𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴:

“When Can I See You Again?” By: Owl City

01:09 ━━━━●───── 03:37

ㅤ ㅤ◁ㅤ ❚❚ ㅤ▷ ㅤㅤ

Munich Airport. Connecting Flight to Bilbao. Local time 10:14 AM.

I see her in my peripheral vision walking up from behind me.

“Hi,”

I’m leaned over a trash can in the Munich airport. She grabs my hair for me and holds it back in a ponytail.

“I’m Sabrina. Do you have a hair tie?”

“No, I don’t think so.” 

I’m embarrassed as hell. My new classmates watch from the distance as I vomit into the trash can. On my first flight ever to Europe, I come to find out that I get severe airplane sickness. Mixed with the nerves of traveling alone for the first time and meeting the people I’ll spend my next 3 weeks with in San Sebastián, the nausea took over and I could not stop throwing up. Way to make a great first impression like I planned, I’m thinking to myself. Sabrina slides a hair tie off her wrist and hands it to me. 

“Let’s go.”

She leads me away to the rest of the group. Paige, Sandor, Lara and Jayna wait for me.

Here’s how I started my trip to Spain back on July 6th, but today I didn’t expect that everything would be so different. I didn’t expect that I would have so much dread for returning home and leaving this place behind until next time. I never thought I would miss these newfound friendships so much.

When I think back to this first moment, an embarrassing one to say the least, I never envisioned to be right here where I am today on the last day of our trip together. Getting off of the plane, I vowed to myself i’d never do this again, never travel again, this was a mistake. Although it wasn’t hard for me to change my mind after stepping into the city for the first time with fresh eyes. Looking around here at everyone today, I can’t believe how much you can get to know someone in three weeks. Navigating an entirely alien environment together, attempting to communicate in a new language, and coordinating transportation together brings people closer together than you might think. Those who were once complete strangers are sitting around me as my friends. 

Professor Z. asked us to recount one of our highlights of the trip, a surprise, and a bucket list activity we have yet to accomplish.

I expected to reminisce the most on the places I visited and the beautiful scenes I saw here in the city of San Sebastián. Do not get me wrong, this trip would not be half as impactful as it was if I was in any other country, in any other city. But today I want to say that the most important thing on this trip wasn’t the insane spots, the marvelous beach days, or even the delicious Gilda. I’ve emerged from this experience whole heartedly understanding that the most incredible thing I’ve experienced on this trip was getting to know each of my classmates and spending time with them in the city. Getting pintxos (especially pintxo-pote), planning beach days, shopping for souvenirs, riding bikes alongside one another, complaining about Spanish class – I could go on listing hundreds of things we ended up doing together. 

I am beyond grateful for the amazing people in Session 1. As soon as we landed I quickly connected with my newfound friends Jesse, Aava, Eleny, and Paige. We started to spill the chismes (gossip) on the Santa Clara Island after our Ferry Ride, laughing and dancing together on the sand after ordering some delicious drinks. Soon after we began to spend time with the rest of the ladies, Evelyn, Lara, Sabrina, and Jayna, chatting about our lives back home and bonding over our trip. I won’t forget laughing until 2 AM during late night Jackbox sessions in Jake’s room with the dudes; we’re never gonna look at corn on the cob the same. (If you know you know.) 

I know I’m just sitting here reminiscing on all of these memories, but on my last day of these 3 weeks, that’s one of my favorite things to do. We sat on the Zurriola Beach today with our towels connected to make one huge “picnic blanket.” Before long we relocated due to the rain drizzling down on us, then clearing again an hour later. But little hardships like these never ruin our mood and we always work around them, because it seems to work out in the end every time. We passed around chorizo, cheeses, olives, and ate tortilla from one of JZ’s favorite spots in Gros.

Professor Z. gave us a few last closing bits of advice before we parted ways. He expressed to us how this trip is just the beginning of our journey with traveling and seeing the world. He said to never stop following the voice that led us to say yes to leaving the safeness of our home country and experience studying abroad. When you travel abroad, you learn to step out of your bubble of comfort. Before I came here, I expected to want to spend way more time alone. But I pushed myself to get out of my room and to send that message to the group chat. What are we doing tonight? Despite being hella scared, wanting to make a great impression on everyone, and not knowing how people might perceive me, I realize now everything’s gonna be way easier from now on. All I can say is thanks to everyone, because it’s been a pleasure spending this trip with you. And it turns out that getting sick as a dog in the airport was 100% worth it.

I don’t want to call today’s event with Professor Z. our “Farewell Picnic,” because all of us have already promised to see each other again when we’re all back in Massachusetts. 

So for now, all I have to say is,

When can we do this again?

By Jesse Friedman

The past 10 days spent in San Sebastian have been nothing short of spectacular. The picturesque city buzzes with excitement each day and I feel incredibly lucky to take it all in. Each street is beautiful with detailed architecture that is surrounded by oceanside views- a distinct difference from back home. Exploring the city of Donostia truly feels like a dream.

One of my favorite aspects of my time in Spain is getting close to Spanish and Basque culture, and my favorite way to do it is through experiencing local gastronomy. Of course, I had to try out as many pintxos as possible. My favorite so far being the Gilda and the Delicia, other pintxos such as the calemares en tinta (squid with ink) are less favorable, however it is still worth it to try as many as possible. Beyond experiencing Basque culture through gastronomy, the city continues to fascinate me. From the innovative basque food scene, to the beautifully detailed architecture, and the overall liveliness of the city, there is not a single part of the city that feels bland. In the evenings it’s easy to get lost in the middle of town, observing fiestas that seem to occur at random and enjoying the excitement that fills the streets each night.
In the morning I wake up sleepy from all the adventures that occurred the day before, however, I quickly am rejuvenated by the excitement of what’s ahead. Even my commute to Spanish school contains a unique beauty, as my bike ride weaves through local towns and I enjoy viewing the basque coast and the Bay of Biscay. When I arrive at Spanish class each morning, I spend the first hours of my day picking up on information I can later use to communicate with locals. During class, I also get to meet other students from all around the world who are also in San Sebastián to learn Spanish. And during break I get to practice my newly learned Spanish in local cafes while I socialize with other students over bocadillos and cappuccinos.

After Spanish class concludes on weekdays, the whole group engages in activities that further deepen our understanding of the Basque country. Today, on July 15th, our group walked to the Comb of the Wind, located at Ondarreta beach. As we discussed the significance of the sculptures created by basque artists, surging waves crashed behind us. One of the most memorable parts about studying in San Sabastian is that each day is seldom mundane and every moment hosts unexpected beauty.

    Continuing into the afternoon our group hiked Mount Igueldo. We climbed a steep greystoned staircase that guided us onto a funicular ride, which took us thousands of feet above the ground. Once our group arrived at the top, the expansive view of the city glimmered in the distance. When our attention finally diverted away from the magnificent landscapes below us, we enjoyed one of the oldest amusement parks in all of Western Europe. There, a short rollercoaster ride that is over 100 years old is woven around the cliffside. Cruising alongside the mountainous bluff triggered butterflies in our stomachs, lighthearted screams, and memories to last. Finally, wrapping up our amusement park adventures with a gelato and newfound friends was the perfect way to end our group tour of Mount Igueldo. 

In Donastia, where each day brings forth a new adventure and every morning introduces a novel experience, there’s always an opportunity to learn something new. Coming into the trip with no prior experience learning Spanish, I was initially nervous about a language barrier. However, in just over a week I have started to understand full conversations in Spanish and speak just enough to interact with locals. Although I was previously skeptical about traveling to a country where I did not speak the language, my abroad experience so far has shifted my mindset. I am now much more confident in taking on these challenges and have a lot of fun doing it. As the days pass and the study abroad program comes closer to the halfway mark, I am surprised at just how much I have learned in such a short time. Whether I am familiarizing myself with a new city or expanding upon my communication skills, I am sure I will take these valuable experiences back home.