Volunteer with the Rotary Youth Exchange in Spain

I lived with a family in Spain for one month. It sounds scary, nerve-racking, overwhelming right? It was, but it was also so much more. Eating meals with the family, going to the mall with the family, watching movies with the family, traveling with the family, and even just conversing with the family not only improved my proficiency in Spanish, but but taught me so much about Spanish culture, society, politics, mindsets, and lifestyles as well. A simple activity like playing soccer with my host brother's friends in the park turned into hours of talking about how their lives teenage lives are in Spain: their girlfriends, school work, families, encounters with peer pressure, etc. Madrid is an incredible city with invaluable history, endless cultural richness and millions of welcoming, friendly people. Furthermore, the program allowed for the reverse to occur. After spending a month with my host brother's family, he came home to the US with me afterwards to spend a month here. Now it was his turn to become immersed in a foreign culture, and experience life in a different country. This is an amazing program with endless benefits. I HIGHLY recommend taking the opportunity if possible, because not only was it educational and eye-opening, but it was a blast!