My Experience
Studying abroad the spring semester of my junior year was a life changing experience. Being able to integrate myself into the Galician culture of Santiago de Compostela, Spain was an experience I would not trade for the world. From the daily conversations I had with my host mom, to the connections I made through my classes and internship, to the friends I made that provided me with a home away from home, studying abroad gave me a new perspective of the world beyond our campus.
As a Spanish and international business major, one of the elements I was most excited about was the homestead aspect of my study abroad experience and with reason because I left my semester abroad with one more family, I knew I could lean on if needed. Maria, my host mom, was one of the greatest sources of comfort while I was abroad. She and her family provided me with a home that was welcoming of all my questions and confusions about the Spaniard culture I had never encountered before. Through my time with the Nogueira family I had the opportunity to sit down with all six members of Mama Marias family including both of her adult children, who lived close enough to her to drop in for lunch every day, her two grandchildren and her son-in-law. Every interaction or conversation I had and observed served a purpose in my learning journey and proved to be incredibly helpful when it came to understanding the Spaniard culture. For one, the importance of family being incorporated into the daily schedule was something I had not anticipated and considered it to be an incredibly unique aspect of the culture. Children's school days often revolved around getting home to eat at lunchtime and businesses would often close for one to two hours right around 1:00 pm to permit families and employees time to eat and rest in preparation for the second half of the day. This emphasis on family was incredibly unique and further emphasized through the standard of having multi-generational households. Just like my own family’s dynamic in Mexico, having a home with more than one generation of family members was typical and provided extra bodies to the support system.
Each family member played a significant role in the maintenance of a smooth home life, for example mama maria was charged with ensuring that lunch was prepared and that laundry and some of the surface cleaning was taken care of, her daughter- also named maria- was in charge of the deep cleaning that mama maria could no longer do. The men oversaw going to work every day and brining in the bulk of the funds while the children were expected to go to school and work if they wanted to have spending money. Likewise, my family in Mexico reflects a similar dynamic with my grandmother who ensured lunch and dinner were prepared and that most of the laundry and cleaning were maintained throughout the week. These cultural similarities made it easy to assimilate to the family dynamic of the Nogueira family and allowed me to find my place as not only a guest but as a semi-integrated fly on the wall learning from all the interactions, I was able to observe and listen to.
Studying abroad not only gave me the opportunity to understand familial responsibilities and social norms among students, but it also afforded me the opportunity to learn about the rich culture that connects Spaniards. From the importance of a coffee date to daily mass and the importance of a job that afforded you the opportunity to be home for two hours out of the day, I got to see the firsthand experience of what it means to live in a city like Santiago de Compostela. The gastronomy alone was incredible, and I never tired of trying the different dishes Galicia had to offer like tortilla con papa, a Sopa de lentejas or even something as simple as a bocadillo with jamón serrano.
One of the things I found most fascinating was the difference in how time is perceived between Spain and Mexico. For one, in Spain, the idea of taking a break during the middle of the day isn’t just encouraged—it’s embedded into daily life. Businesses, schools, and even government offices take time to pause, eat, rest, and reset. I remember being shocked the first time I saw a shop close at 1:00 p.m. with no sign of reopening until late afternoon. In Mexico, while family meals are also central, there is a slightly more structured sense of urgency during the day—people take their breaks but rarely for hours at a time. It was interesting to see how both cultures value family and meals, but Spain treats the act of resting during the workday as almost sacred. That distinction made me reflect on how even though both cultures love their families deeply, the pace at which they live out that love can differ significantly.
Similarly, the difference in how time and work are perceived between Spain and the United States was impossible to ignore. Coming from the U.S., where everything moves fast and productivity is often equated with value, I initially struggled with Spain’s more relaxed approach. In America, the hustle culture is real—being booked and busy is often worn like a badge of honor. But in Spain, especially in Santiago de Compostela, I noticed people made time to just be. To sit. To walk. To talk over coffee without checking their watches. It wasn’t lazy; it was intentional. That kind of lifestyle taught me that productivity doesn’t always mean rushing, and value doesn’t have to come at the cost of balance. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—studying abroad challenged every idea I had about what it means to “work hard” and made me appreciate what it looks like to live fully.
Overall Studying abroad was one of the best experiences of my life, affording me the opportunity to improve my Spanish communications skills, my cultural adaptability and learn how to integrate myself into a country I knew only a bit of. The rich culture of Spain was breathtaking, and I was lucky enough to spend time in Portugal and even the United Kingdom taking the world that is currently an ocean away.
