For those of you who have dreamt of exploring the beautiful country of Spain, our fellow SPUdent Emily Ballesteros reveals to us her top 10 travel tips after spending a semester abroad in Bilbao. Take notes as she tells us about Spanish men, a cocktail must-have, and her favorite place to explore on the weekends.
#1 “You don’t know the exact clothing you need until about 2 weeks into being there, so pack the minimums and buy new things there (these items will also mean a lot more once you’re home).”
#2. “Learn some basic phrases and have google translate on your front screen.”
#3. “When you’re walking around the streets you can’t even look at people selling things or they peg you as weak and will keep harassing you.”
#4. “You’ll love tapas and pintxos for a couple weeks and then you’ll want to throw temper tantrums whenever you go out to eat and all they have is some variation of bread, potato, ham, and egg (ask for tabasco if you want to add something extra).”
#5. “Invest in a good weekend backpack that’s big enough to hold your stuff but small enough to be a carry-on”.
#6. “Spanish men are very, very forward. The rules of texting don’t apply outside of America, they will text you 15 times and it’s not a game, it’s means of communication and letting you know they’re interested (and they will let you know exactly what they’re interested in if you ask).”
#7. “You will gain weight and you won’t regret it so just don’t think about it”
#8. “Get a kalimotxo (pronounced cali-mo-cho) it’s red wine and coke and it’s a delicious traditional drink.”
#9. “They wait to pay until the end of coffee or meals, the country isn’t in a constant rush like we are.”
#10. “My favorite place to visit was London because it was big, beautiful and clean and we got to speak English for the first time in 2 months. Also there’s a chipotle, so there’s really no competition. We went to a horse race in Cambridge and ran through the tubes (subway trains) in our heels and it was the best time ever.”