As my semester in Spain comes to an end, I reflect back on everything I have done and experienced over the past few months. Moving from Wisconsin to Alabama for college is one thing, but going to live in a different country on a different continent is a whole different ball game. I really enjoyed my time abroad and I think that it gave me a lot of good perspective on the world, and it helped me gain even more independence. I travelled to multiple different countries and cities, and I got to enjoy a lot of different cultures firsthand. I learned a lot and met some nice people from all over the world. I really recommend studying abroad because it is something I will remember for my whole life, and if I hadn’t done it I would’ve regretted it for a long time. In my last few days here in Madrid I was ready to go home and see my family and friends and tell them all about my travels. It was sad saying goodbye to all of the places that had become so familiar for me and to the friends I had made. After finishing up classes and packing up my apartment, I flew back home to the US. Some things immediately stood out to me, like the larger size of things. My dishwasher and laundry machine were much bigger as well as the average car. Overall I didn’t have a culture shock returning home and I pretty much rejoined where I had left off. My time abroad will always remain a very influential part of my life and I hope to return to Europe again some day.
