Before we left for Spain, our study abroad adviser had us write down goals on an Alicante postcard. Now that I’ve been back home for about a week and a half, and the chaos of the holidays is mostly over, I’ve had a while to reflect on my time abroad. And what better way to do so than to return to those initial hopes?

Goal #1: Grow a close relationship with my host family. Check! I got so incredibly lucky with my host family. Carlos and Rosie were the best I could have asked for. Kind, caring and generous. I will be holding those relationships tightly moving forward.

Goal #2: Make new friends. Check! There were about 24 people in my program, so there were a variety of personalities and always something new to talk about. I went on trips with different groups of people and regardless of our differences, we were all united by our desire to travel, meet new people and learn about new cultures. I will always be grateful for the “built-in” friends the ALI Abroad program afforded me and the memories that we shared together. Not to mention the Spaniards I will be back to visit in the future!

Goal #3: Become proficient in Spanish. Check! Before I left, I had the idea that I could reach full professional fluency in four months. That did not turn out to be true, but I did improve a lot. At the beginning of the semester, it took so much brain power to understand people when they spoke, whether it be professors or just people on the tram. By the time I left, I could understand most everything without having to think about it. Speaking is more difficult, but I am at the point where I can have friends that don’t speak English, and I ended up talking to a stranger on a plane for an hour once!

Goal #4: Grow comfortable traveling solo. Check! This one was important to me. I’ve always been independent, but I had never traveled anywhere by myself before. I was curious to learn how I would feel about it. Would I feel lonely and wish I had someone there to share the experience? As it turned out, I loved it. I found that I met new people when traveling solo that I probably wouldn’t have spoken to if I was already with a group. I met four girls in a hostel in Barcelona, and I ended up going to a Soul Festival with them. In Bilbao, I spent a day with a mom and her son (who’s an actor on Netflix!). In Madrid, I spent a weekend with family of a close family friend. So many wonderful experiences, and I know that I will be talking about my time in Spain for many years to come.

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