Have You Ever Lived In Any Place That Isn’t Your Hometown?

This following is part of the Wanderlust Game Co. ongoing blog series where the author chose a card from the Wanderlust Table: Travel Deck as a writing prompt.  

Today, I drew one of the cards from the Wanderlust Table’s Travel Deck. This travel game inspires nomadic people to grab a group of like-minded friends and reminisce on some of their best trip memories. The card I picked read: “have you ever lived in any place that isn’t your hometown?” 

When I drew this card, I smiled. One of the most significant times in my life was when I lived abroad in Spain. I was twenty-one when I first made the trip overseas. It was my first time ever traveling to Europe and living abroad. For years, I had looked forward to this experience. 

In high school, I started taking Spanish classes and ended up falling in love with the language. I loved being able to communicate with Spanish speakers in my community and learning about different customs and cultures. In college, I attended the first school study abroad fair I could. 

But, life got in the way. College started to pass by quickly. I found myself in my junior year still on University of California Riverside’s campus.  

One day, I passed by the study abroad office and decided that was the day I would figure out how to accomplish this dream.  

The next few months were a blur. I scrambled to get my application in before the deadline. Then it was a waiting game. A few months later, I got the email in my inbox I was hoping to see. 

“Congratulations, you have been accepted into the UCEAP Complutense Madrid Study Abroad Program.” 

The months leading up to my trip were hectic. I attended countless orientation sessions, made visa appointments, and packed my bags. I couldn’t wait to get to Spain and was eager to see what my life would be like there.  

At the end of August 2013, I was finally on a one-way flight to Madrid. 

I started to get a little nervous on the plane and think about the friends and family I was leaving behind. Was it the right decision to leave my friends behind for my senior year? 

From the second I walked off the plane, I knew I made the right choice. 

This is what I had been craving. It was the first time in my life that I was on a solo adventure, and I was excited to see what I would discover.  I was a bit uneasy because I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know anyone else in the program. 

The city seemed so large. I didn’t know where to go or what to see. Everything was at my fingertips. 

As a Californian, I wasn’t used to seeing buildings that were older than my country. I could walk to a historic palace, take the metro to world-class museums, and fly cheaply to other countries on the weekends. 

A few weeks into my program, I met my host family for the first time. I was anxious because I had heard horror stories about host families not treating guests very well. The cultural divide can be difficult. My apprehensions were immediately wiped away by my host parents greeting me with a double Spanish kiss and a warm welcome. 

Again, time sped up. I began settling in. My host family turned into my real family. We became inseparable, and I also made some incredible friends who became family. 

I got used to my environment and navigated the Madrid metro system like a pro. My host parents didn’t speak any English, so my Spanish language skills improved exponentially. 

Life in Madrid wasn’t without its hiccups. I struggled with the vastly different education system and didn’t feel comfortable speaking up in class. During my semester, I made more than a few language faux pas and experienced some culture shock. I told someone something smelly (oloroso) instead of horrific (horroroso) and took the Spanish siesta a little too seriously. 

None of these speedbumps negatively affected my experience. By the end of the semester, I laughed at my mistakes and became more confident in class. 

After only  six months, I had fallen in love with Spain. 

Living outside of my hometown in another country taught me so much about myself and the world. I realized people could have completely different eating schedules, cultural norms, and customs, but it still works. 

By the time I left, I had an insatiable wanderlust that led me to travel abroad over and over again.  

About the author: 

Kelsey is a Southern California native who enjoys traveling, cooking, and playing tennis. She spent four years working and studying abroad. She is currently a freelance writer. She continues to share tips about living abroad on her TikTok channel: @globalgalkt. 

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