Everyday I wake up somewhere around 8:30 (depending on how late I was out the night before) to shower and get myself ready for the day. Showers here are only 10-minutes long, and I have yet to realize every morning that because of this, I don't need as much time to get ready as I do back in the states. Regardless, I just don't feel comfortable getting up any later, but that's fine by me because after I am done getting ready, I get to sit down and have breakfast with my señora about whatever conversation we fall into until I leave for class, which starts at 10.
It's about a 20-25 minute walk to class, and that's power-walking, which I do regardless of whether or not I'm running late. I usually rock out to some Beyoncé, Rihanna, B-Spears or Selena Gomez on my venture to class, and I usually get to class early enough to relax, check my e-mail/FB, etc. Then classes start. I have Art History from 10:00-11:00, Spanish Culture from 11:00-12:00 and then "Living and Learning Abroad" (this class) from 12:00-1:30.
After class, I usually walk slower towards home, usually stopping to pick up some snacks for the next morning or later that evening. Lunch is usually between 2:00 and 2:30. Usually by this time of the day, I'm more than ready for my nap, and my host mom knows this. Having to interact in Spanish all day can be a bit exhausting mentally, so after eating an always hefty lunch and chatting with my host mom, I head to my room to read and the take an "American" siesta. You see, "siestas" here in Spain are only supposed to be a half an hour. We Americans, however, take 2-4 hour naps. Mine is usually 2 1/2 to 3 hours long. And I need it. Sometimes it's so hard to get up!
After my nap, I try to get some homework done, play around on the internet, etc. until 6:00 rolls around and I head to the Plaza Mayor to meet up with some friends and just venture to new parts of Salamanca. We go to local stores, local bars, etc. just to soak in what we can while we have the opportunity. The walk is long to the Plaza Mayor and back, but it's worth it.
I have to get home by 9:00 for dinner, and then, depending on how tired I am, I either go out around 11:00 or head to bed then. Between eating and going out/going to bed, I usually just sit in the kitchen with my host family and the other students in the house and just talk about our day. Talk about what we're thinking. I find myself having a lot of philosophical conversations with my host mom. We're similar in a lot of ways, and I really like that. I think she does too. It's fun to gossip with my host mom. It makes me feel more at home.
When I go out at night, we usually meet up at the Plaza Mayor and see what sorts of free drink offers we get and then proceed to go drink them. There have been some nights where we've gotten no drink offers and end up getting and ice cream or something. Sometimes we also go out for tapas, but a lot of us are broke and need to take advantage of anything free. On a typical night, I'm usually back between 1:00-3:00, but there have been nights where I haven't gotten home until 4:00 or 5:00. Those are the days when I sleep in past my usual 8:30 wake-up time and then start the routine all over again.
My time here in Salamanca is short and precious, so I need to take advantage of every moment. I really hope that my Spanish has been getting better due to the interactions I have with my host family and locals, but I can't say for sure because I'm living this progress every day. I love my life here in Salamanca, and I'll be sad to leave in 2 weeks. Sad to leave, but excited to see my family and friends. Regardless, Salamanca will always hold a place in my heart though.
Brandon - this summer I too fell victim to the "siesta americana" for a good two week stretch. Part of it was boredom (there literally is nothing to do at 4 p.m. on a hot day) combined with it simply became my routine for that part of the summer. Oddly enough, I had never done that (minus the occasional day when I didn't sleep enough the night before) during my previous two summers here.
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