Returning Home: A Moment to Reflect on My Time in Madrid

This has to be the most difficult post to create so far. I have no amazing trips around Europe to report back on. No longer can I explain new successes and failures with cultural immersion in Madrid. I can only sit back and reflect on the past now. I’ve returned to Los Angeles.

It doesn’t quite feel real to me. Just the other day, I was sitting in my apartment overlooking Madrid. Now, I’m waking up to the reality that I’m once again back in my childhood home. Despite my confusion and disbelief at this new reality, today I’m going to try and explain what’s going through my head as I begin my summer back home. Here are my thoughts, reflections, and questions moving forward:

What did I learn over the last 4 months? A lot, I must say. Most importantly, I became a much more independent person. Navigating a city largely on my own, I learned how to shop for myself, travel by myself, cook for myself, and simply exist on my own. I’ve grown so much more confident in my ability to be alone and enjoy my own company, a skill that I hope to carry with me for the rest of my life. In my spare time I also picked up new hobbies and interests. My parents could not believe it when I picked up a book—yes, a book—to read in my free time the other day. 

What’s the transition like when you return home? I’ve only been home a week, so I’m still figuring that one out. What I can say for now is it’s definitely a shock. A “reverse culture shock” is what my study abroad friends call it. The biggest shock is that suddenly I am living with my family again. That means lots of chores, errands to run, and sharing common spaces with people again. It means a lot less time alone, which can certainly be overwhelming at times. But I’m also super happy to get some family time again, and reconnect with the people I love most. The next biggest shock has been… well… English! Suddenly everyone around me is speaking a language I can easily comprehend. And yet, this whole English thing might take some getting used to. I’ve already found myself stuttering over words and having awkward interactions with people, simply because I’m not used to speaking in English so regularly. Or maybe I was always this awkward? I honestly can’t remember.

What habits will I keep with me from abroad, and which ones will I leave behind in Madrid? This question feels the most uncertain of all. I certainly hope to keep the sense of independence and self-sufficiency I gained abroad. I know for a fact I’m leaving the Spanish eating schedule behind in Madrid—as fun as it was, I can’t eat dinner at 10pm anymore. Studying abroad, I also learned to be much more easy-going and spontaneous. As I return to a more structured, work-heavy lifestyle at school and over the summer, I’m not sure how well I’ll be able to maintain the easy-going attitude I had abroad. Studying abroad taught me to pause and enjoy the moment more often. Whether I can do that in a demanding school year is yet to be seen, but I will definitely try! As time goes on, I will develop better answers to these questions. Regardless, I know that this semester in Madrid has made me a happier, healthier, more worldly person.