For aspiring high school Spanish teacher Erin O’Farrell ’29, a two-week adventure abroad was just what she needed. As part of digital humanities research on the Camino de Santiago, the Spanish and Secondary Education major joined five classmates, Professor Sean Perrone, Ph.D., Professor Lourdes Jiménez, Ph.D., Professor Adam Albina, Ph.D., and his wife on an unforgettable trip to Spain. Between tedious transcription work and museum visits, O’Farrell documented her travel takeaways while soaking up the Spanish sun.
The following is a first-person narrative by O’Farrell, in her own words.
Good Conversations = New Ideas
The 10 of us spent two weeks all together, almost all the time. We lived together, ate together, walked together, and did just about everything together—especially the six of us girls. In cases like these it can become very easy for drama and frustrations to bud, however, it was the complete opposite.
Whether it was over a meal or walking to the next spot for the day, we talked about our siblings, pets, interests, disinterests, music, religion, relationships, beliefs, and more. We got to know each other very well, and I learned new ideas, thoughts, and opinions from these conversations. I’m someone who loves conversations that make you think, pause, and reflect, and this trip supplied me with plenty of them.
A Slower Way of Life
Life in Spain certainly moves at a much slower pace than it does in the United States, and it’s not a bad thing. In Spain, meals are rituals and a time to enjoy the company of those you’re with rather than something to rush through to get back to work. I’ll admit that the slower pace was hard to adjust to at times, but it was important and worthwhile to experience to show that true productivity in life comes more from meaningful and purposeful moments with others rather than the amount of work you complete in a day.
This slower pace also tied into the museums and cathedrals that we saw. I’ve always been a slower museum visitor and tried to read and see everything, but I found that desire to be even stronger in Spain. When the outside of the building is a stunning work of architecture and then you go inside and are even more amazed, it feels wrong to not slow down, read the information, look, observe, and try to take in the detail.
Class Connections
I really enjoyed how much the information, places, artwork, and artifacts we saw connected directly to what I’ve learned in my classes at Saint Anselm. I recognized many paintings and altarpieces from stories that I’d read and discussed in Biblical Theology. There were also numerous connections to my Myths and Folktales in the Hispanic World class. In the Museo del Prado (Prado Museum), there was a huge painting that depicted Los amantes de Teruel, a legend that we read about. To see what I learned about months prior in real life was a neat experience.
There were Islamic influences in a lot of the architecture that we saw at the Monasterio de Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas (Las Huelgas Monastery) because of the Spanish Conquest and Reconquest. We read myths and legends set during the Reconquest as well, and Professor Jiménez taught the course! It was amazing to get to share all of that with her. In the Museo de Burgos, there was an archaeological collection that included pieces from Atapuerca, a famous excavation site. I saw many of the Atapuerca artifacts we read about and discussed in my most recent Spanish course, Hispanic Foodways.
In León, we went to a Benedictine monastery. At Saint Anselm, we are all about Benedictine hospitality—it’s one of the first things you learn about as a freshman. When we visited the monastery, I was struck by that same Benedictine hospitality that we hold so dear at Saint Anselm. The nuns were so kind in welcoming us into their home and allowing us to work in their archives. They even invited us to join in on the Divine Office, which is when they say one set of their daily prayers. They gave us prayer books and let us pray alongside them. Like the abbess said, it was like having another family you didn’t even know about it.
Talking with Strangers
At home in the States, I rarely strike up a conversation with a stranger, however, in Spain, that was a bit different! Whether it was someone I stood next to in line, someone who sat beside me on a bus or train, or a couple that I took photos for, most Spaniards struck up a conversation. It was often small talk or explaining our research project, but each interaction left me with a happier heart. The Spaniards’ openness reminded me that we’re all just humans trying to get by in this world, and that most people are kinder than we tend to think.
I especially loved the brief conversations with pilgrims walking the Camino, learning where they were from, how their voyage was going, and wishing them a “Buen Camino” at the end.
The Archives
What a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity it was to work in five different archives across Burgos and León. In each archive, we were welcomed with open and eager arms. To think that we were reading and working with documents written 500 years ago (my earliest was from 1517) is still a surreal thought.
I don’t know if I’ll be back in archives, but I’m so grateful to have worked in them on this trip. I’ve never felt cooler than walking into the Catedral de Santa María de Burgos (Burgos Cathedral), going into one of the side rooms, moving a rope, and walking up the stairs into the archive—just a casual day at work! It still feels a bit like a dream.
Living History
One of my favorite parts of this whole trip was that everywhere we went, we experienced some aspect of living history. In the archives, we sat down and read documents that someone else had sat down and written 500 years ago. While exploring the cities, we walked on cobblestone roads that pilgrims have walked on for generations. When we visited Las Huelgas Monastery and what used to be the Hospital del Rey, we literally stood and walked where medieval pilgrims were. It’s one thing to read about all this history, but to experience it firsthand is completely different.
Increased Confidence
For the past year or so, I’ve felt like I hit a wall with my Spanish. I knew what I knew but struggled to improve and find ways to put it into practice. To be immersed in the language and culture for two weeks was a necessary experience. Having no choice but to speak Spanish and often translate when it was just us girls out to eat was the most perfect opportunity I could’ve asked for. There was no time to second guess, hesitate, or feel unsure. I just had to let the language flow, and by doing so, my confidence in my abilities greatly improved. It makes me even more excited to take Advanced Conversation this fall.
My Top Three:
- Burgos Cathedral – I think I could’ve spent the entire week in Burgos just staring at the outside of the cathedral and all that the interior held. It was hands down my favorite place of the whole trip.
- Cartuja de Santa María de Miraflores (Miraflores Monastery) – The Miraflores Monastery was not quite as large as the Burgos Cathedral but just as detailed and impressive. The altarpiece absolutely blew me away.
- The Burgos “Scavenger Hunt” - Spending the mornings attempting to geolocate former hospitals while walking around Burgos was so much fun. We got to see some neat buildings, walk on the Camino, and learn more about the history of the beautiful city. My navigational skills also improved, which was a big bonus.
Even when the group missed a bus or had their train delayed, O’Farrell maintained the belief that it was all part of the experience. In the first few days, she noted that she was “falling asleep while typing up transcriptions with sore feet and a very tired mind and body, but . . . filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the opportunity, for being here, and for safe travels.”
“I laughed, learned, enjoyed, and experienced,” read the concluding pages of O’Farrell’s journal. She signed off her final entry “in awe of all that I saw, with many new lessons learned, experiences had with new friends, and most of all, with a full and grateful heart.”
Even without a return ticket, it seems highly unlikely that Spain has seen the last of O’Farrell.