An Overall Great Experience

This trip to Madrid was my first outside of the United States, and I am glad it was. The staff were super helpful and I felt as though I could go to them for any need or concern that I had and I would never be judged. The host family that I stayed with was wonderful, and the classes that I took were in-depth and offered perspectives that you can't just get from a classroom.

If there was one thing I wish I had known before I went, it was the amount of freedom that they give you. On paper, a lot of the trip seems very regulated, and it is to an extent. However, they give you and your friends a lot of free afternoons and evenings to explore the city and have fun. It really teaches you how to be independent, and I wouldn't have it any other way.