was over, I retreated to my room so that I can recharge for tomorrow.