"You're all Toledoans now." It was something that one of my professors said in passing, but it was something that stuck with me throughout my whole time in Spain. Being from Ohio, I had to make sure to pronounce Toledo with an accent and throw on Spain at the end to make sure that people didn't think I was just traveling across the state. But after being there for six weeks, I really do feel like a part of the population of the city.

Being home now, it's hard to explain everything that I did while I was there, but it's even harder to explain how it felt to just walk around town. When I was there, I felt more comfortable than I thought I would be walking around in town without directions or a place that I was trying to go to. I was actually able to give other people instructions to places that they were trying to go, even in Spanish.

I already miss being there and would go back if I could. I loved being able to speak in Spanish all of the time, and I loved getting to spend time with the friends that I made there. There was never a boring moment or day while I was abroad, even when I just went to classes.

I had so many wonderful experiences, and everything was an adventure. I got to visit a lot of different places, and I got to spend a lot of time exploring my city and learning more about what all there was to see in Toledo. There are so many pictures that I took that have stories behind them that I love sharing, especially when it involves the history or culture of Spain.

I wouldn't change anything about my experience, and I know that Spain will always hold a special place in my heart. I never thought that Spain would be able to meet my expectations and fulfill my lifelong goal of visiting there, but it did. I didn't get to visit everywhere that I wanted to, but I did get to see so much more than I thought was possible, traveling every weekend that I could.

This experience was life-changing. I feel so much more confident speaking in Spanish, both with my friends and with native speakers. I spent so much time speaking in Spanish, that there are some things that seem weird to say in English now. Also, there are some things that I need to translate from Spanish to English because it's the first time I've explained it in English to someone.

Being home is weird because everyone around me has been here all summer, and it's hard to jump right back in and know that I have to go back to school soon. I can't believe that my six weeks in already over, but I know that I'll be back again soon. Spain will always hold a special place in my heart and Toledo even more so. Saying goodbye to the city was so hard, but I know how much my time in Spain has helped me with my future and I feel like I've achieved everything I wanted to while I was in Spain.