"Now you can tell everyone back home that you are friends with a Swedish girl and you know that all Swedish girls aren't blond and dumb," Karolina said with a smile.
One of the interesting things about learning a foreign language in another country is that you have the opportunity to meet people from all around the world. So far this semester, I have been in Spanish classes with students from countries including Germany, Iceland, Norway, Scotland and Sweden.
In addition to the differences between myself and my fellow students, a normal weekday in Spain is quite different from an average weekday in Arizona.
"Ben, levantas," I hear my host mother say every morning around 6:45.
"Vale," I reply before going through my morning routine of showering and dressing for school. By the way, Spain is waking up at the same time that Arizona is going to bed.
"Hasta luego!" we say to each other as I leave the third floor apartment and take the elevator down to the busy city street.
Shortly after 7:30 a.m., I make my way to the bus stop about a block away, eating a sandwich while I wait. The ride to school is always very crowded and limited to standing room only.
My first class begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 11. In it, emphasis is placed on instruction. We have two books that we alternate for in-class work and homework.
Both of my professors conduct class entirely in Spanish. At first, this was a real shock for me, but I've since become used to it. My second class is between 11 and noon. It's at this time that we practice what we learned in the previous class.
When I return home in the afternoon, I eat, study and check e-mail before going to the gym. I work out for a couple hours between 6 and 9 or 7 and 10. On specific days, I take classes such as Cycle-Reebok (spinning) and abdominals. When I return home from the gym, I have a light dinner before going to bed.
No matter how busy I am or how many wonderful new friends I make here in Spain, I still think about my friends and family back in the states. I guess you could say that when I left Arizona, I also left behind my life as I knew it.
The routine that I had been accustomed to is completely different from my life in Spain. The people I was used to seeing on a daily basis were suddenly e-mail addresses in my inbox. I'm not saying that I'm unhappy or that I don't want to be here. I'm honestly having a great time, but I think it must be noted that studying abroad can be difficult at times and is a decision to be made with careful consideration.
Check back with the Web Devil two weeks from now to see what sort of adventures I will have encountered.
Reach the columnist at benjamin.petell@asu.edu.
