May 20, 2026

Starting off the morning, I did not want to wake up. I knew I had a long day ahead of me, and after almost one week in San Sebastián, the early mornings still had not fully grown on me. At the same time, there was something comforting about the routine I had started to settle into. The calm mornings, long walks through the city, and warmer weather had become familiar. San Sebastián no longer felt entirely new or overwhelming. Taking Spanish classes at Lacunza had become just another part of daily life, something expected rather than unfamiliar.

Like most weekdays, the morning started with class. Walking through the city to school, I noticed how much I had begun paying attention to smaller details like people sitting outside cafés drinking coffee, locals walking quickly to work, and the constant mix of Spanish and Basque written on signs throughout the city. What once felt foreign had slowly started to feel normal.

Later in the day, my group went on our pintxos tour through Parte Vieja, the Old Town of San Sebastián. The narrow streets were full of people moving in and out of restaurants, and every bar seemed packed with plates of food lined across the counter. Pintxos culture feels like something deeply tied to the identity of the city. Even being vegetarian, the tour introduced me to more options that I would’ve never known. It is not just about eating, but about community, conversation, and moving from place to place with friends and family. Walking through Parte Vieja, it became clear how food acts as a form of culture and connection here. Every stop felt different, yet tied together by the same atmosphere of energy and tradition.

However, the most meaningful part of my day came later when we met Stuart for our Basque language session. We met him at Parque de Cristina Enea, which turned out to be one of the best locations possible. It had been one of the hotter days of the week, and sitting in the shade under a tree made the class feel relaxed and informal. Instead of being in a classroom, surrounded by walls and desks, we were learning about Basque culture while sitting in a park that felt alive and peaceful.

Before coming to San Sebastián, I knew very little about the Basque language, or Euskara. I had heard that it was unique, but I did not fully understand what made it so important to the region. Learning about it made me realize that Basque is much more than simply another language people speak. It represents history, resilience, and identity.

Euskara is considered one of the oldest languages in Europe and is especially fascinating because it is not linguistically related to any other known language. Unlike Spanish, French, or English, which belong to larger language families, Basque stands alone. In many ways, it feels mysterious. Hearing Stuart explain this made me think about how unusual it is for a language to survive despite centuries of outside influence and political pressure. Even during difficult periods of history, including the dictatorship of Francisco Franco when Basque culture and language were suppressed, Euskara continued to survive through families and communities who refused to let it disappear.

One thing that surprised me most was learning that some English words have roots connected to Basque through French or Portuguese, including words like bizarre, anchovy, and silhouette. It was unexpected to see a connection between a language spoken in northern Spain and words I use without thinking in English. Small facts like that made the language feel less distant and more connected to the wider world.

The class also made me notice something I had been overlooking throughout my time in San Sebastián: Basque culture is always present, even when it is not obvious. It feels as though it is hidden in plain sight, quietly shaping daily life. You see it in street signs written in both Spanish and Euskara, hear it in conversations around the city, and experience it through traditions, food, and regional pride. Even if you do not immediately notice it as a visitor, it is always there beneath the surface.

By the end of the day, I realized that learning Basque was not really about memorizing words or phrases. It was about understanding the people and history of the place I am living in, even if only temporarily. San Sebastián feels different when you begin to understand the culture beneath the surface. What started as just another long day ended up becoming one of the most meaningful experiences I have had so far.