Experiment in International Living - Spain (Tiera Douglas)

I would like to thank the Experiment in International Living (EIL) community for giving me the opportunity to travel to Spain this past summer. I really enjoyed the cities and experiencing the different cultures.

From this experiment, I can take away not only traveling to Spain and learning the Spanish language but also meeting life-long friends. That includes the people I traveled with as well as the people I interacted with who lived in Spain. As I sat on the plane waiting to take-off for Spain, I wrote a letter to myself and listed everything that I expected from the program. What I soon realized is that if you go somewhere with an open mind, you will enjoy yourself more than you could have ever imagined.

Once I arrived in Spain, I realized that I cannot be afraid to try things that I am not comfortable with because you never know what you will or will not enjoy. During the 5 weeks I spent in Spain, I studied in school for 2 weeks, lived with a host family for 2 weeks, and for 1 week, I explored several cities.

While in school, my teacher Juan Fe and Maria taught Spanish at a level that I never expected. They used games and music and even my group as teaching tools. Living with the host family made me appreciate how important family is and that family activities like going to the beach can help build stronger relationships with each other. The week that I spent exploring was amazing. Everything from canoeing to hiking or touring very famous buildings like the Gaudi Cathedral or his apartment that he used to live in.

The highlight of my trip was going to a giant tent in a park in Granada to watch the World Cup series where Spain eventually won. That night, the city began a weekend long celebration and I enjoyed every minute of it – from dancing in the streets to jumping in fountains and much more!

While I initially wanted to embark on this journey with friends, I never considered how many new people and life changing experiences I would run into. I strongly encourage next summer’s experimenters to pack a positive attitude and open mind in their suitcases because the excitement begins as soon as you meet your group in the airport. Being an Experimenter really opened my eyes to all of the endless possibilities that are headed my way.