By Klea Gjergji ’22
Each year, Beverly High School offers an opportunity for students to study abroad in Spain for two weeks over the April vacation in order to immerse themselves into the culture and deepen their Spanish speaking skills. On this trip, students would be expected to house with a host family, attend school, and participate in afternoon cultural activities in Salamanca. I was lucky enough to be able to go on this trip and have an unforgettable experience with new knowledge and memories to share.
Once the group arrived in Salamanca after a long flight and two-hour bus ride, we were greeted by our host families that would provide a house and food for us during our stay. I remember how everyone would express their nervousness about living with a host family since it was something we had never done, but looking back on it, it wasn’t as uncomfortable as I thought it would be. After a couple of days of culture shock, it was easier to get to know the family personally and get used to the daily routine.
Every morning from Monday to Friday, we would enjoy a peaceful walk to school at 9 A.M.. The school consisted of reading, writing, and speaking solely in Spanish untIl our break time at 11 A.M.. During our break, we sat down at a cafe across the street to enjoy a hot café con leche, hot chocolate, churros, and other authentic Spanish treats. Once we finished our school day at 1:15 P.M., we were to eat a big delicious lunch with our family and then go out to explore the city as we wished. I enjoyed that we had a lot of freedom to experience the city on our own, especially when it came to going out or grabbing a bite to eat.
Some of my favorite activities included shopping around the beautiful Plaza Mayor, getting tasty stracciatella ice cream or pastries with the group, and walking around Madrid on a warm sunny day. There were moments when our group went to dinner all together and my favorite places we went were restaurants known as ‘Gino’s’ and ‘Vips’ which were unique to Spain. I also enjoyed going on an excursion to Segovia and Ávila, which are two cities close to Salamanca that had amazing castles and historical landmarks. Not only did we look at grand architecture during our stay, but we also attended a cooking class, a flamenco dancing class, and a tapas tour around the city.
When we went to Madrid during the last weekend of our stay, we wandered around with a tour guide who introduced us to some of the most famous spots in the city. She showed us the Plaza Mayor of Madrid, the Royal Palace, and the Gran Vía street which was filled with restaurants and shopping centers. Later in the afternoon, we visited the Prado Museum which featured well-known Spanish artists such as Goya and Greco, and the Reina Sofía which was a museum of contemporary art that featured Picasso’s Guernica, one of his most famous works. Spending our last night in Madrid was a great way to end off our experience in Spain before our flight the next morning.
Going on this trip introduced me to new friendships and bonds, an incredible amount of Spanish-speaking knowledge, and exposure to a new culture that I would not have had otherwise. This trip convinced me to continue taking Spanish my senior year and learn even more about the language. I would highly recommend seizing the opportunity to travel to Spain next year for a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
