One of my absolute favorite things about my study abroad experience so far has been the food! I had heard about how great the food in Spain was, and was always so excited to try it. I am a pescetarian, meaning I don’t eat any types of meat except for fish, so I was nervous about how that would affect what my host family makes for me. However after the first week I hadn’t eaten a single thing I didn’t like! My host family was so flexible and made me things that I could eat and were so delicious. What I love about food in Spain is that you eat what is in season the most. For example, tomatoes and melon were the best and freshest in September, so we would have lots of gazpacho and pan con tomate. When it started to get colder later in the months, my host family would make different soups and cremas almost every day, to help you stay warm. Lunch is their biggest meal of the day, with two to three different courses. Me, my host dad, and my host sister would come home from work and classes to have lunch together, and then take naps before returning to classes for the day. Extremadura is known for producing the best jamon in the nation, and my host family would make fun of me for living in Trujillo and not eating meat! But my favorite foods so far have been paella, pumpkin soup, tostadas for breakfast, tuna empanadillas, and basically everything! I rarely go out to eat for lunch or dinner because I am always looking forward to what my host parents made for me to eat.

A typical day in Trujillo for me consists of one to two classes in the morning, with a break in between the two for cafe. Everyone in the program gathers for coffee and cookies in La Coria, the program’s school. Then, at around two in the afternoon, everyone heads home for lunch with their host families and siesta, before heading back to classes if you have any. The classes are long because they only occur once a week to allow for an extra day for traveling. Dinner can range from 8:30 to 10:30 at night, and everyone is home relaxing in the salon or doing work before going to bed. The lifestyle and days in Spain are drastically different from days in America. Having two to three hours in the middle of the day to have lunch with your family is so different. People in Spain really value quality time with their loved ones and not rushing to achieve as much as you can in one day. It has helped me to really take my time day-to-day and focus on what brings me joy.