I've always wanted to travel while in college. I was lucky enough to be granted that opportunity when I was accepted into Penn's summer program in Madrid, Spain (Penn-in-Madrid).
During my freshman year at Penn, I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I was going back and forth between majors, and with so many options, I was not sure which one I would ultimately choose. However, I knew I wanted to learn another language from day one. I came into college having studied Spanish throughout high school and finished my language requirement my freshman year. But like many students, I did not stop with that. I continued studying Spanish each semester during my time at Penn and have loved every minute of it (except maybe during finals week). So early on, I decided to take on a minor in Hispanic Studies. While many who study a language, and those who don't, decide to study abroad for a semester, I decided that it wasn't for me. Between academic requirements for my major and not wanting to be so far away from home for such a long period of time, I figured it would be best to stay put. But when I officially declared my minor, a member of the Hispanic Studies department recommended I think about studying abroad in Madrid during the summer.
I thought about it on my walk from the language building to the library, sat down in the library, read the description of the program online, and then started my application. A few weeks later, I received the news that I had been accepted. A couple months later, I'm writing this article in an apartment in Madrid, the historic and absolutely beautiful capital of Spain, seven and a half hours away from home and where I am living for the next five weeks. Although I have only been here for a week, I feel as though I have been here for much longer. I've met so many amazing people, seen some beautiful works of art, really, really old buildings, and I've learned so much.
First, I've realized how much I take for granted at home. For example, water. Unlike in the United States, where you can get free water pretty much anywhere, water is not as easy to come by here. When you sit down at a restaurant or cafe, the waiter doesn't automatically pour you a glass of water. You either have to buy a bottle of water, or you can ask for tap water. Also, since water is more expensive here, it is necessary to be more conservative about using it. Our host families ask that we don't shower for more than ten minutes every night because that is the norm here, and of course, we need to respect it. It just makes you realize how different even simple things like taking a shower can be in another place.
I've learned that I can travel on my own, navigate public transportation, that I'm too used to being able to walk to Wawa to get whatever I want whenever I want, and that even though being in a foreign country seems very different in many ways, it's also very similar. For example, my "host mom", a grandmother of three who doesn't speak an ounce of English, reminds me of my own grandmothers in so many ways. She loves to dress up, see her grandchildren, talk on the phone, and have fun just like mine do.
In my first week in Spain, I've learned more than I knew before, and I can't wait to continue learning, seeing all that I possibly can, and living like a madrileña for the next five weeks.
