Department of World Languages and Cultures at Ohio Wesleyan University

10/05/2026

Thanks to our amazing Academic Assistant, Angie, and to the colleagues and students who helped decorate our door for the OWU door decoration competition!

09/29/2026

09/13/2026

it’s hard to believe that i’ve been here for less than two weeks; i’ve settled into this new lifestyle so well that I feel like i’ve lived here for months.

on the first day, yolanda, my host mother, picked me up from the airport and brought me to meet the rest of the family. they’re extremely friendly and generous people, and i couldn’t be more grateful to have them.

the first week alone was packed with events. after a tour of the campus and surrounding city and being treated to tapas, snacks common to spanish restaurants and bars, i celebrated my first juevinxo. juevinxo, a combination of jueves and pincho (thursday and a coloquial term for tapas), is an event that takes place every thursday in which people go out into the city center to get drinks and pinchos. the following day, i went back into the city for the privilegio de la unión, a celebration of the joining of the three cities, navarrería, san cernin and la Población de San Nicolás. i got to witness a medieval market featuring local vendors, a medieval duel reenactment, and a performance by the navarra symphony orchestra.

outside of these events, i’ve been spending my time studying, writing music, and exploring the city. at one point, i managed to walk into a parade that i had no idea was happening. right now, i’m returning via train from an excursion to barcelona and looking forward to the rest of my time in spain.

05/14/2026

Hey everyone, Isaiah here! As I wrap up my study abroad experience in Pamplona, I wanted to share a few tips from the countries I was lucky enough to explore, as well as some encouragement for anyone thinking about studying abroad and traveling. Hopefully this can motivate some to step out of their comfort zone and say yes to new experiences! 🌍✈️

05/14/2026

Matthew here! Pamplona, Spain, is situated on the path of el Camino de Santiago, a famous hiking trail that runs across Spain. To celebrate my last week here, my friends and I decided to try our hand at one small section of the hike! Despite narrowly dodging the rain, it was an absolute blast, and a must for any study abroad in Pamplona!

05/04/2026

Matthew here! Studying abroad is great for a number of reasons, but maybe the best is the friendships you make along the way. Last year, I met Ben O’Laughlin, a student from Ireland, when he studied at OWU. This semester, I got to see him again, this time on his home turf. Ben took me on an amazing tour of Northern Ireland, where we saw the Giant’s Causeway, Derry, and much more! Just goes go show that the connections you make can last across years and continents!

05/01/2026

🎬 And the award goes to…!
SPAN 310: Spanish Conversation Through Cinema wrapped up the semester with its very own film festival. To celebrate the last day of classes, students voted for their favorite films across six different award categories.

It was a fun, collaborative project that brought together language, culture, and cinema, an engaging way to end the course on a high note!

04/27/2026

Matthew here! Maybe the most eye catching part of living in Pamplona, Spain, are the fortifications, or murallas. These walls are present through the oldest sections of the city, dating back to the 16th century. They surround the Old Town, run throughout local parks and walkways, and are an active part of many classic traditions here. Notably, the Old Town features numerous gates that are in use during the festival of San Fermin, when the famous running of the bulls occurs.

The murallas are just one of the many examples of Pamplona’s history being alive and active in daily life here!

04/11/2026

Matthew here! The last two weeks, the students of the University of Navarra have been on Spring Break, which for us, means a time for travel!

My trip began in Valencia, where I toured the world-famous Cuidad de Artes y Ciencias.
From there, it’s a short bus ride to Madrid, where you’ll find me by the Royal Palace.
No need for trips to be contained to one country: I met up with fellow OWU students Kaia Vorenkamp and Rachel Nelson in Morocco, where we completed a desert tour and made sure to show our Bishop pride!
Next up was Seville, including the Plaza de España, famously a shooting location for Star Wars!
And finally, I concluded the two-week tour in Grenada, where I saw La Alhambra and saw some amazing Flamenco performances.

Too much for one post, but just enough for 14 days of adventure!