This is my first post in quite some time, and it will also be my last. I just felt that it would be a good idea to say a few things now that I have left Barcelona and have had some time to think about my experience there.
One of the things I’m most pleased about is how well my host family situation worked out, which is why I recommend living with one if at all possible. It is an excellent way to learn more about local culture than you would living in your own apartment, and it was also crucial in forcing me to practice my Spanish rather than speaking English with the other American students in my program. On the whole, studying abroad helped me learn the language the way it is really spoken in day to day life, not just in textbooks or classrooms. I picked up countless expressions I had never learned before and many other students I spoke to said they had the same experience.
So if you’re looking to improve your language skills or even just expand your view of the world, I highly suggest studying abroad at some point during your college years, especially if you plan on living with a host family. You will surely learn so much more than you thought you could.