The already short month of February seemed to fly by this semester, as I have been sinking deeper into my daily Spanish life. I have slowly built a quiet routine for myself; I have been content in building healthy habits while studying at the university. A daily routine, while seemingly simple, is incredibly important for your mental and physical health.

During the school days, I wake up early, and I watch the sunrise over the horizon on my morning commute to university. On Mondays, I have my English Pragmatics class at 8 a.m, but the rest of the week I start at 9 a.m. I have always enjoyed a productive morning workday, and many of my Spanish peers think the same, as the Tram is crowded and full of groggy chatter every morning. My Spanish intensive classes, while difficult, push me to challenge myself and I have found that I’m learning a new language at a rate faster than I have ever learned before. I’ve become close with my classmates as I have progressed through the levels, and my friend group has never been as internationally diverse.

On my way home from class in the afternoon, I chat with friends and make plans before the largest meal of the day, la Comida. My host mom loves to cook, and as a traditional Spanish woman, we eat late, around 2:30 p.m. Afterwards, I always take advantage of the Spanish siesta from 3-5 p.m. On nice days, my friends and I rest on the beach, and at some point, we always make time to grab coffee and study together or shop downtown. At night, I eat at home unless I have plans to explore one of Alicante’s many restaurants, and my friends and I enjoy the populated nightlife of the city.

While I have had many crazy adventures and travels since arriving in Spain, this mundane routine is special to me because of the level of immersion that I’m granted. Every day, I feel slightly more like Alicante is my second home, and I am appreciative of MU Study Abroad for giving me the opportunity to study in Spain.