Last spring, I made the decision to study abroad in Madrid. It was not an easy decision nor a simple one. In fact, I did not commit to my program until the due date.
There were a million factors I considered before making the decision to study abroad. This included everything from expenses, living arrangements, the cultural differences and simply being so far away from my family and friends.
However, I ultimately made the decision to study abroad and I did not regret it.
In the days leading up to my flight to Madrid, I experienced pretty bad anxiety. I was very stressed out about packing and purchasing things that I wasn’t sure I would be able to get in Madrid (it turns out, they have most American brands in Madrid and I’m just a overpacker).
It honestly did not feel real that I would be living in Madrid until the plane landed at the airport.
I was extremely lucky in the fact that my dad flew to Madrid with me and stayed for about three days to help me settle in. It was sad when he left. I realized I would be here for the next four months away from everything that was familiar for me.
To put it into perspective, Penn State is about three and a half hours from where I live. Madrid is about a seven-hour flight from home.
However, once I put my fears of the unknown behind me I was able to have an amazing time. One that I would not trade.
I studied abroad through a program that I applied to through Penn State. This made the application process an easy one. Honestly, I was not a big fan of my courses abroad.
My courses were all in Spanish, which is something I chose in order to help me accelerate my rate of learning the language. My classes were mainly art classes (a subject I’m not very interested in).
However, even though I was not the biggest fan of the classes I took, I did have an amazing time that was made possible through my program.
I was able to travel to many cities in Spain and visit historical landmarks in the country, all planned and made possible through my program.
In addition, during my spring break, I decided to travel to a few different cities. I was able to go to Paris, Rome, Milan, Venice and Italy.
My favorite city I visited during my time in Europe ended up being Madrid. I was able to immerse myself in a new culture with a new language and new customs.
I really enjoyed the Spaniards way of life. I especially loved the food and shopping.
It is important to acknowledge that there are tough moments when you’re living so far away from your family and friends.
For example, I missed out on two weddings and I did experience homesickness and missed being at my beloved college. In addition, it would also be an understatement to say that I was ready to go home by the time my return flight was scheduled.
Nonetheless, I loved my study abroad experience, and am so glad that I decided to take the plunge and study in Madrid for the semester.