The idea of living in another country for a year scares many people away from studying abroad in high school. However, for some people, this exciting opportunity overtakes that fear and gives the space to experience another part of the world. Lea Rosal is an example of one of these people, an exchange student from Barcelona, Spain who decided to experience life in America for her sophomore year of high school. Currently living in Westborough with the Oberlee’s, Rosal reflects on the experiences of being an exchange student and what it has done for her.
Doing an exchange year in the United States had been on Rosal’s mind ever since two of her cousins and brother did their own exchange years in America. Along with this, the idea of learning English was exciting to her, and the impression of America created through movies and T.V had inspired her to choose to do an exchange year here. She recalls, “I was curious, what’s the real view of the U.S?”
When her idea of living in America came into fruition, choosing a family to live with was an easy decision for Rosal. Her American Mom, Emily Oberlee, had done her own exchange year in Spain when she was 16, living with Rosal’s Grandmother. Ever since then, the families have stayed in touch, making it an easy choice for Rosal to live with the Oberlee family.
To get here, Rosal flew by herself at the age of fourteen, and arrived in the United States for her first time ever in late August. She quickly adapted to a new lifestyle and got involved in WHS, by joining clubs and playing sports.
With this new lifestyle, Rosal was excited to try new things, and she found herself to be impressed by various experiences of American Culture. One of the main things she was excited to experience was an American High School football game due to their common recreation in films around the world. She remembers, “I liked them. I think I only went to three games or something like that, but it was fun. I had fun watching, but I didn’t really get all of the game.”
For Rosal, one of the biggest challenges of living in America was the language barrier. She has been learning English for over ten years, but having to constantly translate everyday got tiring for her. Another challenge that she realized was how hard it would be to live without her family. Rosal’s Mom was able to visit once, but she is the only family Rosal was able to see in the eight months she has been here. She reflects, “I didn’t expect it would be that hard to live without your family. It was a big change living without my family, to another family that I did not know well,” Rosal adds.
In the beginning, Rosal was nervous about meeting her host family, but she felt comfortable with them quickly. Overtime, her host family and the people around her made Westborough feel like a second family and home to her. She specifically remembers Christmas as a time where she felt really connected to her host family. She was worried about missing the holiday at home in Spain, but her host family made her feel comfortable and like she was a part of their family which Rosal was extremely grateful for.
Rosal misses her friends, and wishes she could see them, but unfortunately the cost of traveling either back to Spain or to America is too expensive. So for now, she is waiting until she returns to Spain to reunite with her friends and family. She is excited to return to her life in Spain, but she is also going to miss her life here. “I feel like it’s gone so fast, it’s almost over, the year. I have a lot of things I want to do here. I don’t know, I’m also excited to go back, but it’s going to be hard to end my year here and say bye to everyone.”
Throughout her time here, Rosal recalls some of her favorite memories: pasta parties, walking her dog, fun classes, and seeing friends. Some of her greatest accomplishments include being varsity on the Field Hockey, Ski, and Lacrosse teams, all which she loved getting to be a part of. She met many people and made many friends, stepping out of her comfort zone to do so. Overall, she has loved her experience in America and as an exchange student. She encourages other students to take the risks of studying abroad to experience an opportunity students won’t otherwise get in high school. For a smoother transition to a new part of the world, Rosal recommends doing a sport and trying to meet as many people as you can. “It’s an experience if you don’t do in high school, you’re not going to get to again. It’s an experience that’s going to teach you how to leave your family, and know another part of the world. Yes, I really recommend it. I definitely do.”
I would like to thank Lea for sharing her stories and experiences with me, along with being a great friend this year. I wish her the best of luck back in Spain, where I know she will do amazing things.
