An Unexpected Gap Year by Darielle

An Unexpected Gap Year by Darielle - August 2019 Scholarship Essay

If I had an unexpected gap year, my dream would be to backpack through Spain. Spain is on my buck list for several reasons including visiting Granada Spain where my ancestors are from and learning about both my family and culture. I love visiting churches and learning about their architecture and history. Finally, Spain is filled with natural beauty and history that I could spend hours photographing the people, places and natural landscapes.
My mother is fifth generation Hispanic. My mother and her side of the family carry on traditions that are a blend from Mexico and Spain. While I have lived my whole life in the United States, I have been taught the value of appreciating one’s culture and traditions. I think learning more about my ancestors from Spain would give me a better insight on my family and myself. I would love to see the area where my ancestors are from and why they decided to explore the new world. My ancestors traveled to Texas over 300 years ago. The land they originally claimed is still in our family. I wonder what my life would be like now if my ancestors had remained in Spain. How would my family be different? Where would my family be living? What traditions would we be celebrating? I would love to see and experience the traditions, both past and present, that are celebrated in Spain.
I have experienced some of the traditions such as watching my cousin flamenco dance and enjoying Spanish dishes my aunt makes for holidays and special occasions. I love the flavors and different ways people make paella. I have always wondered what a true Spanish paella would taste like. What are the main spices and flavors on Spanish dishes? I think it would be amazing to go to different types of restaurants and the local markets as I am exploring the different areas of Spain.
Spain has some of the most gorgeous churches in the world. Some of these churches date back to the twelfth century. Catholicism is an essential part of who I am and learning about how Catholicism evolved and changed throughout the centuries in Spain would be both a spiritual and educational experience. Visiting the Seville Cathedral, the largest cathedral in the world, and getting a feeling of the history in those ancient walls would be something I do not know even how to describe.
I also learned recently that Christopher Columbus was buried in Seville. Visiting his last resting place and getting a chance to read his writings regarding his travels would give me an insight on why people longed to explore unknown lands. This is major connection to America and eventually how the Americas were explored and populated.
Besides the educational purposes of visiting Spain, I would be very excited to experience the beauty of this country. I would love to walk around the towns looking at the buildings and the amazing views of the ocean. I have seen pictures of the enormous gardens which are places that I could not experience in El Paso. I have always loved nature, and this would give me the opportunity to view it more closely.
Given the opportunity, I would spend a gap year not only exploring Spain but learning about myself and my history. Traveling to different places gives one the chance to learn and understand people and other cultures. I believe as I learn more about the people and different culture, this will give an insight on how to approach the different challenges and opportunities I will have during my college years and even beyond college.