When I came to San Sebastian, I had no idea what to expect. I hadn’t even heard of it before seeing it as an option for a study abroad trip. This is the exact reason I chose this trip: to explore who I am when I’m in a new place where I don’t know the language or the people. I needed to force myself to be uncomfortable to grow. So, I boarded that airplane with an open mind, ready to take on the unknown.
Now that I’ve been here for almost 3 weeks I feel as if I’m finally getting the hang of it. I finally know my way around town, I have my favorite food spots, my favorite spot on the beach, and my everyday seat in class. In becoming familiar with the unknown I had to become accustomed to the way of life here in San Sebastián. The Basque Country has a slow way of life compared to what I’m used to. Back home I get out of bed and from there, I’m doing the next thing then the next thing until I’m back in bed at night. But, in San Sebastian, they prioritize the quality of life. When first learning about the idea of siesta, I was in utter shock. “ What do you mean you get the middle of the day to relax and reset?”. This idea was almost foreign to me as I have lived in a city my entire life. As I started partaking in Siesta by taking a nap after class, I felt as if my mind was able to reset and I could enjoy things I don’t usually make time for.
With this in mind, I decided to visit the aquarium today. Marine life has always been a huge interest of mine so I’ve been to aquariums in almost every place I’ve visited. But the aquarium in the Basque Country is different from the ones back home. Firstly the aquarium here starts with the history of Basque fishing and whaling. The second difference was the auditorium. At home when there’s an auditorium in the aquarium it is usually used for shows and entertainment. But this auditorium was just a seating area facing a huge tank. In this tank, they had all sorts of fish that you could just sit there and watch. So I sat there for around 30 minutes just watching the fish go about their lives. At the aquarium in the US, there aren’t many seating options where you can just sit back and enjoy the fish. But I noticed here seating was at almost every tank. I loved this element because I felt as if I could watch the fish for days. This just goes to show how the Basque people are really about enjoying life as it is. The peace I feel in San Sebastian is a peace that I haven’t been able to feel in a long time. I don’t think I’ve ever been in love with the place more.
The aquarium is right by a port on the coast. Which was perfect because today we were going to Santa Clara Island.
Once we met with the group, we got on the boat and sadly, the hidden beach that I was most excited for was not out today. But that didn’t stop people from enjoying the warm blue waters. Once we arrived we found a comfortable spot with a view for today’s lecture. Professor Z revealed to us some more examples of how life here is enjoyed. For instance, the tax rate in the Basque Country is a lot more than it is anywhere else in Spain. The people don’t mind paying this price because they feel as if they are seeing where their tax dollars are being used. We also discussed how different the rehabilitation for incarceration is in the Basque Country. When convicted you are placed in prison closest to where you reside. This is so that family and friends can easily visit you and you can be rehabilitated in a community where you are familiar. The rate of returning to prison is way lower than the 67% that it is in the United States. It seems as if in the United States they keep people in prison to profit financially, but in the Basque Country, they prioritize the person once again. This was the same for the ETAgroup when they were imprisoned in the Basque Country. As discussed in the novel “All that Followed” by Gabriel Urza. When members were incarcerated they were placed in prisons together. But in this case, it became harder for them to rehabilitate due to like-mindedness. Following this, the members of ETA were separated into prisons across Spain, France, and the islands. Which did make it harder for families and friends to visit but it was better for their individual growth.
The Basque people are a lot of things but one thing they will always have is pride. Pride in their language, pride in their people, pride in their culture, pride in their rights, and pride and what’s right. Because of this, locals were protesting against ETA countless times. It’s interesting because you can still see displays showing where people stand on issues all over the Basque Country today. For example, I’ve seen Palestinian flags all over town and in restaurants. I’ve seen posters discussing what’s going on in Gaza and people overall expressing their stance on it. I haven’t seen this much talk about what’s going on in Palestine in my city so I was relieved to see the awareness. San Sebastian has all the elements that make a perfect place and it will always hold a special place in my heart.
