Author: Mercedes Bleth

I just finished up my third and final week of my language camp in Salamanca, and I miss it so much already. I met so many incredible people during my travels­ that I will remember for a lifetime. Here are a few of the people that shaped my experience.

My Spanish Host Family

My host family was extremely kind and welcoming. They always asked me how I was doing, and were able to help me with anything I needed. They made an effort to teach me new Spanish vocabulary, and helped me with my grammar when I didn’t understand. Nerea, the two year old daughter, was very cute, and she always played with me!

My International Friends­

Meeting new friends was one of the best parts of traveling abroad. I met friends from every corner of the world. I was able to embrace and learn about Spanish culture, while learning about the culture of the homes of my new friends!

My Spanish Teachers

My teachers were all so wonderful. They held discussions in class everyday, and really cared about the students. Each teacher truly had a passion for their job and was excited to be at school.

 

Allie Larman is 15 years old and lives in Berkeley, California. Her goal during his language program in Salamanca, Spain is “to learn and try Spanish dance styles such as Flamenco while I am in Salamanca. I practice American dance at home, and I hope to broaden my dance horizons.” Follow Allie’s adventures in Spain on her weekly blog post updates.

My past two weeks in Salamanca have been truly life changing. Last weekend, I visited La Pena de Francia, a little pueblo (village), with breathtaking views. I have developed an amazing group of friends who I absolutely love. Unfortunately, the majority of them are leaving tomorrow, so we are all going out to dinner tonight to wish them farewell.

My Spanish speaking skills have greatly improved, and I find myself speaking with ease in conversations with the locals and in class. I have learned innumerable things in the past in the past couple weeks here, that have helped me have the best language camp experience possible.

My top 4 language camp tips:

1. Don’t shy away from conversation in class

Speak as much as possible in class, and participate in class discussions. It is often easier to sit in the back of class, zoning out, but personally, I find class conversations one of the most helpful parts of my time here. It is extremely helpful to practice your Spanish in a safe, judgement-free, environment and get personalized feedback.

2. Try to make a variety of friends

The language camp is a very international school. Almost all of the friends I have made here are from different countries, (ex. Ireland, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Singapore). I have learned about so many different cultures, while also embracing Spanish culture. It is an amazing feeling to know you have friends all over the world, and you have someone to show you around their countries. It also forces you to practice more Spanish, as many of your friends may not speak English.

3. Get out and see the sights

While a 3 hour siesta (nap) is occasionally necessary, try to get out of the house and explore as much as possible! Salamanca is full of things to see and do.

 

4. Be prepared to fall in love with Salamanca

Salamanca is a truly incredible city, the people are incredible, the architecture is unparalleled, and is simply an amazing place. I am completely in love with the city, and wish I could stay forever. The thought of leaving seems like an impossible task. You may never want to leave!

 

Allie Larman is 15 years old and lives in Berkeley, California. Her goal during his language program in Salamanca, Spain is “to learn and try Spanish dance styles such as Flamenco while I am in Salamanca. I practice American dance at home, and I hope to broaden my dance horizons.” Follow Allie’s adventures in Spain on her weekly blog post updates.

¡Hola! I am just finishing up my first week in Salamanca, and it has been an incredible experience so far. I have had lots of fun, made some great friends, and have had endless opportunities to practice my Spanish. I have noticed many differences between Spain and California, and one of the biggest differences is the food!

Meals are at different times, there is many more sweet foods, and I am always snacking.

Here is a sample of what I usually eat in a typical day:

 

8:00 A.M- El Desayuno (Breakfast)

Breakfast is usually very sweet, and smaller than American breakfasts. I eat a slice of bread with nutella, and a glass of orange juice.

 

10:30 A.M- La Merienda (Snack)

Everyday, we have a 30 minute break in between my language classes. My friends and I head to a bakery to pick up some coffee, and a pastry.

11:00 A.M- Trip to the mercado (market)

Today, my class visited the local market. There were many types of fish I have never heard of before, and lots of meat. Jamon (ham) is very popular here, and there was lots of it sold at the market.

1:30 P.M- El Almuerzo (Lunch)

After class, my roommates and I head back to our house for lunch. We typically eat lunch with one of our host sisters, Wendy, who is 12 years old. We ask her about her life in Spain, and she teaches us Spanish vocabulary. Our host family cooks us something different everyday, today we had spaghetti. Pan (bread) is always served at meals. In California, we rarely have bread with our meals, but I am happy with the new addition to the table!

5:00 P.M- ¡Tapas!

My friends and I decided to head to a tapas restaurant to try out the famous tiny meals. We ordered paella, a rice and seafood dish, and patatas con salsa. Little did we know, salsa means sauce, not spicy tomato stuff! The potatoes were very different than we expected, but delicious none the less.

 

5:30 P.M- Food Lessons

At 5:30 we headed back to the school for lessons about Spanish food. We learned about different Spanish foods, and where they originate from. We also had a discussion (en Español) about the differences between food from our countries and Spanish food.

 

9:00 P.M- Cena (Dinner)

Tonight, our host family made us Gazpacho, a cold tomato soup, and pollo (chicken). I enjoyed the Gazpacho and it was really fun to try real Spanish cuisine.

 

11:00 P.M- Poste (dessert)

There is many helado (ice cream) shops in and around the Plaza Mayor. I often buy an ice cream to eat while I am hanging out with my friends in the Plaza Mayor. Tonight, my friend Niamh and I decided to try chocolate con churros, a very popular (and delicious) dish in Spain.

 

Stay tuned for more adventures from my language camp in Salamanca, Spain!

Do you have any suggestions for foods I should try during my travels? Share them below!

 

Allie Larman is 15 years old and lives in Berkeley, California. Her goal during his language program in Salamanca, Spain is “to learn and try Spanish dance styles such as Flamenco while I am in Salamanca. I practice American dance at home, and I hope to broaden my dance horizons.” Follow Allie’s adventures in Spain on her weekly blog post updates.

Greenheart Travel is excited to send a group of amazing high school students to language camps overseas as part of our 2016 Travel Correspondent Scholarship awards. To help introduce our inspiring writers, we will be doing a series of spotlight interviews to help you get to know a little more about who they are, where they will be headed and what inspired them to learn a new language abroad.

Read on to meet 15-year-old, Allie Larman, our Greenheart Travel Correspondent from Berkeley, California, who’ll be traveling to Salamanca for her summer language camp in Spain!

 

Favorite thing to do in your free time?

I really love to dance and do acrobatics. I am member of the dance team at my school, Albany Dance Company. We perform at school events, showcases, and we went to our first competition this year! I also participate in a program called Youth and Government which I love. I have the opportunity to travel, debate, and meet new friends from all over California.

Have you traveled abroad before?

As a child, I traveled abroad quite often. I visited Poland and England to visit family as well as Costa Rica! Unfortunately, I haven’t traveled abroad for quite sometime.

What got you interested in learning Spanish and traveling to Spain?

My older sister studied abroad in Spain as a teenager. She had a really incredible experience, and ever since she came back I have wanted to do the same. I live in an area with many Spanish speakers, and I really want to be able to communicate with them and other Spanish speakers. I think in many ways, a language has a unique culture intertwined with it, and learning a language is a really important way to learn about and experience different cultures.

What are you most excited about experiencing or seeing during your language camp?

I am really excited to try Spanish cuisine, as well as to watch (and maybe try!) Spanish dance styles, like the Flamenco. I am also really excited to live with a different family, because I will be able to see how other families live.

Why do you feel it’s important to travel to a new place and learn a new language?

I feel it is really important to travel to a new place and learn a new language. Staying in one place can close one’s mind to the vastness and diversity of our world. Only experiencing one’s own culture and language oftentimes forces one to avoid anyone different from themselves. By learning a new language and traveling to other places, we experience diversity and culture, and we learn how to acknowledge similarities and cherish our differences.

What are you nervous about as you prepare for your program?

I am nervous about making new friends while I am in Spain. I have gone to school with many of my classmates for over 10 years, so it will be a really cool, but a bit nerve-wracking experience, to make a new group of friends.

How well do you speak Spanish at this point?

I just finished my fourth year of Spanish class at school. I know many grammar rules, and I can speak at a conversational level fairly well, but I often have difficulty incorporating more complex grammar concepts and tenses into my speaking.

How do you think you will change the most during your time abroad?

I think I will become much more independent during my time abroad. Although I am staying with a host family, I will be largely self-sufficient. I think and hope this independence will improve my responsibility.

 

 

Allie Larman is 15 years old and lives in Berkeley, California. Her goal during his language program in Salamanca, Spain is “to learn and try Spanish dance styles such as Flamenco while I am in Salamanca. I practice American dance at home, and I hope to broaden my dance horizons.” Follow Allie’s adventures in Spain on her weekly blog post updates.