Tess, a journalism alumna from the University of Oregon discovered the world of Asturian cider when she studied abroad in Oviedo for an academic year. After graduation she founded HardCider International, a successful online magazine dedicated to the cider culture all over the world. She has now returned to Asturias and is working as an English teacher at an academy in Gijón. In this article Tess tells us all about her interesting experiences here.
I decided to go to Oviedo pretty much on a whim. I lived in Barcelona when I was little and I wanted to go back to Spain. I studied at the University of Oregon and they offered the AHA Oviedo program (now GEOviedo), so I thought, “why not?” Originally I decided I would spend Fall term in Oviedo and then go to Sevilla with the CIEE program. But when I got to Oviedo I fell in love with Asturias, the culture, the people and especially the women in the AHA office.
Carmen, Reme and Silvia went out of their way to make my stay—along with all the other study abroad students—the best it could be. If I ever needed anything, or had a problem with anything, they were there helping me out. The women turned into my Spanish aunts.
The longer I stayed in Oviedo, the more I fell in love with Asturias (the Principality of which Oviedo is the capital). It may rain a bit, but everything is green and beautiful (a lot like the Willamette Valley in Oregon). Asturias, like Oregon, offers a beautiful coastline and beaches and fantastic mountains where you can go hiking and/or skiing. Asturias is known as the “paraíso natural,” or the natural paradise. And it truly is… at least in my opinion.
Asturias also has its own traditions and culture. The traditional culture of Asturias is celtic: bagpipes, cider and trisquels. While in Asturias I became to appreciate the delights of the Asturian cider and the culture behind it. I even bought a history and legends book of Asturian cider—in Spanish and Asturiano (the local language)—and read it all the way through in a couple weeks.
It was from the inspiration of the Asturian cider and cider culture, along with many other things but that was the first and most important, that I decided to start an online magazine about hard cider around the world: HardCider International.
If you, or someone you know, is thinking about going to Oviedo to study: DO IT!
Tess Jewell-Larsen returned to Spain after graduating and is currently living in Asturias, teaching English and writing for HardCider International. She is also doing translating on the side to make a little extra money.
To view other articles written by Tess Jewell-Larsen visit:
The Forgotten Shock: Article written for the UO magazine Ethos about return culture shock.
Ruta de La Sidra: Articles about cider in Spain.