SDC Essay Spain

Roberto Nunez
Houston Cristo Rey HS
2024 SDC Picasso y Flamenco Program

OPENING MY EYES

I, like many others, have been a victim to living with my eyes closed. I woke up every day repeating the same process with an uninspired mindset. I would wake up, brush my teeth, shower, eat, go to school, and do everything without thinking, as if I was a machine made to do a single job. I was surrounded by people, who like me, didn’t dream big, who had a mindset that striving for greatness wasn’t realistic for us. Although I didn’t want to live a life like this and I
would even try escaping it by having different hobbies or letting my imagination go sometimes, I would throw away too much of my time watching TikTok or youtube for hours. I was not attempting to strive for more. I wished for an escape from this lifestyle, and as if God had heard my prayers, an opportunity arose; the chance to apply to Student Diplomacy Corps and go to Spain.

This program was a shining light, a way to escape from my bubble, so I worked hard applyin and getting economic assistance to apply for my passport, practicing for the interview, and thankfully, I was accepted in April! The night before leaving for Spain, I started having doubts. “Maybe I’m reaching too high”. I told my parents and my dad told me, “ Tu avientate , porque te están dando una oportunidad única.” This push from my dad was enough to motivate me and helped me push forward. I went to the airport and was very nervous about meeting everyone, but the minute I met everyone in my group and SDC leader Samuel, they were extremely welcoming. We all seemed to go through similar experiences when it comes to being nervous and wanting to come out of our comfort zones. We all wondered if we were up for it, but we are all were striving for more. We got to Spain and wow, seeing all the different styles of architecture and the environment made me feel like I was in some sort of movie, it was unbelievable.

It’s almost like I couldn’t really believe that I was going to Spain until I was there. I was in a whole different part of the world, but even so I noticed something; everybody there was just like me. I feel like I grew up in the US having a closed mindset and in a way selfish self-centered perspective. We always hear about different countries so in my head I thought we were completely different and divided, but by seeing all the people around me in Spain, I realized we are all the same. We are all people who work hard in search of happiness and by doing so, we are all connected. Throughout the Spain experience, I got to try different delicious food like paella, calamar frito, and patatas bravas, and even ate at an anime-themed restaurant! I visited amazing places like el Museo Nacional del Prado, El Museo Reina Sofía, El Oso y El Madriloño, La Alhambra, and many more incredible places. Museums had always felt like placed I did not belong back in Houston, but in Spain with my SDC group and our hosts they felt welcoming and wonderful. We all learned many different aspects of Spanish art history in our classes with our professor, Daniel, and were able to learn so much about not only Spain but the whole world. In particular we explored the influences Spanish art from Picasso to the flamenco dance form has had on cultures throughout Latin American and the world, and vis a versa.

This summer, I got to do things I’ve never done before like watch a flamenco performance live and even got to learn to dance flamenco from flamenco artists. I learned how to swim for the first time and visited beautiful beaches. I biked around Cadiz and saw the Eurocopa futball final in person, surrounded by happy Spaniards. I got to do all these things with the most amazing people ever. The people in my group and our hosts were supportive and pushed me to be better
every day. Seeing them work hard made me work hard, and we were all able to do our class work, essays, presentations, and even flamenco performances as best as we could. I learned so much about them and they have become like family to me. All these things have made me grow as a person.

I now realize that we should all strive to be better people, because when we do that, we can inspire others to do the same. By making friends from all over the US and from Spain I was able to realize that although sometimes we can feel like the world is divided due to conflicts, oceans and language barriers, we are really all connected and living in the same world. I have learned to not give up on myself and to try my best with everything I do. I learned to change my mindset and see everything with a positive view and focus on the beauty of the world without limiting myself. This is especially important because nowadays we see so much violence and hate, but we have to remember that the world is beautiful and there are so many amazing places to visit.

After coming back from SDC, I have started working out, reading more, and socializing with different people. I’ve set myself a goal: I want to return to Spain, whether it’s by studying abroad in college or just traveling there, so I can revisit the amazing places I saw and discover newplaces. The world is great and we have to appreciate its beauty, history, and cultures.