What better way to experience a country than by staying with a local family? Becky, a Community Manager and host mom from Utah, discovered that the real heart of Spain isn’t found in tourist attractions but in exploring villages side by side, laughing late into the night, and celebrating the sweet moments of everyday life. She didn’t just welcome exchange students into her home. She built a family across the ocean and connected two families in a bond that will last a lifetime.
My first experience visiting Spain paled in comparison to visiting Fernando, my former exchange student from the 2024-25 school year, this past July. When I met his family at the baggage claim at the Madrid airport, Fernando and his parents wrapped me in the biggest, most joyful bear hug. I think we were all crying. I immediately felt at home, having my Spanish family hold me so tight. They drove me straight to their castle in Tarazona, Spain.
We walked the village, visited an ancient bullfighting arena, ate a traditional Spanish meal of hearty, fresh local vegetables, and while we were eating, fireworks were literally exploding over the bell tower. The sight was stunning. We returned to the castle, where we played Spanish Monopoly for the rest of the night.
They took me on a tour of an olive oil mill and showed me how they press the olives using primitive tools. Fernando’s parents dropped us off at the trailhead of Moncayo Mountain. We hiked to the top of the highest peak in the Iberian Mountain System, where Santuario del Moncayo Restaurant is perched on a cliff, and ate the most tantalizing traditional peasant meal of Spanish bread crumbs (Migas del Pastor).
My previous trip to Spain was just scratching the surface, as deep as a tourist can go. It wasn’t until I was there with my Spanish family that I experienced the delicious flavors of authentic Spanish cuisine. We visited ancient Roman cities, including Medinaceli and Segovia. We wandered medieval monasteries, grand museums, the tombs of kings, gorgeous gardens, and the palace, and we shopped until we dropped in Madrid.
We made so many joyful memories, but perhaps my favorite was the night that Fernando and I prepared dinner for his parents and enjoyed our meal on their patio to the background noise of crowds cheering wildly in the city while running with the bulls. It was a surreal soundtrack to our game of Rook.
We also enjoyed just relaxing poolside in Fernando’s beautiful yard. Other highlights included amazing Spanish cuisine and fantastic weather. I also reunited with another former exchange student, Zoe from Barcelona (read the full story here), and introduced her to Fernando and his family in Madrid.
Before we left, Fernando’s dad kept asking me, “How soon can you come back?” We made plans to reunite next summer and walk the Camino de Santiago together. We truly feel like we’ve successfully woven our families together with a love that will endure forever.
Are you interested in making a student like Fernando a part of your family? We are looking for American host families to welcome a student for the upcoming 2026-27 school year. Check out the profiles of our wonderful students. New student profiles go online every Thursday!
