So it begins

Amanda here! I thought I would start off by explaining a little bit about how we chose to study in Alcalá de Henares. We started off with a few things of which we were certain: we wanted to study Spanish and we wanted to study together.               

So, with that in mind, we searched for study abroad programs in universities throughout Florida. We scoured the lists for South America and Spain, hoping to find a long program that would allow us to really get a grasp of the Spanish language. We even found a promising program, a 12 week study abroad in Spain where you teach children English in exchange for room and board. This didn’t work out, though, because it wouldn’t allow us to be together, and the possibility of taking classes was low. So, we moved on.

It wasn’t until the Study Abroad Fair that we actually found out about Alcalá. At first, the idea of spending the entire semester seemed like too much, but after talking to many students who had participated in shorter programs, I knew that 1 month just wouldn’t be long enough. Then, we broke the news to our parents.

We started cautiously, carefully explaining the program and its merits. We thought we would receive a reluctant “Sure” or a “Maybe”. So, imagine our surprise when we heard, “Yes! Yes! That sounds great!” Who knew our parents were so eager to get rid of us for 3 months? Seriously though, they were very supportive, encouraging us to follow our dreams. 

Now, we have embraced the Alcalá program, eager and full of excitement to begin this amazing adventure!