Jared's Story

Jared Winikor was a short-term exchange student who spent part of the summer of 2001 in Spain. Jared was sponsored by the Gainesville Sunrise Rotary Club. Here is his story:

My trip to Spain was one of the most fun and interesting trips that I have ever experienced. I spent three and a half weeks with a very welcoming family that lives in a small town outside of Santander called Puente Arce. This town is located near the northern coast and therefore I was fortunate enough to pay regular visits to the beach. My location also allowed for scenic bike rides and pleasure walks up and down the surrounding hills.

During this trip I especially enjoyed all of the mountain climbing that I got to participate in. Numerous times my host family and I would walk up to the top of cliffs or mountains and be able to see the Cantabric Sea and city beneath us. The most enjoyable, however, was when we went climbing on the well-known mountain range called Los Picos de Europa. This venture was well worth the walk to the top as the view was magnificent and nothing like Florida.

On this trip, I gained a better command of the Spanish language and learned to adapt in a foreign environment. I experienced not only Spanish culture but even a little Basque as my host family was from Basque country. This trip was well worth the time, money, and effort because I got a chance to meet new friends, speak Spanish, and learn about what Spain has to offer. This trip was such a memorable one for me and my new friend, Julen, that we have already started looking into making a similar exchange for this coming summer.

Here's Jared (in the Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt) with host brother Julen to his left, exploring some of the beautiful scenery in Spain.