I really did not know what I was signing up for when I applied to study abroad in Barcelona, Spain. Every student who recommended the program just said that it was a fun and exhilarating experience. However they left out the parts about taking four classes in Spanish, living in a Spanish-speaking household and having to communicate in Spanish for the entirety of the program. I did not know that the life and culture I currently knew were about to drastically change, right before my eyes.
At home in California I was conditioned to speak in English. English is my first language and the primary language spoken in my family. I also spoke Spanish at times and was used to my mom asking me to repeat what I was saying in English. When I walked into my new home in Barcelona, the first thing I heard was "Buenas Tardes!" (Good Afternoon). I went in for a hug and instead received a kiss on each cheek. I caught on quickly and returned the kisses from my other new family members. Rapid Spanish spoken in thick Castellano accents filled the room. I tried to grasp some of what they were saying but was ultimately lost and overwhelmed. I went to my room and hid there until dinner time. I was scared to speak Spanish in front of fluent Spanish speakers.
