On Friday, the 24th, all five of us headed out of Arrasate for our last trip to Bilbao, Spain, which is about an hour away. While we have traveled through Bilbao, we did not have the chance to experience the amazing aspects this town had to offer. We began our trip closer to 11am because packing and walking with all our stuff was harder than expected. Once off the bus, we realized how long our trek we had to get to our Hostel, which was a super cute flat close to the Guggenheim museum. According to our maps, it was an 11 minute walk to the train, on the train for about 4 minutes, and then another 5 minute walk. But as we got to the train station, there were no escalators to help us bring our bags down, so we just walked the whole way. By the time we were in our flat, all of us were out of breathe, sweating, and needing some water.
With the whole day in front of us, we were ready to get some good food, as always. We all just headed for the main part of the town and were in awe of the beauty and the churches. Since we have eaten in Bilbao before, a few of us went back to the first place that had a great 3 course meal. The rest of us went to an awesome new place that also had a great 3 course meal. I ended up having mac and cheese first, with a chicken meal second, and I ended with an amazing brownie. As we ate, we talked about how crazy it is that we were leaving the beautiful Basque country in about 20 hours. After our meal, we all wanted to walk around to find souvenirs for our families. We began to walk closer to the Guggenheim museum because we had tickets for 3 pm. Like in Mondragon, we needed to remember what time of day it was because shops were beginning to close for their naps or late snacks.
We ended up being able to go into the Guggenheim early. The shape of the building was something to be taken into account for the beauty of the whole place. Everyone was given a recorder to listen to as we walked around. I was very into all the paintings and took my time. I was in awe of all the different types of artists. We spent about 3 hours there and I was glad that we were able to take our time. After the museum, we needed to grab jackets and repack our bags to make sure that all of our gifts fit our bags. It took us a few hours to find a place we wanted to go; however, we did not have reservations. We were able to find a place for all of us to eat and we had a great last time together in Spain.
The next morning, we all were up early ready for the full day of travel. I was full of mixed emotions. I was ready to go home to see everyone and have my schedule, but I was truly going to miss the people in Arrasate, my school, and most of all the people I have met. I had a really hard time staying awake for all the airplane rides. I was only able to sleep on the last flight and was overwhelmed with the whole trip. I was overjoyed to be home and being able to be closer to my family. I was just anxious for the days to come.
Now that I have been home for two days and have been able to share my experiences with friends and my school, I am starting to see how this trip has changed me as a person, friend, and educator. I am more confident in my view of the world and feel that I fully immersed myself into the culture. While I was shocked, I never felt as though I shouldn't understand their ways or disagree with what they do. I feel lucky to have been welcomed into their culture and into their schools to see their educational system. I have learned what patience is and what I want to implement into my classroom more than before. I hope that these memories will last forever and hope to continue to feel the impact for years to come. So thank you, Mondragon. I will miss the mountains and the views. I will miss the school and the amazing students. I will miss being able to explore in a new place. Beyond thankful and hope to visit again.
Agur Spain,
Jillian
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