Author: egarcesf

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#6 Reflections on Madrid

Its been a week and a half since I left Madrid. The most shocking thing, or perhaps what doesn’t feel shocking at all, is how easy it has been to adjust to life back home. The moment I pulled into my driveway it felt like I hadn’t left home at all. Its interesting how easily humans can adapt to new situations. To be honest though, I had hoped for a bit more culture shock. I secretly hoped that I would’ve gotten so used to life in Madrid that it would feel strange living in the US again, but being home with my family felt so familiar that I couldn’t pretend to feel like an outsider who would never be the same after her summer in Spain. There have certainly been a few things that have taken a second to get used to again, though. Sitting at a restaurant and hearing Americans speaking English at the table next to me was genuinely weird, because that’s the sort of thing that I would have been so excited to experience in Spain. I’ve also had to make a conscious effort not to order my food in Spanish, more times than I’d like to admit. I even went to the Pupuseria by my house just so I could have a conversation in Spanish. I didn’t expect to miss the daily interactions in Spanish so much, but it has felt weird not speaking Spanish anymore. I’ve tried to keep up with my Spanish by watching Spanish tv shows and reading Spanish books, but I definitely miss the feeling of being completely immersed in the language.

I’ve also spent a lot of time reflecting on what’s different now after 2 months in Spain. Looking back at my first blog post, my biggest reflection is that I’m honestly not sure how much I’ve changed. I feel like the same person, but I think over time I’ll come to realize how much this summer in Madrid affected me. One thing I have realized, though, is that I thought moving to Madrid would be a lot harder than it actually was. Maybe the reality is that I’m a lot stronger than I thought I was. Granted the great friends and loving host family were crucial, but I also think I gained a lot of confidence, independence, and eagerness to explore which made Madrid so amazing. Every experience was a way to practice Spanish and another way I could immerse myself in Spanish culture.

Another thing I’ve realized since getting back to the States is that I wish I could have immersed myself in Spanish culture and language more. At Nebrija where I took Spanish classes everyone was American, so I spent most of my time speaking English and interacting with other American college students. I wish it had been easier for me to meet Madrid locals so I could learn more about life in Madrid and practice colloquial Spanish. In July my host family traveled a lot so I spent less time speaking Spanish with them. If I could do this over again I would do more on my own and pushed myself to meet locals so I could speak more Spanish. Luckily, I will have the opportunity to do this again. I’m studying abroad in Santiago, Chile this spring, and I feel so much more prepared to get more out of my experience in Chile. I now know that I want to make a stronger effort to spend time with my host family, make friends with local Chilean students, and speak more Spanish than English.

My time in Madrid was absolutely incredible. Leaving Madrid was one of the hardest, most fulfilling things I’ve ever done. I miss the city and my friends so much, and its a weird feeling not knowing the next time, if ever, I’ll see these people or be back in this city again. However, I’m left with incredible memories and lessons that I’ll carry with me forever. People always make fun of that cliché saying “study abroad changed my life.” I used to make fun of it too before I realized that it’s probably true.

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#5 Final Moments in Madrid

I truly can’t believe my two months in Madrid has come to an end. These last 2 weeks in Madrid have been filled with gratitude and reflection, and I can confidently say this has been the most fulfilling, rewarding, incredible summer of my life. When I wrote my first blog post back in May I remember writing that I had no idea what I was getting myself into. All I hoped was that I would make a few friends, get along with my host family, learn to live on my own in a new city, and improve my Spanish along the way. I’m now leaving Spain with some of the closest friends I’ve ever had, a deep love for this incredible city, and a desire stronger than ever to continue working towards Spanish fluency. My heart is so full, and I could not be more grateful.

About two weeks ago was when it started to kick in that my time in Madrid is coming to an end. For so long it felt like I was just getting started. I’d finally gotten a hang of the metro system, I started to feel comfortable speaking to strangers in Spanish, and I was in a great flow with my classes. Then, suddenly, August 6 was two weeks away, and I realized there is so much I’ve yet to do in Madrid. I’ve spent the last two weeks going to every museum I could, exploring new neighborhoods and getting on random metro lines, and soaking in quality time with my friends. I just got back from a 5 day trip to Ireland, and I was shocked at how much relief I felt to be back in Madrid. Madrid genuinely feels like home, and it felt like a breath of fresh air to be speaking Spanish again and falling back into the daily routine I’ve had for the past two months. However, I was also shocked at how strange it felt to speak Spanish again after 5 days without it. It took almost an entire day to rewire my brain back to thinking, speaking, and listening in Spanish. This honestly scared me, because I’m now wondering how much of this progress I’ll lose when I go back to the US, and how I can make sure I keep integrating Spanish into my daily life. I’m lucky that I’ll get to continue my Spanish when I study abroad in Santiago, Chile in the spring, but my 5 days away from Spain was an eye-opening reminder that I’ll need to make a conscious effort to not lose all the hard work I’ve done this summer.

These final days in Madrid are so bittersweet. The mundane things that consumed my life for so long now feel so, so significant. When I got back to Ireland and was on my way to my homestay, I teared up on the metro. The people I shared commutes with for 2 months get to continue their lives here while I have to say goodbye to each and every little thing. I pulled out my journal and wrote down these thoughts: después de 5 días de distancia, olvidé que la vida continúa sin mí, y la vida va a continuar después de que me vaya. Que afortunados son de continuar sus vidas sin el miedo de que nunca volverán a ver estas calles.

There is so much about Madrid that I love that I did not expect to love. I love how everyone cares about each other in a way I don’t quite see back home. How the older couples in my neighborhood always stop to chat on their walks out, how el portero Joaquin and I joke about the heat every time I walk into my apartment, how the public transportation is calm, reliable, homey. How I became friends with the owner of the bar where I performed open mics a few times, just because I cracked a joke with him in Spanish and now he remembers me every time I walk in. How my lengua teacher, María José, wasn’t afraid to give me a big hug and kiss on the cheek and tell me she’ll never forget me on the last day of class. How the streets are clean and bright and alive, and how everyone gathers to Temple de Debod for sunset every night. I will always be grateful for this city, these people, and this adventure. Saying goodbye to Madrid and the amazing group of friends I’ve made here feels like one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but I wouldn’t change a single thing.

Sunset at Temple de Debod

My classmates Michael and Ceci, and Profe Ramón

Saying goodbye to my friends :,)

Watching one final sunrise from my homestay living room

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Blog post #4: Diving into month #2

Hello again!


I am officially entering my last two weeks in Madrid. It truly feels like I just started my first day of classes, while at the same time I feel like I’ve lived in Madrid for years. Since my last blogpost I’ve traveled to Alicante and Amsterdam, and started my July Spanish course on contemporary Spanish novels. I’m now halfway through this class which has been muchhhh harder than my June courses. Although I’m grateful for the challenge, the class has made me realize how far I am from mastering the language. The first day of the July course was a difficult one. I had taken Profesor Ramón’s class in June, and expected something of the same intermediate level. However, we all introduced ourselves on the firsts day and I was discouraged to find that almost every student in the class was fluent in Spanish and grew up speaking it with their parents.

When each student was presenting in front of the class, I noticed most of my classmates spoke with natural Spanish accents and were able to joke with Profe Ramón while presenting. Everyone shared their family backgrounds, which ranged from growing up in Miami with Mexican parents to being born and raised in Buenos Aires. For me, as someone with no Hispanic background and no experience speaking Spanish at home, this was incredibly intimidating. For my classmates, speaking Spanish seems to be something that comes naturally. The subtle jokes, fill in words, and mannerisms seemed at first to be second nature to everyone around me, while I was stuck typing the phrases I heard into Google translate.

Of course, these are all assumptions I jumped to on the first day of class. Two weeks later, I’ve found my footing a bit more and realized my classmates aren’t as intimidating as I once thought. Last week I took a wine tasting class with other Nebrija students and was sat next to Kylie, a girl in my class. I told her how afraid I am to speak in class for fear of messing up in a room of fluent students. To my surprise, Kylie shared my exact fears. She told me that although her parents are Hispanic, she’s also only learned Spanish in school. We bonded over the fear of making mistakes in front of our fluent classmates, and agreed to both speak in class the next day. Since learning that other students in the class also feel intimidated and aren’t as fluent in Spanish as I had assumed, the class has gotten easier. I’ve gained the confidence to speak in class and ask questions that may seem elementary or embarrassing. I’ve also learned that most of the students in my class who grew up speaking Spanish at home have little background in reading and writing Spanish, putting me at a similar level to them. Overall, speaking with my classmates and expressing my doubts has helped me realize that I do deserve to be in this class, despite my feelings of imposter syndrome in the beginning.

Outside of class, first two weeks of July have been incredible. Last weekend my friend Chelsea and I took a weekend trip to Alicante. We took a tram up to a small beach town called Villajoyosa with coves and hidden playitas like Playa Bol Nou and had a fantastic beach day. I loved seeing this coastal and less touristy part of Spain, and it was especially great getting to escape the horrible Madrid heat. This weekend I flew up to Amsterdam to visit my cousin Ocean who I haven’t seen since we were 11. This was a bucketlist item for my summer in Madrid, because we’ve talked every day for the last 9 years!! Although Amsterdam was absolutely incredible, I found myself missing speaking and listening to Spanish everywhere. After 3 days I was ready to go back to Madrid and continue immersing myself in Spanish. I can’t believe I only have 2 weeks left in this beautiful city. Every day I feel more at home in Madrid, and I am so grateful to have this opportunity to live and study here.

Until next time!

Eva Marie

Playa Bol Nou, Costa Blanca, Spain

Some delicious Colombian food for lunch with friends after class!!

Dinner with Ocean in Amsterdam

A book a picked up to read on the metro. Too advanced for me right now but one day 🙂

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Halfway done…

Hello!

I’ve officially lived in Madrid for over a month and what an incredible month its been! This 3rd blog post is coming to you all a bit late, but I’m excited to reflect on my first month in Madrid and some great conversations I’ve had with my host family about cultural differences between Spain and the US. Since we last spoke, I’ve said goodbye to my June courses, started my July course, gone on weekend trips to Valencia, Alicante, and Marrakech, and continued to grow closer with my host family and friends! 

My host brothers Alvaro and Nacho live in the UK and Canary Islands respectively, but they came to Madrid for a weekend in June and it was great getting to know them. Nacho is 17 and goes to an American school in the Canary islands, so he was very curious about my life in the US. His older brother Alvaro, who is the same age as me, just finished university in the UK and was curious about the differences in college experiences in the US vs the UK. Alvaro, Nacho and I talked all afternoon about our cultural differences, as well as comparing my life in the US to the assumptions they have from social media and tv shows. Nacho and Alvaro told me they grew up watching Disney and asked if I live in a cookie-cutter suburb like they saw on TV growing up. I showed them a picture of my house and it was hilarious to see how excited they were to see that my neighborhood is exactly like the ones they’ve seen on TV. We also talked about their perception of the US from what they see on the news and social media, and they asked if its true that students have active shooter drills at school. I’ve always assumed shooter drills were normal and universal, but to my surprise Nacho and Alvaro were shocked to hear that I’ve actually done a school shooter drill. When they think of the US, they think of school shootings, great TV, New York, and suburbia. Not too far off, I guess. 

In terms of my college experience, the main difference between universities in the states and in Europe is the culture and community that an American college campus provides. For Alvaro, as well as for my cousin Ocean who is studying at the University of Amsterdam, university is more a step towards a degree and less an important transitional period that comes from living in community. Both Alvaro and Ocean were fascinated by dorm culture and Notre Dame traditions, as these concepts were very foreign to them. My interpretation of their college experiences is that they seem to have already entered the young-adult-living-in-a-city life that I anticipate experiencing after graduating. When talking to Alvaro and Ocean, I had to keep reminding myself that we are the same age, because they seem years older than me since they’re already in the young adult chapter of their lives. 

It was eye-opening to talk to Alvaro and Nacho about their perceptions of the US, because I learned about what stands out about the US in positive and negative ways, and what seems normal to them as Spaniards. When they were visiting Madrid, Alvaro came out with my friends and me to a bar near Nebrija’s campus. We spent the entire night talking about our perceptions of the US and Spain, as well as his experience growing up in the Canary Islands. Alvaro told us that it is incredibly taboo to wave the Spanish flag in the Canary Islands, because since the Franco dictatorship the flag has become a symbol of Spanish nationalism and right-wing politics. I related to this, because I often make assumptions of Americans that I see proudly waving the American flag. I often associate pride in the flag with republican ideals, but some other friends who were conversing with Alvaro defended the flag as something that should be flown proudly. It was interesting to learn that controversy over the flag is common in other countries that have a history of being the oppressor, especially because my Colombian and Argentinian friends pointed out that they fly their flags proudly. 

Overall, my time in Madrid so far has been the best experience of my life. As I get closer to the end of my 8 weeks, I can’t imagine how difficult it will be to leave my host family, the friends I’ve made, and my daily routine of exploring cafes and museums around the city. As I write this, my friend Brian and I are sitting in a local cafe listening to the cafe’s frequentors share all the neighborhood drama. This little daily ritual will definitely be something I look back at fondly just months from now. 

Until next time! 

Eva Marie