Hi, my name is Sarah Holcomb and I am studying abroad in Trujillo, Spain this semester. Since arriving here in Trujillo, I have experience culture shock at its finest. From the moment I have stepped off the bus for the first time I was immersed in the culture and by that, I mean the open arms and of people I did not know. I was greeted with hugs and kisses on each cheek, which I later learned is the normal way people greet each other. As soon as I had gotten in the car with my host family, they began speaking to me in Spanish which of course I knew would happened, but I was just not as prepared as I thought I would be. At that very moment, I quickly realized that I had forgotten everything I have ever learned about Spanish and a whole summer of Duolingo had gotten me absolutely nowhere.

It was hard to adjust the first week or so. I was scared to talk to my host family because I was not confident in my Spanish skills. Every time I went out, I got lost and had to use Google Maps to find my way. Fortunately, I made friends with my classmates very quickly and I realized that we are all going through the same thing and it makes it so much easier to know that I have them to talk to when I have reached my maximum threshold.

My classmates and I started establishing our own little traditions for comfort. We have established a couple different restaurants and cafes as “our spot” for whenever we need to meet up with each other. Every night when we get out of class, we would sit on the edge of the wall and watch the sunset together. Trujillo has one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. Sitting on top of the castle with watching sunsets and looking at stars seems so surreal to me and I never thought I would be here.  As I began to grow closer to my classmates, we planned trips together. So far, I have visited Marseilles, France and Tangier, Morocco which were so incredible. This was especially interesting because my Spanish is not that great, I know maybe 3 words in French, but I knew NOTHING about Arabic which was a cultural shock in Morocco.  We have more planned for the future and I cannot wait! So far, I have met the most incredible people and have been to some beautiful places. I am very excited to see what is in store for the next couple months.