This past week marked the official halfway point of my stay in madrid. With that realization, I have spent my week being more mindful of how I want to prioritize my time here. I’ve been less afraid to do things on my own which has helped open up opportunities for me to explore more of this amazing city. This experience has, at the risk of sounding cliche, taught me so much about myself. After one weekend trip I realized the kind of person I am when I’m travelling. This realization has made it easier for me to figure out how to utilize my time here. This past weekend I did things by myself that I wouldn’t have normally done, and I gave myself the perfect weekend in Madrid. I went to museums, took walks at the park, and totally nailed ordering a coffee in spanish.I really like staying in the city, and although European travel is cool, I think rooting myself in my “host city” thus far has been incredibly rewarding. I think there is a lot of pressure on students who are abroad to explore as much as they can in such a short period of time. While that’s an incredible benefit of going abroad, I think the perspective of learning about the city you chose to study in has its own benefits. 

This halfway point realization hit me that this experience won’t last forever. I don’t want to go home wishing I had spent more time in a city I love so much. (That being said, I did plan two weekend trips in July, but who wouldn’t want to go see the running of the bulls). I am content with the balance I have found and how I have grown accustomed to madrid. It’s an incredible city. With the days getting hotter and my time going by quicker, I am making it my half-way point to explore as much of Madrid as I can for the remainder of my time here. 

My halfway point has also had me reflect on the skills I have learned throughout my internship. My soft skills with communication and teamwork have improved, I have gotten into a good routine with communicating with my supervisor. Each week she gives me different stuff to do, and I always feel like I can ask her questions if I am ever confused. She is always willing to help me out and I never feel uncomfortable asking her for something. I like the feeling of helping her, and since she is so busy, whenever I get the opportunity to do something right (the first time), I really feel like I am contributing to the team. Working in the wholesale department, with projects about expanding our brand to stores and museums across Europe, I am getting a fantastic scope as to what it is like to work with international companies. I have taken a lot of lead from my boss Sharon on how to effectively communicate to people in these other countries. She has also shown me a ton of Excel tricks. That has been super helpful. 

I have really enjoyed my internship experience so far. The skills I have learned with communication, between me and my supervisor and between me and clients have given me a ton of practice. My supervisor has given me a lot of control on keeping in contact with the museum clients we have gained through my time here, and although she tells me the general idea of what to say, it is nice to know she has enough confidence in me to let me have the practice of communicating with real clients. Having that confidence instilled in me has been the most rewarding part of this internship. I feel like I am making good progress and have moved towards developing the critical thinking and communication skills I wanted to achieve during my time here. 

I really can’t believe I have already been here for a month. The time has gone by really fast, and each week I am finding out more and more things about all different aspects of my life. The ways this experience has shaped me so far has shocked me. I went into this thinking I will learn about the place I am in, the people and the culture. While I have absolutely done that, I was surprised to find I am learning more about myself every week.