I’m writing this on September 9th, 2023. It’s been just over one week since I got to Madrid, Spain. I am a Junior marketing major and I have always wanted to study abroad. Starting from the day I got here, I was in shock at how picturesque Madrid is. The cobblestone streets and the buildings are all incredibly beautiful. I came abroad with a few friends from TAMU, so we’re all staying together in this 12 bedroom apartment in Sol (the heart of the city). It’s actually really fun staying with a lot of people because there are students coming in from all over Europe. It’s been a great way to make friends and learn about other cultures.
The first week that I was here, I got to do a lot of walking around the city and learning my way around. It’s pretty clean and safe in the main part of the city as well. There is a really pretty park similar to central park in NYC near the city that has a really pretty glass castle. There’s lots of places to sightsee that I plan on doing. This street called Gran Via has all the stores you can imagine if you like to shop and the gelato here is so good. I’m going to UC3M and I just started my first day of classes yesterday. My schedule is pretty good and I was able to get Friday off, so that I’m able to travel while I’m here on the weekends. Being here really allows me to immerse myself into the culture of Spain as well as other cultures since it’s very diverse. I’m meeting people from all over the world and experiencing things I never thought I would be able to. Being in Madrid has been very different because I’ve never lived in a big city before and there are a lot of customs that are different here. For instance, many places shut down during the afternoon because of “siesta” meaning nap. Also, there’s a lot more cultural aspects in Spain compared to living in College Station. Overall, it’s been great so far and I would recommend studying abroad!
