My name is Ezequiel, and if someone had told me a year ago that I’d be writing this from Phoenix, Arizona – sipping a “small” 500ml coffee and calling it a regular day – I probably wouldn’t have believed them. But here I am, and honestly? I wouldn’t change a single moment of it.
My adventure began on the 7th of January 2026, when I boarded a flight from the UK and touched down in Phoenix just after six o’clock. The moment I stepped off the plane, the difference hit me like a warm desert wall – literally. The weather alone was a culture shock. My Semester Abroad: Phoenix, Arizona – A Journey I’ll Never ForgetBut it wasn’t just the heat. Everything in the United States feels bigger, bolder, and louder. Order a “small” coffee here and they hand you what I’d call a bucket. I laughed out loud the first time. Then I drank every last drop.
The jet lag, however, was no joke. For nearly two weeks, my body clock refused to cooperate, leaving me wandering the house at 3am, staring at the ceiling, questioning my life choices. But adaptation is a funny thing – slowly but surely, Phoenix started to feel less foreign and more like home.
My first official day as a student brought the induction, and that’s where everything began to click. I walked into a room full of people just like me – young, slightly nervous, and hungry for new opportunities. The connections I made that day turned out to be some of the most meaningful of my entire trip.
My living situation ended up being one of the true highlights of the whole experience. I rented a room in a shared house with three Filipinos – Jenaro, Nena, and Blenda – and what started as a simple rental arrangement quickly turned into something much warmer: genuine friendship. Jenaro and Nena, in particular, went out of their way to make me feel at home. They took me to Filipino restaurants, introduced me to dishes I had never heard of, dragged me to karaoke nights (yes, I sang – no, I won’t be discussing my performance), and filled every weekend with barbecues, dinners, and laughter. I am going to miss them enormously when the time comes to leave.
I also need to give a very special mention to Paola, a warm-hearted Mexican lady who essentially became my unofficial guide to American life. Within days of my arrival, she helped me open a bank account, set up a mobile plan, and find my room. Without her, those first weeks would have been a total logistical nightmare. She is the kind of person who restores your faith in the kindness of strangers.
So, would I do it all again? Without hesitation – “Of course!” Living abroad teaches you things no classroom ever could: resilience, adaptability, and the beautiful truth that genuine human connection knows no borders. I am grateful to God for every person I met
