I have been trying my best to maximize every moment here in Madrid, to see and experience as much as I can, but this week it caught up to me. I began to feel sick this week, but it was nothing that prevented me from being able to work. It just caused me to allow myself the time to slow down and rest. Slowing down can be difficult for me, especially when I am in a city that I am so excited to be in, where I want to experience and see as much as possible. I had to remind myself that it is okay to slow down, and it is necessary so that I don’t miss out on anything more and so that I can show up to each day in Madrid fully present.

Towards the end of the week I started to feel better, and I went to my first rooftop restaurant here with my friends. The view was breathtaking and it was so cool to see Madrid from a new angle. I also went to Museo del Romanticismo. It is a museum devoted entirely to Romanticism, not only through the paintings hanging on the walls, but the rooms themselves were decorated and furnished in the style of that time period with authentic antique furniture, toys, musical instruments, etc. I enjoyed some shopping and tried out some new cafés afterwards as well. Yesterday, I spent the entire day visiting the Medieval city of Toledo. It was only a 30 minute train ride from Madrid. We walked from the train station uphill through the stone walls protecting the city. We visited several churches, monasteries, and synagogues. The attention to detail was incredible in the sculptures, paintings, and designs of these historic buildings.

This week at work, I met my boss who works remote from Barcelona in person for the first time! She came to Madrid to give a tour of one of the properties here, which ultimately ended up in a successful sale! This property houses American students coming to Spain to intern for a few months. I was tasked with researching some catering and meal plan options to offer to them. I also did more market research and lead generation this week for language schools in Madrid. This is a perfect market for Joivy to expand into because most likely the students who attend these language schools are coming from abroad, and will require a place to stay while they take their course, which is where Joivy comes in. I was able to generate a lot of leads, and pretty much exhausted the list of language schools in Madrid.

When navigating ambiguity and uncertainty in my internship, I always make sure to ask questions for clarification. When I complete a task and show my boss the results, I always ask for constructive criticism in the areas that I could improve or if there is any things that I should add, change, or research deeper. I have found that this open form of communication has worked well for me and my boss. Because this company is growing so fast, there is a lot to be completed in a short amount of time, and it is important to clarify any areas of uncertainty so that I can be as efficient as possible. Additionally, I have found that my boss tends to check up on me and tells me to speak up if I have any questions. This is my first internship so I am unsure how this compares to the corporate culture of the Unites States, but the Spanish culture in the office tends to value open communication. Additionally when receiving instructions in my job in Spanish, I am becoming more confident to ask for clarification. They appreciate that I am trying and learning, and it is okay to ask what a word means if I have yet to learn it.

This week at my internship, I am looking forward to Wednesday, because we have an open house for Joivy’s new hotel that recently opened. Here, I will get to connect more with my boss who works remote, as well as employees from Joivy offices outside of Spain. This will be a great opportunity to get to know the company culture better outside of the Spanish office, and how the different cultures connect with each other. I am also looking forward to learning a new software that will allow me to respond to inquiries about our properties, as well as list new properties online. Lastly, I will be traveling to Paris this weekend to visit my Dad who is currently working there! This week is full of exciting things that I am looking forward to.

Hasta luego,

Julia