Spain, like the U.S., is a country with incredibly distinct regions, dating back to the medieval era, when the modern-day country was split into several autonomous kingdoms. One of these regions, Galicia, is represented in Harwood by one of its exchange students.
Marta Souto Naveira hails from A Coruña, the second-largest city in Galicia with a population roughly equal to that of Buffalo, New York. The city lies on the northwestern coast of Spain, directly north of Portugal – “Portugal and Galicia are like best friends,” joked Souto Naveira; the languages are mutually intelligible.
She describes her city as full of beaches and parks, with its residents mainly living in tall apartment buildings. “There’s a lot of little kids and dogs,” she said, “and it’s much warmer there. Since it’s coastal, it doesn’t snow; I’d never seen snow before I came here.”
Souto Naveira applied for her exchange program through CIEE, a popular exchange agency. “Europeans always see the U.S. as a super huge thing,” she said of her decision to study here. “I wanted to see what it was like, and if it was like the movies. I also like learning more about the language, the culture, and meeting new people… I also wanted to escape Spain. Something new, please!”
She began her application in September 2024 by reaching out to the Spanish branch of CIEE, and she found out that she was placed in the U.S. last December. She didn’t find out that she was placed in Vermont until August, two weeks prior to her flight. “I was kind of stressed! Each state is so different, and I was scared that I was going to be placed somewhere like Texas.”
Ultimately, she’s pleased with Vermont; she loves living in a different climate, and loves Harwood. Her school in Spain (which began in seventh grade instead of ninth) had roughly the same student population, but the building was smaller. She enjoys the variety of classes offered to all Harwood students; in Spain, students can only begin choosing the classes that they take in 11th grade.
Her favorite part of her stay, however, has been getting the opportunity to meet new people: “Every day, I meet someone new.” She’s been less homesick than she expected, which surprised her, but she’s struggled with expressing herself in her third language. “Sometimes, it’s super difficult expressing myself in English,” she said.
“Sometimes, some people don’t want to try to understand you; they won’t listen.” She misses the ocean – although she visited Boston and loved it; it looked “like the real city” – and Spanish food. “I miss all Spanish food. For me, that’s real food.”
Souto Naveira just began playing hockey for Harwood, which she says she’s “trying her best” at. She used to rollerblade in Spain, and she already knows how to skate, but she’s never played hockey before. “It’s difficult, but I have so much fun.” She recently went skiing for the first time, and she enjoyed it. She’s looking forward to playing tennis in the spring. She’s never played before, but she said, “I always say that I’m here to try.”
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