The Return Back To The United States

I must admit, the transition back to life in the United States has been quite different and even challenging at times. Although I am very happy to be home, I greatly miss Spain and all the great rewards of the journey. I look back and think about the friends that I made, the bond with my host family, the great classes, and the culture. I truly miss all of these things and it is a struggle to deal with the reality that I finally am back home. However, spending quality time with my family and friends outweighs the sadness that I have from departing Spain.

When I arrived in New York for my layover, it was a culture shock for me because I was expecting everyone to speak Spanish. In fact, when I talked to a flight attendant, I inadvertently used Spanish because that had become my primary language this summer. The entire trip back home was extremely long and exhausting. I am just now recovering from my jet lag and adapting back to US Eastern time. For a while, I just wanted to sleep in my own bed and reflect on things. Not to mention, I was very stressed with the burden of unpacking all of my luggage as well. Regardless of these obstacles, I am happy and doing very well now.

The most drastic change from Spain back to the United States is definitely the communication. At times, I find myself speaking very quickly or searching for words during a normal conversation. This is something that never would happen to me before, but since I was accustomed to the conversational style in Spain, switching back to the English dialect has been difficult. For example, my mom and I went to the Apple store the day after I returned, and I just couldn't seem to find the right words when talking to the consultant. I was very frustrated, but I am gradually easing back into things.

Surprisingly, I wasn't really as happy as I thought I would be when I first arrived home. I was overwhelmed with many emotions that I just could not handle at the time. I wanted my space so I could gather my thoughts. However, now I am very happy to be back and I am completely satisfied with my experience. My time in Spain this summer was one of the best in my life, and I will definitely treasure the memories forever. Not only did my Spanish-speaking improve, but I feel that I have become a better person as a result of the experience too. My Salamanca Summer is one that I will never ever forget!

Here are a few photos of me unpacking and at the airport: