This past week has been really exciting for me. I started my week watching the sunset at Temple of Debod, and it was a great experience that is so Madrid. The park was full of people, all with several boxes of pizza and wine in coffee tumblers. I could hear music playing and it was a wonderful example of the community here. I felt connected to the city, the people, and the culture. This week I went out to breakfast with my coworkers, tried tostada con tomate, and it changed my life. Amazing. I will absolutely be bringing that breakfast back to America. If I had to tell one story to sum up how much I love Spain, I would talk about walking into work at 8 AM and my boss deciding the entire office should get breakfast. While everyone made it very clear to me this was not something we do often, it was still done more than any job I have had in the US. Any time I get to talk with my coworkers and eat Spanish food is time I heavily appreciate.

This week I also bought all my train tickets for my trip to the south of Spain at the end of my study abroad. While my wallet is hurting, I am incredibly excited. Going down south was not something I even considered doing when I was thinking about travelling in Spain, but I am so excited to visit two new cities, walk around the city of Granada, visit the beaches in Malaga and experience the culture in the south. This past week I got to do a lot of different things around Madrid, so I am looking forward to exploring new cities. 

This past weekend was also very special to me because my dad came to visit me in Madrid! I really loved having him here and being able to show him around Madrid. We went to a ton of places in Madrid that I thought were essential to see on his trip, The Royal Palace, Retiro Park, El Rastro, and made sure he got plenty of Spanish food (including paella, which I have been dreaming of since Valencia). It was a really awesome feeling to show my dad the things that I have loved about Madrid. He was a big fan of the patatas bravas, not so much a fan of the heat. I appreciate him powering through the serious lack of air conditioning, and the humidity in the city. Having him here and being able to show him around was a perfect way to spend my weekend. 

As I have progressed in my internship and taking point on my projects for research, I can reflect on my leadership in my work environment. Before my internship, I did not have any opportunities where I felt comfortable taking a leadership role. During class projects, I am more than happy with going with the group flow. I really enjoy having someone else tell me exactly what I need to do and how to do it. Although I still like having a lot of details with my projects, I feel a lot more comfortable taking over on projects. It has helped so much having my boss be so confident in me here, and each day I feel more confident to do more projects on my own without needing specific direction. 

My internship has challenged me with leadership in ways I did not expect. The type of work I do here is not what I was expecting. I am responsible for contacting clients and researching places we can outreach to, and I am given a lot of time where I am not directly responsible for a particular task. I have been working on my research projects my entire time here, along with having to do tasks as they are given to me. However, my biggest responsibility is the research. This independence has given me a great opportunity to work without guidance, and to decide how I want to work. 

My internship so far has taught me a lot about how to work independently and to take charge on projects. While before this internship I was comfortable with taking a back seat, I think it is important in a career to have the confidence to take a leadership role. If I was in a leadership position I would encourage people to take points on certain projects. My boss at Jimmy Lion giving me my own projects has promoted the most growth with my independence and confidence at work. I feel it has been a great opportunity to take more control of a project, and has given me the opportunity to take on more leadership roles in the future,