saturday was a day of family activities. it began at 9:30 with us all in the kitchen drinking coffee and preparing for our bike ride. joaquin, sergio, and i set off for a bike ride to parque grande, the largest park in the city of zaragoza. we spent two hours or so riding through the park, visiting the botanical gardens, and waiting while joaquin tried to figure out how to use the camera on his phone. we stopped in the shade to have a bocadillo before riding home, about a three hour excursion in total. at 6:30 we left for gran casa mall to go bowling at planet bowling. cristina and i started off very well with two gutter balls, meanwhile joaquin hit a strike. it was a game filled with lots of laughs as sergio continually tried to sabotage his papa. bowling was followed by a couple of rounds of foosball and then home for a late, delicious cena.

I carried with me more than I could carry. The sides of my bag bulging, stretched to their limits, and the zippers put to the test. Cramming to fit both the necessities and the inessentials, packing was the first endeavor of this great adventure.

Beginning in July I was constantly questioned what I was going to carry with me. Not only what I would carry, but also whether or not it was ready to be carried. Until the night before I left, the answer was always no. I spent the month of August collecting items, one at a time, and setting them in one of the many piles that lined my floor, covering almost every available surface. Piece by piece the puzzle was beginning to come together, clothes, shoes, toiletries, computer, phone, and most essential, my camera.

I carried with me my Canon AE-1 35mm film camera. I left behind the used up film, the pictures of friends and family and the memories of past escapades. It was a piece of a clean slate among my baggage that burdened me. While the other items in my suitcase labeled me as an American, my camera didn’t have that ability. I know I am not unique in my decision to bring a camera as I embark upon a once in a lifetime opportunity. I realize that in a way it is a necessity when going to a place far from home. But, to me, my camera isn’t just a way for me to take pictures to send to my friends and family, it is a way for me to create a permanent, non-fading record of my experiences.

As in all things I do, my photography is a little bit different. Whereas most tech savvy millennial generation kids would use their iPhones, iPads, tablets, or digital cameras, I choose not to. I choose to use my outdated film camera I bought from Mt. Helix High School, covered with scratches and dents. The question that arises is probably why I choose this route because it clearly poses several extra challenges. I have to find a place to buy film, I need to replace the film every 24-36 shots, I have to manually adjust the f-stop and shutter speed, I need to have the film hand checked in the airport, I have to find a place to process my film, the list continues. My answer is quite simple. Because, when I take the time to compose that perfect image, adjust the settings, press the shutter release, and wait for the light to strike the film and create that single image, I know the image is mine. It is an image that was taken in a single moment when time seemed to stop. It is a moment frozen in time. Technically speaking a digital camera has the same concept, but those images can be duplicated and highly edited, losing all of their originality. My Canon AE-1 35mm film camera allows me to pause the remarkable moments I encounter, preserving the personal moment of me standing there with my camera as light entered the lens, is reflected by the mirror, stroked the film, and left through the viewfinder, one click, one image, one moment in time.

I carried with me a fresh start. A necessity that will allow me to forever remember the experiences I have had. It is my personalized version of a diary, a material that can withhold the test of time.

our first of many school trips was to a small pueblo alquézar just two and a half hours outside of zaragoza. we spent the first morning on a hike to view ancient cave art in the sierra de guara national park. it was not a good experience for anyone with a fear of heights as we climbed down the sides of mountains using steep ladders with rope railings. the afternoon was spent viewing the catedral and walking around the plaza, which was delayed by a sudden hail and rain storm. i felt as though i was in a scene of letters to juliet (in italy). we were up and hiking again friday morning to swim in the rio vero. however, we weren’t permitted to swim due the rain the previous afternoon. after a quick rest at a café we were boarded on the bus and off to huesca where we stopped for lunch and a short walk. we arrived back in zaragoza in time for an afternoon swim and an early bedtime.

a six story building located just a block away from mi escuela holds everything one could ever need. mi vecino sarah and i spent two hours walking the floors of el corte inglés, riding up and down the escalators trying to find what we needed, and attempting to explain to a clerk what a shower caddy is. después, we took a short rest at a café to enjoy our afternoon café con leche, which was followed by a walk and bus ride back to our apartments.

after a long first day of orientation, my host mom and i spent the afternoon taking a behind the scenes tour of el teatro principal viewing everything from the original seats to the principal performer’s dressing room. el teatro principal is the main theatre in all of zaragoza located in the center of la plaza españa. it is a place in which the most important companies of theatre, opera, and ballet of the moment come together.