Author: Amy Hill

I can’t believe how fast my three months in Spain have gone by. It feels like I arrived a week or two ago for my high school study abroad program.  I have grown to love the country, my friends, my family and the culture. I wish I could stay a little longer, but I guess all good things eventually come to an end. As I sit here on the plane waiting to takeoff, I can’t help but reflect on the experiences I had and some of the incredible people who made it so special.

While overseas I made a lot of new friends, my three closest were Julian, Mario and Roberto. Roberto was the first friend I made.  He immediately introduced himself on the first day of school and invited me to hang out.  He is the type of person that just puts you in a good mood, and always made me laugh.  On the weekends we all usually met up at El Paseo, a place by the riverside where everyone hangs out on weekends.  There is usually music, dancing, and lots of kids just hanging out having fun.  It is one of the places I will miss the most.  Julian would always bring his guitar and we would often sing American songs.  Many of the girls would gather around to listen, so of course we played as many as we could….Haha.  Mario spoke fluent English so it was easy to communicate.

The final five days were difficult. On my last day of school, my classmates gave me a surprise going away party and really caught me off guard. When I started packing that night I realized that I was leaving in a few days.  I wondered when I would see all the friends I made again.  I would also be saying goodbye to my host family. For months they treated me like family and played a major part in making this one of the best experiences of my life. I am so grateful for all that they did for me. The night before my train ride to Madrid, we went to dinner.  My family and I shared a great meal and I had an awesome medium-rare steak, my favorite!  After dinner they surprised me with a gift, a framed photo of us, a family, at the wedding in Cataluña. It was very touching.

My last day in Badajoz came before I wanted it to.  It seems when you want things to last longer time moves so quickly. We arrived at the station to take the train back to Madrid at about 4:30pm for the five o’clock train. Bryce, Morgan and I waited with our families.  When the train arrived we loaded our bags onto the train and said our goodbyes. My friend Julian even showed up to say goodbye to Bryce and I.  My host parents told me I was a part of their family, and that I could return to visit whenever I wanted.  Unfortunately, my older brother Tato couldn’t be there because he was at school.  I hugged my host mom and told her to say goodbye again to him for me and she started crying. I told her not to cry because I would be back (I hope!).  I hugged my sisters Candela and Cristina, said goodbye and boarded the train with Bryce and Morgan. The train pulled away as we watched all of our families waving goodbye.

If I ever have the chance to do something different or out of the ordinary again, I will take it!  I realized that if you say no, you just may be missing out on the experience of a lifetime. If I could do it again, I wouldn’t think twice. Thank you Mom and Dad for this incredible adventure I was able to share with my brother Bryce.  Thank you to my new friends who gave me memories I will never forget.  Thanks to the people at Greenheart Travel and thank you to my host family for taking care of me.  I really can’t wait to return to Spain one day.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend a wedding with my host family in Lleida, Cataluña during my study abroad program in Spain. It is the capital and largest city in Barcelona, approximately a 7 hour car ride from Badajoz. We traveled in a progression with all of the aunts and uncles. We broke up the long car ride with bathroom and food breaks. It was fun to experience the interaction between the family members. Remembering stories, laughing and telling jokes, they really enjoyed each other’s company. One of the jokes was so good, I almost spit out the soda I was drinking from laughing so hard!

The hotel we stayed in was very nice. It had hardwood floors, a small plasma television and two twin beds, for me and Tato. I was a little nervous because we were going out to dinner to meet the families of the bride and the groom, lots of new people. However, when we arrived I was greeted by everyone as if they already knew me and I had been a part of this family for my entire life. It was very easy to relax and enjoy the night. I spent the evening eating great food and talking with Tato and his cousins about movies and Tato’s trips to America.

The next morning Tato and I met up with rest of our family at the church. While waiting, I took some pictures of the church and my family. The architecture of the church amazed me. The craftsmanship to build it and the history it seemed to contain, I couldn’t possibly do it justice trying to describe it. I had never seen anything like it. As I walked in, the inside was more beautiful than the outside. It was simply breath taking. Everyone gathered in the church and sat down as the wedding began. The bride and groom made their way to the front of the church, exchanged their rings, and gave their vows in front of the alter. It was a very beautiful moment for both families; many of the women began to cry.

The ceremony ended, it was time to eat. The reception was at a county club located in the middle of the countryside of Cataluña. Shrimp, steak, sushi, and many other foods were served as appetizers. It was my first time trying sushi since I was a kid. I hated it then, but trying it again for the first time in years I thought it was delicious, go figure. Later we gathered in the dining area for a large dinner, followed by the wedding cake for dessert. As dusk turned into night, the party really began! People began to drink more, wedding games were played, and the music began. In one of the games the bride and groom were blindfolded and took turns eating different foods, and then had to guess what the food was; it was very entertaining to watch. After the games, the dancing kicked into high gear and lasted late into the night. I had a great time and was surprised at how many American songs were played. All in all, it was one of the most fun experiences I have had in Spain!

My time studying abroad in Spain is going by so fast!  Before I left home I had the best intentions of writing weekly.  However, I have been so busy and having so much fun, I have gotten a little behind….okay, maybe more than a little!  So let’s try and catch up.

I boarded our train in Madrid and headed for Badajoz with my brother Bryce and my new friend Morgan, another American exchange student.  Badajoz is in Extremadura, very close to Portugal.  It is where I would spend the next few months with my new host family. The train ride took about five hours, after the time loss from the flight, I was able to catch up on some sleep.  Our families where waiting for us once we arrived, they were very welcoming and made us feel at home immediately.

We all went together to dinner with our families and had a great meal, getting to know each other while we ate.  Then we headed our separate ways to our new homes and the beginning of my new life for the next few months.  My “familia” consists of my parents, Tato the oldest brother, followed by my sisters Christina and Candela.  Candela is my age.  I also learned Bryce only lives a few minutes away with his family so we can visit with each other whenever we want.

My host family is awesome and they have made me feel like part of their family.  They are extremely caring and accommodating.  Candela and I attend school together and Tato and Cristina have gone out of their way to make me feel welcome.  They have taken me out on the weekends to meet their friends and it has been a great time.

When I arrived at school I was surprised at how nice and friendly all the students were.  At first, I was bombarded by questions about America, where I lived, why I was in Spain, etc., but now things have settled into more of a routine.  The students really have been great, going out of their way to include me in everything, even soccer games.  After seeing me play I am surprised I still get picked!  Let’s just say everyone is really good at soccer here.

Out of everything, school has been the most challenging because of the language barrier.  In the beginning, I understood very little of what was being said, everyone speaks so fast.  It is funny that when you don’t understand something people smile at you and repeat it slower and a little louder.  It doesn’t usually help, but at least I smile back.  As the weeks pass by, I am beginning to understand more and now I can communicate a little and learn things. Biology is definitely my favorite class and has been the one I have understood the most.

In the evenings, I have been attending track practice and I also volunteer tutoring kids in English. Weekends are spent hanging out with my new friends.   It seems I am so busy and the time here is just flying by!

I took one look out the window of my flight and could not believe I was headed for Spain. On one hand I knew that I was leaving the United States for three months, on the other, it was very difficult to comprehend.  I figured that since I have been to parts of the United States without my parents, I would be immune to the homesickness they discussed in orientation.  However, now that my flight was in the air I wasn’t so sure. As our plane continued across the Atlantic that night, I spent my time watching a movie before falling asleep and dreaming about what Spain would be like.

I awoke to my brother forcefully shaking me, as the light from the window burned my eyes. I knew we had arrived at the airport, but I really didn’t want to get up, especially since I was really tired with the time difference. Spain is 6 hours ahead of the United States, I really should still be sleeping.  My brother didn’t seem concerned with this fact.  We exited the plane, got our bags, and headed out of the airport to meet all of the other students who were studying abroad. All of us were packed into a small van and headed to our hotel. When we arrived we had to quickly unpack, it was already time for lunch. After a short walk, I found myself eating fried peppers stuffed with fish, a hamburger, and fries. The food was incredible.  I am a little bit of a picky eater, so I was really happy the food so good.

After lunch, we took a bus to the biggest park in Spain. The amount of people there was shocking. They were playing music, dressing up as famous movie characters like Ironman, pretending to be statues, rollerblading and cycling, and many just sitting around and having simple conversations.  Everyone was just having a good time.  As the tour continued I was completely amazed by the architecture of the statues in Madrid, the detail and the size were incredible. As the day faded, our park tour came to an end and we headed for dinner. We stopped at a tiny restaurant near Plaza Mayor. I ended up ordering the calamari sandwich. It was great; I never had calamari on a sandwich before.

We did so much in one day, it feels like I have been here for a week already.  The food and the sightseeing have been great.  In a few days I will be traveling to meet my host family.  I am really looking forward to it!