It has been some time since I have finished my stay in Madrid. I often think of the city that I called home for a month and reflect on my time there. One of the biggest takeaways that I have gained from my international experience is just that, international experience. My program abroad gave me the skills to become a more global citizen, I have now lived in another country and I have had the opportunity to understand and live in another culture. I have spoken a different language, lived life, eaten, went to school and enjoyed life like a Spaniard for a month. My experience has given me the opportunity to understand Spanish life with a deeper understanding than I have before. Also, since I have Spanish for many years I have gained a confidence with the language that I would not have otherwise gained if I was not immersed in a Spanish speaking culture.

My advice to students considering study abroad is to do it. There might be some hurdles in the way of you doing it but once you have overcome them and study abroad you will be grateful that you did. Studying in another country is an experience like no other and will serve you for a very long time. It might seem scary or daunting but the obstacles of study abroad will make you a better person for it. I would also advise that students, once they have picked a location, research the place they will be living and become as knowledgeable as you can about your new home. It will serve you well.

As I reflect on my experience, there is just one thing that I would change. I would have liked to have traveled more. There are not very many weekends in a month and I was able to get the most out of them but I would have liked to travel to different locations and to seem more of Spain and Europe. But it does provide me with an incentive to return again. I would one day like to travel and live abroad again, perhaps as a teacher.

My overall experience has been a tremendous achievement of mine. There are things about Madrid that I miss and long to experience again. The opportunity to live in Spain was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am glad that I did it. The experience has meant a great deal to me and can’t put it into words as there is a mixture of emotions about my experience. But there is one thing that I can say, it was an amazing experience and one I will never forget.

~Alexis

As I prepare to go home I am beginning to realize that I am going to miss many things. But there are things that I have missed about the United States. The main thing that I miss from the United States is my family. Traveling and living half way across the world and only being able to see them through Skype or talk to them on the phone has been difficult. The other thing that I have missed is the variety of food. In Spain there is not much variety when it comes to ethnic food. The main type of food here is Spanish food and sometimes I long for Mexican or Asian food, which I cannot find here.

The thing that I will miss the most from Spain is constantly being surrounded by history and being immersed in the Spanish language. I will miss the winding streets with balconies and wide open plazas. I will miss going to the art museums and having a picnic in the park. Many of the quintessential Spanish things I will miss the most.

I do not think I will experience reverse culture shock when I return. The hardest part of culture shock was when I first arrived to Spain. There were a lot of different things I had to adjust to and I had adjusted just as my time here is coming to an end. On the other hand returning to the US will not be as difficult because I am familiar with it.

Since I will be returning to the US before the school year starts I will have more time to adjust. I plan to resume my daily life and begin to make things normal again to lessen the effects of reverse culture shock. I plan to share as many photos as I can with my family and friends and share with them my experience. My study abroad experience has been an important part of my education and I plan to incorporate as much as I can of what I have learned into my life and in the future. I plan to maintain the friendships that I have made here and to continue to communicate with my host family. My Spanish is a part of my everyday life so this will be much easier to maintain than other things that I have learned. One thing that I have learned while abroad is to remain engaged and informed with events not only in the United States but other countries as well and that it is an effective way to remain internationally engaged.

~Alexis

Madrid is quite a large city and it is divided into different districts. I live in the district of Moratalaz in the south east of the city. Within the district are barrios, the barrio that I live in is one of the most well connected in Moratalaz. I am 5 minutes walking distance from the Metro, grocery stores and cafes and steps away from bus stops that will carry me into the heart of the city. The neighborhood that I live in is scattered with tall apartment buildings that can reach up to seven stories tall. At the base of the building are various businesses including hair salons, computer repair shops, “china shops”, bars and pharmacies. The building where I live is on a busy yet quiet street with cars and buses running along it throughout day. The neighborhood is sprinkled with gardens and parks. Every day I walk past what appears to be an abandoned garden which is home to five cats that spend their days lounging in the sun. The streets are clean and strewn with people going about their day jumping into their cars to run errands or walking to the Metro to go to the city. My favorite part of the day is walking to the Metro in the morning to go to the university, the walk takes about five minutes but I enjoy the fresh crisp air and it is already about 70 degrees so you can tell if it is going to be hot or not for the day. On my walk I pass a library and next to the library is a senior center. Every morning on this walk I see the seniors being dropped off and escorted into the center for their daily activities which for me became a daily routine. I then reach the Metro stop and embark on my commute to the university. I spend, depending on the day, two to four hours a day in class. I attend class in the morning at the university but depending on the day I will have one of my classes in one of the various museums in the city. After class, it is about mid-day, not quite lunch time, Spaniards have lunch around two or three in the afternoon, so after class I will have second breakfast. Just across the street from my university is a centro comercial, there is a small café in which I can have a coffee and some pastries to tide me over until lunch. In the cafe, there are cases full of pastries and delicious cakes. One day I wanted to try a slice of chocolate cake, I order with my knowledge of what the word for cake is, but instead I received a pancake drizzled with chocolate! I was a little disappointed it wasn’t the amazing chocolate cake but nonetheless I was happy to eat the pancakes topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. Until then, students in my program and I will head into the city to explore something new. Then after exploring for a bit we search for a place to eat. In Madrid, during lunch there is a special called a menú del día, this special includes three course, appetizer, entrée and a dessert as well as a drink all for about 10 Euros. After lunch we explore, shop or study in the park. Then around eight o’ lock or earlier I head back home. There I relax and rest my feet from the day because I can walk up to ten miles a day here! And spend time with my host family. This is also a time when I would call my family due to the nine hour time difference I would have to only call at certain times. Then around 10 o’ clock in the evening we assemble to meet for dinner in the kitchen with my host family. Having been busy all day and walked nearly 10 miles I get ready for bed and would repeat the process all over the next day.

Thus far in my experience I have been surprised by myself. I am proud of myself for taking on the experience and trying to authentically live like a Spaniard for my stay here. I have taken the jump into the unknown and decided to live in another country half way around the world and I would like to think that I am doing it successfully too. I also have been surprised by my program. The people that I am traveling and studying with here in Madrid have been awesome; they have been great companions, friends and travelers. In addition, the program coordinators have been great as well, offering support, help and guidance in every step of the process.

I have been finding it a little bit difficult to find access and insight in community engagement. Due to my short stay and my classes only being with American students in the program, it has proven difficult to become more engaged with the people. At the university that I am attending there are no Spanish students to interact with since they are not having classes at this time in the summer. Advice I would give students that are interested in studying abroad is to just do it. You don’t know if you’ll have another opportunity to travel and study in another country. Another piece of advice I would give is to research. I believe a key to my success is that I came prepared and researched the country and city that I will be living in. Research will prepare you for anything that study abroad throws at you and make what could be strange situations into something navigable.

I time traveled today.

After thirty minutes on a train, I found myself in a whole new world.

El siglo de oro, the peak of the Spanish Empire.

I stared up at the stately city with awe. A large stone fortress sat atop a hill with buildings in the same fashion layered below it.

A bridge with a brown river flowing underneath stood guard to the entrance to the city. With the sun beating upon my shoulders I approached the guard to the city.

Upon entering, I was greeted with an archway that opened to the steps that would bring me to the top of the hill. I recognized the style of the arch, it was something that was unique to this city and others near it. It wasn’t like a simple archway with a rounded top or point, this arch was different. The sides of the door way were straight but they were then met with a semi-circle at the top, much like a keyhole. This type of architecture is synonymous with the Moors, a group of Muslim peoples from North Africa. In order to reach the top of this city and still to this day it was the key to reaching the city.

I continued to scale the steps that cascaded down the hill in front of me. The path eventually led to the main plaza, where the people would congregate to sell their goods and have a meal. Many tiny little streets and alleyways followed away from this hub to the various parts as the winded and turned.

Down one of the larger streets was the fortress that I had viewed from below. Up a short hill to the building, a rectangular stone structure with towers at all four corners and atop this tower were spires that stretched above towards the heavens, this structure is named the Alcázar.  Once a fortification originally used by the Romans when they occupied the area in the 3rd century it was rebuilt several times of the centuries after siege but the fortress still stood strong. At the top of the construction, is a terrace where it became clear as to why this location was chosen for the stronghold. There are 360 degree views from atop the hill into the countryside and of a strategic position as a natural river flows around the perimeter to offer as a secondary layer of defense. The kings and queens of Spain would have taken residence here and would have greeted their subjects from their thrones. Even a Hernan Cortes, who would be returning from his encounter with the Aztecs and the fall of Tenochtitlan, seeking the support from Los reyes catolicos. He would have traveled to this city on a hill with stories of the New World and the riches that he he encountered.

Another structure, sprouted from the center of the city, standing tall amongst all the buildings was the cathedral. En route to the cathedral, it became more evident that I was no longer in the 21st century. Draped above the streets, large sections of canvas were suspended above the city streets. They were tied to the walls above and provided much needed shade from the day as you walked along the streets. I imagined ancient Roman legions, Visigoth warriors and Templar knights walking beneath the cloths with their swords and armor or perhaps even kings and queens in procession. The multi spired building that provides guidance to those who enter. Several entrances are located on different streets but the one that you must enter is down a narrow street that opens to the grand entrance.

The entrance is adorned in carvings from the Bible and other religious figures. The doors are crowned with a pointed archway that adds to the grandnessof the cathedral. Beyond the large carved doors lies the grandiosity of baroque Spain. Upon entrance you are greeted by large stone pillars that seem to never cease to climb into the sky. The pillars stretch to meet the ceiling, a collage of marble, sculpture and gold. To the sides the cathedral is lined with chapels, all dedicated to different saints and important figures. The choir, one of the most prominent features, located in the middle with organs gilded in gold. You can imagine that when mass is being performed that the organs and the choir would resonate beyond the city and into the nearby pueblos. A balcony hung from the wall above the choir, where Queen Isabel I would have sat during a mass, to be able to enjoy all aspects of the ceremony.

Soon, I would have to return to the reality that I know, not this one of grandeur, faith, armor and siege. I would return on the train once more. As I sat and waited for the train I stared at the city on atop the hill and wondered what else happened here that the history books don’t know about. The train sped into the station and stopped right in front of me. I approached the coach and for once last time I turned to the city.

Ciao, Toledo.

I have been in Madrid for a little over three weeks by now. I still haven’t quite adjusted to the heat yet and the fast pace of life but I am finding a sense of rhythm and routine. One of my favorite things thus far is the architecture of the city. It seems like around every corner there is a new and interesting building to stop and admire. Even down a simple alley way, you can find a colorful pink building with Juliet balconies lined with flowers. In the busier parts of the city the grand and ornate buildings of the Plaza Mayor or the Palacio Real are easy to encounter.

I take classes at a local university that is located just outside the city and easily accessible by the Metro. Tucked into a quite area of Madrid is Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. I attend classes there most of the week unless I am having class in one of the various museums in the center of the city. I am taking two classes while I am here, a class about European art and another about travel writing. Since it is the summer and many students are away on vacations it seems the only students on campus are the ones in my program. There aren’t many activities or clubs since it is summer holidays but on the flip side, the spare time allows me to explore the city more.

My experience with the locals is at times brief, I spend much of my time with the locals on the Metro (the underground subway of Madrid), ordering at restaurants and conversing with my host mom. But overall despite the busyness that there is in Madrid, the locals are kind and willing to help, despite the lack of Spanish vocabulary in some instances which can make conversing difficult at times but worth it since it can be used as a learning opportunity to learn new words.

My university in the U.S. had prepared me for what was to come: culture shock. I thought I wasn’t going to have a problem with culture shock because I knew the language and I felt like I had studied the culture and history my entire student career. But was I wrong. In my mind Madrid wasn’t a big city and it was going to be one of the small Spanish towns that you see on postcards. I had an idealize version of the city and when I first arrived I was struck with the sheer size and multitude. I should have expected it to be as large as it is because it is the capital of Spain. Upon arrival I quickly realized that I would have to use the Metro system to get about everywhere in the city. The web of lines, trains and stops was intimidating at first but once I understood how it worked, it became much easier to navigate my way to the various parts of the city.

In hindsight, I wish had researched more about the city and how it functioned. Much of my research has been on the job training as I have been going about my days here in Madrid. I feel that more research of the city would have lessened the shock I received when I first arrived. But on the other hand, having to figure things out on the ground has helped me grow as a person and as a traveler.

~ Alexis