My initial motivation for traveling abroad was to improve my language skills; I have been learning Spanish for over 7 years now and I felt there was no way to become fluent (or even close, really) without immersing myself in a Spanish-speaking environment.
As I mentioned before, there's not really a language "barrier" here. Rather, I'd say I've been negotiating with the language, using and manipulating it in the ways I know in order to serve me best. While I understand almost anything I hear (when spoken at a rate less than hyperspeed), I find myself being cautious with my own linguistic production. This is really similar to how children progress with language, so I guess I'm on the right track :) That is, as long as I make it past this pre-adolescent stage eventually!
On a day-to-day basis, I use Spanish in class and when speaking with people working in shops, asking for directions, or speaking with Salmantinos. However, with my friends from class or from my program, the decision to speak English or Spanish is...well, it's kind of a non-decision. We want to get to know one another and that is practically impossible when speaking a language at our current levels. As a hopefully-budding linguist, this whole experience has been one large experiment/observation for me. The desire to express oneself comfortably is so strong that we feel misunderstood and frustrated with our less-than-perfect Spanish. Accordingly, we revert to that comfy old t-shirt that is our native language and I really don't see anything wrong with that. When speaking to or around Spaniards, I try to be courteous and speak so that they will (maybe) understand me. However, in an Americans-only situation, English is like a big black hole that drags us in.
Part of me wishes that I spoke more Spanish here. I certainly think that would advance my fluency. But another part of me knows that would just be a completely different experience that wasn't really what I was looking for. While I may have thought I came here to learn Spanish, I never expected to come out sounding like Penelope Cruz (though I'll never stop wishing I looked like her). Rather, I was hoping to see and experience a different culture and way of life, which I think I have done pretty successfully. Additionally, my linguistic capacity in Spanish has definitely expanded -- but that's more of a secondary prize.
After I leave Spain, I will more than miss the constant opportunities to practice and learn more of the language. But even more, I will miss the gorgeous views, the chances to explore a new place, and the people I've met here.
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