I traveled abroad to Salamanca, Spain during the Summer semester of 2019 when I was going into my Sophomore year at UMass. Not only was I the youngest person going on this particular trip, I was also the only strict vegetarian going on it as well. For those of you who have never traveled to Salamanca, Spain (or abroad in any sense), and are vegetarian, this is for you. It’s going to be hard. Extremely hard. But, you will get through it. Here’s my experience; Here are the hard truths.

Before leaving for Salamanca, I was going into my second year of being vegetarian. I couldn’t picture ever going back to eating any form of animal unless, of course, it was during a one-in-a-lifetime experience. I then decided I would be open to trying fish, since Paella is one of the Salamanca’s most renowned foods. This seemed reasonable to me, as it did to my friends and family too. I remember guiltily telling myself “you only live once, you should try new foods in the new places you experience.” Although be it a great idea- to experience cultural foods- these “one-and-done” occurrences may not be exactly what you end up with, and not because you end up enjoying it.

One night before exploring the city with one of my roommates, my host mother had asked if I would like to try fish for dinner. She knew I was vegetarian, and my diet restrictions indicated that I wouldn’t eat it, which is why she asked. I decided to be open-minded and give it a try. It wasn’t to my liking, but I was glad I had tried it, and I was grateful for the experience. A few evenings afterwards however, my host mother had served fish without asking, assuming that since I had eaten it that one time, I would eat it from then on. Truthfully, I had no desire to, but nonetheless she had made me a meal and I did not want to disrespect her cooking, so I of course ate it. I then told my host mother that I wouldn’t prefer to eat fish again. Now, this was very difficult to understand. Why wouldn’t I want to eat it when I had just eaten twice in one week? I had to be gentle; I had to be considerate; and I had to be respectful. I thanked her kindly for the food she had made me in her home, and told her that I had enjoyed each part of it, but I would rather eat what my diet restrictions call for from now on.

Ham, another staple in Spain. Every corner you turn, you will see a “Jamonaría”, unless of course you find a bar. This, I was not open to trying. I had no desire to try red meat whatsoever. But, I must warn you now, that whether or not you try to avoid seeing pigs hanging upside down in at least one shop you encounter on each street, you never will. It is part of culture, and you must allow the concept it into your life abroad, or you will find yourself battling with the motives and lifestyles of those around you. You are a visitor in this country; you were invited here. You must respect this way of life. You can fight for what you believe to be true about consuming animals when you are no longer experiencing other cultures.

At restaurants, you will not find a “vegetarian section” as you would in the United States. At times, this can be frustrating and discouraging. You wonder if you should just order something with meat or fish in it, and push it to the side of your plate, even though you rather not. Or even more concerning, you may just think to give up your beliefs all together so that you don’t have to worry about finding something on the menu everywhere you go. But guess what, you don’t need to do either of these options. You can simply tell your waiter you are vegetarian, and they will come up with something without meat for you. Another option is, if you are only looking to spend time with friends and save money on a big meal, to hit the supermarket and grab some vegetarian-friendly foods to fuel up before a night on the town. But don’t worry, you’ll find Patatas Bravas no matter where you go (try them, trust me, you won’t regret it).

To conclude, as a vegetarian abroad, I urge you to use these mantras in your everyday experiences with food:

• Be considerate and respectful.
• Share your feelings, but be gentle.
• Accept culture. You are there because you want to experience it. Do not fight it.
• Do what makes you feel comfortable.

But also remember, there’s a lot more to an experience than just the food.