Lucas Williams, a second-year Biomedical Physiology major and Spanish minor, spent six weeks in Sevilla, Spain, through the UGA en España program. Living with a host family, taking Spanish courses, and traveling throughout the country gave him the opportunity to strengthen his language skills while experiencing Spanish culture, traditions, and everyday life firsthand.

What drew you to this study abroad program and what did you hope to learn or experience?

I have wanted to participate in a study abroad for a long time, even before I started college. I have been studying Spanish for six years, so I hoped to study in a Spanish speaking country to strengthen my Spanish proficiency. Furthermore, I was interested in the European lifestyle, so Spain became a top choice for me. I was ultimately drawn to the UGA in Spain program because of its emphasis on language and cultural immersion, especially since I had the option to live with a host family in Sevilla. Aside from improving my language skills, I wanted to learn about the day-to-day life from Spanish families themselves and learn about their perspectives and lifestyle. 

Describe a memorable day during the program. Where did you go, who did you interact with, and what aspects of everyday life might surprise someone who has never studied in the host country?

A memorable day in the program was the day that we visited Cádiz as a group. Cádiz is a beachtown located about an hour and a half away from Sevilla with a lot of history, making it a perfect weekend day trip to go with our class. We went on a Saturday as a daytrip, but our program coordinators gave us the option to stay the night there if we found our own lodging and travel back to Sevilla. 30 out of 34 students (including myself) decided to stay the night and we all rented the same hostel, which made the weekend so fun! In the afternoon, 8 friends and I walked around town and watched the sunset over the ocean, making it a beautiful night. However, after the sunset, most of the people in my group were pretty hungry, so we started looking for restaurants. However, it was still 9 PM, and most of the restaurants were very empty, demonstrating the Spanish dining culture because 9 PM was still considered early for locals to have dinner.

Describe a moment - a conversation, class, excursion, or encounter - when something you had studied at UGA came to life or when you began to understand the Spanish language or culture in a new way.

One conversation I had that really emphasized the importance of local traditions in Spanish culture was with my host mom in late May. My roommate and I lived with a host-mom and her twenty-five year old daughter. One day our host mom mentioned that her daughter would not be home for a few days because she was doing a pilgramage to a town in a nearby province. I asked my host mom more about it and she explained to us the route that she would take by foot and showed us a picture of a traditional dress that she had hand-sewed for the daughter. I thought it was very impressive that young people still went on pilgramages like this in Spain and how they still keep old traditions alive.

What story from the program do you still tell others?

One story that I often tell others about the program was the long weekend that some friends and I went to Mallorca. On our fourth week in Spain, we had a long weekend where we were allowed to plan a trip by ourselves. A dream destination of mine had been Mallorca for a while, so I was so happy when seven friends and I decided to go there for our long weekend. My favorite part of the weekend was a five our boat trip that we booked. It took us along part of the coast of the island and to a natural reserve where we were able to snorkel and hike. It was some of the most beautiful scenery I had seen in my life, and I was so grateful to have the opportunity to go to a place like that with friends. 

What would you say to a UGA student who is considering studying a Romance language or participating in a study abroad program?

I would strongly encourage any student to study a Romance language and participate in a study abroad program. There are so many people in the world that speak romance languages, especially Spanish. Learning one of these languages allows you to communicate with so many more people. Additionally, once you learn one romance language, it becomes easier to learn others. I would highly encourage participation in study abroad programs because they not only expand your knowledge on a certain topic, but provide students with new perspectives and allow them to learn about varying worldviews and lifestyles.

What new academic, cultural, or personal perspectives did you bring home?

The most important cultural perspective that I learned in Spain is to the importance of slowing down. The Spanish lifestyles places emphasis on quality time with others and enjoying living in the present. I noticed that Spaniards were in less of a rush to get from place to place than Americans and have more personal free time.

How do you think this experience will help you develop skills for your future career?

This experience definitely improved my communication skills because I improved my Spanish proficiency and became more comfortable talking with new people. As a pre-med student, I appreciate the ability to speak spanish because I am confident now that I can communicate with any Spanish-speaking patients that I may have in the future. Living with a host family pushed me out of my comfort zone as well, giving me more confidence to pursue experiences that may feel daunting in the future.