Spain- a summary

First of all, I'd like to say that I cannot believe that this trip is coming to a close. It feels like yesterday that we were lugging our grossly overweight luggage from the train station only to sit under the penetrating Castilian sun. After immersing myself in the Spanish Culture for six weeks, I can confidently say that I am now well versed in the quotidian customs of a typical Spanish family, some of which I like, and some of which I dislike.

I am truly impressed with how social Spaniards are. Every time I encounter someone in my apartment building, casual conversation ensues as if the building was some sort of community. New Jersians rarely exchange pleasantries with strangers so it's definitely a positive experience for me. It also impresses me how dedicated the Spaniards are towards their friends. Even the oldest, least physically stable Salamancans leave their houses every night to reunite with their friends. In inspires me that these people continue to meet, probably as they have been doing for years, despite their physical struggles.

I've also truly enjoyed my experiences sampling different tapas, especially at Don Cochinillo. I am a lover of food and being able to sample lots of different kinds of foods delicious foods that I've never tried before is a real treat for me. It's also amazing to me how cheap it is. In the United States, you would be hard pressed to find drinks as cheap as Don Cuchinillo's let alone with a free, generous portion of food.

I have to admit, I abhor the Spanish eating and sleeping schedule- it's incredibly inefficient! I believe that this is the paramount reason that Spain's economy perennially struggles. First, it is not smart to have a small breakfast of only carbohydrates and then wait 6 hours until the next meal. Every day I'm so hungry that I'm driven to the nearest cafe bar to buy a small tapa. I have yet to pass the time between breakfast and lunch without thinking about persistent hunger. Also, Spaniards go to bed very late and wake up quite early, forcing them to take a siesta. It's a cycle. When I get little sleep at night, I have to sleep during the day but when I sleep during the day, I get little sleep at night. This cycle drains my energy and I'm almost always in some sort of a drowsy state.

In the beginning of the trip, I honestly had doubts as to how the trip would turn out. Not until a week or two ago did I realize that this was definitely a life changing experience- learning all about the Iberian Peninsula, and forging impenetrable friendships along the way.