La Primera Semana

Hola! My name is Sean Hennessy and I am a rising senior at Pitt studying Global Management and Supply Chain Management, and I am currently taking part in the IIP in Madrid. I wanted to take some time this week to reflect on my previous travel experiences and why I decided to come here to Spain this summer.

I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel to various countries throughout my life thus far, and I have always been intrigued by the new cultures and the different ways of life. I have been to Mexico and the Caribbean numerous times, and I have found their laid back lifestyles and rich cultures to be very fun to be a part of. In particular, I traveled to the Dominican Republic during my Junior year of high school along with some of my classmates to complete a week of service by teaching english in local Dominican schools. This was the first time that I really got to speak Spanish outside of the classroom since I began studying the language in seventh grade. I found it so rewarding to be able to communicate, understand, and be understood in a language that was not my own. From that point on, I knew that I wanted to continue my Spanish studies so that I could one day use the language in my career and personal life alike.

That interest, or goal if you will, came to light in college when I discovered the opportunity to not only live, but work abroad her in Madrid. Since freshman year, I have had my sights set on this program, while continuing to take Spanish classes and refine my career interests. Throughout my education I learned a lot about culture, and some of the differences that I could experience if I ever went to Spain. However, you cannot truly
appreciate these differences until you are here. For instance, the days are much longer, and people sleep a lot less than we do in the States, but that does not mean that there is any shortage of fun, or things to do. I have been completely amazed with the amount of life that this city has in terms of its people, plazas, restaurants, shops etc. I have quickly fallen into the groove of commuting via the metro, and eating dinner at 10 o’clock and it has already been rewarding.

HennessyS01
Plaza Mayor, Madrid

In the coming weeks, I look forward to the opportunity to explore more of Madrid and beyond to other cities in Spain and countries in Europe. I look forward to better developing my speaking abilities, and learning a lot during my internship. But most of all, I look forward to living in another culture. Putting any barriers aside so that I can get the most out of my short amount of time here, and return to the States with an abundance of memories that I can carry on in life

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