Title:Las Familias

BY Jasmin Zamora

The families in Spain are different from families in the U.S. in many ways, but the essence of a family is still present within each household. in my personal experience, my family consisted of a mom, dad, daughter and son. The girl was 17 and the boy was 15. Both of my host parents worked at the local hospital as nurses. They worked 5 days a week and were off on weekends. They would get home around 3:20 and we would eat "comida" or lunch at that time. Dinner was not served until 10:30 in my house. Other families were different; some students are at 9 or 9:30. Many of the host families only have a mom or a mom that does not work due to the crisis; for this reason, the hours of eating may be different.

When going on outings or out with friends, all of the host parents were very understanding. As long as you respect them and let them know around what time you will be home, you should have no problem meeting up with other students. It is respectful however to let them know if you won't be home for a meal or will be home late.

The families are there to help you adjust. The first few days will be tough especially if your Spanish isn't fluent, but as the weeks go by you will become acostumed to the lifestyle. My most helpful peice of advice is to get to know the families. Not only will it make your time more enjoyable, the family will appreciate you taking the time to get to know them. Many of them have interesting stories that will help you adapt to the culture.

The families in Spain are very focused on making you feel comfortable. Many students had their laundry done for them, lunch packed, and their room clean. I did my own laundry and packed my own lunch. I made sure to tell my family that I was very self sufficient and I did not expect them to do that for me. It is crucial to be upfront with your family from the very beginning

At the end of the day everyone enjoyed their families and seemed to fit well with them. They are all nice people with different lifestyles than us, but with the same values. I cannot express how grateful I am to have had this experience. you truly do get am opportunity to live like a Spaniard and that is something not everyone can say for themselves.