I have finally arrived to Alicante, Spain, it feels so unreal because my mind still thinks in two weeks I will be back on a plane to New York City. The city of Alicante is so beautiful the architecture of the buildings and statues are magnificent. Honestly, I am a bit nervous about meeting my host family because I do not know how they will react to having me in their house.
When I arrived at my homestay address I was greeted by the youngest daughter of my host parents. She was very kind and welcoming. Initially, I was confused because she and her mother share the same name, Julia, so once I met Julia’s husband, Jose and their daughter Paula, I thought that was my host family. But Julia explained to me that her parents went away for the weekend and would be back the following day. Afterwards, Julia accompanied me to a hotel where the other students participating in the study abroad program and the staff members were for the welcome dinner.
During this time, I was very worried because when I heard the other students speak in Spanish with ease, I felt out of place with the group because my fluency was not at that level yet. Three years have passed since I have studied the Spanish language, but I have been surrounded by Hispanics throughout my life from school, my neighborhood, and close family and friends. So I assumed I should be fine once I entered Spain and tested the waters. (Oh Boy was I gravely mistaken!) The Spanish in Spain was nothing like the Spanish I was accustomed to in the Bronx. Surprisingly, I started to second-guess myself about my trip to Spain. I experienced self doubt, and began feeling homesick. Fortunately, I called my mother and she helped reaffirm why I decided to come to Alicante, Spain in the first place – to relearn Spanish and become a fluent speaker —which helped me regain confidence.
When I met my host parents, Julia and Miguel, they were so delighted to see me they greeted me with open arms. I am highly pleased with the family I was assigned to because I feel as though I will learn a lot from them during my stay in Alicante. I quickly realized that the language barrier would be a potential issue, but noticed how patient my host family was with me getting acquainted to the Spanish lifestyle. In an effort to bridge the language barrier, I spent my first night practicing a few phrases in Spanish I could say to my host family the following morning.
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| University of Alicante's school symbol |
The next day, the program arranged an orientation for the host families and the students. During the orientation, our wonderful program director, Pepa, thoroughly went over the expectations and course requirements.Towards the end of the session, I felt more at eased because my director, explained to me that only my Spanish course would be in Spanish and the rest of the courses would be taught in English. I was excited because this would give me more time to focus on practicing my Spanish skills. She reassured me that I will be fine and just needed to take the classes day by day and before I knew it everything will be less difficult. After the meeting, we took a private tour, located our classes, and learned how to get to the school by train and bus. The trip was very informative and helpful; I personally am ready to start my language class so that I can become more fluent in Spanish.
I am excited to start the journey of being a new student in a foreign country. I look forward to sharing my journey with you all. Stay tuned!
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