Estoy echándote de menos

Title translation: I am missing you. 


As you may have gathered, I am truly enjoying my time here in Salamanca -- perhaps more than I had anticipated. However, that doesn't mean I do not miss certain things about home and America, in general. For the list-lovers out there (a.k.a Amy), I have decided to enumerate those things which I miss the most.  This is not meant to be a time for complaining or whining; rather, I hope to display a few of the differences between American and Spanish cultures. To be fair, I will also list things which I (surprisingly) do NOT miss about home and/or America. As the Spanish say...¡vámanos!

Things I miss (in no particular order): 

1. My family and friends. This one is pretty self-explanatory.  While any place can be beautiful and exciting, ultimately my companions are what matter most.  I'd love to hear from any and all of you! Write me at clairetaylor03@gmail.com or write on my Facebook.

2. Cheap Gum. You know how in the U.S. gum costs like $1 for 20 pieces of awesome Orbit Wintermint gum? Not so here! One pack of FIVE pieces of Trident cost me a whole 1 euro! (Approximately $1.30). That is so ridiculous and I have decided that my gum addiction must be put on hold until my bank account can support it.

3. The food. This is a very large category, that I will promptly break down and explain in great detail.
   
   a) Mexican food.  If you know me at all (and I hope you do if you're reading this. If you have never met me before, please stop reading this) then you know that I love Mexican food. Well, Spain really isn't the best place to find quality (or low-quality) Mexican food.  I can definitely survive until July, but trust me when I say that my first meal off the plane will have beans and a tortilla involved.

   b) The variety. In America, we absolutely love variety in our food. Just look at the snack aisle: there's about 12 different kinds of potato chips.  Here in Spain, however, variety ain't no thang. If some company already makes yogurt, then the other guys just make something else! It results in having supermarkets smaller than the shoe section at Target.

   c) Bread. That's all they eat here. Every single meal, literally. I am a bread LOVER and I'm getting tired of the stuff. Also, I really love a good whole-grain loaf, and they're big fans of the French (only the bread, not the people).

   d) Pretzels. They do not exist here. Booooooooooo.

   e) Chicken. Here in Salamanca, they're all about the ham.  Amy would never eat! I can have some ham every once in a while, but NOT on my pineapple (yes, that is something that was in my cafeteria today.) Also, I need some chicken! Please, please, please send me some chicken, God.

   f) Fruit. Not that fruit doesn't exist here, but it's considerably more expensive than in the United States.

4. Ovens. I live in a student dorm, where we supposedly have a "fully-stocked" kitchen. Apparently, "fully-stocked" does not include an oven, which is something I use almost everyday at home. I asked my program director about this, and she said that Spanish adolescents do not know how to use an oven, because only the mother of a house is allowed to use that appliance. They primarily use the microwave for cooking. Um...aight.

5. My incredibly soft bed and pillow. This is likely just because I'm in a dorm, but sleeping in my bed is similar to sleeping on a wooden plank.  I've been spoiled the past few years with a foam pad on my mattress that I simply cannot wait to be reunited with.

I think that's enough complaining -- I mean, comparing -- for now.

Things I (surprisingly) do not miss: 


1. My car. Salamanca is a small enough town that everyone walks everywhere.  I actually really like it! It takes a while to get anywhere I need to go, but it's so nice outside that using a car seems like a crime. Plus, it makes me feel less guilty for not going to the gym AND I don't have to pay any money for gas!

2. My phone. Prior to leaving good ol' Murrica, I really anticipated struggling with being out of contact with my friends and family.  I had become so accustomed to instantaneous communication, that I could not imagine leaving my dear Lotus behind.  I've found that I actually really enjoy the non-instantaneous communication I've had with home, as it allows me to focus on what I'm doing now. Plus, there's something cool and old-timey about having to wait a little bit for a response.  (That sounds absolutely ridiculous, because I'm talking about facebook messaging, not letters haha. Whatever.)

3. The English language. Granted, I speak to most of my friends here in English and I see it online everyday. However, I still truly enjoy conversing in Spanish and very infrequently do I find myself itching to switch back to English.

4. The size of everything. People may say that everything is bigger in Texas, which is true. But it's ALSO true that everything is bigger in the United States, and I'm not really missing that! I love being close to everything and really don't mind the proportional shrink from U.S.-sized everything. Plus, the little kids are EVEN littler and cuter :)

5. The modernity. If you've seen the photos from my trip, you'll know that so much of Salamanca is quaint and old, which I am totally loving. I find my own neighborhood, town, and state to be beautiful as well, but I do not mind at all soaking up a bit of this ancient town.  I have plenty of time to spend in buildings from the 20th Century when I return!

For now, that's all I've got. I was serious when I said I'd love to hear from any and all of you, so feel free to write!

Mucho amor,
Claire