My time in Spain has come to an end and I am now back in the United States. It feels super weird to be back, but at the same time it feels really great. It was bittersweet to leave Spain as it had become like a second home to me. I loved the time I spent there and saying goodbye to my host family was hard as well. However, it was nice to be able to return back home before Christmas and see all my family. Now that I’m back I am noticing small things that I got used to while in Spain but must readjust to here.

I’d say one of the first things I noticed was when I was doing my laundry. When living with my host family there was a washing machine, but it was small and couldn’t do a very large load. They also did not have a dryer and used a clothesline to dry everything, which is very different to what I am used to. Here at home, I can dry my clothes in little over an hour, but while there with my host family I had to plan for about a day for my clothes to dry, meaning I had to put more thought into it. I had gotten so used to the light switches and doorknobs in my host family’s house that for a few days I would be surprised at the different feel here. I also now have to go back to driving everywhere without the ability to simply walk to my destination. Cars are great, but it feels a little stifling to not be able to walk places. One of the biggest differences is the food, or should I say the abundance of it. With my host family there really weren’t any snack foods; if I wanted something I had to buy it or make it. Here my family does pile up a good number of snacks and I can tell the difference from the amount of weight I lost in Spain from not eating so much.

Overall, I am very sad that I had to leave Spain. I loved my time there and I believe that I will always have a part of me there. That doesn’t mean I am sad to be back as here will always be my main home, but in the future, I will definitely travel back to Alicante as it is a part of me now.

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