Introduction 

My name is Danna Lituma. I am currently a student at Umass Lowell majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and Management. Out of all the places I could have possibly chosen to go on my first study abroad trip, I chose San Sebastián. When looking for a study abroad program I knew I wanted to go to Spain, I wanted to visit somewhere different but near the coast. San Sebastián to me seemed to be the most ideal place. After my three weeks here I can definitely say it was worth it.

Farewell Dinner

The farewell dinner will be a night to remember. The farewell dinner was the night we were all looking forward to because we knew we were all going to create one last memory together. For dinner we were given bread, ham, a tomato salad, steak with peppers, and even snail! I had never tried snail before and as strange as it is for me to say, it actually tasted really good. All these foods one way or another were new things we each were trying for the first time. One thing we had told each other constantly as a group was that we needed to try everything we were given even if it didn’t seem too appetizing. I’m glad I did because if I hadn’t I don’t think I would’ve had any food the entire three weeks. A lot of foods were new to me. After the main course, we were given desert! It was cheesecake and pantxineta. Not the biggest fan of cheesecake but I loved the pantxineta. 

Long Lasting Friendships

Over food the whole group was able to talk about special moments we experienced together in the last three weeks. Moments that we experienced together as well as in our seperate groups. We couldn’t believe how fast we were able to adjust as well as how fast time had gone. What was special about our group was how close we were able to get with each other in such a short amount of time. It amazes me how we all go to the same university, some of us in the same majors but never really ever crossed paths with each other.

One of the first things we were told is that time goes by really fast. But now I am a night away from leaving San Sebastián. The place that became home for us in such a short period of time. We will no longer be waking each other up in the mornings to make sure no one missed class, won’t be across the hall from each other, we will no longer be able to make quick plans to the beach or go for a quick midnight snack. But what we do have is long lasting friendships. When time started counting down it was scary to think about how we only had a week left in the city that had become our home. Three weeks may seem like a lot but once you experience it, the last day will feel like the first day was just yesterday. San Sebastián had become home to all of us. 

Nightly Walks

After dinner we took a walk along the road near the restaurant and reflected over our last few weeks. We talked about how we all felt the first day we arrived versus our thoughts about the place now. This was one of the very last walks we took together as a whole group with Professor Julian. This experience has been the one to help me begin my independent traveling. During our walk we talked to the professor about how we’ve gotten so used to the way of life in San Sebastián and he reminded us that once we go back home it may lead us to a state of confusion as to why so many things have to be different in the United States compared to Spain. 

Conclusion 

This trip has involved a lot of firsts for many of us. I am thankful I was able to experience them with the ones I did. I will never be in San Sebastián with the same group of people as a twenty year old again. The memories I’ve created and the friendships I’ve made will last beyond San Sebastián. Knowing I will never be able to experience this again is heartbreaking but it will forever live in my memories as one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. One piece of advice I will for sure take with me is to say yes to everything, every opportunity, you never know where it will lead you to and who you will meet. I am forever grateful to have been able to go through this experience. I hope I am able to come back in the future.