By Brandon Burbank, WCCCSA Customized Program
This weekend I got to explore a city called Girona. This is about 1.5 hours north from Barcelona. This city was a true city that is loyal to its region of Catalonia. Turns out, a lot of movies are filmed within this area because of how close it is to the beach and mountains. By day, there will be castelleres that reach heights of 8-10 stories. Seeing this city has shown me a part of Spain without the giris (tourists). Oh and the fact that everyone spoke Catalan before they spoke Spanish was very interesting.
This is week 3 for me as I am starting to adjust to the people and culture that Spain has to offer. The people here are way less judgmental than Americans. I have had so many encounters with the locals. Most of them say how Americans don´t make time to stop and have a break. I confidently believe this is true. Before I came here, my life was as busy as most of you are over in the States. It’s important to take time out to connect with others.
After getting lost in Tarragona last weekend, I stumbled upon Charlie and Sara. After showing me the museum, we then went to for Tapas at a “hidden” restaurant where they explained how not all Catalan people are closed off. I learned that the way I interact with people is in a way in which I am always hopeful to get a positive response. I came into this trip expecting this. For everyone back at home, this is the same. You might go throughout your lives trying to be nice to people as well. At the end of the day, not everyone will be happy with us. In your next conversation with a stranger, remember that if you can tell there is no connection, don’t be afraid to accept that and just move on.