Before coming to Spain, I was not sure what to expect. I was unsure of how my Spanish language knowledge would hold up. I also did not know how the people would act towards us Americans. When we arrived in Madrid, the first thing that stood out to me was the ease of access to all parts of Madrid. I am staying at a Nebrija Univerity dorm, and it is located in the center of the city. The metro coupled with easy to walk streets makes it super easy to get wherever in a short amount of time. Throughout these first two weeks, we did cultural events such as a cooking class, watching a flamenco show, wine tasting, and visiting the Prado museum. I took two classes (Advanced Grammar and Comp. and Spanish Culture) the first month and the difficulty was very balanced. I learned a lot in these classes while also not being overwhelmed with homework and not being able to explore the city. I met amazing people the first two weeks in Madrid, and I started to feel a lot more comfortable with my environment at the end of the second week. I tried a variety of Spanish food as well as different Spanish wines the first few weeks, to really see what I enjoyed. The first weekend in Madrid, we took a bus 2 hours to Salamanca, a city with great historical significance. The following weekend we took a bus to Segovia, which is where the photo was taken. It was my favorite city to visit; with the old architecture, the Roman aqueduct, the cathedral, and the castle, I will never forget the city. Overall, the first two weeks in Madrid were amazing; I got to meet awesome people, share incredible memories, and develop my Spanish. I am sad that there are only a few weeks left, but I am sure they will be just as awesome!
