A Life in a Year

Ratings
Overall
5
Growth: 5
Support: 4
Fun: 5
Housing: 4
Safety: 5
Review

It has been three years since my year long study abroad program in Spain with AFS, and I still notice the different ways it has affected my life. Three years later I am still in contact with my host family and friends while I Spain. Three years later I am still tapping in to everything I learned about myself and the world around me. This is not to say my year was perfect. I struggled just as every exchange student does. What separates those who had a successful year abroad and those who did not enjoy most of their time abroad is how they dealt with those hardship. Mine was finding friends. This is not to say people weren't friendly to me, but in the beginning I never felt connected to my class. The downside was that I was with them all day long at school. My solution was making friends in the grade below me, and not only were they younger than me, but they were also my host sister's friends. I know there is the stereotype is that Spaniards are extremely friendly, and they are. However, in my experience, I could not get passed the "acquaintance" stage of friendship. I worked on that the whole year and I was finally successful in finding true friends.

Would you recommend this program?
Yes, I would
Year Completed
2013