Before you make the decision to study abroad, hundreds of people will tell you that every moment of your experience will be an adventure. From my experience thus far, this statement is true, but not in the way you might think. If you’re studying abroad with the expectation of staying in a new country every weekend and spending every moment exploring, you may be disappointed to find that once the rush of orientation ends and classes begin, you won’t have as much spare time as you thought.

Maine winters are predictably unpredictable. On a given day during late November and early March, I will open my blinds to white snow flurries that blanket everything in sight or snap the blind to a barren cold, grey-white landscape.

Over the years, I have adapted to the biting cold and blustering snow. I have learned—the hard way—to leave time in the morning to defrost my car and I have perfected a slow, but graceful, shuffle across black ice.

I see the mural every day on my way home from class, all capitals and bright colors and huge block letters: U ARE ALIVE. The second message isn't written, but I feel it reverberate through my skull each time I pass.

You are alive. Act like it.

My first two weeks studying abroad has been an emotional roller coaster to say the least. The adjustment is real, very real. I came on this program with very little expectations and prepared for an immersion into Spanish culture, which happened right away. Going to the grocery store in my neighborhood was the first experience in which my Spanish proved to be below average. The woman at the cash register looked puzzled at me as I spoke Spanglish and tried miserably to understand what she was saying.

I’ve been wanting to go to Segovia for five years now, and last Friday I finally made it! The main reason I wanted to go was to see the Aqueduct of Segovia, which is one of the largest preserved sections of aqueduct in the world. For a Spanish class last year, we needed to watch a certain number of shows in Spanish, and I chose to watch a series called “Ingeniería Romana” (Roman Engineering), which featured the aqueducts. Seeing the stone in person was an entirely different experience.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how the little details really serve to shape a larger experience. So, I just thought I’d share some of the little things that I’ve been noticing & some that I’ve truly been appreciating in Madrid so far. I’ve only been in the city for just over a week now, but there’s already been a lot of more minute details that have served to make me feel both cheery and comfortable.

In short: my trip began less than smoothly. My first flight served two amazing meals, which I was very appreciative of, but they left the light on for most of the flight, so I only slept an hour. The excitement and nerves didn’t help me sleep either. But no worries, I read and wrote and had a pretty great plane ride.

Hola Amigos!