At just 14, Ruthies Stokes left Nebraska for Spain, where tennis, school and cultural surprises turned into an unforgettable exchange experience.

Stokes spent six hours each day at the British School of Barcelona practicing tennis, navigating a demanding training schedule alongside academic responsibilities. Beyond the physical demands, she was learning to adjust to life in a new country, forming friendships, and experiencing a different approach to sports and education, all while striving to grow as both an athlete and a student.

Despite this, her experience was enjoyable and she didn’t fall behind in school. The classes she took were all online. After tennis she would go to the cafe, with friends to complete work. One friend in particular, named Brianna, really helped Ruthie stay grounded in her schoolwork, even with her demanding practice schedule.

“[Brianna’s] my best friend. [She was doing] academies and she stayed with a host family, but she basically stayed with my family,” Stokes said.

Stokes was happy to make friends the last time she went to Barcelona, and now she plans to go again next year with a host family. She hopes to make even more new friends.

Reflecting on her reaction to leaving America, Stokes said she was upset, and did not want to go at all, but admitted that when she got there, “I didn’t want to leave”.

Although she was initially hesitant to go to Spain, she quickly found herself captivated by Barcelona, in love with both the city and the beach. While there, she tried many different foods,  her favorite being patatas bravas, a tapas dish.

While in Spain she lived in Castelldefels. “I loved it. I would live 10 feet away from the beach,” Stokes said. “It was so awesome.”

Stokes described Spain as being strikingly different from the U.S., but she didn’t mind it. Stokes said she was surprised by how clean that city was compared to what she was used to in the U.S., but it was even prettier for it.

She also mentioned the privateness of people in Spain, “Nobody really pays attention to each other. It’s very focused on your own life,” she said.

The combination of tennis, travel and an opportunity to immerse herself in Spanish culture provided an unforgettable experience. Even though she had been hesitant at first, by the end she was in love with Spain and was sad to say goodbye.