Time is ticking out and summer is over but I cannot feel bad, thanks to good memories, I enjoyed the summer while it lasted. Well, actually I’m still tangled up in Alicante.
I don’t know where to start. I can say my travel ritual is to get lost so I didn’t want to break with tradition. I called the organisers from the bus station and in ten minutes my summer university started with two smiling faces and warm hugs.
It was quite hot and we were almost climbing but at the top with the sweet wind and incredible view I kept dreaming about how many heads and how many different cultures passed on that stairs.
The Castillo de Santa Barbara is a castle where you can feel really close to the sky if you still haven’t been in Calpe (city close to Alicante) or on the top of one of the highest aqua sliders. Now I’m sure we all believe that we can fly! Maybe the relaxation work shop helped and gave us the energy for the parties. And we jumped into coldest water with hungover participants. On the whole, everything is arranged to help people get ready for another activity.
There were many participants who could talk Spanish but I have to admit that I attended the Summer University with a Spanish level near zero. But on the way back home I did not only gain more knowledge about the language, I also felt more Spanish. Maybe that is the best part about non-formal education for example learning a language by doing karaoke and trying to say those tong twisters and use local expressions in daily life… All of these things just make this process the most fun.
We had the chance to learn how to make tapas as the sine qua non of a Spanish culture. After learning some recipes we had the chance to practice with a competition. All groups did a great job- at least we all tried! – but the best part was being a group. There was a photo contest in Elche too, it was a combination of a historical and a cultural adventure, following the instructions and trying to take the most original photo, which results in the funniest ideas.
European Nights (EN) are the best ways to get to know traditional drinks and foods but we also nourished our souls with the songs, the stories and dances. Traditional songs and their stories were so inspirational for me because you don’t need any translation to feel the melody. In my opinion music is the best language that doesn’t have any borders and during the EN I realized it one more time.
There were many parts of this Summer University that amazed me: Partying in Benidorm, exploring in Elche, singing Macarena on the stage of ancient theater in Cartagena, understanding siesta logic in Murcia and meeting with all these great people and create fantastic friendships. This Summer University was such a great experience and I have already started to plan my next summer.
I applaud AEGEE-Alicante not just for this experience also for being themselves and all the participants who made this summer unforgettable.
Written by Selin Hacıoğlu, AEGEE-Izmir