The best word to describe my first three weeks in Spain would be descubriendo, discovering. As cliche as it sounds, I’ve never been to Spain before and I’ve been trying to soak up as much about the country and culture as quick as possible. 

However, this isn’t my first time out of the U.S., nor my first time studying abroad, so I feel like I should know some of what to expect. I’m hoping this time around will be a little easier than when I studied abroad in the Czech Republic. 

To be fair, I was only 16 and had no idea what I was doing. Because I was young and much shier than I am now, it was hard for me to connect with the other Czech students. It was also my first time living away from home for longer than a month. As hard as that experience was, it gave me an appreciation for learning about different cultures and taking advantage of opportunities which I carry with me today. 

So with the hope of being older, stronger, and wiser, I will try to live in Madrid with an open mind even if it gets difficult at times. So far I’ve found an apartment (my first ever), completed my first week of school, and gone on my first solo backpacking trip to Valencia (even if it was only three days long). I’m hoping there will be a lot more “firsts” to overcome throughout this trip.

My Spanish isn’t great yet, but I’ve somehow managed to find an apartment through Spanish online listings and navigate Madrid and the numerous tapas bars. It has definitely been hit or miss with the menu reading. The weirdest thing I’ve eaten so far would have to be squid cooked in its own ink. My gag reflex was really working over time as I tried to taste the inky-black goo. It was delicious, but I couldn’t seem to take more than a few bites.

I’ve enjoyed exploring my new city (aka getting lost in the city), tasting the various tapas on the menus, and meeting all kinds of new international people. 

Right now, I’m sitting in the living room in my Spanish apartment, with my Swiss, German, and Mexican (a fellow Hilltopper) roommates. We just got back from having Sangria and tapas at a restaurant in our barrio in La Latina, the oldest neighborhood in Madrid. 



Along with the theme of descubriendo, I’ve discovered many new friends in my short time here. I want to give a shoutout to my Australian friend, Jono, in particular because he’s been having a rough week. He had all of his valuables literally pried out of his locker in a hostel he was staying at in Madrid. He plans to leave Madrid soon and I want to wish him good luck on the rest of his travels.