It Finally Hit Me!

Programs for this blog post

High School Abroad in Spain

Authored By:

Lilianna H.

Hey! I’m Lili and I’m studying abroad in Seville, Spain for the 2019 Spring Semester.

These past six weeks have flown by without me taking a step back and realizing how far I’ve already come. Ever since the four-day orientation in Seville, I’ve been learning more than I ever thought possible, made unforgettable memories, and made friends that will last a lifetime—all in such a short amount of time. And since the day I met my host family, I felt welcomed like and like a member of their family.

School has been a challenge, but everyday gets better, “poco a poco” (little by little), like they say here. The other day in English class, I was asked to stand up in front of the class, talk slowly and present about my school-life in the United States. After I told my curious class about my typical American high school, schedule, and activities associated with school etc., I told them why I chose to study abroad and about my desires to come experience school in a foreign country. I told my classmates all the things I had to do to prepare for coming on this trip and all the sacrifices and fears my family and I had to overcome in order to make it here. It was at that moment that I took a step back and thought to myself, “Woah. Lili, you’re in Spain. You’re here, you made it.”

From the months of preparation before this trip until that day in my Spanish high school, it was always about doing all I can to make this dream of mine happen, but that was the first time I acknowledged myself for making it this far and realizing I’m already here. Now, I take more moments to appreciate where I am now and to measure my progress and I am so thrilled to spend the next four months following through with my dream of learning Spanish and getting to be a part of another family and culture.