Memories of the Class of Fall ‘17

So obviously I’m not the only one in this program so I decided to post something a little different. I gathered the opinions of my classmates and thought I would share this with you all. I’m going to be honest, initially this idea manifested from writer’s block but it has turned out to be one of my favorite posts. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of friends to share this experience with.

What has been your most memorable moment / favorite experience during your semester abroad?

“Every time I run in Salamanca I find something new. On a normal school day I am usually so stuck in my routine (class, food, homework) that I don’t take the time to explore the city like I did during the first couple weeks of being here. Running is my excuse to take some time out of my day to see new sights and find new little gems around the city!”

“My favorite memories have definitely been anytime I get the chance to explore some place new with the new friends I have made. It is just so beautiful here and the people on this program have been muy guay.”

“My favorite moment abroad was when I realized that I hadn’t just made ‘abroad friends’ but that I’d made true friends for life.”

“I found the love of my life. Chorizo.”

“I remember travelling back to my host family’s house after I visited a friend in Nantes, France. When I got off the train in Salamanca and got back to my little room, I realized in that moment that I had called it home. I was saying to myself, ‘I’m coming home!’ Spain is by no means my actual home, but the very fact I called Salamanca home made me see how comfortable I was here and how many lives I’ve met just by coming here. I will never be the same, and I will miss this place so much.”

“Our orientation trip was walking the Camino de Santiago. Seeing the countryside of Galicia was incredible and I could not have asked for a better way to get to know people. My calloused feet and my incredible friendships have this experience to thank.”

“The residence hall felt just like a home, everyone was so inviting, and I turned into chef Gordon Ramsey Jr.”

“My favorite moment was my first day in Salamanca when I had to buy bedding for my dorm room. I had no clue how to say one word and it took 45 minutes. Eventually, after a lot of pointing, I left the store with a pillow, but could not figure out how to find a comforter.”

“Strangely enough, as much as IES Abroad makes happen outside of the classroom, some of my fondest memories of the semester will always be the hilarious games of ‘Kahoot’ played in my 9 AM Spanish language class.”

“Being extremely sick on a Thursday but still taking a 2-hour long bus ride in order to sleep in an airport overnight just to catch an early flight to Rome.”

“Every day I have my ‘I am abroad’ realization. Sometimes I am just walking to class and walking through the Plaza Mayor and remember that I am in currently living in Spain and other times it’s when I am standing on the table at Oktoberfest in a dirndl with my best friends from college and home singing songs in Germany.”

“I honestly never thought I would meet or talk to classmates from Spain but now I have made friends that I will continue to talk to even when I return home. I will always remember the conversations we had here in Salamanca.”

“One of my favorite things was coming back from a trip and feeling like I was coming home to Salamanca. Having a family and friends to come back to here has been so great and has made my experience really comfortable and so fun! I’ll definitely miss my host mom’s meals, the beautiful city and spending time in the Plaza.”

“Something that is permanently ingrained in my memory is my visit to the palaces in Sintra, Portugal. I was with a group of new people that I grew much closer to, and also had some lovely moments alone to absorb the incredible, vibrant colors and views. On the way back, we rode in a taxi and spoke 6 different languages with our driver. That is something I’ll never forget.”

“My favorite part about studying abroad has been exploring Salamanca with new and old friends and feeling like I live here and not like a tourist.”

“Liam about a street in Rome: ‘Goodness gracious, it’s so enchanting’.”

“Learning to navigate the sidewalks of Salamanca was a memorable experience. The most dangerous thing in the city is an abuela with a paraguas.”

“Looking back, I don’t know if I can pinpoint one exact moment, but I can definitely pinpoint a feeling. It was filled with an extreme sense of happiness, contentment and closeness with the incredible people I met. I’ll never forget the laughs, the experiences, and the city that stole my heart.”

Cariñosos saludos,

Izzie