The QUEST to Spain trip returned this winter, allowing students the opportunity to explore the culture in Barcelona, Madrid, and Toledo! Students, both from within and outside of the QUEST Honors Program, spent 12 days in Spain to explore topics in innovation and design. 

After having a great experience on last year’s QUEST to Japan trip, Lexi Paidas (Cohort 31) felt excited to have another opportunity to go abroad with QUEST. She enjoyed not only attending business visits in Spain, but also taking opportunities to explore the culture and architecture of the cities. “We spent a lot of time learning about timeless design. There was beautiful architecture that’s been around for years.”

One of her favorite parts of the trip was a day trip to Montserrat. “We saw a beautiful Basilica when we were about 1,000 meters up. It was a weird weather day, so when we stepped off the bus, we could barely see anything from the fog. The basilica coming out of the fog was beautiful.” 

Lexi enjoyed learning about the timeless design that went into building basilicas like this one. She said, “A lot of time and effort goes into minute details to make it last a long time, and there are no shortcuts. You create with the idea that what you’re creating is everlasting.”

Another highlight of the trip was the day trip to Toledo, where students learned about how the history of the city impacted its culture. “It used to be their capital city, so they had a lot of turnover,” Lexi said. “There’s still a lot of prominent sections with different religions today. It was interesting how you could see the influence of different religions in different areas.” Lexi added that Toledo is where Spain makes a lot of their marzipan!

The students who travelled to Spain are excited to apply everything they learned about design and innovation to their courses and beyond! Where will QUEST go next?