Ready? Am I ready?! As I’ll ever be, I guess! In just one day I’ll be 7,651 kilometers away (yes, I’ve been practicing my mile to kilometer conversions as I better get used to that system…soon!) Less than 15 hours from now I’ll be walking down the streets of the exquisite little town where my grandparents met ages ago, studying in a university founded in 1134 and with a rich history of THE Spanish legends.
…And living with a host family! Now THAT’S the part I’m really excited about… When else in my life will I get the chance to basically get adopted by an adorable salamantina lady who apparently is a fabulous cook and enjoys watching Spanish soap operas? After touching base with a girl who stayed with her, I’ve also learned she has a very sweet son who apparently “upon first appearance can look a little tough (piercings, tattoos).” Beauty and the Beast, anyone?
I hear that the “kitchen is the heart of the home in Spain” and my mouth waters just picturing the “tapas” and “pinchos” that will, before I know it, be the death of me– via worthwhile calories. Yay for real sangrias, and the weekly “botellón” too! Apparently this second phenomenon is quite the tradition among Spanish youths today, and is basically the same idea as a “pre-game” except in public and much later at night, with the exception that Spaniards do not seem to find drunk American girls (or any drunk girls for that matter) to be cute. I’ll finally have a legitimate excuse to be on the nocturnal side, and considered to be normal too! Cervantes, Góngora, and even Fray Luis de León would be proud!
