It's Not Goodbye, It's See You Later

I cannot praise and commend my past semester abroad in Madrid, Spain enough. Upon one week's return to the US, my friends back home already got tired hearing about me boast on and on about the experiences I went through while away for the semester. It was an adventure of a lifetime and I would most definitely recommend Madrid to any student looking to study abroad. Madrid was an endless city--one with tons of historic events, art, culture, and most importantly, a place that felt like home away from home. From day one, I was surrounded by students like myself, by natives who welcomes all foreigners, and by staff members and professors who wanted nothing more than to help fully immerse us into this new world.
My host mom welcomed me into her home with arms wide open and a always a smile on her face. She was amused and excited to learn about my culture and my background and to try and teach me about her way of life and her traditions. Some memories will always include days she came home screaming about something new she found in the city--a new store, a new cafe, or a new viewpoint of the city she couldn't wait to share with me. I loved weekends where her extended family would come over and include me as if I were another cousin in the bunch. Family conversations would escalate for hours upon hours aside a deliciously home cooked traditional meal.
Learning in the classroom in Madrid allowed me to experience a whole new field of education. As a pre-med student, I have always been glued to textbooks, working on science and math problems, and trying to understand things a conceptual sense. However, the classes I took while abroad introduced me to a new sphere of thinking. Taking classes about literature, architecture, and art history not only expanded my critical and creative thinking but also taught me about the history of Spain as a country. Watching movies, reading stories, and looking at art work from historic Spain taught me a lot about the cultural movements of the country and as well allowed me to better appreciate architecture and art as I walked through the city daily.
Of course, learning was not limited to the classroom. I was constantly learning new words by going to the supermarket, to restaurants and to cafes, meeting many natives and further other tourists and study abroad students visiting the city. I took advantage of traveling on the weekends and only left the country of Spain for one weekend! I still can't wait to go back and visit a few other cities I did not have the chance yet to see. The history and culture of each Spanish city I visited varies drastically. From the Aqueduct in Segovia to the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, the art and architecture of each building design is so different and speaks a thousand words on its own.
Although I am sad that the semester came to an end, I am incredibly grateful for the experience I had while away and hope that students will continue to visit Madrid and see all it has to offer. I am lucky to have the opportunity to speak on behalf of IES and share my experience with other and try to promote this incredible prospect. It is not goodbye, it is see you later, Madrid. I will be back.