La Universidad de Purdue en Cáceres

  Culture shock was a word that I knew the definition to but never truly had experienced until this summer. When I got off the bus in Caceres immediately I went into panic mode. My friends were finding their families and introducing themselves but the new part to this was it was all in Spanish! Of course I knew it would be this way but I guess reality caught up to me. I felt lost and knew this was going to be the biggest experience I've ever had in my life. When I finally found my family the conversation consisted of me breaking the news to them my Spanish speaking skills are very minimal! Dinner that night was intense but I made it through without breaking down. I just felt so bad that I couldn't say anything to them that had substance! They were very understanding and went out of their way to make sure I was settled in okay. As the days proceed though I feel my Spanish vocabulary is building into a longer list and becoming more complex. This weekend my friends and I took advantage of being so close to Portugal and decided to take a small adventure there. Portugal is beautiful and Spain is just breath taking! So far my week here has made me realize that being immersed in a new culture is the best way to learn a new language! I can't wait to see my improvements by the end of this trip!