The fall semester has so many cultural opportunities in Europe that we don’t have in the United States. I have always wanted to study abroad in Spain for study the beauty of their traditions and art and to improve as a Spanish speaker. When I saw that I could do this at my ideal time frame, I knew I had to jump at the opportunity.

Do it, do it, do it! I understand it can be scary at first because it is a lot of change and you will be spending at least 50% of your time out of your comfort zone—but that is the beauty of this experience! Every day is a classroom, and you’ll learn more than you ever imagined. Living in Madrid gave me the space to grow—not just as a Spanish speaker, but as a person. From bonding with my host mom, Susana, and her sweet dog Heidi, to traveling with a group that became like family, my time in Spain was unforgettable. I cried when I had to leave.

The fall program with Boston University is usually smaller in size than the spring. This was the case in my experience — and at first, I believed that would turn out to be boring but transformed to the opposite. Somehow, a group of 30 or 40 people became like a family where everyone was happy to spend time with one another and learn together. We had so much fun together, and this community made trips to Cordoba and Sevilla so much more enjoyable than I could have imagined.