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.

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