My Virtual Passport: Finding Spain in New York City
By Sarah Foy
It’s safe to say that this semester doesn’t quite look the way that any of us would have expected just a few months ago. Back in February, my vision for the fall included studying at NYU Madrid and immersing myself in new places and cultures. As luck and a global pandemic would have it, I had to postpone my semester abroad and delay any plans to visit Spain. However, I figured that wasn’t any reason that I couldn’t try to learn about a new culture and get a little taste of Spanish living while I’m still in America. I’ve put together a guide that I plan to use for my own pseudo-Spanish immersion experience, and I thought it may be fun for others to indulge in the virtual travel experience as well!
I tried to tackle a few different aspects of life abroad so I’ve broken my recommendations into categories of tastes, sights, and sounds of Spain.
Tastes:
There is so much food that I was looking forward to trying in Spain, so I figured I would do my best to recreate some of the most famous Spanish dishes. I found these recipes for paella (vegan option included), churros, and tortilla de patatas that I can’t wait to try out!
If you would rather leave the cooking up to somebody else, I’ve found a few classic Spanish restaurants located in NYC that look absolutely delicious. There’s no shame in letting someone else do the cooking, and there’s respect in supporting local businesses.
Sights:
One of my favorite things to do when exploring a new city is to wander around and explore as much as possible. You can get a feel for the area, do some fun people-watching, and admire the beautiful architecture of the buildings around you. Some of this experience can be recreated virtually, whether it be through YouTube videos, the street-view feature on Google Earth, or some other means! The links below are to videos that piqued my interest, but there are so many online resources that can help you explore. You can apply these same tips to any city around the world, and it is perhaps an easier and safer alternative to hopping on a plane right now.
Sounds:
On the bright-side of my study abroad plans being delayed, I now have a little more time to develop my Spanish-speaking abilities before visiting. The language is so important to a culture, and I would like to know the language a lot better before visiting so that I can be a courteous guest in the country. I’ve been using a lot of Duolingo to improve my Spanish, and it is so easy to do for even just 15 minutes a day! I also enjoy the podcasts Coffee Break Spanish and Eat Your Spanish for quick and easy lessons. Additionally, listening to more Spanish music and trying to learn and translate the lyrics is a great way to build language skills little by little. I also found this cute list of Halloween specific vocabulary words that is perfect for the season! Regardless of where you start or at what speed you progress, it is always so fun and rewarding to learn a new language.
I look forward to the day that I get to visit Spain in person, but until then I think I’ll enjoy learning about the culture and lifestyle from the comfort of my apartment. I would love for anyone else to join me in this exploration, or feel free to apply these same ideas to a city or country that is of interest to you. Happy (virtual) travels!