Julia Planellas, sophomore

Home: Catalonia, Spain

Q: What are some places that you like to go here and back home?

A: I usually go to try new restaurants and like American food here and try the most American stuff that it can be here. So I usually hang out at parties with my friends like in their houses, pajama parties. They’re so cute. And then go into for example, Chick-Fil-A that we don’t have in Spain. 

Q: What are some of your interests like?

A: I like to read, focus on myself, and I love to travel. So every time that I have a little bit of money, I try to travel.

Q: Where did you want to? And how did you become an exchange student?

A: Okay. My sister from Spain wanted to be a exchange student, but she couldn’t do it because of COVID. The last summer, she was telling me that it’s an amazing experience and I should have it. And she convinced me, and we started making all this.

Q: What were your expectations/stereotypes of the U.S. before you came here?

A: I was thinking ‘High School Musical’. It’s not high school musical, but it’s still fun. I’m really happy. Like, for example, the pep rallies. I didn’t expect that and it’s so funny.

Q: What is one thing you had to tell people back home?

A: Maybe when I saw my first football game. I was so excited. I mean, this is my American experience. I had to tell everybody. I was like all the time saying the joke that I’m having my American experience and everything has to be perfect.

Q:What were your schools like back home?

A: They’re so much more boring. Here they do a lot of things. Here there are huge schools, but in Spain there’s so much smaller and it’s like you are really focused on the work. Also while making friends and all that stuff but they, it’s not that fun. There’s not a lot of fun activities. No cheerleaders. And for example, we don’t have newspapers and all that. It’s just all normal subject, like English algebra.

Interview by Madlyn Glenn