This post features student writing.

On Friday, we woke up earlier than usual because we would be traveling to Albacete. After a tasty breakfast, we left our hotel and boarded the bus for Albacete. I think I can speak for most when I say that the first two hours on the bus made for a great nap time. We took a quick break, got back on the road, and pulled up to our hotel in Albacete.

We quickly put our luggage aside, and made our way to la sala (downstairs living space), where we were greeted by 16 smiling Spanish teens! Instantly, we were welcomed by Paco (the day stay coordinator) and his fun-loving personality. We played a few “get-to-know-you” games with everyone and enjoyed some fresh fruit and biscocho (Spanish pound cake).

Once we’d finished playing games, we walked to El Corte Inglés for lunch. We sat with our new Spanish friends and talked over plates of croquetas and various meats.

Bellies full, we all walked back to the hotel for a few more games. We got to know each other better and talked about favorite celebrities and the ending of Stranger Things Season 3 (no spoilers!).

As it neared closer to dinner, we drove over to dinner at Merendero Cesar. It could not have been a better location! Many participated in a soccer game on the nearby field, while others bounced on the trampoline. We ate a variety of Spanish tapas including queso frito (fried goat cheese), jamón (ham), and manchego, and many more.

As the night was coming to a close, we all met on a large field to have a group meeting. With much anticipation, we would finally be paired with our Spanish hermanos/hermanas (brothers/sisters). Names were read, hugs were given, and parents were met! Excitement was at an all time high! Everyone was so eager to spend the next few days with our Spanish familias!

On Saturday, we had our first full day with our host families. My host family and I had a busy day. We started off in a small pueblo and swam in a river, which some other families did as well. After, we walked around and saw a castle.

Everyone was fully immersed in the Spanish language during their time with the families. While difficult, the challenge was very quite enjoyable!

During the day stay, I was also introduced to new and delicious seafood. I got to know my host family’s extended family as well as their friends.

I finished the day with dinner at my host family’s home. The families were all so welcoming and kind and we are glad we got to know them.

Sunday was our second day with our host families. We met at the hotel at 10:30 and went our separate ways.

Many people started off the morning by exploring the villages of Albacete, going for a swim at a local tennis club, visiting a local museum, El Museo de la Cuchillería, or taking a beautiful hike.

Then some people went to their host families’ houses to have a delicious homemade lunch or went to a nearby restaurant. After lunch, most of the families relaxed and took a siesta for a few hours until they were ready for their afternoon activity. Some families saw a movie, played card games, or went into town to shop and walk around as their afternoon activity. At about 9:00, many families found local restaurants to eat dinner at and discuss the events that took place that day. After dinner, the families dropped off their host kid at the hotel and said goodbye.

On Monday we met our Spanish siblings at 10:30 in the hotel lobby. We then all took a bus to a tennis club that had a pool, basketball courts, a soccer field, and a restaurant. We relaxed in the grass, ate fruit, swam, played soccer, and talked with our new Spanish friends. After a relaxing morning, we had a delicious lunch at the club’s restaurant that consisted of eggs, fries, salad, chicken, fruit and ice cream. When lunch was over, we continued to relax, swim, and play. Many people went to the snack bar to get crepes, cool drinks, or refreshing popsicles throughout the day. At 7:00 we left the club and went back to the hotel to shower and change for dinner. We all re-grouped at 8:00 and headed to a nearby restaurant called La Esquina. We had a fabulous dinner consisting of many authentic Spanish foods. At 10:00 we concluded our meal and said goodbye to our Spanish siblings.

Our last full day in Albacete! I know we were all pretty sad to say goodbye to our Spanish brothers and sisters — they have all been so hospitable!

In order to celebrate our time together, we were going to have a fiesta at night. To prepare for the fiesta, of course we needed to have drinks. In the morning we had a lesson all together to learn how to make horchatas (a milky-cinnamon drink), limonada (lemonade with fresh herbs), and a Spanish favorite, gazpacho (blended tomato, cucumber, onion, and olive oil). Once we learned how to make each drink, we paired up with our siblings to assemble bebidas (drinks) for the party!

After about an hour of drink making, we took the bus to lunch. We rode “line A”all the way to Tapa Negra. There, we enjoyed salads and patatas al montón together. Then, we got to go up individually to a counter full of tapas and take our pick at what we wanted to try.

When we’d all enjoyed a plentiful lunch, we said a short goodbye to our host siblings, so we could take a siesta.

During siesta, everyone arranged their white outfits for the evening’s fiesta. Everyone looked great! We walked over to the club that Putney rented out for the event. It was amazing! We had a DJ, a photo wall, and fantastic food! We danced for hours with all of our new friends, and had an absolute blast!

We ended the night dancing to “Somos Amigos” in a big group hug. Parents began arriving and everyone started to hug and cry. We all developed such meaningful connections with our host families, and we are not ready to leave!

We all hope to see our Spanish siblings again soon! Hasta luego Albacete!

— Lily, Hailey, y Margaret