A few people in Spain might smell, but Auburn students, who studied abroad in the country this summer, wouldn't exactly call their trip the pits.
"People in Spain don't wear deodorant," said Elizabeth Orantes, senior in sociology. "And they don't have the same concept of personal space, so it's something you have to get used to."
Regan Bercher, junior in marketing and Spanish, said that wasn't the only cultural difference.
"There's five open seats next to you, but they'll sit right next to you on the metro," Bercher said.
Rachel Lin, senior in Spanish and international business and another student on the trip, said they remembered thinking the same thing.
"One time we were on the metro and there was this guy behind me, and instead of telling me there was something in my hair, he reached over and pulled it out," Lin said.
Students from the trip said polarizing cultural differences caused them to stand out from typical Spaniards.
"We stuck out," Bercher said. "Someone saw my sweater and said 'you're not from here, are you?' They don't wear bright colors. I started wearing the same black shirt, all the time."
However, Orantes said the locals were patient and kind, sometimes not even aware they weren't from Spain themselves.
"I don't necessarily look Spanish, but when I was by myself, I noticed people would automatically speak Spanish to me," Orantes said. "When we were in bigger groups, they guessed we were foreign right away."
According to Bercher, some adjustments to the laid-back Spanish lifestyle were harder than others.
Since students stayed with host families for the duration of the trip, they were thoroughly assimilated into the local culture.
"Our host mom, one time, told us to be home for dinner at six," Bercher said. "We planned our whole day around it, and we come home and she's on the couch, smoking. She asked us why we looked so tired."
Orantes said living with locals helped her to improve her language skills.
"I lived with a family who had a little girl," Orantes said. "It was funny, because she would correct my grammar. It's actually a lot easier to learn when you're speaking to kids. Their vocabulary is simpler, and it's easier for us to understand."
According to Bercher, breaking the cultural divide with her host family was a two-way street.
"They don't wash their clothes as much as we do, and my host mom would always ask why I wash mine so much," Bercher said. "And they hang clothes to dry. One day, we open the window, and all of my thongs are hanging out there!"
Hannah Preston, junior in international business and Spanish, said one of her top moments was hitting the town with her host mom.
"She took us flamenco dancing," Preston said. "We went to a local dancing bar, and before that, we went and ate at a restaurant she works at. It was one of my favorite nights of the entire trip."
Bercher said one standout memory is a David Guetta concert at a club called Fabrik the students attended as a group.
"It was an adventure for all of us, being clueless and trying to figure things out," Bercher said. "It was crazy, but it was awesome."
Orantes said the trip was both a fun and rewarding experience.
"I'm obsessed," Orantes said. "And I learned so much. Being in situations where you were forced to use your language skills was helpful. You weren't thinking about your grammar, you were just doing it. Now, it comes out so much more naturally."
Eventually, Orantes learned to adapt to the difference in personal hygiene.
"I bought Febreeze," Orantes said. "It was the best 10 euros I've ever spent."
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