I woke up in the earliest hours of the day, before
daylight, in order to make my flight. My first time flying alone to a foreign
country. I arrived at the check-in only to discover my flight was canceled due
to an airport strike. The initial chaos wasn’t indicative of the rest of my trip.
Yeah, I arrived to my host family’s house 15 hours late, but they couldn’t have
been more welcoming.
The door opened to not only who I would be spending the next
three weeks with, but their entire extended family as well. It was comforting
to see so many friendly faces after such a nerve-racking trip. First, I was
given an extensive tour of the apartment and all the stories that went along
with it. I felt proud because my host family said I was one of the most
proficient speakers they had ever had stay with them. Afterwards, we ate the
first round of what seemed to be three weeks of constantly eating potatoes.
Luckily, I love potatoes.
The
next morning I walked to school and met people from all over the world-- my new
best friends. By far my favorite part of the trip was the new relationships I
made. Figuring out how best to adapt to the Spanish lifestyle with other people
going through the same experience was an important part of my trip. We all fell
in love with the Spanish culture as well as the Basque culture (we stayed in
San Sebastian which is in País Vasco aka the Basque Country).
I had
always been reluctant to speak up in my Spanish classes at school, but in Spain
I truly pushed myself to take every opportunity I could to speak, try new
foods, talk to strangers, and make more friends. The choice to step a little
outside of my comfort zone made my experience worlds better. Simple acts, like
ordering an ice cream cone or asking for directions, gave me the experience
with speaking Spanish that I could never get back home. Before I knew it, I was
having hour long conversations about politics at dinner with my host family.
For more information about our immersion programs in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries, check out these pages!
Group trip to SpainSummer in Spain
Summer in San Sebastian
Summer in Cadiz
Summer in Tarragona
Semester or year in Spain
Programs in Spanish-speaking countries
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