Hola a todos!
The past few days have been a wild mix of overwhelming, exciting, exhausting, and liberating. My first day started at 5:30 a.m. Madrid time when my flight landed. I struggled to find my Uber after ordering itbecause why would an Uber be on the fourth floor of a parking garage? When I finally arrived at my host family’s house, I was grimy from the flight and absolutely exhausted. I was definitely not prepared for how fast my host mom, Marta, speaks. Honestly, I’ve been here for six days now, and I still have a hard time keeping up with her pace. After nodding my way through a very one-sided conversation, I collapsed in my room and slept until about 2 p.m. When I woke up, I went for a walk in El Retiro Park, which is only about a five-minute walk from my host family’s home. It was around this time that I started to feel completely in over my head and seriously wondered, What was I thinking signing up for this program?
The next morning, I woke up late (typical) and rushed to my program’s orientation and madeit just in time. At that point, I was still kind of over the whole experience and was just hoping the presentations would be in English for the day. Spoiler alert: most of them weren’t. Even so, I found out I wasn’t the only one struggling to adjust. Everyone in my program had their own communication issues with their host families and felt just as overwhelmed as I did. Realizing that other people could relate to these weird, chaotic first-week experiences made me feel so much better. I ended up having a great afternoon walking around and shopping with my new friends.
On the second day of orientation, I was excited to see my friends, and we had already started making plans for what to do after the session. We went on a walking tour with the whole group, and afterward, a smaller crew of us grabbed tapas and explored some of Madrid’s famous landmarks on our own. We saw the Catedral de Santa María la Real de la Almudena and one of the royal palaces right next door. That day was also when I discovered my love for the Spanish tradition of siesta. Siesta is a period in the late afternoon when many businesses close so employees can take a break or even a nap. And let me say, my siesta naps have been one of the best things I’ve discovered since arriving here.
For the rest of the weekend, I got to enjoy many more tapas with my friends, and of course, more siestas. I’ve discovered that Spaniards do eat dinner really late, my host family eats around 10:30 or 11 each night. Everything I have eaten so far has been delicious (lots of jámon). I also learned that the metro is deceivingly easy. I avoided it for the first few days because I wasn’t sure how it worked, but after sweating through my outfit two days in a row, I decided to give it a try. After a couple of overly complicated attempts (and a lot of walking), I think I can officially call myself a pro at the Madrid Metro.
After a weekend of feeling on top of the world, I braced myself for my first day of work to be a major reality check. I wouldn’t be with my friends, and once again, I was stepping into a completely new environment. But to my surprise (and relief), my first day went amazingly well. Everyone I met at work was super welcoming and eager to talk to me. Even though I was prepared for lots of questions, I was still caught off guard when one woman started peppering me with them just ten minutes after we met. Still, I felt immediately welcomed by the small but curious team.
For my internship, I’m working in hospitality and tourism. I was placed with Yugo, a student residency building. Yugo’s mission is to make sure every student has a place to call home and to create a strong sense of community among the residents. My role at Yugo is pretty much what I make it. It’s tailored to what I want to learn. Because the team is so small, I have the flexibility to choose what areas I want to explore. I can help manage social media, assist students, run errands, oversee employees, and help plan and organize events.
Communication is a key skill in the hospitality and tourism field. I’ve already seen how many people my boss interacts with on a daily basis and how he’s formed unique relationships with everyone he sees regularly. Another essential skill I’ve noticed is teamwork. Although the team I’m working with is small, they’re mighty. Each person brings their own strengths, and it’s interesting to see how tasks are delegated to align with those strengths. I also expect cultural awareness and attention to detail to be two important skills for this internship. Students at Yugo come from all over the world and speak a variety of languages. They’re also used to different customs and expectations, which makes attention to detail especially valuable in meeting their needs and creating a welcoming environment.
Unique to Spain, I can imagine effeciency in tasks will be very important. Spaniards LOVE to talk and can sit and chat all day if you let them. This can lead to tasks taking a little more time than they might if everyone sat quietly to do work. Because of this, effiecency in work will be important because when something is finished it is most likely due. Language proficeincy is also going to be a skill that I am actively trying to build upon during my time with the company. Many Spainards speak a least a little bit of english but in the residency spanish is normally the common language between students and staff.
Something I’ve noticed that feels unique to Spain is how important efficiency in tasks can be. Spaniards love to talk and can easily spend all day chatting if you let them. This means that tasks might take a bit longer than they would in a quieter, more fast-paced work environment. Because of this, staying focused and efficient is key. When something gets done, it could be just in time. Language proficiency is another skill I’m actively working to improve during my time with the company. While many Spaniards speak at least a little English, Spanish is usually the common language between students and staff in the residency, so it’s essential for clear communication.
In the upcoming week, I’m looking forward to more tapas with my friends, more siestas (hopefully), and continuing to conquer Spanish public transportation! And, of course, more adventures!