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So I have always been close with my family in the US, both with my sisters, with my parents, and with my grandparents and other relatives. And, I am lucky to really enjoy and get along with “mi familia” here in Spain.

My real sisters and I at my sister Erin’s high school graduation

I live in a small neighborhood right outside of the city center and my school in Alcala. It’s a twenty-five minute, two kilometer walk or about a ten minute bus ride. My “Spanish Family” couldn’t be nicer. I live in a fairly nuclear family- mom, dad and two kids. When speaking about them in conversations, I tend to refer to them as mi madre, mi padre, mi hermana, and mi hermano because it feels too formal and inadequate to call them anything else, especially for people who welcome me into their home, look after me, help me with Spanish, show me around, and cook my meals.

Me, mi hermana, and mi madre on the first day we met

They have taken care of me since I have arrived. They have had six US students live with them before I moved in, so they definitely know the ropes. It’s quite the set up- much easier than living in an apartment in college. My meals are cooked for me, they do my laundry, and mi madre even cleans my room once a week! It’s making me reconsider why most kids in the US leave their homes to attend college. The Europeans do it right!

More importantly than them simply taking care of me, they really have taken the time to try to include me as part of the family. Initially our exchanges were a bit comical. Mi hermano (my brother) would laugh and call me out on nodding my head and saying “si” (yes) to everything, even if I didn’t know what was going on. (I guess some things are universal). But, living with them and talking with them everyday has really helped me improve my Spanish. And they never hesitate to repeat something or try to explain it in a different way if I don’t understand it the first time.

While I do of course miss my family in the US, it’s not much different here than being away at college for a semester. One thing I do miss though is having a dog around the house. I think I got so used to have dogs around my house in the US that I took them for granted, and it’s more difficult to notice their absence in a college dorm or apartment. But, I certainly miss having a dog or two or three to go home to here . . .  and at least they wouldn’t notice if I mixed up a Spanish word or two!

A look alike of my favorite devil dog Rosalita in Madrid

Location: Alcala de Henares, Spain