Probably the Best Summer Ever!

From the sunny and beautiful Spain, Katarina shares her story—and what a summer it’s been.

She’s always had a thing for Spanish culture, language, people, and art. When she first visited Spain as a tourist, she was blown away by how warm, relaxed, and upbeat everyone was—and how effortlessly they seemed to enjoy even the simplest daily routines. That atmosphere, combined with the language, totally won her over. So she made a promise to herself to come back.

When she came across the Experience Spain program and heard great things from friends who’d done it before, she decided to do something different. Instead of the usual 10-day beach holiday, she signed up for a whole new kind of summer.

She spent a month with a family of four in the quiet town of Tàrrega, in Catalonia. While the town itself wasn’t exactly buzzing with nightlife, its location was a huge win—it’s right in the heart of Catalonia, just an hour from Barcelona, the beach, and the mountains. Her host family turned out to be wonderful and took her everywhere: she explored all four Catalan provinces, saw the Pyrenees, toured the Costa Brava, and hit up Barcelona multiple times. Along the way, she improved her English and even started picking up both Spanish and Catalan.

Looking back, she says those four weeks might just be the best she’s ever spent during any summer.

She settled in quickly, so quickly that the kids in the family accepted her as one of their own right away. For Katarina, the key is flexibility and being open to new people and situations. She met tons of amazing people, stayed in touch with the family, tried loads of Spanish specialties, and created a million memories she’ll carry with her forever.

In her words:

The best summer ever!