I genuinely think that my study abroad experience would not have been half as enjoyable if I had not been placed with such an incredible host family.
I remember deciding to live with a family before going abroad, feeling a little unsure, nervous, worried about such a big change, and having to adjust to a new family and a new way of doing things. I remember finding out there were kids in my homestay and feeling terrified I wouldn’t be able to have my own space, as I have never lived with an 11 and 13-year-old before. Would they like me? Would it be hard to communicate with the language barrier?
Safe to say: best decision I ever made.
Another girl from DU and I were placed with a lovely family of four tucked away in the old town of Bilbao, Casco Viejo. Our family includes Ana, our host mom, Sergio, our host dad, and our two host children, Cloé and Enzo.
Ana is the kindest soul. On our first day, she picked us up from the tram station and helped us lug our bags to the little apartment where we would spend the next four months. I remember she fixed us lunch and let us settle in before we met the kids. Cloé is so creative, not only can she paint beautifully, but she has some of the nicest handwriting I have ever seen from an 11-year-old. She and I both love to draw and create, making my roommate and I the cutest clay keychains (mine is a bunny) as gifts during the first month here. Enzo is one of the funniest kids I’ve ever met. He had a lot of medical complications as a baby, having gone through surgery after surgery, and is such a resilient kid. I constantly admire him. He loves soccer, or fútbol, as we call it here. He could go on for hours explaining all the different leagues and teams to me (which I am super grateful he does as someone trying to learn more about sports). We plan on going to a game here together sometime soon and I cannot wait.
Each night we have dinner with the kids and Sergio. Ana recently started a new job helping disabled children in schools, so I usually see her more at lunch. Sergio is one of the funniest and most generous people I’ve ever met. I love explaining American lingo to him even when the language barrier gets tricky, and we have to laugh over silly little miscommunications. Recently, I tagged along with Sergio to one of Enzo’s soccer games, it was so fun watching him play a game on his own team. Before that, we stopped by the supermarket and I got to help Sergio grocery shop. Traveling every weekend certainly takes a toll on you and I’ve decided to make more of an effort to stay in Bilbao and remain present, which includes spending more time with my host family. I love mundane everyday activities like running errands, it allows me to see the little differences between our two countries.
There was one night I got off a bus from Madrid in the dead of night and had texted Ana to let her know I was safe, and planned on trying to grab a taxi since public transport was closed. She immediately insisted she come and pick me up with the car, not wanting me to have to navigate Bilbao when it was so dark outside. I had never been so grateful, I felt like I was home and my mom was picking me up after a late night of travel.
For my 21st birthday, they made me mac & cheese (the Texan way with four cheeses, yum) and got me a necklace along with a sweet card I have positioned above my bed. I had been so homesick that day, so to end it with a sweet family dinner, I just felt so at home. I remember another night we went to grab a coffee and have a stroll for Ana’s birthday. It was so nice to feel like I was with a family again, just getting to hang out and talk. Sergio once brought up some hand weights for me when I expressed my desire for an at-home workout and Ana, a yoga mat. Once, I came home for lunch and was greeted by a can of Dr. Pepper, apparently only found at a certain market that sometimes sold American goodies (again, I cried). They’ve always jumped at the chance to help me find cheap flights, help me book tickets for events, and let my friend hang out for a few hours while she waited for her flight.
Here, our laundry is taken care of, each meal is cooked for us, and we are treated with such kindness and respect. Sometimes, Ana even leaves us little candies on our freshly made beds (I cried). When my roommate’s parents visited, they made the loveliest dinner for them, really trying to incorporate traditional basque cuisine elements. I remember that night her parents asked them why they decided to start hosting. They talked about how important it was to them for their children to be exposed to people of another culture, especially in case they one day want to participate in an exchange program of their own. I want nothing more than to leave the kids with a good impression of the English language, and have them know they always have a home in the U.S.
I fear that I will never be able to fully express my gratitude and love for this family, and how positively they have impacted my study abroad experience. My roommate and I have attempted to show our gratitude, doing the bare minimum such as keeping our space clean, helping to load and unload the dishwasher and more. I try to vacuum any dust build-up I notice in our room and am happy to run any errands for our family. I recently bought them a pink flower plant and brought back some American snack goodies as thank-yous from my parents and I. None of this feels sufficient enough to portray just how much I adore this family.
I am so lucky to be able to say “I studied abroad and had the best experience” and be able to chalk most of that up to living with such kind people; people that I will never forget and fully intend to keep contact with for when I inevitably return to Spain.
Anyway, agur guys!
-GM ❤
DU Abroad 