Summer In Bilbao

I had the greatest experience while studying abroad in Bilbao, Spain. I met amazing people, practiced my Spanish and learned a lot. The city is gorgeous and close to the ocean and French border so there are lots of places close by to visit! The program offered excursions that allowed me to explore the Basque country which had a whole different language and culture that I was excited to learn more about. Ever since I've been back in the U.S. I have wanted to go back to Spain/Bilbao because I had such a nice time there and grew a lot as a person.

I stayed with a host family who were the nicest people and made me feel very welcome in their home. Almost a year later I still have contact with them! However I do know that other students in the program did not enjoy their host family as much as I did.

The best advice I could give to anyone studying abroad is to lean into the experience. Explore the city and try the activities it offers. Try the new food and talk to new people even if its only just in the program (the students are from all over the country). And most importantly utilize your time wisely. I was fortunate enough that I could travel to other cities in the country which meant I got to see a lot of different cities and try all sort of food (since each region has their own specialty). I even got to see a flamenco show in Seville where the art was created! My friends and I enjoyed the show so much we booked another show for the next day! Unfortunately, I was there for school and not just fun so I had homework. However, the travel time to the cities was an excellent time to complete my homework.