Hello families of el Solell,

as my time at Escola El Solell comes to a close, I can honestly say I have learned so much from my experience with the school. Growing up in the United States, I was exposed to an entirely different way of life and I hadn’t yet had the opportunity to experience different cultures.

I want to use this last blog post as an opportunity to highlight some of my favorite differences I noted during my time here. When I first arrived, something that confused me was the concept of ‘pati’; I was familiar with the idea of recess but not with the addition of a second breakfast. It was then that I learned people in Cataluña often eat up to five times a day, compared to only three times in the US. Now, I look forward to pati every day and plan to incorporate it into my daily routine as I move forward in life.

I also loved seeing students go home for lunch to eat with their families as well as families coming to drop off and pick up their kids each day. In the US, it’s not common to leave school for lunch, but as a kid I’m sure there were days I would have loved to go home during lunch. There are many reasons for this, but I believe the difference is mainly due to the fact that in the US most students have to travel further distances to get to school since the US is more spread out. This is also why many students have to take the school bus to and from school (imagine the big yellow bus from the movies). 

Another unique aspect was attending a school where students learn in multiple languages. Here, children take classes in English, Spanish, and Catalan. In contrast, we only spoke in English at my school. While there was an after-school Spanish program, it was optional and very few students participated in it. My mom placed me in the program, but at that age I didn’t care much for Spanish, little did I know I’d end up here close to 20 years later.

It’s with a heavy heart and tears in my eyes that I write this last blog post. Today (my last day) I was surprised by the amazing faculty and students of El Solell with a surprise goodbye assembly. It wasn’t until this moment, seeing all of my students together, the staff with smiles on their faces, and a few students crying that it all hit me. My time here has come to an end, but the memories I ‘ve made will last a lifetime.  

Overall, I am very grateful for my time at Escola El Solell during the 23/24 academic year. This experience has profoundly impacted me, broadening my perspective and enriching my understanding of different ways of life. It is an experience I will carry with me into various aspects of my life, and it has changed me for the better.

Thank you to the amazing faculty and students I met here, because of you I will always carry a bit of Cataluña in my heart.