One of the hardest decisions when planning your study abroad journey is this: where do you want to study abroad? At least that is what it was for me, but I could at least eliminate some places from the start. I knew I wanted to study somewhere where I could focus more on improving my Spanish speaking. For this reason, I definitely wanted to go to a Spanish-speaking country… which still leaves a lot of countries to choose from! In addition, I am a very indecisive person, so this had me stumped for a while. Ultimately, I found that Alicante, Spain, would be the best location to study abroad in.  

Paella with shrimp and various other types of seafood like calamari, oysters, and more. This is a super popular dish in Spain especially in coastal areas, like on the island Tabarca!  

Why Alicante? 

Fortunately for me, I had a friend from my home institution who previosuly studied abroad in Alicante and also helped me make the decision. It was super helpful to be able to talk to someone who had the inside scoop on your future home. She told me all about her life while studying abroad, what she loved about it, how she did her travel, finances, and more. If it wasn’t for her help, I wouldn’t have been able to make up my mind as easily or feel like I was making the right decision.  

She had told me how Alicante felt like the best of all worlds: the city wasn’t too big but also wasn’t too small. I could not agree more, especially because I am somebody who comes from a smaller town. Granted, I visit the “bigger” city of Pittsburgh frequently but even then, Pittsburgh is not a big city compared to somewhere like Barcelona. I am not familiar with huge cities like that, and the things that they come with. I was a little intimidated by the size and am super glad that I chose the city of Alicante. I am now great at using public transport, navigating travel solo and with friends, and understanding what Spanish culture is like. I am fully confident that I could survive in a bigger city like Barcelona, or even Madrid.  

Inside and Outside the Classroom 

Alicante really does give you the best of all worlds. Like I said, you get the big city feel but also the small city feel. I live in a smaller city outside of central Alicante, but it is an easy train ride downtown. Near downtown, I can also find myself at the beach or even passing through the city.  

I am also able to really immerse myself in the culture here and not worry about anything being super bombarded with tourists. Granted, there are tourists here as in any great city, but it is not an overwhelming amount.  

I am able to learn about the culture even in my classrooms because of their great size. My professors are constantly educating my peers and I on what the norms are here, what different types of food there are, and also different cities and some history on them. I am super excited to have the opportunity to go to Madrid this weekend where I hopefully get to also visit Segovia and Toledo, two cities that were discussed in class! I cannot wait to tell my professor that I have a picture that I took myself of what we were reading about in our textbooks.  

A garden in Santa Cruz, one of the oldest townships in Alicante. My program and I stopped by for some photos on our way to one of the most popular monuments of Alicante, the Castle of Santa Barbara.  

Sobremesa 

Focusing more on how I view the culture here, it is very relaxing and for the most part, you have nothing to worry about in any aspect of life here. Spaniards really appreciate their time with their loved ones like family or friends. When Spaniards greet one another, they will kiss on their cheek and hug.  

Additionally, for meals, they have a tradition called sobremesa. What this literally translates to is “about the table.” Every Sunday they will sit and eat at the table with family or friends for extended periods of time before starting their busy weeks all over. This goes to show how much Spaniards value their loved ones and free time. Going back to meals, they also enjoy sharing food with one another while out to eat.  

The “Laid Back” Culture 

Another part about the culture that I admire and that sticks out to me as an American is how the children here get to stay out with their parents until late in the night. This also leads me to my next point, which is that Spaniards love spending their time outdoors, and do not stay in their room without seeing people for very long (unless for a siesta)! This stayed true whether I was in my destination city, Alicante, or at other places like Ibiza or Mallorca. Ibiza and Mallorca are still part of Spain, but they are islands instead.  

All in all, I couldn’t be happier with my decision to come to Alicante because of its culture and location.  

This is a photo of a beach called San Juan in Alicante. This beach is more popular amongst locals but has the best views.