Sometimes, the simplest phrases resonate the most. When I heard my Spanish teachers use the phrase poco a poco (little by little) to reference the journey to learning language, it hit home.
As I type this, I’m sitting in my apartment that I share with two roommates from SPC and several others from various countries around the world. I’m in one of the most beautiful cities in Spain and I’m doing my best not to take this all for granted. Last year, I had every intention of going on this study abroad program to Salamanca, but I allowed myself to be consumed with doubts, allowed my anxiety to take its toll. I wanted to continue my Spanish education that I had been cultivating since middle school, but instead I continued on with my life and my other studies, putting my hopes to study abroad to the back of my mind.
This year, I started the process and committed to it, little by little taking the steps to ready myself for this experience, and before I knew it, it was time to take the journey. Like so many people, I can get so caught up in the day to day tasks and busyness of life that I don’t even take the time to appreciate the beauty all around me. However as I rode on the bus from the Madrid airport to Salamanca, chatting with one of the students on the way there, I also took my time to appreciate the countryside– the rolling hills with gold and red fields, the graffiti on the highway overpasses.
Salamanca itself is has a special kind of charm. It’s distinctive aesthetic in old town is one that matches its nearly 800 year old university and world famous cathedrals, tan bricks and cobblestone that give the town a timeless feel. Walking the streets, it’s sometimes hard to believe that this place is real. Seeing all the students from around the world and Spain walking through town, such a sharp contrast to the antiquity surrounding them snaps me right back to the here and now. My first day, I was unsure and taken aback by the environment, but little by little, I’ve found myself more confidently walking the streets and interacting with interesting people I would have otherwise never met, both in and out of the classroom. To top it all off, this program takes you to explore other beautiful places in Spain.
We’ve made so many awesome memories, like dining in an underground cellar in a small town, getting to see Segovia’s famous Roman aqueduct, and exploring medieval castles and cathedrals. Each experience enriches my understanding of the people, the culture, and the language beyond what I could learn from books and lessons.
My personal transformation from a first year college student struggling to navigate the new waters of young adulthood to the young adult I am today (a novice navigator with a slightly better sense of direction) has been full of ups and downs, but I can say without a doubt that I am proud of myself for taking the leap!
Every day I make new connections—between words, between people. Little by little, I can feel myself growing. And in this way, poco a poco, Salamanca has found a special place in my heart.