It’s been a month since I returned home from Spain after being there for almost four months, and I began to miss it before we even left. Every day, I find things that remind me of Spain, of my friends and of all the memories we made there. It’s incredibly cliche, but studying abroad actually does change your life. It’s an opportunity to put yourself outside of your comfort zone, in many ways, and an opportunity for personal growth and development. Whether you feel different or not upon returning, more than likely you have changed. And there’s no shame in that. It can be pretty hard to embrace change, even when it is for the better. When I first arrived in Spain, I had to adjust to things that were different there. Now, upon returning to the U.S., I have to adjust to how things are different here. Obviously, I miss everything about Spain, but there are a few things that we don’t have in the U.S. which I miss a lot.

First, I miss tapas. Yes, we do have “tapas” in the U.S., but they are not like tapas in Spain. Or in other European countries from what I hear. Tapas in Spain are amazing, you buy an inexpensive drink and you get free snacks to accompany it. Tapas aren’t about drinking to get drunk. It’s like a social hour where you chat with your friends, family, coworkers, etc. You could compare it to happy hour, but as of right now, I’m of the opinion that tapas are better. Drinks are cheaper and better, and the food that accompanies the drinks is free. Depending on where you go, it’s not always the best, so finding somewhere that has both good food and drinks is key. In Spain, it’s not hard to find good food, and we found a few places that we returned to quite often.

I miss just being in Spain. Toledo was so walkable and the weather was almost always decent. Traveling within Spain was a lot of fun too. Madrid, while really great, wasn’t my favorite place. It’s got big city vibes, and being from such a small town, it was a new and mildly terrifying experience. We visited Cordoba for maybe half a day, and even though it was pouring rain, it was still absolutely beautiful. I spent a few days in Granada and I felt comfortable there. It’s a big city, but in the area we were in, it didn’t feel terribly daunting. Last up was Barcelona, which was great. It’s incredibly beautiful, and we went to the beach. Barcelona felt like a balance between Granada and Madrid, but a lot more of a tourist destination. There were so many people there and so much activity. While each place I visited was amazing, Toledo is still the best. It might be touristy, and some say that it is just boringly filled with cathedrals and churches, but for me, it’s home.

In summary, this video is basically how you feel when you study abroad.