What a week! I haven’t been in Salamanca long at all and yet my love for Salamanca has grown to an insurmountable amount. Each day one spends in Salamanca is a day to learn something new to love about it.
In such a small city one would not think there would be much going on; however, it actually is the opposite. Every day, and night, one can wander the streets of Salamanca and discover new things to do as well as new things to appreciate. For example, the first night I was here I saw an enormous and mesmerizing display of fireworks and the next day we explored the local shops. Then, later in the week there were light displays hidden in all parts of the city so I was able to visit a new part of the lights festival each night. Simply walking up and down the streets is enough to see just how beautiful Salamanca really is. One learns to appreciate the beauty a wall can have because the buildings are unlike anything I personally have seen in the states. Not to mention the fact that the city gets even better at night with the lights illuminating the beautiful architecture and just makes the city look unreal! Basically, the whole city welcomes you with open arms inviting you to come and enjoy all that Salamanca has to offer and you can’t say no.
The city welcomed me, as did my host family, and I could not be more happy with the experiences that have come with that. My roommate, Rebekah, and I have been able to meet other students from all over the world who have also come to Salamanca to study Spanish amongst the rich culture of Spain. We have met students from France, Tahiti, Holland, England, Portugal, Ireland, and many other places. I never expected to come into this program and become friends with people from other countries (besides Spain) and other programs. I have also come to learn and love the people that I live with. I now can’t imagine this experience without the other students in my house that I have befriended.
Besides the friendships at home, I have also come to make close bonds with the other SPC students on this trip. After one week I have learned that Jaci is the best dancing partner because she will laugh it off with you when you have absolutely no rhythm. Scottie is great because she is friends with everyone and you can have a great time with her no matter what. Thu is the best photographer and she captures every moment and every person. Ronelia will always bring the energy (and dancing) to every situation and it is hard to not have a fun time with her. Valerie is already fluent in Spanish, but she is always open to learning more and perfecting herself as well as helping others in doing the same. Lastly, Rebekah, my roommate, is the best person to hang out, meet new people, and explore Spain with. I couldn’t mention everyone in the group, but every single person has contributed to the great memories I have made thus far. This trip has brought me so many new friendships and I am so lucky to share this amazing experience with a group of equally amazing people.
I can’t thank Señora Levin and Señora Osiris enough for making this great program what it is and making it such an amazing program to be apart of. Also, I have to thank my teachers and pretty much all of the faculty at Estudio Sampere for being so helpful, informative, and just so welcoming as well.
After experiencing all of this in such a short amount of time, I can’t wait to see what Salamanca has in store for me next.