A Glimpse into My New Life Studying Abroad in Villanueva, Spain

Hey y’all!  I’m Sophie Martini and from Austin, Texas. I will be studying abroad for ten months as a sophomore in Villanueva De La Serena, Spain.  I have traveled abroad before, but never to Spain, so this year is going to be full of firsts!  I am so excited to make life long connections and hopefully be fluent in Spanish by the end of my study abroad program. Below is a look at my typical day as an exchange student.

Life with My Host Family

My host family has two homes, but we are living in the country house for my stay here.  There are chickens and three cats at the country house, and the sunsets and sunrises are beautiful!  

My host family’s home in Spain.

Daily Commute and School Classes

I live in the countryside here in Spain, so I am too far to walk to my school.  My host mom works at the school that my host sister and I go to so we drive to school in the morning and drive home for lunch!  

My high school in Spain.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays my host sister and I have badminton practice. (My teammates are in the first photo of this article!)

Shopping and My Social Life in Spain

There are very few places to shop in Villanueva so a friend and I went to Don Benito, which is the next town over.  Don Benito has a street full of clothing stores and restaurants. Almost every weekend there is a birthday party and I have been going to those with my host sister.  

Sophie and her friend visiting Don Benito.

Weekends are usually chill days at my families house though.  We clean, cook, and watch TV together when we are not at separate events.

This is just a glimpse of my life as a high school student in Spain, but stay tuned for more insight in the weeks ahead!