Salamanca with Greenheart

I recently returned from two weeks in Salamanca, Spain. I had the best time there ever and it went by super quickly. Although everything was great, the best part of the trip was the friends that I made. I feel I have known the people I met there for ages, and I definitely will be keeping in touch. I wish that I went for longer, and I am considering returning again next summer! I felt that after this program I became more independent and it was reassuring to know that I was able to take care of myself and not be homesick, etc. Although I was only in Salamanca for two weeks, I feel that my Spanish has improved. However, what improved the most was my ability to feel comfortable speaking the language. If I were to have spent more time, I would have definitely improved even more. Just a heads up: most of the other kids there speak English and although sometimes we spoke Spanish with each other, often times we spoke in English so it wasn't 100% immersion, although I was fine with that. The support staff was great at Greenheart, specifically Allison, who would send out emails frequently preparing us and informing us about the trip. She quickly and thoroughly responded to any questions I had and I think that she was the reason I felt so prepared to go on the trip. In addition to learning a lot, the trip was probably one of the most fun experiences I have had so far. We had a lot of free time to explore the (very beautiful) city and do whatever we wanted. My host family was also part of what made the trip so great. They were kind, helpful, and funny, and I miss them so much! I definitely recommend staying with a host family as they were one of the reasons I learned so much Spanish. As for safety: the city felt super safe to me, even at night. There were always lots of people walking around everywhere, and I never felt scared. Finally, a tip: bring a Tide stain remover stick as it removes stains quickly and very well. It is super small and easy to carry around, and if I ever spilled something I didn't have to walk around the entire day with a huge stain. Overall, the trip went perfectly and I had a great time! I would highly recommend going to Salamanca to learn Spanish.