First Week Abroad: Hold on to Your Fruit

A fun fact about me is that I cannot sleep in any moving vehicle, whether it be a car, plane, bus, or train. My flight from Chicago to Madrid was long and smooth at the same time. I had a whole row to myself, which would have been nice to many, but I was still unable to sleep. When I landed in Madrid, I had been awake for 20 hours. Since I had yet to be on a plane for longer than two and a half hours, this new idea of being “jet-lagged” seemed fake. I can tell you now that it is a real feeling.

I spent the first three days mostly in and out of sleep, trying to adjust to a whole new time. After these days, the perfect day arrived: our first excursion to Avila, Spain. The day started with me getting a delicious café con leche and a chocolate croissant for breakfast for only four euros. While waiting, I had two girls from my program approach me and ask if I was on the Avila trip. This was the first time I had talked with new people, and a couple of minutes later, an old friend from my institution approached me. It was nice to see old and new friends. 

The trip was truly amazing. We had a great tour guide who showed us so many different parts of Avila, along with her own personal stories and historical knowledge. During our trip, we had a tour of the beautiful Basilica of San Vicente. Our tour lasted about three hours and ended with a group lunch. The lunch was a five-course meal that left me truly full for the rest of the day. There were so many different kinds of courses, and I am still thinking about the chocolate cake we had at the end. Overall, the experience was truly amazing and at the perfect time. I was able to meet new people, eat new foods, and explore other parts of Spain. I came back feeling more prepared to explore Madrid and all it has to offer. 

A couple of days after the trip, I had a tour of the famous Prado Museum. One of my favorite activities is to visit museums (my favorite: The Chicago Institute of Art), and I was very excited to see a new one on a whole different continent. Safe to say that it did not disappoint. Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez was truly stunning, and our tour guide explained many different aspects of the painting, such as the mathematics behind it. The museum tickets are free to all students, so I will definitely be back. 

Although my first week on site has been amazing, there are many things that have been difficult, particularly just being away from home. Most of my friends are back in Minnesota, and it has been tough to be here in Madrid, while there are many changes happening to them. I have been trying to leave the guilt and change my mindset: I deserve to be here, and I can still be there for my Minnesota community while abroad.