A wonderful experience!

From the moment I stepped off the airplane to the moment I boarded, I felt the support of the IES staff. It was a peculiar time when I was abroad; Spain had just begun to experience a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases before we were asked to repatriate. Nevertheless, the short time that I was in Madrid was a special and memorable one. I was placed with a warm and caring host-family that taught me a lot about the Spanish culture and with whom I built a relationship. Classes were from Monday to Thursday, so I always felt as if I had enough time to explore the city and its surroundings. To mention: my art history class took place in The Prado Museum; instead of spending the class hours inside a classroom we learned about art in the museum. I saw paintings from El Greco to Goya to Picasso. Additionally, IES often organized activities and excursions to expose students to more aspects of the Spanish culture. For example, IES organized a weekend trip to Extremadura; a place where we were able to learn about history, food, and the regional culture. All in all, it was a culture enriching experience—even if it was for a short amount of time.