Bienvenidos a España!

Ahhhh España! Although this isn't my first time in Spain, my fascination and attraction to the country has not changed one bit. Currently, we are in our second week of the Salamanca program and I absolutely love it! My host family is great, I have made several new friends, classes are very interesting, and the city is simply beautiful. I recall taking my first tour around the city of Salamanca last week and being in awe due to the detail of the architecture. Also, the food here is extremely tasty and greatly contrasts from the food back in the States. During the first week of the program, I was introduced to the concept of "tapas" and the great restaurant "Cuchinillo Asado." (Thanks, Andy!) After trying la hamburguesa as a tapa, I knew that I was going to love all Spanish food. Even though these things are awesome, the liveliness of the city and the sense of unity from Spain's success in the World Cup has definitely been the most impressionable moment on me thus far. Everyone supports the team, which allows for an excellent time and a HUGE celebration with each victory. Each visit to El Corte Inglés is amazing and has really made me excited for what the remainder of this experience has to offer.

A few first impressions that shocked me included the lack of drinking fountains and the extremity of the weather. For the first couple days I was dehydrated all the time and drank water very frequently. Along with this, initially I couldn't really bare the heat, but I'm pretty much used to it now. However, these complaints are very minor and have not impacted my experience.

Overall, my first impressions of Spain are very good and I really look forward to the adventures that will take place with each new day. Here are a few photos below that encapsulate some of the things that I've done so far.