On Aug. 28 I arrived in the United States to start a new way of life, have new experiences and to make my dream come true.
From the first day I arrived I have known how to adapt very well. My host family has treated me like one of their own and at the moment everything is going as well as I have always dreamed.
At first, it was very hard saying goodbye to my friends and family knowing that I wasn’t going to see them for a whole year, but when I got here I felt at home and I’m living the experience to the fullest.
I am an exchange student from Spain and in my opinion I think that we have a very different culture, but I am very excited to learn more about this culture and live the experience one hundred percent.
To compare the food in Spain, there is a much healthier diet since there is a much greater variety of foods such as fish, vegetables and fruits, while here in the United States, there are many more fast food restaurants, a greater variety of snacks and soft drinks. There are many Spanish foods that I miss. That’s why before arriving I bought a book of Spanish recipes to cook here and teach my host family the most typical foods in Spain.
As for sports, I haven’t noticed much of a difference, besides that the most popular sport here is American football, while in Spain it’s football which is called soccer here.
Also, in Spain we don’t have sports in our high school, so when I came to the United States I decided to try volleyball and I think I made an amazing decision because I really like it and I enjoy playing.
Something that I found out when I got here is that here you can drive at 16 years old and in Spain you can’t get your license until you’re 18. However, in Spain, when you turn 18 you can do a lot of things that you can’t do here in the U.S. until you’re 21, like buying alcohol.
Another important difference is the time difference, since in the United States, or specifically in Oregon, it is nine hours earlier than Spain.
When I arrived, the time change was a bit complicated for me since there is a huge difference. It is also very noticeable when communicating with my family and friends in Spain, because when they sleep I am at school and when they get up I go to sleep.
I’ve only been here for two weeks and I already feel at home. I still have a year ahead of me that I hope will be full of adventures, new experiences and very good things.
