Many of my classes this semester are focused on fostering productivity and creativity, whether it be in the workplace, as an entrepreneur, or in the design process. I’ve come across countless methods and theories, from the traditional brainstorming, to the philosophy of 20% creative time famously implemented at Google, and even simple iteration and ideation. …
Caminando por Alcalá
I can’t believe nearly four months have passed since I left Spain. Returning to the U.S. has been like going through reverse culture shock, bringing with it both the good and the bad. Besides my Spanish friends and the Spanish culture in general, what I miss most is having the time to explore the city …
Holiday Trip: Day 7 – Paris or Disneyworld?
I think it’s fair to say that Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and I’ve only seen it in the winter! Every city has its own character, and Paris is unique in its beautiful architecture, roadside bistros and cafes, the flower shops in most plazas, and way the city seems …
Holiday Trip: Day 6 – Arrival in Paris
Short post for today as we spent most of the day traveling. Flew from Madrid to Frankfurt, Germany and then onto Paris where we thankfully took a taxi to the hotel (much easier than taking the metro and train like I did when visiting with some friends from the Tufts in Madrid program). Our hotel …
Holiday Trip: Day 5 – Time in Toledo
For our last full day in Spain we decided to take a day trip to Toledo, a gorgeous city perched atop a huge hill in a somewhat desolate area outside of Madrid. A short high-speed train ride brought us there and we hopped on the tourist bus waiting outside the station. I generally prefer exploring …
Holiday Trip: Day 4 – Comida con mis dos familias
Today was truly a day of families. After sleeping in to catch up on some sleep, we took the train into Alcalá to have lunch with my host family. I was looking forward to the lunch, but was a little nervous about having a meal between two families that spoke two different languages. Would there …
Holiday Trip: Day 3 – Segovia
Day 3 into our family vacation and we found ourselves rather unexpectedly at Christmas, or at least I did! Without the usual buildup around Tufts and the house at home, hanging Christmas lights, decorating my room, finding and decorating a Christmas tree, the holiday sprang up out of nowhere. It was more of a passive …
Holiday Trip: Days 1 and 2 – Madrid
Study abroad has come to an end, and while I’ll continue to post entries I’d started over the last two months but never finished, I’m now onto the next adventure and want to keep up with the blog. My parents came to visit me in Spain yesterday and we’re spending Christmas here, New Year’s in …
Advice for Studying Abroad
With only a few weeks left, I want to reflect on some of the things I’ve learned during the semester in Spain that might be helpful to others studying in Spain (and abroad in general) in the future. I think that studying in a foreign country is one of the best opportunities available to students …
Thoughts on Traveling
Every day I spend here in Spain I realize how many things I would love to see here but that I won’t have the time to. There are enough interesting museums alone to occupy me for years to come. One of the assignments for my sketching class involved a reading comparing travelers and tourists that …