“In the [University of Detroit Jesuit] and Mercy Spain trip, we went to a small town on the south coast called Alicante. It was beautiful and very simple because there weren’t very many tourists there and there were multiple sites to see even though it was a smaller town. I could easily say it felt like home. During the whole trip, I felt immersed with the culture and was excited for every new day. It was honestly the best two weeks of my life. I went into the trip only knowing seven Mercy girls, which was scary at first. By the time it was over, I came out with new best friends. It really opened up my eyes to see what was right in front of me and it made me more independent and less shy.

My host family was extremely generous and kind. They cooked many different foods that I had never tried before, such as papaya, and they taught me many different aspects of their culture. Now that I have Spain checked off of my bucket list, I can move on to the next country which is Brazil. The Spain trip actually inspired me to go to Brazil because being in a Spanish atmosphere with the different foods and cultures made me realize how much I loved my Spanish culture.

This trip impacted me in many ways and I would recommend it to anyone who is thinking about going. It helped my Spanish tremendously because I was constantly surrounded by native speakers. You are able to see things from a different perspective socially and culturally. You are exposed to the culture which is super amazing and you learn so many new things.”