Spain changed my life for the good

The 5 months that I spent in Spain were incredible and changed my life for the better. I have always been a shy person, scared to venture out of my comfort zone yet with great desire to do so. Traveling to Spain and having to make new friends and live with someone that I did not know was definitely out of my comfort zone. I was extremely nervous before I arrived in Spain. Yet, once I arrived, everything went better than I ever could have imagined. I have USAC to thank for a lot of that. They made the whole process easier and allowed me to fully take advantage of all of the opportunities available to me in Spain. USAC, before you ever arrive in your destination, provides you with a checklist of things to do and when to do them. While you are abroad they are always available for help and organize many cultural immersion activities and recommend many other activities. I participated in many of these activities and I saw myself grow as a person, i met people from all over the world and became a more socialble, open-minded, well-rounded person. While abroad, you will meet so many people from all over and it is an inctedible experience. I still talk everyday to the people that I studued abroad with and we will always have a special bond between us. My Spanish speaking capabilities sky-rocketed in only a few short weeks in Spain! The USAC program set me up with an incredible host mom who I was able to speak spanish with everyday, and she took me to many local events and introduced me to her family. I recommend immersing oneself in the culture as much as possible, it is an amazing character development opportunity. I attended local parties and festivals, language exchanges, sporting events, holiday festivities, and was always out in the city doing something. USAC gave the suggestions for many of these events to attend. I also spent several weekends traveling through other european countries and this is a once in a lifetime experience that you can only acheive by studying abroad. At home in the United States, I could never just take a weekend trip to Paris for a 50 dollar flight. I highly recommend studying abroad and i highly recommend the USAC program.