As a half-Cuban growing up on the West Coast in a primarily English speaking household, I had felt distant from Spanish speaking culture my whole life. My father spoke little Spanish to me growing up, but with my reluctance to learn at a young age, it never stuck with me. It wasn't until I was in high school when I felt a desire to really connect and learn the language of my family's culture. The director of LITA, Jordan, visited my high school Spanish class one day, and gave a presentation on what the program of LITA was, and their mission to not only introduce students to authentic, culturally rich parts of Spain, but to also facilitate an environment of independence and complete immersion in Spanish language. I was immediately excited, and that very day went home and made arrangements to go during the summer.
I am confident in saying that it was easily the best summer of my life. Right off the bat, our group, even before going to our host families, immediately stuck to the rule of exclusively using Spanish. Everyone understood that the program was all about getting out of it what you put into it. During that first week, we visited breathtaking parts of Western and Northern Spain, trying new foods, exploring unique towns and buildings, and bonding with each other. It was a perfect introduction, and set us up for the transition to staying in a small pueblo with our host families.
Without a doubt, my homestay was easily the highlight of the trip. I had two host brothers, both slightly younger than me, and two host parents. They were extremely kind and welcoming to me, a nervous high schooler anxious about living in a new family environment for nearly a month. However, by the very next day, I had completely settled in with the family, and started closely bonding with my host brothers especially. Within days, I could feel my Spanish improving at a staggering rate, fueled by my desire to better communicate with those around me, and really fit in. Before I knew it, I was exploring the pueblo with my host brother and his entire friend group, almost feeling like I had been living there for years. Together, we had amazing times chilling at the pool, playing poker at night, and visiting the summer pueblo festivals hosted every year. I even got close to some bull running that is hosted locally. To say the least, my time with the family was one of the most memorable and cherished memories of my entire life.
In addition to my homestay with the family, I also was working near daily at a local artisanal food shop, becoming friends with the guys who owned the business. They sold various local meats, bread, cheeses and more than you could ever imagine. Everyday they would teach me about the intricacies of different products, and I learned a lot from that. I interacted with the customers, who started recognizing me even outside the shop, as the pueblo was very small. All in all, my time at the shop was amazingly enriching, and taught me a lot about customer service, Spanish vocabulary for food and the workplace, and much more.
Overall, I cannot praise this program enough. When I eventually said my goodbyes I returned to the States with a heavy heart, but a cherished memory. Not only had I bonded deeply with a new community of people and a new style of life I had never before experienced, but I also came home with the confidence that I could now speak with my father and the rest of my family in the language I had always wanted to, and I only have Jordan, and his program LITA to thank for it. I hope my review inspires anyone who reads this to give this program a try, you will never regret it.
What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
Most certainly lengua de vaca, or cow tongue. The shop I worked at sold extremely high quality lengua, and while I am an extremely ambitious eater, I was hesitant at first. However, it was simply an amazing meat, rich in flavor and with a great texture. In fact, right after trying that, my daily lunch there became a sandwich with tomato paste, olive oil and plenty of lengua, give it a try!
