“I realized [in Spain] you have so much free time in the afternoon and here you come home, you do homework, then it’s time to sleep, and you don’t have time to do anything,” said exchange student Bruna Busquets, who arrived in the U.S. on Aug. 25 to start her junior year.
Busquets came here with the program Cultural Homestay International, which offers students from around the world the opportunity to study in a foreign country. She is currently living with junior Lia Gubau’s family, as the two have known each other for the majority of their lives.
“[Gubau] is like my sister. I share everything with her, and I think that’s the best part,” Busquets said.
The two were born in Barcelona and went to school together up until the fifth grade, when Gubau’s family moved to the U.S.
Gubau had time to get accustomed to the U.S. school system, but for Busquets it was a rude awakening.
“Here you have to choose all the subjects and there you just have to choose two subjects, so it’s different,” Busquets said.
The Spanish education system is similar to the one used in the U.S., although their version of high school lasts only two years. Students then take an entrance exam that determines which university they will attend to specialize in a profession of their choice.
Although she speaks Catalan at home, Busquets hopes to be able to improve her English while here, as well as get to know California’s culture and people.
“It’s so difficult to understand everything but it’s cool because you learn a lot of things and you’re learning all the time. But, it’s hard to live somewhere you’re not used to,” Busquets said.
It was hard for Busquets to leave her friends at home, but she is able to FaceTime them despite the nine-hour time difference.
“I’m awake when they’re sleeping, but when I was [in Spain] and Lia was here I talked with her here, so I know the perfect time to talk,” Busquets said.
For Redwood students, athletics is a big part of their lives, just as they are for Busquets. In Barcelona, she participated in synchronized swimming. This took up most of her time since she trained for 21 hours each week in order to go to national competitions.
“I trained everyday. Here I think you don’t have time to train. I’m not doing it anymore because I can’t find a club,” Busquets said.
Since Busquets has just arrived to the U.S., she has yet to visit many of the destination sites in Marin. Although, she did experience a Redwood tradition at the annual Back to School Dance, which she attended only an hour after she landed in California.
“I was super tired but it was a lot of fun,” Busquets said.
