By TERESA FRUCHTERMAN
Special to LongwoodLancers.com

Editor's Note: Teresa Fruchterman is a rising sophomore on the Longwood women's soccer team. She is a kinesiology major.

This summer I had the privilege to study abroad in Spain through Longwood University's General Education Program. While receiving six credits, I also gained a deeper understanding for how the European world functions. My specific study abroad program was centered in Valencia which is in southeastern Spain right on the beach. My host family's house for example was less than two miles from the beach.
 
Spain, and specifically Valencia, led me to discover the true meaning of being a soccer fan, the value of history, and the importance of enjoying life, family, and friends. I embarked on this adventure May 13th, two weeks after the last final exam of my freshman year. Once I arrived in the hot, 104-degree city of Valencia, my best friend and former teammate, Jacki Quast and I took our first steps into a completely foreign world. Right off the bus we were greeted by the best host family in all of Spain: Rosa, Jose, and their 23-year-old daughter, Rocio. This family embraced Jacki and I as one of their own, making Valencia feel like a second home. Once settled in, Jacki and I seized the day and walked to the beach, despite the scorching temperatures.
 
That Friday, Jacki and I had one goal in mind. Find tickets for the final regular season Valencian soccer match. Luckily, the stadium, which is a massive venue for soccer fanatics known as The Mestalla, was only a half a mile walk from our house. Once in front of the ticket box, we were able to purchase in advance the last of the lower level tickets for the final game that Sunday.
 
The next day, Saturday, we voyaged off to a city two hours north of Valencia known as Peniscula where Papa Luna, pope during the first schism, fled after being excommunicated. By building a castle on top of a mountain with water along all sides and one entrance by foot, Papa Luna created an isolated fortress which still stands in perfect conditions today.
 
After taking in a bit of history Saturday, the day arrived the soccer match. When I said The Mestalla was a massive venue for soccer fanatics, I wasn't lying; all the roads and city life shut down hours before the 7 p.m. start time. After finding our seats, we found ourselves next to a 15-year-old boy who had aspirations of being a professional soccer player for the Valencian team and was already playing professionally in the minors circuit. He also knew all the chants, helping Jacki and me feel as though we were true Valencianos cheering for our city. That game is one of the most memorable cultural activities I experienced in Spain, because I truly felt as though we were one with the city of Valencia.
 
For the rest of our trip, our group of 30 Longwood students and I traveled to see various cathedrals, chufa fields, history museums, and even the central market to grasp what it means to be a Valenciano. We also traveled to Cullera, a city an hour south of Spain, Granada and Cordoba, about eight hours inland, and Segovia, about six hours from Valencia, right above Madrid. Each city in Spain has incredible amounts of history dating past the Romans. With Visigoth, Muslim, and Spanish rule over Spain, each site had small doses of each time period, making for breathtaking views, unimaginable architecture, and rich historical significance, Spain is the perfect place for tourism of all ages and backgrounds.

These excursions would typically be held after school and last until Medienda (snacktime) or over a weekend. The Mediterranean diet calls for five separate eating times with freshly cut fruits, vegetables, and meats. The first of the eating periods is at 8 a.m. desayuno (breakfast), then at 11 a.m. almuerzo (lunch), then at 2 p.m. la comida (main lunch), then at 6 p.m. medienda (snack time), then finally 9 p.m. la cena (dinner).  My host family, I claim, were the best chefs in all of Valencia. They made meals such as the acclaimed tortilla de pata, horchata, paella, salchichas, vegetable soups, gazpacho, rice salad, thin crust pizza, sautéed vegetables, and of course bread, served with every meal. Each and every meal was different as my host family did not believe in eating leftovers, making for fresh and healthy meals every day.
 
Though we had school from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and several planned excursions, Jacki and I still found plenty of time to work out and hit the beach practically every day. Overall, this trip changed my outlook of life as I grew to have a fond appreciation for the history, culture, and daily life of Spain. I highly recommend studying abroad, because the experiences gained and places explored are truly priceless.
 


















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