Cheers from Salamanca

¡Buenos días, mis amigos! Here I am writing from one of my favorite cafes in Salamanca--El Corrillo--during what is actually the first moment I've found myself able to carve enough time out of my day to write this post. It is 2pm, I am drinking a glass of €1.50 white wine and, for lack of a better phrase, am feeling extremely in my element. As of today I have been in Spain for exactly one week, having arrived in Salamanca via bus from the Madrid airport around 3pm last Wednesday. Since then my days (and nights) have been extremely busy and at times a little overwhelming, but I love it.

Tuesday consisted of a relatively uneventful travel day, minus a few insignificant flight delays. After stepping off the bus in Salamanca on Wednesday afternoon, Andie and I were immediately greeted by our host mom with dos besos (a kiss on each cheek, customary for Spanish greetings) and a long string of Spanish words woven together in rapid excitement. Given that I basically hadn't slept in 24 hours, I could barely process English let alone Spanish, so our short trip to our new host home and the accompanying conversation are very blurry in my mind.

Upon entering the apartment we were greeted further by our host sister and our host mom's mother, father and husband. Muchos besos were involved and at this point I was feeling delusional. Fortunately we were able to take a nap right away. Several hours later, although still feeling groggy, we decided to explore the city since it was our first night. Mapless and phone-less we somehow managed to find our way to Plaza Mayor, the center of Salamanca. Seeing it for the first time, even in the dark, literally gave me chills because it's so beautiful and I felt so lucky that I get to call this place home for the next few months. See below:,)

We found a cute little bar called La Tentazion where I strayed little from my normal path by ordering a Jack & ginger ale (con una rodaja de naranja of course, which I had to ask for and was definitely judged). We met up with some other students in the program and then wandered upon the coolest cocktail bar ever, The Doctor. Behold the most beautiful frambuesa mojito you'll ever see.

Our night ended with a real-life, mildly painful but equally educational conversation in Spanish with some Italian Erasmus boys studying at the Universidad de Salamanca. (Erasmus is the equivalent of "study abroad" in the States, a program that facilitates exchange programs between EU countries). These authentic and spontaneous conversations with locals, strangers and students alike have gotten easier throughout the week and will continue to do so rapidly throughout my next few months (that's the plan, at least).

Thursday and Friday consisted of an absurd amount of orientation sessions and repetitive lectures about important types of things that I won't bore you with now. Friday night we had our first experience at a discoteca. And let me tell you, the Spanish are doing it right (#bringdiscotecastoLawrence2k17---get it trending). Dancing is an essential part of the going-out culture here. As is staying out excessively late, as some clubs don't even open until 3am. Yikes.

On Sunday our program (which consists of about 50 American students from universities all throughout the country) went on an excursion to a nearby city called Segovia, known for its incredible ancient aqueduct, beautiful castle and cathedral. It was an awesome day, minus the cold. ...I'll get to that later. But here's a cute pic of me and some friends and a two-thousand year old Roman aqueduct.

This week (Monday-Friday) consists of MORE orientation shenanigans, specifically a one-credit hour language & culture orientation class, in addition to daily recaps about ~important reminders~ such as culture shock, safety, academic policy, etc. Very important topics but I'm definitely ready to get into the swing of things with my real classes that start next week (although tonight we're learning how to salsa so I'm actually pretty pumped about that). In between classes and meetings we return to our host home for lunch and dinner with Dela (my host mom) and the fam. Dela is the absolute cutest. She's a big fan of siestas (naps) and not a big fan of Donald Trump. (On a side note: hearing thoughts and opinions about American politics from a foreigner's perspective is super interesting.)

All things aside, the past seven days have been a whirlwind. To wrap it up, here is a brief list of some things I've learned thus far (besides of course the Spanish language):

1. IT IS REALLY FREAKING COLD

A minor stereotype about Spain having a slightly tropical climate does exist. Since I've been here before I knew this was not the case, but nothing would prepare me for how freaking cold it is right now. Definitely colder than my last few winters in St. Louis/Lawrence (or so it feels; this is based off my tolerance level for cold temperatures, not facts). It also may have to do with the fact that we seem to constantly be outside, walking from one place to the other. Which brings me to my next point...

2. PREPARE TO WALK EVERYWHERE

Never have I ever walked so much in my life. Which is actually pretty great considering my host mom's meals consist of me eating my body weight in anything and everything she makes, in addition to lots of tapas.

3. TAPAS ARE LIFE

Speaking of tapas...we need more of them in the States. Literally every restaurant/cafe/bar here has them and they are AMAZING. Delicious, cheap, convenient and extremely versatile. There is never a time that isn't good for tapas.

4. THE LIFE OF AN UNFORTUNATE COFFEE ADDICT

On the topic of gastronomy, I have a serious problem with the coffee culture here. My coffee addiction is being highly threatened as a result of the country's minuscule coffee portions, lack of to-go cups and replacement of American brewed coffee with solely espresso. I have no issue with the espresso shots, but I need at least eight of them to fill my poor thermos that is being unwillingly neglected. Cafes and coffee shops literally don't have brewed coffee, only an espresso machine where they pull one shot of espresso and serve it in a small cup con o sin leche. They also don't have coffee drinks, like bottled/canned iced coffee or espresso drinks that you can buy in the store. SOS. If you love me, send me a care package laced with caffeine.

5. BRING DISCOTECAS TO LAWRENCE 2k17

As I previously mentioned, discotecas are the next best thing since sliced bread and the Spanish put American partying to shame with their inherently late nights and dancing. However, because nights last so long, no one feels obligated to chug or get drunk really fast. Instead I feel like there is more of an emphasis on actually having real, honest-to-God fun, rather than simply getting wasted, which is cool. @America

6. A SIESTA A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY

In Spain between the hours of roughly 2-4pm, the whole world stops. People leave their jobs, classes and obligations to go home and eat a lengthy meal with their family, relax and, if desired, nap. Dela always encourages us to get our daily siesta in. Siestas are already a part of my daily routine and I’m not mad about it.

7. SALAMANCA ES "LA PUTA POLLA"

I can already tell this will indefinitely be one of my favorite cities in the world. ¡Te amo mucho, Salamanca!

¡Saludos desde Salamanca & hasta luego!