Travel
I woke up early on May 21st to finish packing and getting myself ready for my trip abroad. By 11AM I was in the car with my parents to JFK airport. By 3 I was in line for the TSA, at 6:20 my plane left. I didn’t get much sleep on the plane unfortunately but oddly enjoyed the airplane food. I wasn’t all that nervous because I didn’t know what to expect.
The taxi driver dropped me off and there I was outside a strange apartment building. Apparently the outside door was unlocked but I couldn’t seem to get it to unlock. I called my host mom, and could not understand a word she was saying over the phone, but eventually after attempted communication she came down and let me in. She showed me their lovely home and my room and after we enjoyed breakfast together, cafe con leche y tostado.
It was a little hard to understand her at times but overall she spoke slowly and we were able to maintain a conversation. I unpacked, rested, and then did some exploring of the neighborhood. Definitely felt quite jet lagged (the cafe con lethe unfortunately didn’t help the two hours of sleep I got on the plane).
Orientation
Our orientation consisted of two days with a goal to help us have a deeper understanding of the culture in Madrid while also getting to know the people in our groups better.
My first day of Orientation went great. We went over the logistics of working in a Spanish office and some of the cultural differences and expectations. My jet lag still persisted. However my second day had some fun first experiences like my first time using the metro and first time having Tapas at Madrid Madiz. The food was overall very good. As for the metro it was super easy to use. After our orientation I decided to go to the nearby park El Parque de Retiro, to go for a run. The park was simply beautiful, I only explored half of it and am overall excited to continue exploring it in the coming weeks.
My second day of orientation was amazing. Our morning started with a class on living in a Spanish home and how to respect their time and house and some cultural differences as well. We then had breakfast at one of the restaurants nearby. That afternoon we went on a walking tour of Sol, and the historic part of Madrid. We saw major attractions like the palace and the oldest restaurant in the world called the Botin. I hope to eat there before I leave. Today was filled with both culture and history.
Over the weekend I visited El Museo Nacional del Prado which is by far one of the best museums I have seen while also spending time with and getting to know people in my program. You unfortunately cant take photos inside but I took a photo outside!
Thoughts from my first week
In reflection of my first week, I loved getting to speak and practice my Spanish in almost every part of my day and the ability to explore a city that is rich with culture and history.
The jet lag was definitely tough but thanks to the power of melatonin I feel like i’m starting to build a sleep routine again. One thing in the United States is that I have a very consistent eating schedule but eating in Spain is a lot different and not really evolved around a schedule. Breakfast is about normal time, typically I’ll eat fruit, a piece of toast with a glass of coffee (the coffee here is amazing). Lunch is truly whenever you want it to be but typically from the hours of 2-5 and then dinner isn’t until 9 or 9:30 some families don’t eat until as late as 11. One night as I was preparing for bed and filling up my water bottle at around 11:15 and my host father had only started eating dinner.
I absolutely love my host family. They have been so patient and understanding as I learn Spanish. I’m not used to the Spanish accent as I am more used to a Latin American accent, however in this week alone my understanding has become a lot better.
Week 1 Question → Industry and needed skills to be successful
I’m working for a company called Nodis Homes which specializes in student housing. Nodis Homes has 5 locations throughout Spain and is currently constructing 5 more that will be completed by the end of 2024.
Nodis homes is in the housing industry but more specifically student housing for students studying at universities in Spain a lot of times being exchange students. Along with needing to provide the housing essentials like fully furnished housing from pots and pans to small kitchen appliances, they also need to provide a student experience. They do this through their amenities like fitness centers, pools, game rooms, and study spaces. They also host events for the students living within their housing.
To be successful in this industry is to meet these adequate requests which Nodis Homes fulfills. But to go a step farther and where my position for the summer comes in as a Marketing and Communications Intern is to quite literally communicate this to your target audience. This requires thorough research and the ability to present information clearly, precisely, and engagingly.
