Valencia is amazing. It has it all – a happening city, a beautiful park, a beach and amazing people… could I ask for more?

Our first day in Valencia, we went to the Mestalla Fútbol Stadium to see Valencia play their last game of the season against Villarreal. I felt so European, you know, going to a fútbol game (not a soccer game) on my first day in my temporary home.

After the game McKenna, my roommate, and I walked around town with no real idea as to where we were headed. So yes, we got very lost very quickly but ended up running into two guys also studying abroad through ISA! They took us to Jijonenca, a Horchatería and bought us Horchata that came with farton bread (essentially just some extra suger that you can stir into the Horchata to make it sweeter than it already is).

Later that night we had dinner with our host mom, Rosario. She’s amazing! We sometimes (or tbh, most of the time) have a little difficulty communicating, but our conversations usually end in laughter. I’ve come to realize that smiling and laughing is a universal language and so far it’s helping. But when I really don’t have any idea what Rosario is talking about, I’ll look towards McKenna… she usually just shrugs her shoulders and looks back at me like “you think I know what she was saying?!” It’s not that we’re bad at Spanish, but Rosario just talks so fast! Sometimes I wonder what I’m agreeing to when I smile and say “sí ” like I know exactly what she’s saying. I’m glad that she doesn’t speak English though. It’s really challenging me to learn more Spanish!

She has two daughters that speak some English though. Rosa, 27, and Anna, 25, both live at home with us. They’re awesome and sometimes they’ll eat dinner with us too. Anna helped McKenna and me figure out how to use Valenbisi. It’s an effective and convenient bike system that makes the city more sustainable and easier to navigate through. We ride our bikes everyday, usually to the beach after class…

The beach here is amazing. It’s wide and packed full of volleyball nets! Every time we go to the beach there are at least five games going on. And every time, I go up and ask if I can join. I’ve already met a lot of cool people through just playing volleyball. A few days ago McKenna and I played with a bunch of guys here visiting from Germany, and yesterday I played with a handful of Erasmus students.

I love that this is my home for five weeks. Valencia is the place to study abroad.