This Saturday was the first time that I was genuinely envious of the 50 degree, rainy weather in Pennsylvania. Most of the days here have had temperatures in the 90s, and squeezing in the metro is always accompanied by the constant flutter of people fanning themselves, desperate for a reprieve from the heat.
As someone with a notoriously poor sense of direction, I often spent more time traveling than intended. I was very proud of myself for grasping Madrid’s public transportation system (I have only gotten turned around once my entire time here). Honestly, the system is so intuitive that I’m embarrassed I ever had any trouble at all. For a quick Madrid metro crash course: as you can see by the map above, the metro routes are assigned a unique color and number. There are a plethora of signs throughout the metro that point the way to upcoming stops, connecting routes, and different exits (even specifying which ones are wheelchair accessible). I have had to make many more corrections to my route above ground than below.
Despite getting turned around, I’m excited to try the other modes of transportation that Madrid offers. My first day here, my host mom walked me around the neighborhood near her apartment. After passing different shops and fruterías, she suddenly stopped shortly before an entrance to the metro. I turned around to see her opening an app on her phone called Bicimad. She held her phone up to a QR code on one of the many blue bicycles lined up on the street and explained that you could use the app to scan a QR code and rent a bike (una bicicleta), similar to the POGOH bikes that we have in Pittsburgh. With the many bike lanes and open sidewalks that I have passed while tracing my commute to work, I feel like a ride in the cooler morning hours will be a fun activity during one of these coming weeks.
While I have enjoyed these past few days walking through Parque del Retiro, visiting cafés, and unintentionally exploring alternative routes, I have also been eagerly awaiting the start of my internship. Today was my first day at Fundación Esperanza y Alegría. I headed out early and was quickly greeted after ringing the bell to the office. I was then introduced to the different employees and asked about my own interests. The company has a small workforce, with three people in supervisory positions and the other three being interns from Madrid. They had all just finished a large event for their donors (in fact, it was held last Wednesday, the day I arrived in Madrid), and my first task was to create an Instagram reel to help recap the event. My previous experience running a company’s social media account was fully virtual, so I enjoyed having the close, in-person environment to decide what clips to use and to share different ideas for the post.
Fundación Esperanza y Alegría already has a strong brand identity, clearly conveying why its work is vital in India. One post from a few months ago shared how 1 in 10 children in India is either orphaned or abandoned. This, along with the lack of clean drinking water and education in some areas, makes it challenging for many children to grow up in a safe and nurturing environment. Fundación Esperanza y Alegría is part of the nonprofit sector, and because of this, the foundation strongly relies on supporters to make its humanitarian work possible. This makes storytelling crucial when conveying the purpose and impact of the organization. Another skill that will be essential as I continue my internship is networking. Spain prioritizes connecting with others not only within the workplace but also outside of it. Today introduced me to some of the basic elements of that dynamic, but as the week progresses, I want to learn more about what projects are currently in progress and how communication works internationally. Having a better idea of how the business operates will allow me to better market its services. I will need to actively seek creative routes to expand on what already exists on its social media sites and attract more donors. This will require consistent communication and cultural sensitivity, especially as I engage with two different regions I am unfamiliar with – India and Spain.
Overall, my first week in Spain has been off to a great start. I’m slowly noting different landmarks and have high hopes that I will not need to rely on my phone to navigate by the time I write my next blog post. My confidence in Spanish is growing steadily, and I’m excited to dive deeper into the language and the city. Whether it be finding a new café or watching a performance in a microteatro, I can’t wait to see what the next week brings!
