I have now returned to the United States and am reminiscing on the amazing adventures I experienced while in Spain. I cannot believe how quickly the time passed! Being back home and on campus feels really strange! During my time in Spain, León began to feel like home, so it was very hard leaving. I miss my apartment in Spain, the people at my host university, and just the overall lifestyle in Spain. The lifestyle in Spain is more laid back with less stress and more emphasis on connections with other people. It is definitely hard coming back to the United States lifestyle that is constantly busy.
I learned many skills while in Spain and I feel much more independent than I did before I left. In Spain, I had Spanish class five days a week for four hours a day. Learning a new language was very difficult, especially during the beginning, but I was able to learn a lot and apply what I learned in my day-to-day life. Another great skill I learned was how to use public transportation. It was difficult navigating the public transportation in the beginning when I did not know much Spanish, but it soon became much easier after having experienced it. Overall, I feel much more independent and have confidence in my abilities to travel abroad.
My host university in Spain was not what I expected but I really enjoyed it! The language school I attended was separate from the main university in León and I took Spanish at level A1. In my class, there were two other students from Arkansas Tech, three students from Africa, and one student from India. It was really awesome to learn more about my peers’ home countries and it motivated me to learn more Spanish so that we could all communicate. The two professors I had were amazing and I miss them so much.
Some of my favorite things about León were tapas and the lively streets of the town. I love how everyone was hanging out with friends or family all the time, just enjoying each other’s company. Europe was so easy to travel around, making it affordable to see so many other places outside of León and Spain. Within Spain, I traveled to Seville, Toledo, Madrid, and Mallorca. Outside of Spain I traveled to France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Malta. I had so much fun traveling and seeing new things I never thought I would.
If I could have done something differently, I would have stayed longer! If I was not graduating this semester I would have done a full semester, because it just wasn’t enough time, though I don’t know if it ever is. I absolutely loved my time abroad, I would go back in a heartbeat. I made so many new friends, experienced things I never thought I would, and made such amazing memories. I will treasure this experience forever and would highly recommend studying abroad to any other student!
