Hasta Luego

Being home has been a mixture of elation at being back with family and a the phantom pain of abruptly stopping my life abroad. I didn’t cry like I did the last time I left Spain-because I know I’ll be back. To me, leaving Spain this time was so much more of a confident “hasta luego” (see you later) than an “adios” (goodbye). Spain has been in my heart since 2013, and it’s not going anywhere. If anything, the lovely time I spent abroad strengthened my bond with the country and the culture even more.

In addition, I don’t even know where I would have been without the friends I made along the way. I came to Salamanca with the explicit intentions of meeting people from all walks of life--and I did. From my American friends from IES Abroad, who I frequently traveled with and dished about culture shock with, to my other international friends that I frequently ate dinner with, people who also had Spanish as a second language but pushed me to continue practicing (even when I was tired at the end of a long day) to my accommodating and patient Spanish friends who were eager to show me around and make me feel like one of them, I am eternally grateful for the amazing people I have met and how they impacted my life. Because of them, I didn’t go home weeping because I know I will be back and, in my heart of hearts, that I will see them again. Thanks to them, I really felt like I had a home away from home and was able to fall in love with Salamanca and the people of that wonderful city.

I will always be more than grateful for this amazing program for making me think outside of the box and become a global citizen with friends from Peru, Italy, Germany, Colombia, Spain, France, Nicaragua and the good old US of A.

This is me signing off, but not saying goodbye. Salamanca, thank you for everything, and I hope those of you following along have had your questions answered or enjoyed my journey as much as I have.

Hasta luego,

Maria