I also lived with a family I’ve never met… below I am going to share my experience and what I learned.
In May 2023, I studied abroad with the Spanish program at my college. Part of the experience was living with a Spanish family in Seville, Spain. Going into the experience, I had no clue what to expect. All I had was the WhatsApp number of my host mother. I had seen no pictures of the family, the apartment, nothing. To say I was nervous was definitely an understatement. I know I am not the best at Spanish (even thought I’ve been taking it for 9 years) and I was nervous about being able to connect with my family. The host family spoke little to no English, so it was up to me try to communicate to the best of my abilities.
Living with the host family actually turned out to be one of the best experiences for me. The family made me feel like a true Spaniard. They took me to the beach and we celebrated many family occasions (birthdays, etc.). Also, the family was very religious (something I am not), and showed me a lot about Spanish Catholicism. They also showed me some fun things I can do in Seville. Seville is a big city, so it does have a good amount of tourists. My family showed me local restaurants, monuments and parks. Also, the host sons were around my age so they told me where to have fun. Something I found interesting was my host family encouraged my roommate and I to go out. Clubbing and drinking culture was very normalized in Spain, and they wanted us to experience it all.
I also showed them some things, such as s’mores. Because one of the host children was a 9 year old girl, she was very interested in American culture and food. Once we mentioned s’more during dinner, she was fascinated. The family had to get marshmallows from the international store since they were a less common commodity in Seville. When I came back from being with friends, I found the whole family in the kitchen making s’mores. They each had about 5 each and thought they were the most amazing food ever. The whole time I was in Spain, I was amazed by the new food my family was cooking, so I was super happy when my family learned something from my culture.
Something huge I learned was confidence. Before going into the trip, I’ve never flown without knowing anyone prior. I went to Europe with my sister in high school, so I never really did anything like this myself. I always relied on my parents or older sister to help me (youngest sibling syndrome I guess), I have never even flown domestic alone. Luckily, some of the other students we’re on my flight so I got to know them through the numerous layovers. I also gained a lot of confidence in navigating a new city on my own. Even though I made a ton of friends through the program, I felt confident in the city by myself. Before the trip, traveling, especially by plane, was very anxiety inducing for me. After the trip, I felt like I could fly and travel independently. I even planned a trip to meet my friend in Mexico City a month after the trip.
Another thing I learned was everyone is so different. I live with a single mother and one sister in America, so I have always had a very small family. I only have one first cousin, so big family events were not very common for me. When I arrived in Seville, I learned the family dynamics were typically much different than mine. My family had 4 children and they had around 50 first cousins. I found this so insane, I didn’t realized families could be so big. Most of the cousins also all lived in the same neighborhood and went to the same schools, so they saw each other almost every day. At first I was overwhelmed meeting new people everyday, but I realized that family was extremely important to them. While I cannot make the assumption that every Spanish family is gigantic, it is something that took my surprise when I travelled to Seville.
Overall, I would relive my experience in a heartbeat. While it might sound scary, I think studying abroad, even if it’s just for a month, is something everyone should do if they can. I think stepping out of our comfort zone is extremely important for development. Because most college kids have to be completely independent after graduating, I think studying abroad teaches useful skills to help with the post-grad transition. I am not saying you have to go to a country and live with a family that doesn’t speak English, however, I think living in place very different from yours is a special experience. I did not realize how comfortable I’ve been living, until I made myself uncomfortable.