Abi in Salamanca, Spain!

My trip to Salamanca, Spain has been absolutely crazy. It has collectively been one of the best experiences of my life. However, it did not start out like that. My first month here can only be described as confusion. I knew my Spanish was pretty good, but it was not SPAIN good. When I first arrived in the Madrid airport, I was completely alone. Not many people spoke English so right off the plane I had to go into Spanish mode. I had to now find how I was going to get to Salamanca from Madrid. I wandered around the airport for about 30 minutes until someone FINALLY told me my bus was in another terminal miles away. So I finally get on the bus and then I get to Salamanca and find a hostel. In the hostel I start to look for places to live and my Spanish adviser recommended a dorm next to my faculty. So I moved into the dorm. It took me a while to make friends but I eventually found a group of girls to hang with and eat with. They put me in their Spanish group message and everything so I really felt like a Spaniard at this point. 

In the dorm.

I took 4 classes and it honestly took me about a month and a half to get adjusted to the Spanish life. But I began to make friends with a family who has a farm down in southern Spain that I now visit every weekend.

On the farm.

 

Horses are probably my favorite thing in the whole world and they have so many that I get to ride and I could not be happier. 

With a new friend.

Look who is riding a horse!

I also began to travel with one of my friends from UNCG who was studying in Italy. We went to Barcelona and Rome and had a blast. I really enjoyed Barcelona! Except for all the high tourist prices :( But now I am currently taking my exams and they seem to be  pretty easy so far (fingers crossed). The classes are very oddly structured in the sense that they really have no assignments. Spanish people are very laid-back and frankly my professors just don't like grading, so they don't assign. But that means practically all of my grade is based off of my exam which has been STRESSING me out lately. 

Cooking at home

I come home in less than a month and I can already feel the tears coming on. I have fallen in love with Spain and am sincerely considering living here after UNCG and teaching English. Just a thought :) Well, I will see you all in a bit!!! 

Abi Triau
Universidad de Salamanca
Salamanca, Spain