Abby McHenry
Junior Angela Gemma traveled to the southern region of Spain along with other Florida Southern students for her Junior Journey over Spring Break.
Gemma traveled to many different cities, including Madrid, Grenada, Cordoba and Malaga.
She said loved Malaga the most because it was like a nicer version of St. Petersburg, Florida with its beaches.
She said the beaches in Spain were different from Florida’s beaches because the water was more green and blue and described it as being pretty.
“We sat on the beach on a restaurant and had sangria and paella and that was amazing,” Gemma said.
She said the seafood paella was one of her favorite meals, and it included rice and all kinds of different seafood.Gemma said she learned how different the Spanish culture was from the United States.
Something that stood out to her was the different way of portioning meals throughout the day. The Spaniards typically have a light breakfast, a big lunch at 2 p.m., and a big dinner at 8 p.m.
Gemma said most Spaniards also typically take a nap around 4 p.m., which is very different from the U.S. She enjoyed getting to practice the Spanish language while she was there. She had taken Spanish all throughout middle and high school, and two semesters in college.
Gemma said it was very important for her to be patient and present on this trip.
“The hardest part [of the trip] was being patient with 30 other people,” Gemma said. “When we would do something someone would be like ‘oh I have to go to the bathroom’ or ‘I have to get coffee’.”
Gemma said the nightlife in Spain was different from the U.S. because people go out at 1 or 2 a.m. and then stay out until 5 a.m. In the United States people typically go out at 11 p.m. or 12 a.m. and be back home at 2 a.m.
Gemma said this is her second trip traveling with non-family members out of the country and that she enjoyed traveling with a large group of students.
“I was able to make memories with new people and have free time to explore the city by myself,” Gemma said. “I usually can’t do [that] with my family.”
Gemma said it is her dream to travel to Haiti to do mission work and hopes to make that her next travel destination.
