Dear Bridget,
Your life is about to change drastically! But not in the ways that you think. You will not be homesick- but you will appreciate your life at home. You will not make temporary friends for the semester- but you will make best friends for life. You will not fully understand the Spanish language all of the time- but you will be challenged to learn. All of the tiny worries you had about adjusting to “the Madrid Lifestyle” will seem irrelevant once you arrive.
I don’t think you could’ve gotten a better living situation when it came to location and roommates. Being here for three months already, experienced everything I have- I cannot imagine being with any other people. ISA did an amazing job making sure all the students had a smooth adjustment and felt at home. The program itself was a great opportunity to fully immerse myself into the Spanish culture since I am taking classes with locals- and I’ve even become friends with some of them! I’ve made friends from all over the world- ranging from Switzerland to California.
You are coming in with the perfect mindset and allowing yourself to be open to all types of crazy experiences while abroad- keep that attitude. No one is in a rush to get anywhere and there are no problems! Embrace this lifestyle with your whole being, not only will it make living in Madrid amazing, but its also a good attitude to have going forth when you move back to the states. There is no reason to stress about things that are out of your control so focus on being present while you’re abroad and making the most of every moment. That is the best and only recommendation I could give you while being in Spain. With that being said, you will begin to value your experiences far more than your wealth. A last-minute trip to Vienna will give you endless belly laughs and beautiful views rather than the one-hundred euro you would’ve saved as an alternative. Stay in to cook sometimes, but also explore the city and all of the different types of cuisine it has to offer! I made an effort to take at least one night a week to go out to a different restaurant with the friends I’ve made here. Madrid is an amazing city and only having four months here makes it easy to focus on checking the next travel destination off of your bucket list. I urge you to spend time in your home city, give yourself one week a month where you stay in Madrid. There is so much to experience within Madrid and you need to give yourself the time and opportunity to explore it!
Save room for LOTS of pictures and clothes!!
xx,
Future happy you