The first event I experienced in Trujillo was called Carnival. It was a three day celebration with lots of food, drink, music, and the running of the bulls. Growing up learning about this event made the experience even more exciting because I knew it was a huge cultural tradition. Although I did not run with the bulls myself, I was filled with adrenaline solely off of the energy Trujillo gave off.

It has been over 6 weeks since I have arrived, and I am seeing so much progress in my Spanish-speaking abilities. The people of Trujillo can be difficult to understand since they speak very fast and leave many sounds out of their words. Given this, I have quickly adapted and am now able to hold conversations with the majority of the locals I have met. This is a super rewarding feeling and one I am very proud of. 

There are many cultural differences between Spain and the United States, one of which is called “siesta”. From 2:00pm-4:00pm, Spain takes about a two hour break from work and spends that time eating lunch and relaxing. I really enjoy this aspect of their culture because it slows down the day and relieves stress. Even if there is a day where I am busy with a lot of homework or studying, I give myself those two hours to decompress and reset. I feel rushed in the United States and that I need to accomplish as much as possible everyday. That can be an exhaustive lifestyle but it is not similar to the energy here in Spain. I really admire this aspect about their culture.