Turning Time Into Tranquilo

Before I came to Salamanca, tranquilo was a word non-existent in my dictionary, much less one that complimented the idea of time.  I was taught in America being tranquilo was an antonym for what time should embrace, however in Salamanca, it’s a word that has become a mantra for the pace of the city and its people.

Tranquilo starts with meals, where breakfast is eaten strictly at the table, rather than how we do it in America, with one hand on the steering wheel and the other on a McDonald’s Egg McMuffin that ends up crumbling down your white, flannel shirt. Coffee to-go cups are practically non-existent, forcing people to sit down and enjoy their café con leche, rather than chug their grande Starbucks latte five minutes before their first period exam.

At home, I let a schedule guide my life, mistaking productivity as a value that is attached to the quantity of how much I can complete in a day, rather than the quality of the feats accomplished. When living in a society so fixated on time, I sometimes find its obsession normal, and just as with any drug, become addicted to its constant presence.

Tranquilo carries over to the population’s pace of commute, where hurrying to destinations turns to a stroll.  They don’t consume their day with a predestination, instead, let the day take them as it may.  Time weighs less here, as hours on their watch simply act as a reference, rather than a set of entities that strictly label out their itinerary.

Lastly, tranquilo is displayed through the ease at which college students intertwine with the elderly.  Here, the young and old live in unison, breaking the stereotypical college town or retirement home community boundaries. They make the society in Salamanca a seamless mixture of eclectic coffee shops, vibrant bars, classic bakeries, and ancient architecture. And if the tranquility of people wasn’t enough, even the dogs embrace tranquilo, as barking is little to none, minding their own business as they stroll through the sun.

Life moves at such a fast pace, but after taking a second to breathe it all in, I’m starting to realize the here and now is what matters most. Time has always been a factor of fear, either fearing I don’t have enough of it, or fearing that too much of it may lead to a falling out.  This time in Salamanca, rather than view time as a constraint or guideline for my plans, I want to embrace time as tranquilo; to give and receive more in this moment and time, forgetting about the hours remaining, and capturing the day for all its worth.