March 3rd 2014

Rebekah, another of our Student Ambassadors, has written a beautiful piece on her experiences studying abroad in Salamanca. Have an enjoyable read!

......................................................................................................................................

Upon arriving in Madrid two weeks ago, all the Americans fell asleep. I’ve found that while we dream in Salamanca, those we hold connections with back home are living our yesterday. In a sense, we are a part of two days everyday. This has been a concept hard for me to shake in learning to live fully here, both in this moment and in these surroundings.

I have grown accustomed to being in a beautiful area, and while San Diego is known for its beaches and sun, Salamanca has been just as beautiful with its rich history and depth of character. Some of the buildings date back to the 12^th Century, and you can practically feel the wisdom and experience seeping through the stone walls, and through the tombs lying beneath the Catedral Vieja. Some highlights deserving recognition include; the pastries, the tranquila atmosphere, the outline of the city, and the freedom to have the ability to live without needing a car. There are lots of young people, both Spanish and foreigners, who come to study at the university. I have yet to see someone walking down the street without class. People here have style. There are lots of fur coats, jewelry and general pizzazz present in the everyday, a much-appreciated change from the lazy attitude towards appearance that the US often harbors. I wasn’t kidding when I told friends I’d return a more cultured woman. And at the same time, the smallest cravings of things American have issued some of the highest rewards. Tacos, for example.

 My main experience with culture shock was going to see El Correo del Toros this past weekend at Ciudad Rodrigo. I stayed for only two of the four bullfights/corrida de toros. It got a bit emotional. A bunch of men (toreros) with pink and yellow capes began to play with the bull, distracting it for the first jab, which was made by a lancer on a horse (picador). After the toreros took turns pinning the bull with decorative swords, the matador entered scene. He had the bull run after the red cape, and in its exhaustion, the matador stabbed the bull a few times more. I did not expect the blood to be so bright. There was a moment in both fights where the bull was breathing super heavily, and looked up and around the stadium, as if searching for escape. He was eventually finished off (estocada) by a man with a short knife to the back of the neck and spinal cord. I don’t see how any other Taurus does it!

It has been a whirlwind of a time, and there’s still so many more adventures waiting to be had.

Some of the Best Advice I’ve Recently Received and Questions I’ve been Asked

-“Not all those who wander are lost.” -The Fellowship of The Ring by J.R.R. Tolken

-Walk like you own it, walk with a purpose

-Trust yourself

-Have fun

-What ideas are you collecting?

-Take time for yourself

-Listen with both your eyes and your ears

-“When death finds you, may it find you alive.” – African Proverb

-Work with that art of letting go and see what it means to be an independent self

Ciao until the Next Time.