What can I say? These past few months have been the fastest and most incredible months of my life. I arrived in Spain three months ago and after spending a week in the bustling city of Barcelona, I made my way to the small and beautiful Spanish town that I soon called home, Pamplona.
Pamplona couldn’t be more different than Vancouver, but I love everything about it. It’s a very small town in Northern Spain that is most famous for it’s San Fermin festival and the Running of the Bulls that takes place during it. Its small population of 200,000 gets skyrocketed as over 1,000,000 people come to participate in the festival, and some of the brave take an 875-meter run down the streets of Pamplona while being chased by bulls! Yes, you heard that right, bulls. Although I can’t say I’ve participated in this tradition, it’s definitely something very famous and important to the people of Pamplona. I live in a great flat less than 10 minutes walk away from the university with two roommates, one from southern Spain and the other from London, who quickly became best friends to me. It can be nerve-racking to have to find a flat, so a big piece of advice I would give is to find housing before you come because it will make your transition so much smoother and more comfortable.
The thing I find the coolest about exchange is the amount of people you meet, and the various countries they come from. Each day I get the chance to hang out with people from Spain, Croatia, Switzerland, Chile, France, the UK…and the list goes on. Pretty soon you have a group of best friends from all over the world! One of our favourite things to do in Pamplona together is “Juevintxos”. Juevintxos takes place every Thursday night in Casco Viejo (old town), where bars offer a pintxo (a northern form of tapas) and beer/wine for 2 euros! The streets and bars are full of students and people from Pamplona, and it is such a happy atmosphere not to mention so cheap! There are also amazing hikes along the Camino de Santiago, football games to watch and a lot of cafes and restaurants to spend your time in.
I would recommend the University of Navarra to anyone. At first I was quite nervous about the workload because it is in the top 50 of schools in the world, but I have really enjoyed all of my classes and still been able to travel most weekends. I have travelled to many big cities in Spain including Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia but also smaller towns like San Sebastian, Bilbao, Burgos, Olite and Salamanca. Whether I was exploring castles, admiring cathedrals or enjoying the nightlife and discovering the city, each place was a new experience that was so different from the last. I’ve also been outside of Spain to places like Edinburgh, Berlin, and small surf towns in France like Biarritz. I will soon be exploring Brussels, Amsterdam, Cologne and London! If you plan your trips right it doesn’t have to be expensive, some flights are as cheap as 9 euros! Which is a concept I still haven’t wrapped my head around…
For anyone thinking of doing exchange, it is the greatest experience and I would encourage everyone to take part. The people you meet, the things you learn and the places you see I guarantee will be the highlight of your studies at SFU and will give you unforgettable memories to carry with you throughout your life.
Paula Huston is in her third year at the Beedie School of Business. She is currently on exchange for one semester at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain. Through studying business in Spain, meeting people from around the world, and exploring new cultures, she knows everything she’s learned and all her experiences will completely enhance her life and studies back in Vancouver.