Students studying Spanish at Waterloo High School recently returned from Europe, seeing a great deal of Spain’s culture as well as traveling around France for a trip that provided lessons and memories for the rest of their lives.

Waterloo High School Spanish teacher Renee Koeneman spoke about the experience that saw her, 35 students and 13 other adult chaperones adventuring around the two European countries.

Koeneman noted she oversees student trips every two years, and every other trip involves the group also traveling to Costa Rica.

This Spain trip had a fairly busy itinerary, stretching from July 7-17.

The group began in Madrid – having taken an overnight flight – before headed to Toledo, Barcelona and Sitges. Then came the French part of their trip, as they found themselves in Nimes, Arles and Paris.

Koeneman offered a thorough rundown of the entire trip, from the sights around the plazas of Madrid to the waterfront in Arles which served as the inspiration for Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.”

Art was undoubtedly a major theme of the trip, as students visited the Louvre in Paris as well as the Prado in Madrid, though there were also a host of statues in just about every place they visited – not to mention the historic architecture core to each city.

There were also plenty of unique experiences Koeneman mentioned. Shopping and sightseeing opportunities abounded, though students also got to steel forging at a sword factory in Toledo and see flamenco dancers in Madrid – Koeneman recalled students offering their fans to some of the dancers given the tremendous heat.

She also made mention of a beach day as well as a unique opportunity to kayak beneath a Roman aqueduct.

Koeneman further mentioned being in Nimes for Bastille Day, with the town hosting a huge celebration with fireworks as well as music – she noted how popular American music is in France – with the group ultimately stepping away from the crowds and keeping together via a conga line which some locals joined in on.

With all these cultural experiences, there were also plenty of lessons to be had. Koeneman spoke about the group’s tour guide in Barcelona speaking about issues with one of the city’s parks and how transportation there has been dominated by tourists, leading to locals feeling like a beloved place in their city has been lost.

Along these same lines, she described how students got something of a lesson in being good tourists. She noted how Americans have a reputation for being loud tourists, so she emphasized to her students that they were not only representing themselves but their country, and they had a responsibility to behave well, particularly when it came to not making a mess of their hotel rooms.

Koeneman spoke to the overall purpose of the trip, explaining there isn’t just one key component of it. She noted she hopes for participating students to have many opportunities to learn and grow.

Naturally, practicing foreign language skills is one facet of the trip, though Koeneman said that isn’t necessarily demanded of students.

“I obviously want the kids to try and practice speaking Spanish, but in so many countries, everyone speaks English,” Koeneman said. “If they want to try to practice their Spanish, they definitely have that ability, but the students who are too timid or are only freshmen… there are enough people who speak English, or they can use apps on their phone to get by.”

Another clear element of the trip is exposure to other cultures. Koeneman spoke about the importance of giving students the opportunity to explore some of the world outside the Midwest.

“I like for them to get outside of the culture that we live in, whether it’s Waterloo, whether it’s the state of Illinois, whether it’s the United States, and see something different,” Koeneman said. “I always tell them we don’t say, ‘That’s disgusting. That’s weird.’ We just use the word ‘different’ because we don’t want to judge another culture on what they do.”

Koeneman further spoke about the importance of students experiencing different cultures as a way for them to grow and expand their perspectives.

“I wanted them to learn about themselves a little bit, learn how to do things better, learn how cultures are different and just because they’re different doesn’t make it weird. It just makes it different,” Koeneman said.

She spoke enthusiastically about the trip as a whole, and the students who participated also had good things to say about the experience.

Chloe Stellhorn, an incoming WHS senior, said Madrid was her favorite stop in Spain, and she recalled how her and other students were able to make good memories just in the hotel, struggling to get their doors open and taking pictures out the windows.

Amid all the sightseeing and museum visits, Stellhorn said the art she encountered in Europe was a major highlight for her.

“I think the art was my favorite,” Stellhorn said. “There’s just art everywhere, whether it’s architecture or paintings, everything is just so beautiful.”

When it comes to the overall experience, Stellhorn also discussed language and the opportunities she and her friends had at restaurants and stores to experience communication in a foreign language in a way that they really hadn’t before.

They sometimes struggled to properly communicate with locals who didn’t speak English. She recalled an encounter at a restaurant that had her friend ordering a whole fish.

“It was really nice learning to communicate with people in that way in the restaurants,” Stellhorn said. “In class, we don’t really exactly learn that. It’s more grammar based. With this, we got to have a back and forth.”

Drake Burgdorf, also an incoming WHS senior, spoke about getting to experience the many environmental differences between Spain and his home.

“It was different but similar to the United States in some ways,” Burgdorf said. “The landscape was so… it was kind of more barren, I would say, than Illinois, but they also had a lot of fields and farms and everything. It was interesting to see how different the rural landscape is, and especially the urban landscape.”

He further described how the main cities he’s been to in the U.S. – St. Louis and Chicago – feel so different compared to those in Europe given how modern they are compared to Spanish cities and towns which have buildings that have stood tall for centuries.

Burgdorf also commented on the broad cultural differences he encountered and how having that wider understanding of the world will serve him as a person.

“From what I’ve learned, other cultures are so different from ours,” Burgdorf said. “It’s good to be aware of other people living in other countries because, to them, it’s just their life. They’re just living normally… It’s good for me to be aware of how other people live and reflect upon the way I live.”

Another incoming WHS senior, AJ Brown, also discussed her trip, recalling walks around Madrid to enjoy the sights, shopping and culture.

She particularly spoke about a cathedral visit, recalling how neat it was to see the architecture and how well-preserved it was, with the tour guide explaining the building’s construction and the significance of each detail.

When it comes to cultural experience, Brown also spoke about her time communicating with locals, buying from different vendors or ordering at restaurants.

She noted how these individuals were especially accommodating for her and the other students, responding in English but allowing the students to practice their Spanish.

“I got to speak Spanish to vendors, and they understood me, but to make things easier for me, they would speak English back,” Brown said. “People there were very nice. They just wanted you to be comfortable.”

With some memories ingrained in students that will surely last for many years to come, Koeneman noted this trip shouldn’t just be a memory for them, but an inspiration to go and travel even more.

“I don’t call this a trip of a lifetime,” Koeneman said. “I call this a trip that leads to many more trips because a lot of these kids are gonna get the taste of travel, and it’s what they’re gonna wanna do. They’re not gonna allow fear or news of other countries to incarcerate themselves in their own towns. They’re gonna think smart, and they’re gonna remember how to travel safe and how to be a better traveler.”