My Trip to Valencia, Spain
by Ashley Cooper
Some of the best memories I have in my life are the random chances I have had to try something great. I have worked with my advisor on her research projects. When she told me she was presenting at the Wessex Institute Sustainable Tourism Conference in Valencia, Spain, I knew I had to take a chance to go. I do not like to get my hopes up in the fear of failing, so I did not expect to get this chance. I am lucky to have a taste of the beautiful Valencia, a place that mixes old and new into a gorgeous cityscape.
A week is never enough time to do everything, but I can say that I tried my hardest. This was my first flight internationally that I have done by myself. When I finally got to the hotel, I breathed in a sigh of relief as everything was going smoothly so far. Tired, but ready to go exploring, I dropped my bags and took off to see the city. I started with the Oceanografic and the Museum of Sciences Principe Felipe. There were exhibits on sustainable forestry and a whole floor dedicated to the human body and anything you can think of to go with it. At the Oceanografic, they even had a dolphin show that focused less on the tricks and more on the care of beached dolphins and their care in captivity. In the U.S., the museums focus on education, but I felt it was more prominent when I was in Spain.
The next day, the conference started. It was awesome to see the research, which I helped on, be presented on a global stage. The research of others helped me to think. I started taking notes on ideas for my honors thesis and for my business plan. It also made me think about how a lot of tourism companies think about what they can do for the tourists coming from everywhere, but not many people stop and think about what we can do for the local communities. There are so many things that go in to visitor attitudes, but sometimes they get left behind. One person I met is from Lithuania and I plan on keeping in contact with her for my undergraduate and master's thesis because she is as interested in visitor behavior as I am. I was overwhelmed by all the information, but I can say that I learned a lot to help me clean up my future plans.
The last couple days of my trip were my favorite. My advisor and I met a girl from Maine that was studying abroad in Valencia so she acted as our tour guide through the city. We tried Orchata, Paella, and many classic Spanish dishes. We saw historical churches and forts. I even had the chance to dip my toes into the Mediterranean Sea. We concluded one night with a picnic in the park just as many of the people around us would do. Valencia is a gorgeous city and one that I want to visit again. I learned so much from a growing tourism city, but life always as more lessons to teach us.
Thank You to the Erika Hall Memorial Fund for the chance to visit an amazing city
Safe Travels,
Ashley Cooper