Study Abroad Fall 2009
I started off my college experience extremely differently from the average student. I was accepted into a program through Colby College where I would spend my first semester abroad in Salamanca, Spain with a group of 24 other Colby freshmen. While I was rather hesitant at first, this ended being an amazing experience. I lived with a host family during my three and a half months in Salamanca and while this was very difficult during the first few weeks, it gave me a much deeper exposure to the Spanish language than I ever could have experienced in a class. Along with basic Spanish grammar and conversation courses I also took classes in Spanish such as Spanish Art History and Spanish Government. It was extremely interesting to take complicated subjects such as these and learn about them from a local perspective. Being in Salamanca gave me the opportunity to travel extensively throughout Spain as well as to other parts of Europe--an opportunity I fully took advantage of (see my european travels page for specifics and pics). Being with such a small group meant that we all became very close over the course of the trip and I made lifelong friends that I remain in close contact with even after transferring from Colby. While this certainly was not the most conventional way to kick off freshman year, I had a wonderful time and learned so much that I never would have in a traditional college classroom. Below I have attached a few photos from my time in Salamanca and from group excursions we went on throughout Spain to cities such as Toledo, Segovia, Galícia, Santander, and Sevilla.