Although a part of me feels as though my thoughts and feelings about this phenomenal trip could be summed up in a heartfelt and enthusiastic “Eskerrik asko” (the Basque phrase for “thank you very much”), I suppose that there is actually a great deal of places, pintxos and experiences that deserve to be recognized before our final signing off. While even just the highlights of the trip can’t be shoved down nicely into one neatly packed blog post (much like the contents of our suitcases by the end of our stay), I believe that I can get my message across by focusing on three main aspects of our time: the sites, the food, and the languages.

I can honestly say that my mind was first blown on our second full day in San Sebastian, when the professor took us on a trip up the funicular (a little mountainside cable train) to see the magnificent view of the sea and the beaches below us. There was a one hundred year old roller coaster at the top, as well as a lazy river that floated along the edge of the mountain. Both of these rides took us on breathtaking trips around opposite sides of the mountain, the lazy river featuring the turquoise sea beneath us and the roller coaster showing off the lush green of the Basque mountains and countryside next to us.

Another site that blew me away were the views from the Talai Berri winery that we visited on our second week. I remember complaining to my parents over the phone that it was such a dreary day, and that I didn’t want the gray weather ruining what I had heard was a spectacular view. I was pleasantly surprised once we arrived, and I saw that the cloudy skies didn’t deter from the beauty of the expansive fields and burnt clay colored houses in the slightest. In fact, there was something extra dreamy about the foggy fields and misty, rolling hills, and it became clear to me then and there that even the weather was not a force with the power of distracting from the mystical beauty of the Basque Country.

Before getting to the city, I was skeptical of the claims that San Sebastian held the title for some of the best food in Europe, since I personally had never heard of the city, least of all its food, by name before. I was put in my place as an amateur foodie almost immediately after arrival by the simplest of things: bread and cheese. Our first night, having arrived in that not-so-sweet spot between 4:30 and 7:30 when most restaurants were closed for siesta, my classmates and I set out on a mission powered by a mix of curiosity and desperation to find some food for ourselves. Each time we thought we had found a place, the host would tell one of us (in Spanish, of course) that they were only open for drinks, and that the kitchen would remain closed until 7:30 or 8:00.

Eventually, after about an hour of wandering in this new and foreign city, we stumbled across a market packed with shelves of cheeses, jamon, and freshly baked bread. Our group scrambled to find a nearby park to feast. Somehow, that meal (costing no more than 5 euros) was the best I’d had in weeks, although it couldn’t begin to compare to any of the food that San Sebastian had in store for us next.

The pintxo tour in Parte Vieja really opened my eyes to the successful creativity of the Basque people when it came to their food. Each dish was so simple in terms of ingredients, yet so incredibly flavorful. We tried things like gazpacho, fresh anchovies on toast and even pig’s ear. While I’ve always considered myself an adventurous eater, it was really cool to explore this new cuisine, and super fun to watch my classmates venture outside of their comfort zones and discover their new interests.

Learning about and interacting with the languages (Spanish and Basque) was probably the most fascinating and rewarding aspect of the trip for me. I had a lot of trouble keeping up with my classmates in our Spanish classes, but I found that it provided me with a new perspective to take home with me and a new appreciation for language, which I find to be the most interesting part of culture. This trip presented me with so many new obstacles that challenged me to put both my verbal and nonverbal communication skills to the test, as well as rethink the way I viewed communication, even within the English language.

In the end, I’m just so thankful that I had the opportunity to be a part of this amazing trip!