¡Listo para Viajar!

As I’m preparing for my flight tomorrow morning, I double-check my packing list then check my carry-on and check bag, which weighs 45 lbs! The weight limit is 50 lbs, so I barely meet the limit. I keep reading through emails from my airline and IES Abroad to ensure I can enter Spain without any issue. All I have to do is wait for my covid test, then I am set! Even during covid, Spain is fairly easy to enter, which is good for me! All that is required is that I fill out a SpTH health form; my covid test was in case I am randomly selected because Spain only requires a proof of vaccination to enter. Before I go, I’ve been practicing my Spanish with my friends from South America and using Duolingo as a refresher.

The total amount of time it will take me to arrive in Spain is 14 hours and 30 minutes, including layovers. I cannot wait! However, it worries me that I have only flown on an airplane once, and I have never flown alone before. Luckily, a couple students that will be studying in Salamanca with me made a GroupMe where we shared our flight info to find out if any of us has the same flight. Sure enough, a couple of students will be flying out of the JFK airport on the same plane as me! As far as arrival at the Madrid airport, IES Abroad provided us with “Print-Me” documents to help us keep emergency numbers and pick-up information all in one place. This has taken off a lot of stress on what to do in Madrid. I will arrive at 8:45 a.m. and IES Abroad will pick us up at 10:30 a.m., so I have plenty of time to connect to airport Wi-Fi and call home.

A couple of things I am looking forward to when I arrive in Spain is the food, speaking Spanish and sightseeing! Some foods that I am looking forward to trying is the Spanish tortilla, which is a breakfast that is very similar to an omelet. There is also a dish called paella, which is rice and seafood. I also would like to try gazpacho, which is like a cold tomato soup. I will be trying these and will write a later post explaining which Spanish foods I suggest. Also, there are various sights I cannot wait to see! In Salamanca there are various sights I will have the opportunity to see on a daily basis such as Plaza Mayor or the old building of the Universidad de Salamanca. Outside of Salamanca, I plan on visiting the beaches of Barcelona or Bilbao. One of my professors at my university is from Bilbao, and she says the Basque Country (Bilbao) is a must-see while in Spain.

After the many trials and what-ifs covid brought, the trip is finally happening despite covid. I cannot wait, and I look forward to the many experiences I will have as I explore the culture and learn Spanish more fluently.