Spain: Sustainable Communities & Mediterranean Culture, Session 1B
June 29, 2025
We began our journey at JFK when we all checked in together and a few of us got turned around going to the wrong gate, but we all made it! As we were traveling together we started to slowly build strong connections meeting new faces. We boarded our flight and weighted a lengthy 60 minutes for our plane to finally take off and we were eventually airborne. As we touched down and met the other members of our group, was when we realized that we were the fortunate group as we got blessed with our trip leaders. The pack finally together as one arrived to the hotel while we made our playlist for tomorrow. Always planning ahead. We took our first actual steps in Madrid touring the center of town and more. We walked down to one of the most stupendous chocolaterías and got some churros. They were out of this world to say the least. Still discovering the cuisine, we made out way to our next stop; Lunch. Some had pizzas, some had pastas, and some had meats. Everything was fabulous. After a tiring and long day we had to rest. So, we all took two hours break some used to nap and some used to socialize. Next, we went to El zRetiro aka the Central Park of Madrid. We did some ice breakers and played some whole group games to bond more. After we got asked to leave by the police due to the heat advisory, but we were okay staying cool in the shade. After we left, we made our way to Ginger for dinner. The fantastic and classy restaurant offered us infinite lovely options. As we, the leaders, wrapped up the day by announcing the plan for the next day. This day showed us that it’s not the destination but the journey and the friends you make on the way.
By: Mateo, Cem, Mason
June 30, 2025
Today started with a 5 hour bus ride from Madrid to Dílar. We stopped a few times on the way and passed the time by playing cards and socializing. As we arrived to our hotel we had our first pool day in the rain. We played volleyball, Marco-polo, tag, and many more. After the pool we went over to the park and continued our ice breakers from yesterday. We met up with some local kids and adults and were told some information about local traditions and daily life. During the walk back we were able to observe the sun setting over the Spanish countryside. Afterwards, we got a scrumptious dinner at the hotel restaurant where we ate some juicy burgers before heading to bed.
By: Mason, Cem, & Mateo
July 1, 2025
Today was day three of our adventure. We started our day off with breakfast and the hotel. We then walked down to la finca furriola, which is run by Mateo and his wife Irene. Three other local teenage children, María, Elsa and Alba, joined us as we learned about Permaculture. La finca offered a lot of opportunities for us to experience permaculture. We picked oregano and helped create a dam. We learned that the water in the river was freezing because it came from melted snow on the Sierra Nevada. After a long morning on the finca we made our own sandwiches to bring on a nature walk in the Sierra Nevada National Park. The walk had incredible views, eventually we stopped near the river and had our lunch. We played games and even swam in the freezing water. Once we headed back to the hotel we had a 2 hour siesta. In which some kids swam in the hotel pool, played soccer, relaxed, and reset for the second half of our day. After siesta we all regrouped and headed downstairs to meet Pilar for a Spanish class. She taught us how to conjugate in present tense and infinitives. We had the opportunity to practice speaking out loud and have conversations in a bigger setting. Once our class was over, we trekked back to la finca for dinner. Upon arrival we were greeted with an array of delicious pizza making ingredients. We all made our own pizza from scratch with help from Mateo. All the toppings were super fresh. They even had homemade desserts including, cheesecake, brownies, etc. After saying our goodbyes we walked back to the hotel accompanied by a beautiful sunset. We ended the night with a big game of poker (no actual money was wagered)!
By Avery, Ruby, and Niki
July 2, 2025
We were awaken by a knock on the door. It was time to begin what would soon be remembered as one of the best days of the trip. Once on the bus and our stomachs had been filled, we embarked to the Alhambra. We were lead by the wise and knowledgeable “Hamdy”. Hamdy passed on his knowledge of the 14th & 15th century history of Spain on to us, showing us how Christians, Muslims and Jewish people all co-existed in España. As we left the Alhambra and entered another phase of ethnic diffusion the proud and noble country of Morocco had much to offer and teach us. The food was enjoyed by all and the culture was immersive. Once lunch was over we took on the streets of Grenada where we engaged with the local street folk and attempted to “regatear” with them into selling us jewelry, jersey’s, and other various local goods. Post we journeyed through a village of the Romani people which lead to a pleasant surprise. After our short walk through the cave in the village TJ had got us into a Flamenco dance, it was insightful and a bit unorthodox but it was the best kind of unorthodox, because we learned about their culture and we saw the emotion that ran through their faces and the passion they had as they stomped on the floor. Once the dance was over and the strings of the guitar on stage came to a stop, we went outside and shared our “Rose, buds, and thorns” the words we all used were nearly identical to “breathtaking” and “starstruck” as we described their performance. Post dance and pre-meal were we on a quest for joy and tapas. Both found us after visiting Mirador San Nicholas viewpoint where we enjoyed a pleasant evening of food and fun which served as an ideal period to wrap up the night before heading home.
By Jared, Obee, Shai
July 3, 2025
Some of us started off the day with a quick run at sunrise. The view of the sun peeking through the mountains was beautiful. After breakfast, we headed to La Finca for a class with Matteo where we learned how to express ourselves via expression, dancing, and body language. We were gifted red clown noses in colorful handmade boxes. Afterwards, we had a restful hour on the riverbank, cooling off and skipping stones. The gracious hosts of La Finca prepared us a delicious make-your-own pasta salad buffet. After a busy day yesterday, we were given a proper siesta for pool time and rest. Later in the afternoon we headed to the Dílar community center to learn how to crochet from local masters. We crocheted with purple string to represent female empowerment and the fight against domestic violence. We were gifted crochet butterflies before walking through the picturesque streets of Dilar and seeing the crocheted awnings woven by the local women. Finally, we headed back to a park near the hotel to eat dinner that our hosts prepared for us and picnic under the stars. We finished off the night with games with the locals and each other – it was a great day!
By Caitlin, Brooke & Jordana
July 4, 2025
Everyone was woken up by our beautiful singing as daily group leaders. We all got ready and headed up to a delicious array of breakfast foods. After breakfast we headed over to Dílar sport complex to learn Flamenco dance. We warmed up with some confident strutting and elegant hand movements. We then were taught some basic Flamenco steps that are nothing less than beautiful. After our passionate activity, we took a much needed snack break and enjoyed some juicy honeydew and Spanish delicacies. After that we met with a local, Mateo, and brainstormed our talent shows acts! Then we headed back over to the Hotel Zerbinetta for a tasty lunch full of surprises! We then were gifted 2 hours of siesta (nap), where some of us went by the pool and enjoyed the sun rays, and took much needed siestas. Then some of us had the option to go back to the sports complex and play some fun activities such as basketball and soccer. After many INTENSE games, the group headed back to the hotel and freshen up before our 2 hour enlightening Spanish class from 6-8! After that we strolled down to La Finca and enjoyed a scrumptious barbecue dinner and ice cream provided by the locals. Then it was finally our time to shine! 7 acts were preformed by our group members and each act was carefully curated and orchestrated to each individuals talents. This all was possible due to our amazing production team!! There were acts of solo singing, as well as group singing, and even some dance numbers! Overall these performances were a sight for soar eyes and made our last night at La Finca so much more enjoyable! Thank you to all of the students that participated! We then walked back to the beautiful Zerbinetta hotel and went to bed directly after packing up our things because it was already past midnight when we got back, and it is now time to start a new thrilling adventure in Malaga!
By Natalie, Sophia, Eden
July 5, 2025
Today, we were productive and efficient in waking up on time. We ate good breakfast before heading to the bus to go visit one of the most beautiful and unique caves in Europe: Las Cuevas de Nejar. We learned about the historical significance of this wonderful place and enjoyed a Realidad Virtual Museum. We then went for a walk and enjoyed the view of the beautiful city and had lunch on the beach (paella, burgers, veggies and more!). We spent time together on the beach, renting boats, and eating ice cream. We concluded our afternoon by going to a viewpoint in Nerja (mirador de Europa) and going shopping. We then took the bus the rest of the west to Málaga and arrived at the Hotel Don Curro. To end the night we got dressed up (see photos) for our dinner in the Italian restaurant: Gusto. Lastly, we closed our day with a good group reflection and an honest chat about group developments and we can all grow as people and group members to make the whole feel more comfortable for the remaining of the trip.
By Aylinne, Madison, Max
July 6, 2025
Today we had a calm start with a beautiful breakfast in the hotel. We then gathered to walk over to CEAR, an immigration center, to learn how immigration works in Spain and hear a captivating story from an individual currently going through the asylum process. Ibrahim explained the harsh reality of his journey from the Gambia over to Spain on a crowded boat for 6 days with inadequate food supplies and no hygienic areas. He has now been in Spain for around a year and is not even close to the end of these processes. The CEAR employee, Diego, explained the complex path that immigration is and allowed us to provide our own insight on ways to help improve the quality of life of immigrants going through these processes. Through the information from Diego and the eye-opening story from Ibrahim we were let into a new world and are now able to better understand and empathize for those facing the difficult path of immigration. Following this experience we were able to go shopping for almost an hour before heading out to lunch at a restaurant. Many people got a form of taco or burrito with birria meat which was delicious😋! After lunch we had a 3 hour siesta: people did laundry, went shopping, or chilled in the hotel😎. At 6:30 we took the bus to our paella cooking class wear we had three groups and we all competed to make the best paella. Alongside the main dish we made a bread and cheese dip and non-alcoholic sangria. Overall the food was super yummy and it was such a fun experience🤩! To end off the day, we then walked about 5 minutes to a gorgeous beach to take pictures and watch the sunset. The views were insane🤯. We took the bus back to the hotel and packed to get ready for the next day. Overall, today was the perfect mix of education, tourist attractions and relaxing, showing the true meaning of travel🤗.
By Katelyn, Lala, Ellie
July 7, 2025
We had an early start to the day with a 7am hotel departure. We left behind Andalucía and from the station in Málaga, we took a 6 hour train to Barcelona. Although it was a long ride, it was better than expected. We played cards, chatted, and tried our best to nap. Once in Barcelona, a few people in the group went to Park Güell to appreciate Gaudí’s work, while the others stayed back and got some much needed sleep. Next we went to the Gothic area of Barcelona and ate some asian food at Loto’s. The best thing at the restaurant was pad thai. After, we made our way back to the hotel and played some pool and poker (no actual gambling was done!) before bed.
By Mason, Cem, and Mateo
July 8, 2025
We started today by enjoying breakfast at our new hostel in Barcelona. Afterwards we walked 20 min to a bike shop where we met our 3 bike tour guides. We split up into 3 groups and took off to explore Barcelona. During the tour we visited the beach, the town hall, the music hall and more. Our tour guides taught us more about the history and culture of Barcelona and Cataluña. After the bike tour we spent 2 hours enjoying lunch at the Boqueria Market, a popular food market. Some of us went out close by to shop. Then we took a lovely siesta back at the hostel. We slept, played pool, and put on some fake tattoos (don’t worry they wash off with soap!). After siesta, we took the metro to the Sagrada Familia, one of the most amazing churches in the world. It’s the oldest building that is still under construction and was designed by Gaudí. Then we did some more shopping in downtown Barcelona. While we were walking the craziest thing happened…we saw JUSTIN BIEBER (we think)!! We were given plenty of time to go around before heading to dinner at Bilbao Berria a Tapas restaurant where we ate pintxos (traditional food from the Basque Country). We finished the night off with a group circle, some pool and an early bedtime.
By Ruby, Avery and Niki
July 9, 2025
On a cool overcast non-descriptive day in Barcelona, we awoke with the sun at 7:30 and after a packed breakfast on the bus ride, we arrived at Mar Bella beach to meet with “Gerard” from Good Karma Projects. Gerard was a rugged man with wisdom beyond his years. His quiet yet powerful demeanor indicated that he had seen mother earth wronged in ways. We sought to clean up the fine beaches, voiding them of cigarettes and other waste. By the end of the morning, we collected nearly a thousand cigarettes (952). After the activity, we stayed at the beach and began to play a spirited game of jackpot in the Mediterranean which was enjoyed by all and paired with a beach side relaxation that soothed the senses and coerced the mind into a sense of calm. Once our beach itch had been scratched, we continued onto a bountiful lunch of burgers and fries. Lunch was delicious but as Geoffrey Chaucer taught us, all good thing must come to an end. We arrived at the hotel to begin and siesta that spanned three hours where we shopped, slept and packed. Our lovely leaders played a movie on the projector as well to help us relax. We then embarked down the block to begin the healthiest dinner of the trip at Flax and Kale, a certified B Corporation devoted to bringing good health to everyone in the fine city of Barcelona. As a nightcap to a great day, we shared our favorite moments from our roommates and ventured back to hotel already teaming with excitement for the adventure that awaited us tomorrow.
By Obee, Shai, and Jared
July 10, 2025
We awoke bright and early at 7am to catch a 9am train to Madrid. After a persisten walk, an exhaustive arm workout carrying our suitcases, and a life long lesson in travelling lightly, we made it onto the train. Most of the ride consisted of sleeping, snacking, and watching Moana 2 (Español). We reunited with Carlos at the station in Madrid and then boarded a charter bus to an eco lodge in the mountains called Ciclo Lodge. After a brief siesta, we headed to Ecos del Lozoya farm to learn about organic agriculture and pick Frutas De Bosque (wild berries). We tried delicious elderberry syrup, mouthwatering yellow raspberries, gooseberries black berries, and many other fresh fruits! We had a thoughtful discussion about organic methods and sustainable living before heading back to the lodge for a delicious, organic burger dinner. Reflections consisted of a prompt on theme asking everyone to pick a fruit that they would be and why. Another beautiful day in España!
By Caitlin, Jordana & Brooke
July 11, 2025
Hello parents!! Today Natalie Sofia and Eden were the leaders!!! We awoke everyone with energetic music and singing. Some of the songs included “passion fruit” and many other classic hits! The group also hit some swaggy dances courtesy of Natalie! Some people were not happy to be woken up like this, but had a good time. We then all enjoyed a delicious buffet breakfast at our special ecolodge home. We next hopped onto a bus to go to our hiking spot. The hike was amazing and beautiful. Halfway through we stopped and ate our specially packed lunches at a cute creak. On the second part of the hike we did a peaceful silent reflection. It was enlightening and everyone really enjoyed it. We then hopped on the bus for our next excursion and took us to a Spanish style swimming hole which we enjoyed for about an hour! Some people tanned and acclimatized, we were even able to see some fish!! The bus then took us to the hotel for a much deserved siesta, which the campers used to pack, clean, sleep and rest. We were then served an amazing steak dinner with a delicious potato and pepper side, followed by a chocolate lava cake with a bit of vanilla ice cream which was nothing less than superb! We had a short 30 minute break. After dinner we gathered up and headed outside for stargazing with an astrologist! Laying at our towels starting at the sky we learned so much from our guide about over 88 constellations, which some can only be seen during winter or summer! We were able to look through the telescope and imagine the billions of years from the past and looking at the stars and admiring from a far!! We then went to sleep and prepared for the next day of fun! 🤩🤩🤩😉😉🤩😎
By Eden, Natalie, and Sofia
July 12, 2025
Today we started our morning with our final breakfast at Ciclo Lodge, it was very relaxing and the perfect start to the robust day ahead. We then headed over to the lake with our guide, Henry, to play games on kayaks, many of which involved racing. The losers of these games participated in challenges including standing on a kayak, switching places, and dancing the Macarena! By the end of it, everybody was drenched in water but we immediately jumped into the next activity…a scavenger hunt around town!! Using our surroundings as clues, we divided into groups and used a map to figure out our way around town. Once everyone finished the hunt at the hotel, we cleaned up and ate lunch at the hotel. Then we all had a siesta where we all played card games and went into town as we waited for the bus. The bus was an hour long to the same hotel that we stayed at at the start of the trip in Madrid. Everyone felt the nostalgia from their first days on the program. After settling in for an hour we got churros and ice cream and took a walking tour. Sebastian, our guide, took us through the town showing and explaining to us the history of the city. Following his insightful knowledge, we had dinner at a little tortilla shop that looked like a cave – Meson de La Tortilla. We got about 30 minutes of shopping time after and headed back to the hotel for our nightly reflection. As everyone goes to sleep, we all prepare for our last full day together in Madrid!
Lala, Kaitlin, Ellie
