The second week of October has ended, marking the halfway point of my twelve weeks abroad! I am unsure how to feel about this milestone, whether it has gone fast or not, but I know there is a mix of gratitude for this trip and the time left as well as excitement to return home. A balance like this is important and normal for spending so long away from home.
It has always been difficult to pick a favorite season, but fall holds a special place in my heart. The crispness in the air, the excitement of holidays upcoming, the colors in the trees, the cool rain that lends to a perfect excuse to set the fireplace and watch a movie; autumn is magical always. It has been difficult at times to accept that I am missing all those things this year, even though living near the beach past summertime has been exciting. Even though those of us abroad are missing a precious Mid-Atlantic autumn and all its colors, the weather here in Alicante has not yet been very different than what my loved ones are experiencing in Maryland or Pennsylvania. Experiencing a different climate here in Spain took some adjusting for sure, but now the weather seems just about right! If you are preparing to study abroad in another continent, it can be very difficult to try and predict what the weather will be like for 3 or more months, no matter how many weather and climate pages you visit online. When we pack for living at college, there is a bit less pressure since there is always the option of going home and switching out tank tops for sweaters once the temperature starts dropping. Living abroad through the changing of seasons can make packing very confusing. Although my experience in costal Spain is very different weather-wise than that of someone living in England or Scotland, I can provide a bit of insight and advice on the weather in Spain and how to pack for it. When we arrived here six weeks ago, it was hot. Hot, humid, sweaty: all of the above. Although the beginning of September in Spain is much milder than July and August, the Mediterranean sun showed us it meant business and was much more difficult to get used to than we anticipated. All the rest of September was warm and sunny constantly, though we physically were able to adjust after a week or so. Therefore, if you are studying in a city like Alicante, pack plenty of short-sleeved or sleeveless shirts because if there is one thing I found, it’s that you will sweat more than you thought- even just during a low-key day of class! Central air conditioning is very rare in normal homes in Spain because of energy costs, so you will even be hot in the house! Summer in Spain includes all of September, so be prepared to enjoy the beach weather longer than any of your family at home. The beginning of October brought some whispers of change with the weather. We gradually no longer needed a fan blowing constantly to sleep and it was more comfortable in the house during the midday heat. Recently, we have even been wearing jackets in the morning and jeans all day! Although I found it difficult to believe my host mother when she said we would be able to wear those jeans and long-sleeved shirts we brought, it is beginning to look like she was right. Since I live in Maryland, a fairly temperate state situated in the middle of the East Coast, the daily highs and lows of temperature at home have not differed too much from those of Alicante. October has brought cooler nights in Maryland than we have here, but during the day it has been generally similar. Here in Alicante, we even have leaves on the ground! It is not quite the same, though, because leaves just seem to die and fall off their branches rather than going through the fantastic color changing we are used to. Although the cold of late November will be a brief shock when we exit the airport doors upon arrival back home, the weather changes from living here have not been too dramatic. Locals seem to respond to the weather in a similar manner to those at home too. They don jeans and light jackets on the cold mornings, and eventually get into the habit of wearing long pants everyday instead of reaching for shorts. The beaches are less packed, we have down comforters on the beds now rather than just a sheet, and the meals change slightly. With the weather cooling down, my host mother has served more warm and heavy meals for dinners. The produce selection has changed slightly, with strawberry season being fully over and mangos being more common for a post-dinner fruit. Overall the culture in Alicante is not severely impacted by the changing of the weather because it is still a tropical coastal town that never experiences snow or drastically cold temperatures, so the locals do not need to change their daily activities much. Every season in the United States has its own traits and things to look forward to, and it is difficult for all of us here studying in Alicante to miss the precious, comforting things about autumn. However, the weather here is wonderful and bright and although intimidating at first, nothing to stress over while packing to come abroad. And holiday time is creeping up soon!
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