The study abroad program I am on is UA Globalization of Sport! This is a faculty led trip which means that I am with UA professors and students. This was the first time I have traveled to Europe, so I didn’t know what to expect. While I am traveling with the university, I didn’t know anyone going on the trip, little did I know I was about to meet my best friends. The first half of our trip we attended the EASM Summer School conference in Madrid, Spain. At the conference we had the privilege of learning from professors all around the world, touring different stadiums, and participating in a group case study with students from different countries. Not only did I meet people from across the globe, but I also met students that attend UA. In Madrid we toured the Civitas Metropolitano Stadium, home to Atletico de Madrid. Not only did we get to tour the stadium, but we also attended their game against Osasuna! We also toured the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, home to Real Madrid. While the conference was the core of the trip, the people I met made the trip the best I could ever dream of. The conference hosted an opening dinner where we first met everyone at the conference. On the last night of the conference there was a farewell dinner. This was one of the best parts of the trip because we had all grown so close over the week, but it was also one of the hardest parts because we had to say bye to our new best friends from all over the world. The good thing is our group from UA is staying together to travel to Barcelona! Stay tuned to hear more about the second week of our trip!