New York, Boston, Paris, Los Angeles, and now…Madrid are my favorite cities in the world. Over spring break, I had the privilege of visiting Spain on the school’s Spanish exchange trip. Upon arriving in Griñon, I met the student I was going to be living with, Elena. Her mom then came to pick us up and greeted me by kissing both of my cheeks (a greeting I would master by the end of the trip). When I arrived at her home, I got a tour and a meal of pasta and ham. I told them about my flights in Spanish, apologized for being a little rusty, and assured them I would warm up by the next day. That night, I got to try croquettes for the first time and I have been craving them ever since. I also took my first siesta in Spain on the first day. Elena showed me these black out blinds that made the room completely pitch black at 3pm. After my siesta, we went to a zumba class, and it was the most fun exercise I have ever done. The energy in the room was unforgettable, and I learned many moves that I have shown my friends back home. The dancing and music in Spain is one of the reasons I loved my trip so much. There is a dance for every song and everyone always has a good time.
The next day we went to Madrid for the first time. The architecture, people, and food were indescribable. Madrid has so much history threaded throughout, especially considering how old the country is. We got to see this through our trips to the Prado, Palacio Real de España, Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and our day trips to Toledo and Segovia. On the weekends, I got to live like a Spanish teenager. We went to Sephora, the mall, explored Madrid, and ate good Italian food at Bel Mondo. I also had to navigate the metro system which is a lot more efficient than DC’s metro system. One of the most exciting experiences was attending a real futból game (Atletico Madrid versus FC Barcelona) because I felt truly immersed in the culture. I went to the game with Elena’s older cousin who was telling me about his experience in University.
The relationships I built on the trip were truly special. One of the nights, I stayed up late sitting in the kitchen talking about life in Spanish with the mom. She had some good advice, and it was nice to share our perspectives back and forth considering the difference of language, age, and nationality. This was one of the most memorable nights for me because it showed me that my years of taking Spanish allowed me to create these connections. I am still in touch with my exchange student and her mom, and I plan to facetime them soon to talk about college. I am forever grateful for my experience and cannot wait to go back!
