Going into this journey, one of my biggest anxieties was making friends and what the dynamic would be like when we were in Mallorca. Though we all had class together in the spring semester, few of us had ever interacted outside of class. I worried whether I would meet people with whom I connected or if we would be as we had been in class, together yet far from being close.
I’m not sure quite how or when it happened, but somehow, we all seamlessly connected. When looking back at photos trying to gauge how long it took for us to look comfortable together there is no drastic shift showing acquaintances becoming friends. By the end of the first night, I have a photo of my housemates: Franny, Lilian, Chloe, Nicole, and I on our rooftop together drinking a glass of wine, and though none of us really knew each other, we looked comfortable… By the end of the first week, the comfort seen in the photo became a reality. I felt I had made the friends I was worried I would not make and felt comfortable and connected with each student in the program and the amazing professors I shared my house with.
As the weeks went on, what may have looked in a photo to be closeness became true. I feel I got to know each and every person in our group on a level I did not expect. Usually, when a group is together all day every day for a month straight, conflict is bound to arise, and though there may have been a bump here or there, we all truly coexisted and grew together seamlessly. We got close throughout our beach trips, tromps through the city, rooftop time, late-night talks, jouquin’s movies, sangria and tapas, gelato, Es Mercat, group frustrations, excitement, and our shared exhaustion. Together, we created an environment of acceptance and comfort. We learned from one another and bonded through our shared experiences, our good times and our struggles. Though we all came together as strangers, we created a wonderful little life together for that one month and we left as friends, forever connected by our shared experiance as archeologest. I am genuinely so grateful for the friendships and memories I made during this unique opportunity of growth and friendship.
-Stella Berlin
