Fundación José Ortega y Gasset

Obviously travelling with a friend is great. My first trip outside the U.S. was to Spain is '99 to study. I went with a good friend and shared a suite with him at the dorm. So, I had a built-in friend at the Fundacion. But, if you go alone, you will meet dozens of great people with at least one thing in common - having a new experience in Toledo.

I loved the dorm (it was a 16th century convent made into a dorm). I stayed in a suite where I got my own room and my friend also had his own room. We shared a bathroom. It was great. There were rooms where three people had to share which may have gotten crowded. But, the time spent in the rooms is minimal. The food at the dorm was not the best, but the school tried to give everyone a good food experience. The effort was there.

Picaro is a great cafe in the daytime and an even better club at night. O'Brien's Irish Pub was a favorite among the students, as well as bars like Camelot, Straze, El Trasgo, El Recaredo, La Estación, and Garcilaso Café. I also loved Bar Royal and Bar Alcázar for coffee or wine al fresco. Any restaurant in the Plaza de Zocodover is worth it for the people-watching opportunities alone. La Casa de Damasco is one of the city's best kept secrets with its Syrian flair and delicious hummus! You must ride the Zoco-tren, a tiny little tram that takes about 50 tourists on a 45 minute ride around the city and outside its walls. The views are breathtaking and offer the best photo ops. Of course you'll want to visit La iglesia de Santo Tomé to see "El Entierro del Señor de Orgaz" by El Greco. Seeing that painting in real life far surpasses any textbook print. After all that you can have a seat at either one of the two Enebro's restaurants, which offer a small glass of beer and a plate full of tapas for under 2 bucks. It's truly the best deal in town.

I loved Toledo so much I have since returned twice. The Fundacion (Toledo) has become a second home to me. I miss it terribly every day. My walls are plastered with old dorm photos, pictures of the city of Toledo along with snapshots of many other European countries. The experienced changed my life in ways I'll can't list. Not only have I become a stronger person, but also a smarter, wiser young woman, with an appreciation for the Spanish culture and language that's more valuable to me than anything.

I still dream about waking up to the mountains surrounding Toledo. Living at the dorm was the best choice I made and truly changed me life. I learned just as much Spanish, if not more, than students that lived with families. I wouldn't have changed one thing about my living situation.