Student Stories: Petra’s Adventure in Valladolid

I still remember my first lesson with Petra. It was the end of August 2020, and we met in a café in the centre of Bratislava. The sun was shining, and Petra arrived with the kind of enthusiasm that every teacher loves to see. From the very first moment, I could feel her curiosity, motivation and openness to learning.

Since then, Spanish has become a regular part of almost every week for us.

Petra has made beautiful progress thanks to her consistency, effort and genuine love for the language. Today, we are working towards level B2 — but our lessons have become much more than grammar, vocabulary and conversation practice.

Over time, Petra has also become my friend and a wonderful source of inspiration.

Some time ago, she spent two weeks in Valladolid, where she joined a Spanish language course thanks to a scholarship from the Fundación de la Lengua Española. It was her first time travelling alone to Spain, and it became a very meaningful experience for her.

I am very happy to share her story here. So make yourself a good coffee, take a little pause, and enjoy Petra’s report from Valladolid. This student story first appeared on my Slovak blog. I have translated and lightly adapted it here for English-speaking readers.

Petra’s Story

Hi everyone! I would like to share my experience of travelling alone to Spain for the first time.

First of all, I have to say that I love travelling. In the past, I usually travelled with my friends, but this time I decided to go alone and step out of my comfort zone.

But let’s start from the beginning.

An important decision

In life, one of the most important things is knowing how to make decisions.

It may sound easy, but I think that today, when we have so many opportunities, it is not always so simple.

The idea of going to Spain and testing my courage by speaking directly with Spanish people had been in my mind for more than a year. At the beginning of 2023, I finally decided that yes, I wanted to do it.

My desire was stronger than my fear.

I looked for all the information I needed to apply for a scholarship at a language school in Valladolid. I remember the exact moment when I received the answer from the Fundación de la Lengua Española.

It was one day before my thirtieth birthday.

Wow. A perfect present for me.

I also remember that on the same day, I had a meeting at work with a client from Ecuador. At that moment, I said to myself: what a wonderful day.

For the first few days, I was very excited about the news. Then I returned to my normal life, because my trip was planned for May and I still had a few months ahead of me.

So now I will continue with the day when my own adventure really began.

The big day

The 19th of May 2023 was a big day for me.

My parents took me to Vienna airport, and in that moment I knew I had to trust myself.

The flight was calm. I picked up my suitcase and found the terminal for the bus to Valladolid without any problem.

I would not say that travelling stresses me, but honestly, I felt very happy when I finally arrived at my room in Hotel Imperial. The hotel was in the city centre, in Plaza Mayor in Valladolid.

My first days were very calm.

The interesting thing was that suddenly I had no responsibilities and no agenda full of tasks.

Can you imagine how I felt?

Having breakfast at ten, enjoying a coffee, a ham sandwich and an orange juice.

Those free days showed me that being alone with my thoughts was not so easy, especially because I am usually used to doing something almost all the time and having my agenda full of activities.

I tried to discover the city, find the way to the school and visit the most famous monuments. That was the reason why I arrived in Valladolid two days before the course started.

But I was already very curious to meet my classmates at the school.

Practising Spanish

On Monday, the classes started.

There were five classmates in my group: four girls from Brazil and one girl from Poland.

We exchanged phone numbers on the first day and spent almost all our free time together after school.

In my opinion, speaking is the best way to learn a language.

Can you imagine the feeling of speaking Spanish and other people understanding you?

Haha!

I consider myself quite strict with myself, but this time I felt proud.

All of this was a big challenge for me.

With the girls, we also went on two weekend trips: to Segovia and Salamanca.

I have always been fascinated by the Spanish lifestyle, and now I had the opportunity to experience “Spanish life” for two weeks.

I believe that every experience gives us something in life.

What are Spanish people like?

I would also like to share some of my observations about the Spanish mentality.

People were very kind and friendly.

For example, I can mention my experience with the staff in a café near my school, where I used to go before classes. Every morning, even if I only ordered coffee or tea, I received a butter croissant.

It may seem like a small detail, but it always put a smile on my face.

And what would I recommend to other students who are thinking about doing an intensive course in Spain?

Just go for it.

Sometimes we do not need to think too much.

It may sound strange, but I believe the most important thing is to listen to your heart. If something attracts you, it is not by chance.

I also have one more piece of advice: do not wait for the right moment.

Maybe it will never come.

Maybe now is the best moment.

Spain is an incredible country, full of different possibilities, colours, kind people and delicious food.

However, every person sees the world through their own eyes, so you simply have to go and experience it for yourself.

And of course, enjoy it as much as possible.

In my case, I met wonderful girls who I can now call my friends.

And do you know what Spain taught me?

That we do not need to be afraid.

Very often, fear exists only in our mind — and it stops us from growing.