Submitted by Matthew Mendoza on the 2016 summer session program in Salamanca, Spain sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures…
My name is Matthew Mendoza and I am part of the University of Delaware group studying in Salamanca. I arrived last Wednesday and so have not yet visited any cities. However, I had an amazing weekend with my host family this past weekend. The mother is from Argentina. I had just spent a couple of months in Mexico volunteering in a hospital. This gave us something to bond over initially and eventually things got very normal and comfortable. Then a few days after my arrival, her son and daughter came for the weekend and stayed until Monday. I spent every single minute of my weekend with Lucy (23) and Matias (30). For me, the most important part of being here is speaking in Spanish and learning about other cultures. To be able to talk the whole weekend in Spanish and learn about the culture in Argentina and about the culture here in Spain was truly amazing. I think spending time with Carmen, the mother, and her children is my favorite thing to do. They even invited me to a family gathering at their son’s house on Sunday. The whole family prepared dinner and we danced and listened to music. The weekend was truly an amazing first weekend. I am blessed to be living with Carmen who is so welcoming and understanding. This weekend, I am traveling to Gijon to visit her daughter and son at a medical conference! I can’t wait. So far, the experience has been genuinely rich and rewarding.