5 Reasons to Get Hype About Aragón…

As I mentioned in my last post, I am [expectantly] moving to Spain this fall to make my first step into the real world, working as an auxiliar de conversación…And as you will see, the region that I will soon call home, Aragón, has quite a few draws…

1) Location, location, location–As you can see, Aragón is in el norte…While the North of Spain is generally rainier and colder (more so in wintertime), a lot of the landscape is greener than much of what you would find in the rest of the country…Plus, it’s a lot easier to reach all those great cities of the North–Pamplona, Logroño, San Sebastián, A Coruña, Barcelona–if you live, well, in the North!!…

2) Varied Landscape– Aragón is a region of extremes, so-to-speak–the terrain ranges from the dry, barren desertous plains and hills of the South, to sprawling mountains of the North…Considering that I love mountains, a visit to the Pyrenees might be in order, :-)…

…Aneto Mountain…

3) The geopolitical-cultural-historical melting pot– Like everywhere else in Spain, Aragón is a region where one can find works of art and architecture that act as testaments to various historical eras, from the Celtic, to the Roman, to the Romanesque, and beyond!!…Speaking of art, Aragón is the birthplace of that Spanish, Romanticist maestro, Goya, as well as the surrealist filmaker, Luis Buñuel, :-)…

…The mudéjar (Moorish-inspired) Cathedral of Albarracín, Teruel…

…The Plaza de España in Alcañiz…

4) The Aragonese language– Spain is what I like to call an adjoined space of separate, distinct countries…Therefore, while 98% of the country’s population speak Spanish (1 of the 4 official national languages), many regions still have their own regional languages…In Aragón, it’s, well, Aragonese…Although roughly 10-30,000 people speak it nowadays, it’s still a source of regional pride–as it should be, considering that this language has been around since before the Unification…Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to hear it every now and then!!…

5) It’s Spain!!– I mean, really–do I have to say anything more???…

Any other future auxiliars out there who proudly rep their region???, :-)…

On a sadder note, today was marked by the passing of Dr. Maya Angelou, who was the Wake Forest Reynolds Professor of American Studies since 1982…Although I never got to take a class with her, or hear her speak in person, me and many others at our Mother, So Dear are proud to have considered her a member of our community…May she rest in peace…