There is a particular kind of motivation that comes from love. Stacy did not cross the Atlantic for a grammar certificate. She came to finally speak, heart to heart, with her husband’s family in Ecuador.
I am Nanda, a host teacher with the Spanish Homestay Immersion Program (SHIP) in Castelldefels, just outside Barcelona. I open my home to learners and shape each day around real conversations, real places, and the people they care about.
That is exactly how Stacy’s week unfolded, one warm exchange at a time. This is the story of her stay, told from a host teacher’s point of view, from her sunny arrival to an emotional goodbye by the sea.
Meet Stacy, an American Learner With a Family Goal
Stacy is an American student from Austin, Texas, and a wonderfully dynamic yet calm and relaxed person. She arrived with an A2 level after more than ten years of patient self-study.
Her motivation was deeply personal. She wanted to communicate more easily with her husband’s family in Ecuador, and to speak more freely with family and friends.
For this week, her focus was clear: build confidence in speaking and listening, and turn her solid foundation into natural, everyday conversation.
A Home Where Spanish Lives All Day
The heart of SHIP is simple. The language is not confined to a desk; it lives in the house, on the beach, and around the dinner table.
From the moment Stacy arrived at three in the afternoon, we settled in, mapped out the week together, and talked through her goals over lunch.
That first evening set the tone. We strolled the beach, cooked dinner together, and chatted on the terrace until half past ten, already speaking far more than she expected.
Mornings of Coffee, Sea, and Spanish
Stacy fell in love with our daily rhythm. Almost every morning began with a walk along the beach and an iced coffee at the chiringuito, our little beach bar.
There, lessons felt nothing like school. We practised the contrast between the three past tenses, and she discovered new words simply by living the day.
She even did the shopping in Spanish at the local fruit shop, after we rehearsed exactly what to say and how to say it. Real practice, real results.
Discovering Sitges and El Garraf
One afternoon we headed out to explore Sitges and the Garraf coast, and Stacy was enchanted.
We visited the Church of Sant Bartomeu and Santa Tecla, then wandered the old streets and squares, soaking up the town’s history.
I shared the story of its indiano and intellectual past, and she loved the way Sitges balances tradition and modernity. It became a clear highlight of her week.
Cooking and a Verbena Night With the Family
The Sant Joan celebration gave us something special. Stacy had never heard of a verbena, so we explored the whole concept together before joining in.
We shopped for the festive dinner and visited a beloved local bakery to buy the traditional coca de Sant Joan. Then came a hands-on cooking class.
Together we made a Spanish potato omelette and mussels marinara, before sharing a warm verbena dinner at home with my family.
Tasting Paella and Visiting Bruguers
Another day brought a family meal so Stacy could try authentic paella. She adored the seafood version and was especially delighted by the Andalusian-style calamari.
In the afternoon we visited Bruguers, where we worked on new vocabulary tied to the place, its hermitage, and the legends of the discovered virgins.
These outings did double duty. She tasted the culture and absorbed the language at the same time, which is exactly how immersion is meant to feel.
A Free Day in the Heart of Barcelona
For her day off, Stacy explored Barcelona with my nephew, a former tour guide, after a quick morning warm-up on the positive imperative.
She admired the Sagrada Familia from outside, strolled the modernista Passeig de Gràcia, and ate at a classic tapas restaurant.
The afternoon brought the Church of La Mercè and a photography exhibition. That night, over dinner at home, she happily recounted everything she had seen.
A Final Day of Markets, Castles, and Crafts
Our last full day was pure Castelldefels. After coffee and a swim, we shopped for lunch and visited the Church of Santa Maria and the local castle.
In the afternoon, Stacy enjoyed a tote bag printing workshop at the Espai del Mar, taking home a lovely handmade keepsake.
That evening she treated me to dinner on the seafront promenade, where we shared an assortment of tapas and stumbled upon a magic show. A perfect last night.
How Stacy’s Spanish Transformed
The week followed our plan beautifully, and Stacy made real progress where it mattered most.
Across the lessons we covered the three past tenses, the future and conditional, the first conditional, and both positive and negative imperatives. We also worked on bien and bueno, muy and mucho, and desde, hace, and desde hace.
By the end, she could tell a full story aloud, weaving the past tenses together with growing ease and confidence.
Why This Was a Perfect Immersion
What made the week so complete was that Stacy did not only speak with me. She connected with my family and friends throughout her stay.
That exposure to different accents and ways of expressing things sharpened her listening and her comprehension enormously.
She left Castelldefels happy, more confident, and one big step closer to the conversations waiting for her with her family in Ecuador.
Past Visitors’ Stories
If you would like to read more real stories from students who have lived and studied Spanish with us, our diary blogs follow each journey from arrival to departure.
You could become the protagonist of our next story.
You can explore more real immersion experiences here:
👉 SHIP Stories of Our Previous Students
Get in Touch
To learn more about our Spanish Homestay Immersion Program (SHIP) and plan your own week in Spain, reach out to our founder, director and host teacher in Menorca, Mónica Romero.
Phone / WhatsApp: +44 7903 867 894
Email: monicaromero@spanishexpress.co.uk
At Spanish Express, you will learn Spanish in a different way.
