This Notre Dame collegiette escaped the South Bend winter by spending her semester in Toledo, Spain and says that so far she absolutely loves it! Read on to see how Sienna has adjusted to living with a Spanish family and what she does with her free time in Europe (when she isn’t making all her friends jealous with her scenic snap chats that is).
Name: Sienna Durbin
Year: 2015
Hometown: Newton, MA
Dorm: Farley Hall
Major/Minor: Biology and Latino Studies
Favorite class taken at ND: Genetics with Dr. Hyde (to all freshman Biology majors, it’s not quite as scary as it sounds!)
Favorite dining hall meal: Sweet potato black bean burritos, or maybe an especially good chicken teriyaki stir-fry.
Favorite Spanish meal: My host mom’s paella. I’m not leaving Spain without the recipe!
Where have you traveled outside of Toledo and what was your favorite spot so far?
Internationally, I have been to Lisbon, Paris, and Budapest. Within Spain, I’ve traveled to Madrid, Salamanca, and San Sebastián. It would be impossible for me to pick one place as my favorite; they were all incredible for different reasons. I think I was the most pleasantly surprised by Lisbon. I went on a whim with no expectations and it was beautiful and, maybe most importantly, very cheap!
Did anything unexpected happen during your travels?
The most unexpected moment thus far actually happened at home in Toledo, during Carnaval, when everyone dresses up in costumes to celebrate. Two other girls and I were very excited to break out our oversized animal costumes. We had seen people dressed up the night before and figured that a shark, a chicken, and a lion wouldn’t look out of place at the bar on Friday night. However, when we arrived, we quickly realized that we were probably the only ones in all of Toledo who dressed up. Turns out the biggest night for dressing up is actually Saturday. No regrets though; that night is one of my favorite memories thus far!
Is there something you cannot travel without?
My iPhone is key. Gotta keep up with that one Insta a day pace that the Toledo group is setting!
What has been the biggest challenge being abroad?
Since a lot of my life revolves around food, I would have to say the Spanish eating schedule. At my house, we don’t eat dinner until about 10 pm, and it’s usually just something small, like a salad. I was starving around 8 pm for at least the first two weeks.
What has been the best part of being abroad?
As cliché as it may sound, I have loved getting outside of my comfort zone, meeting new people, and exploring places that I never imagined I would go. I didn’t know anyone in my group that well before going abroad, and it has been great getting to know such fun, interesting people while experiencing everything that Europe has to offer together.
Any words of advice for those considering going abroad in Spain or anywhere else?
Do it! Honestly, this semester doesn’t feel like real life, much less real school. Each weekend trip is like a vacation with a group of your closest friends. What’s not to love? If you are worried about the homestay experience or taking classes in Spanish, you will be fine. My Spanish was very rusty at the start of the semester and I adjusted very quickly. Also, missing out on the South Bend winter isn’t the worst thing in the world.