When I was a senior in high school I got the opportunity to participate in an exchange program. I lived in San Sebastian, Spain for two weeks with a host family, and also hosted the student I lived with in Spain at my Massachusetts home for two weeks. Although my experience was in high school, I believe it can relate to UMass students who are nervous about going abroad – they may not want to miss a semester in Amherst, or spend time away from their college friends. However, I would encourage any student, especially Spanish and Portuguese majors, to study abroad and live with a host family if they have the opportunity to. I truly feel that it is the best way to immerse yourself in a different language and culture. Additionally, traveling abroad and living with a host family served as a pivotal moment in my life. I had planned to study abroad during my Sophomore year at UMass, however because of the Covid-19 pandemic I wasn’t able to. Below is an essay I wrote my freshman year at UMass that dives deeper into my experience. 

“I wrapped my arms around my exchange student and embraced her in a long hug. I let her go and got onto the bus heading for America. As the bus pulled away, I couldn’t help but let a tear roll down my face, waving goodbye through the window to the amazing people I had met. 

Rewind seven months to February, I sat in a classroom in my high school and listened to a presentation about a new Spanish exchange program the school was launching. At first, I was uneasy about going. I was nervous about leaving my hometown for two whole weeks. Going on the trip would mean I would have to miss my last homecoming dance, and I didn’t want to miss it. Dancing around the gymnasium floor with my high school besties sounded much more comforting to me than flying across the Atlantic ocean to live with strangers. However, my parents convinced me that traveling to Spain with a group of my peers and living with host families was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I was forced to go. 

It felt like I blinked, seven months had flown by, and before I knew it, I was in Spain meeting my host family. I loved my host family. They were kind and generous. They made sure I ate enough at every meal, offered to do my dirty laundry everyday, and most importantly, they were patient when communicating with me, understanding that speaking solely in Spanish was an adjustment for me. Never would I have ever anticipated that the comfort I felt in these new strangers’ homes could reciprocate the comfort of my own home.

Not only did I enjoy my host family, but I enjoyed the city they lived in. The city was clean and had a sense of organization. Every sidewalk had the same small, white tile pattern and every fence or gate had the exact same symbol embroidered in it. The city borders three beautiful, long beaches that run the whole length of the city. During any time of the day you can see tall, white sailboats floating in the water and surfers bobbing up and down looking for the perfect wave to ride.

I can’t help but be jealous of the rich culture that is rooted in the city my host student grew up in and lives in. She is surrounded by a constant buzz of excitement in her city. Everywhere you go there is something to do and people to meet. She brought me to different shops and restaurants, I got to see different styles of clothes and try different foods. We stayed out until the late hours of the night which made me nervous her parents would be mad, or seemed even dangerous to me. But in Spain, it was normal. Other groups of teenagers, college students, and twenty year olds, gathered around bars and lined the streets. Her parents thought it was completely normal for us to stroll back in at 3 am. This lifestyle was definitely a culture shock to me.  

Most importantly, I got to follow my exchange student to school. I sat with her during class and tried my best to follow along with the lessons her teachers were teaching. I met her other friends at school and made connections with them as well. Her teachers were friendly and kind towards me and the other American exchange students. Some of the teachers incorporated us into their lessons. For example, one teacher had us make a game about English slang words and what they actually meant, and the Spanish students had to try their best to guess the meanings. It was fun to all get to go to school together and experience the differences and similarities between my school and theirs.

All the exchange students, both American and Spanish, became like a little family to me. We spent everyday together learning about each other and our cultures. Leaving Spain I felt an overwhelming amount of sadness. I realized no matter how hard we tried, we would never be able to replicate the amazing trip we had just completed. I realized while getting on that bus headed back for America, that not every single one of us would be back together again. There were about 15 American students from my high school and 20 Spanish students all involved in the exchange program. We all spent so much time together doing things as a big group, it felt weird to go home and not be surrounded by this group of people. 

Although this feeling of never being able to relive this experience and the moments it gave me makes me emotional and sad, what I gained from this experience makes me happy and excited. I now know that stepping outside of my comfort zone is a good thing. I learned that once you are able to leave your comfort zone, amazing things and relationships can happen. I never thought that girls my age living on the opposite side of the Atlantic could become as close to me as my lifelong best friends back home. I never could have imagined the bonds I made in Spain and the comfort I felt being away from my home.

Before this trip, I was just a high school senior who could wait for graduation. A high school senior who didn’t want to get out of her small town. A high school senior who would not talk about life after high school without getting upset. I didn’t realize how much the world has to offer me until I stepped outside of my comfort zone at home. Upton, MA will always be my home, but now I know I can have multiple other homes around the world and my second home right now is in Spain.”