Student Journals: AIFS in Salamanca, Spain

Emily Bartlett
The College of William and Mary
University of Salamanca, Spain

To read about Salamanca in the pages of a brochure is one thing, but to live here is quite another experience. Riding in the coach from the Madrid airport to Salamanca three weeks ago awakened my senses: our group began our semester. I saw Salamanca soaring over the Rio Tormes, even more grand than in any picture. With seven months since first applying to study abroad, all of my dreams of Salamanca lay waiting in the golden city over the bridge.

Many of my family and friends did not know the city. I, myself, did not know of Salamanca before gazing over the AIFS packets the fall of my freshmen year in college. I would reply to family questions, Salamanca is within the Castilla y Leon region, a two hour bus ride Northwest of Madrid, or between Madrid and Portugal. Someone even called the city “Salamander” by mistake. Little did I know how special the city would feel.

In the morning, Salamanca has a crisp feel to the air; the streets are quiet and the sun illuminates the sleeping buildings. Just before lunch, around 2:30 in the afternoon, the Plaza Mayor buzzes with energy. People of all ages and countries transform the simple act of walking to class into an international tour. The Plaza Mayor is indeed the heart of the city, changing from quiet to bustling as the sun rises. The sun casts an orange glow over the city in the late afternoon; shadows grow, and the rhythm changes once again. Energy returns to the city and to the people after siesta. One of the most spectacular sites in town occurs just after 8:30 in the evening, a recent discovery of mine this week. If you stand in the Plaza, check the reloj on the main façade, without blinking, you will see the golden lights of the Plaza illuminate in one flash. The crowd erupts with delight, and laughs from the true Salmantinos who find it hard not to notice the tourists.

An intrinsic feature of a student is pride in the University. The oldest University in Spain, one tour through the academic buildings will light up the curiosity of any student. First you must learn the secrets, the magic behind the University. You must discover the frog on the façade of the University and the Victory sign on the walls. To study in Salamanca is to feel closeness to the students who walked the same paths so many years ago.

Something quite reassuring is the homestay and the comfort your Señora will spill upon you. Soon you will offer directions to newcomers, and converse in Spanish without thinking in English. Every day you may discover a hidden treasure of the city or bask in the comfortable atmosphere in the murmur of travelers; people passing through to admire the wonders of the city or longtime community members who know every inch of the cobblestone streets. It is a wonder to share a classroom with students from different countries, and reassuring to laugh with a Spanish friend about a shared experience.

You shape your study abroad experience with choices every day; most importantly your first choice, the city in which you will study. Here I feel comfortable in routine, challenged in changing my ways and delighted with the opportunities that wait in the next three months. The Latin saying goes a little something like “What nature hasn’t given you, Salamanca won’t give you”, but what you bring to Salamanca, all of your hopes, desires, talents and curiosities, will resonate in this ancient city.