Howdy,

Everyone has heard of “freshman 15,” and though I have never had to experience this phenomenon, I feel as though “study abroad 15” is much the same. You are in a new environment without your parent’s strict food regime, constantly being offered food that you KNOW you shouldn’t eat but it just smells soooo good so why not and you don’t realize anything is wrong until you’ve eaten the entire pan of paella, two loaves of bread, an entire leg of jamón, a wheel of manchego cheese, and enough gelato and sweets to feed a small orphanage. In other words, this combined with the lack of sports or after school activities that people do here, the fact that our gym doesn’t open until January, and my complete disregard for self control when there is food in front of me means that I have been gaining a LOT of weight. And if you know me, you know that this is something that I have trouble grasping or dealing with. In the USA when I don’t really have to worry. So here, this was initially very troubling for me and I felt sick when I thought about how I really could not do anything except like not eat in order to help this. But then I realized: I’m only here for 9 months. Closer to 7 more now. And the food here VASTLY outranks the food in the USA. I can worry about weight any time in America because that’s all people really DO worry about here. But while I’m in Spain and people here see beauty in you whether you have a flat stomach or a muffin top and thunder thighs, and while the food here tastes soooooooo good, I’m going to enjoy every moment. Every pound that I put on here has been gained with friends over chocolate cake and espresso or laughter with my family over a home cooked meal or in the streets with street vendors and 1 euro and a really good book. I am completely not willing to give up any of that for vanity that society has put on me. So this “study abroad 15” might be real. But it is DEFINITELY worth it. I completely completely completely recommend trying everything and helping yourself to 5th helpings. Who knows when you’ll be able to eat tortilla de patata or langostinas in the USA again?

Peace and lots of food,

~Parker Grove