First month in Alicante, Spain

By Leslie C.

Feb. 3, 2023


Having now been abroad for most of the month of January, I am eager to share a taste of what my life has been like in Alicante, Spain.

Every day is an opportunity to gain new perspectives within the plethora of cultural encounters and language breakthroughs that I experience here. One of the primary motivating factors for my decision to join ALI Abroad specifically was because of my goal, as a Spanish major, to improve my language speaking abilities. This study abroad program not only takes place in a beautiful Spanish-speaking coastal city in Europe, but it has unique opportunities for language acquisition of which I am already reaping the benefits.

Five students pose on the Balcón del Meditarráneo in Benidorm, Spain with the city in the background.
The Balcón del Meditarráneo in Benidorm, Spain

For example, each student is placed with a different Spanish host family, and this surrogate family makes for the best conversation practice. My host mom showed me which bus stop to take for school, helped me figure out a gym membership, tells me about historical and current events in Spain, took me to a movie at a theater, and of course, cooks me traditional Spanish foods like paella and tortilla de patatas.

Sunset over the beach Castillo de Santa Bárbara in Alicante, Spain
Sunset over the Castillo de Santa Bárbara

Before arriving, the living situation was one of the most nerve-wracking parts; I was worried that I’d get frustrated by the inability to communicate normal nuances of speech with the strangers I’d be living with. However, I didn’t anticipate the different benefits each student would have being placed in these different host families. It has proven to be a good opportunity to bond with my host mom and for my friends and me to get out of our apartments and explore the city in order to hang out.

Four students pose together in front of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain
Class visit to the Alhambra in Granada, Spain

Secondly, ALI Abroad puts students into a month-long Spanish intensive class with other international students before our other courses begin in February. Not only has this experience been beneficial in its coursework, but I have enjoyed meeting and going out with the other international students.

Five students stand on the steps of the Guadix Cathedral
Class trip to Guadix Cathedral

Additionally, I chose ALI Abroad because of the cultural opportunities that I will apply to my personal and academic goals as a pre-veterinary student. I look forward to beginning all of my semester-long classes with the University of Alicante because I will be taking a human biology course in Spanish and will have every Wednesday off of school to shadow a veterinarian or do volunteer work with animals. I believe that this will help me communicate with Spanish-speaking clients when I’m working as a veterinarian in the future. My other classes and experiences have been so fulfilling on a personal level. Even on my first day in Alicante, I went to a parade for the Tres Reyes holiday and learned all about the Christmas traditions with my host mom.

One Student smiles beneath a mask, while two other students sit in a tram while looking out the window to the countryside.
Tram ride to day trip in Altea, Spain

I will be taking two experiential classes this semester, one consisting of traveling to other Spanish cities for art exploration and the other including part of the pilgrimage of the Camino de Santiago in northwest Spain.

Altogether, these unique activities have made this past month full of rich and valuable experiences. I’m so excited about what I have planned for the rest of the semester as well as the forthcoming spontaneous enterprises that also make studying abroad so intriguing.

Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: ALI Abroad: University of Alicante