3 minute read
Summer Fun & Learning in Spain
By Dr. B. Yingling Wert
Most of us immerse ourselves in lifelong learning, even when we don’t see it coming. In June I had one such experience! The Lancaster Mennonite School in conjunction with an International Exchange student agency, PursueLanguages, sponsored a twoweek “Spanish Immersion Trip”. I had the privilege of chaperoning three young ladies on that trip as we tagged along with several students and teachers from the Lancaster Mennonite School.
My goals for the trip were multi-faceted. First, I wanted to travel to the school and area where one of our International students from Madrid, Marcos Lau, lived. Second, I hoped to visit at least one other school to network with teachers and administrators to see if I could encourage other students from Spain to come to the U.S. and Delone Catholic High School in particular. Third, I wanted to learn a little more of a foreign language and Spanish seemed the most practical. And finally, I wanted to see some ancient history and historical sites up close and personal. I am pleased to tell you that ALL of these things happened! My quest for new experiences and new learning was an adventure I will never forget. I encourage all to try this type of experience.
Our group traveled together (seven individuals from Lancaster and the three young ladies (two were Delone Catholic students and one was my granddaughter) and spent two weeks in Spain. We stayed with families for the first week to be immersed in the Spanish language and culture and we each met people who we will be in touch with for the rest of our lives. We all visited three schools in Spain, one was in Sahagun, one was in Madrid, and one was in Leon. I also visited with administrators from four other schools in those cities with my counterpart from Lancaster Mennonite (Christy Horst) and our travel guide (Mr. Ephraim Wambu) from PursueLanguages.
...to learn is to experience life and history up close and personally.
I learned that people in other countries with other backgrounds are really similar to people from the U.S. that I know. They are friendly, intelligent, eager to teach and learn, and proud to show visitors their country and culture. We all learned a great deal about the history of the country through visits to historical sites, and museums, and being invited to festivals and lunches in wonderful settings with local cuisine. We learned a great deal about ancient sites – more about the Roman culture in Spain in up close ways… I touched a Roman wall ruin and walked on castle grounds where individuals walked hundreds of years ago. This trip reinforced something I have always known – to learn is to experience life and history up close and personally. I know that I learned a great deal in a short two weeks and I believe that my co-travelers, Averie, Samantha, and Jackie did as well.
Have fun, keep traveling, and learn something new every day!
