What are good things to pack if I am going to study spanish in Spain for a month?

Question

For those who have experienced this...I am going for a month and I am doing the "Homestay" thing where you stay in the house of a spanish family..I will be going to Segovia.. also it would be helpful to know some things about Spanish customs that aren't taught in school. Thanks!!

Answer 1

I did something very close, 6 weeks with a host family attending thier HS. But it was in Japan and I didnt speak japanese.

1. Be open, you are in thier country not yours. if that is how they do things, then that is how they do things

2. bring gifts. you are staying in these people's home. Gifts from your home. I from texas so i brought special BBQ sauce and Salsa. I also learned how to make chicken fried streak and fried okra. Food is the international language.  Also calandars or (in my case) cow boy hats. Hats of local baseball teams etc.

3. things to bring. share your culture. bring photos of your family, hometown, house, friends, hs. A yearbook is a great thing to bring. Do you have talents? Like magic or yoyo? If it is something you can take and show off do so!

4. other just good things to have, digital camera. if you dont have one splurge for one. also set up a blog or bring a diary. it will seem like you could never forget this stuff but believe me, you will. write it down!

5. as far as spanisch customs, good luck. closest ive been is paris.

Answer 2

mr_goura... had some good suggestions.  I lived in Spain for 3 summers, so I'll try to give you perspective about what you'll need there.  You will do a lot of walking, so take good comfortable shoes.  Segovia is beautiful, can sometimes be a little windy, so may want to have a jacket on hand even though it's summer.  I've had a little trouble in the past with the plug converters for hair dryers, etc., so I recommend just buying a cheap one there if you need one.  Your hosts will appreciate any gift really, but they usually enjoy something that represents home for you.

Be prepared to have a different meal schedule.  Very small, light breakfast:  hot chocolate or coffee and cookies for example.  The lunch is a larger meal than you're probably used to mid-day and you'll get to try lots of great new foods, but it's sometimes a little on the heavy side, especially in the summer.  Be gracious and try to kindly express if the portions are too much for you.  (this is why they siesta, you know) Dinner will come probably after 8 pm and be a little bit on the smaller side than lunch.  As families, they usually eat slowly and converse quite a bit during mealtimes.

Youth are usually out late in the evenings at clubs and tapa bars.

Have a great time; Spain is wonderful.

Answer 3

Here's a great article about packing for a study abroad trip:

http://www.studyabroaddomain.com/Packing...