I'm trying in earnest to learn Spanish, and am at intermediate level. I've had similar experiences trying to use Spanish in various contexts particularly in Southern California where I live, where there are a ton of native Spanish speakers that also speak English, and most of them speak FAR better English than I speak Spanish. Years into my language-learning adventure, I continue to feel super intimidated to try to use my Spanish here, locally, because people so often compliment my accent but the conversation quickly switches to English. I always feel like I'm creating frustration and inconvenience by trying to practice my Spanish, though it could just be my nervousness and desire to people-please that lead me to feel that way.
I've had more of this kind of experience (Me speaking intermediate Spanish, with my conversation partner speaking intermediate English) in places outside of my home area where people are more likely to speak Spanish than English on a regular basis: a range of Latin American countries that I've visited, and especially when I visited the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.
I’ll second the advice of going someplace where nobody speaks English. There is lots of that in south and Central America.
The absolute worst is places where most people speak English well but some don’t at all. Puerto Rico for example. I’d start off in Spanish and get answered back in perfect English a dozen times in a row, then finally give up and just speak English to somebody. Every single time, that would be the person who didn’t understand it. And every time I’d be so flustered at having to switch back on the fly that my own Spanish would disappear.
In rural, undeveloped bits of Central America, though, I’d go weeks at a time without speaking English at all. It certainly boosts your confidence.
I've had more of this kind of experience (Me speaking intermediate Spanish, with my conversation partner speaking intermediate English) in places outside of my home area where people are more likely to speak Spanish than English on a regular basis: a range of Latin American countries that I've visited, and especially when I visited the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.