I want to take this opportunity to talk about the joys and challenges of living abroad, as they are inherently present in every day. I’m going to start with challenges so I can end the post with the happy side. However, I want to preface this by saying that the good outweighs the bad, and through the difficulties, I am growing and learning.

First and foremost, the language barrier! I have a high-intermediate level of Spanish, so I can generally get around fine. My volleyball training and dance classes are taught in Spanish. However, there have been instances that have left me flustered, the principal of which was when I was trying to mail my ballot back to the States. The post office lady kept saying “certificación,” and I thought she was telling me I needed a special certificate to be able to mail it back.

I kept saying “I don’t know. I don’t have that,” and at one point she exclaimed “¡Madre mía!” and put her head in her hands. She then explained it very clearly and helped me understand that she was asking if I wanted to register my envelope so I would receive an email when it arrived at its destination. Momentary embarrassment for me, but I learned yesterday that my ballot did arrive, so I call that a success!

Probably the biggest challenge for me has been keeping in touch with friends and family given the time difference. I mostly call home on the weekends, when my family can talk in the morning, and I in the afternoon or evening. Being abroad has taught me to be more independent, but I’m also forming beautiful relationships here with my host family, which helps when I’m missing home.

Now, onto the fun part! I have friends who don’t speak English, which I find to be so cool. Some of them are Spaniards, but many of them are from Poland, Russia or Ukraine, and they are also learning Spanish as a second language. The idea that I wouldn’t have gotten to know these people if we hadn’t shared a second language is sad, and it makes me so grateful that I had the opportunity to keep learning Spanish in an immersive setting.

I am also beginning to feel like part of the community, which is beyond exciting for me. When I arrived in Spain, I looked for activities in which I could get involved and meet people who are not in my study abroad program. It took a couple weeks, but now I know everyone at my dance classes and volleyball trainings, and they know me. I believe everything is more exciting when you have friends to share it with.

I love my host family more and more each day. Last week, we had a “fall party,” and my roommate and I made s’mores for our host dad and his friend to try. They were way too sweet, but we laughed, watched a movie and enjoyed spending time together. As I was sitting there, I couldn’t help but think that those are the moments I was craving when I made the decision to come abroad, and I look forward to many to come.

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