(Still working on this one)

3.  Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo

2.  Lyon and Besançon, France

Lyon, France

After returning from Toledo, I had an intense desire to go straight back.  Yet, my aim of learning Spanish being complete and the major just about finished, I had to find another way to get back to Europe.  Therefore, learning French seemed like a great way to do it and I added a French minor to my degrees.

My only error was in believing that I would be able to relive my experience in Toledo, Spain.  I quickly learned that France is not Spain and things are different.  The format was the same in terms of study and we were indeed immersed and I found myself trying to overcome the pronunciation problem as Spanish was burned into my brain.

I made some great friends here but was the stay was a quick three months and as soon as I learned my way around I found myself on to another city.

Besançon, France

Besançon is a beautiful medieval city where I spent a total of three months.  I studied at Le Centre de Linquistique Appliquée de Besançon.

I again made some great friends here and enhanced my French but again, the time was really too short and it seemed that as soon as I arrived here I was on my way back to the USA.

1. Toledo, Spain

Ending up here was actually by chance in that truth be told, I was doing very poorly in a difficult grammar class at the Ohio State University.  I was on the verge of failing and I thought it might be easier if I were to immerse myself in the language through the study abroad programs.  I had no idea at the time where it would take me and how it would change my life.

My school was La Fundación José Ortega y Gasset.  This is a school in the heart of Toledo for students of every country to come and learn Spanish in an intensive manner and simply be immersed in the culture.  The classes are completely in Spanish and one has the opportunity to learn about history, religion, art all of which played (and continues to play) such a large part in the history of this country.

Yet, it is not just the study in which one will become fluent in Spanish.  Needless to say we had frequent outings to the local drinking establishments and it was in interacting with the locals that our Spanish really improved.  Gone were the days of simply studying in order to take a test, but rather studying so that we could discover all this wonderful city had to offer!  Instead of simply memorizing grammar for an exam, we found ourselves racking our brains to retrieve what we had learned in class to function in this society weather it be simply ordering a beer, speaking with the locals or traveling to other cities.

It was because of Toledo that I gained the confidence to learn other languages and that it was actually possible!!!  I had such a good time that the journey still has not come to a close.