Today marks exactly two months since I stepped off the airplane in Europe for the first time. Time truly does fly when you’re having fun. I am staying with a host mom who might just be the best host mom in the entire world. Every single day I get to experience the wonderfulness of her cooking after a long grueling day of classes with my hour-long commute. While the commute is easy as Madrid has an incredible metro and public transportation system, the campus is just that far from my house. Yes, the classes have been “grueling”. I am at UC3M and apparently, they are the third-best public institution in either Spain or the EU, and they love to tell us that. Teachers and classes are no joke, and the attendance policy is much stricter here than back home at Bama. Regardless, I am enjoying my classes, and like all my teachers, so it is really not that big of a deal.
Back to the cooking. Food in Spain is nothing like I expected it. One: they HATE spicy things (I love spicy things), Two: they eat so many hours later than we Americans do, Three: they eat for a very very very long time, Four: food is not encouraged to be covered in spices, instead they rely on the natural flavors of the ingredients to pair well and create a wonderful meal. So, the food has been amazing here. It is also much cheaper here than in the States and most EU countries. So, that is nice to save a buck here to spend there when traveling.
As of now, I have completed two out-of-country trips: Paris and London. Every other time, I have traveled within Spain and toured the diversity of Spain. Being on one tiny peninsula, Spain has incredible biodiversity and geographical diversity. Seville is a must-see, but the chill small-town feel of Cordoba has a special place in my heart. The beaches of Barcelona and Malaga are nice, but I’ve heard Valencia is better.
Overall, this experience has been incredible for two months. I am incredibly blessed to be where I am and have been blessed by my host mom, and the other people around me too. As of now (and I doubt this changes) I would say study abroad if you can. It truly is a life-changing experience and one that is too rare to pass up. Adios.