Trip of a lifetime!
I was scared to go on this trip because I had never gone on a trip without my family. Nevertheless, my friend and I chose to embark on a Spanish language journey with TFT after doing extensive research on the best program. I loved my trip because it was the perfect balance between learning Spanish, immersing in Spanish culture, and having fun exploring the landscape and cities of Spain. The group size was relatively small, so we had a lot of freedom with picking the activities we wanted to do. Some of the highlights were taking a catamaran to a secluded island to go snorkeling, swimming in a waterfall nestled into the mountains, and shopping in Madrid and Barcelona. Classes were only a few hours a day in the morning, so we had the rest of the day to experience the amazing Spanish culture. We tried different tapas bars and even made our own paella. We also had plenty of time to see historical landmarks and relax or surf at the beach. The classes were super helpful in expanding my ability to speak Spanish. The teachers only spoke Spanish, so there was no choice but to practice the language, which was very different from my high school courses. I know I learned a lot because right after coming back I took the Spanish SAT and scored high enough to test out of college Spanish. The councilors were also all fluent in Spanish, so they taught us new words and phrases and helped us navigate around Spain. Now I have a new appreciation for traveling and studying abroad and hope to continue!
