Hola a todos!

I am officially back on American soil after two months of working and living in Madrid, plus a bonus week of vacation with my family.

In my last week, I said some sad goodbyes to my friends in Madrid. Luckily, they’re more so “see you soons,” since we all will be back in Pittsburgh in the next week or so. I’m so grateful that I got to spend the past few months in an amazing place with awesome people; it made travelling and exploring Spain so much fun.

I also had one last family dinner with my host mom and my parents, and sister! It was fun seeing these two worlds collide and sharing a piece of my experience in Madrid with my family. I also got to show off my Spanish skills. Before this dinner, I was always too scared to speak in Spanish in front of my family, but that night, I had to step into the role of translator. It felt like a final test of my Spanish abilities, and I came away feeling validated in my improvement over this summer.

Then, after showing my family around Madrid, I extended my summer just a bit to travel to Barcelona and Costa Brava with the Smookler fam. We got to explore the Gothic quarter, Gaudí’s architecture, lots of cute shops (including a tinned fish store!), and delicious gluten-free food. Then I finally got the chance to lie on a beach and read when we headed to Costa Brava. I was blown away by the natural beauty of the place, and enjoyed snorkeling, cliff jumping, eating paella, and relaxing.

My European summer has come to a close, and I am truly so grateful for the opportunity to spend this time abroad. I can honestly say this experience has been life-changing for me in so many ways. Not only did Madrid meet and surpass my expectations, but I also met my personal and professional goals and surprised myself along the way. My biggest goals for my summer were to improve my Spanish, gain professional experience and job clarity, and to embrace new experiences. Check, check, and check.

When I first arrived in Spain, I lost all confidence in my language skills that I had developed throughout high school and college. All my Spanish teachers have been from Latin America, so Spain’s accent and slang felt completely foreign to me. Plus, I was not prepared for the mental energy it took to listen and speak in a second language non-stop—at home, at work, in restaurants. It was so overwhelming. I found myself articulating basic questions and answers to my host mom and supervisor, but not much more. However, at some point in this experience, that completely changed. I shed the fear of embarrassment and the obstacle of perfection that I had always had in Spanish classes, and just tried my best. I welcomed grammar corrections from my host mom, and made a conscious effort to incorporate them moving forward. Plus, being intentional about sitting down for dinner with her and chatting made a huge difference. Not only was I able to articulate my basic needs, but actually have deep conversations and make some jokes! In my last few weeks in Madrid, we would sit down and have hours long conversations. I knew I could talk someone’s ear off in English, but now I can in Spanish too! This was my biggest goal in participating in this program, and am proud of myself for stepping outside of my comfort zone and letting myself be immersed in the language.

My experience interning at Mykolayiv Kmit & Asociados’ immigration law practice provided me with applicable professional experience and workplace language skills that helped me grow as a person and as a professional. In my role as a fiscal intern, I was responsible for drafting invoices and budgets, updating spreadsheets, preparing quarter-end reports, and managing clients’ payments. Although these responsibilities may seem simpler than those of an intern at a Big 10 accounting firm, I thrived in a smaller environment where I was able to take initiative on projects and to learn directly from my supervisor. I also gained some of the professional clarity that I was looking for this summer. I spent a lot of time working with numbers, updating Excel sheets, and completing tasks with close attention to detail. I was validated in finding that these are strong skill sets of mine that will apply directly to a future career in accounting/finance. Finally, I developed my skillset by using my language skills in a professional environment, communicating entirely with my coworkers and clients in Spanish. This challenged me, but also gave me professional vocabulary and extra language practice that will be useful in the future; especially if I choose to work abroad at some point.

Finally, new experiences: my time in Spain was packed with adventure and newness. Some were not so fun, like going to the doctor in a foreign country or getting lost on the metro. But those are insignificant compared to all the exciting new things I experienced. This was my first trip to Europe (and also my first time leaving the United States), so I was culturally enlightened in my time here. I experienced dance at a flamenco show, art at the Prado and Reina Sofia museums, architecture in Barcelona, and so much more. I also got the chance to try so many delicious gluten-free foods: the best pizza of my life, traditional Spanish dishes like paella (arroz negro with squid ink was my favorite), snacks from Mercadona, gelato, and amazing gluten-free bread. And don’t think I forgot about McDonald’s (they have gluten free buns and fries!), my favorite place to get food in Spain. I got to experience new places outside of my home base like beautiful hiking trails in the Guadamarra mountains, stunning miradors (viewpoints) in Malaga and Granada, and rocky coves in Costa Brava. I could go on and on about all the amazing experiences I had this summer (go back to read my other blogs for details and pictures).

Again, Madrid met and exceeded all of my expectations. I feel that through this experience, I grew into myself, my independence, my adventurous spirit, and my professional self. I hope to take this growth to Pitt in my Spanish and business classes, my leadership roles in business organizations and on the Student Government Board, and my personal relationships with my friends at Pitt and the friends I met in Madrid. As I search for an internship this fall, I hope that my confidence, diverse skill set, and professionalism shine through to recruiters and lead me to succeed in whatever position I end up in.

I am so grateful for this incredible experience and to everyone who made it possible. Thank you to the generous donors from NRIEP, Fredrick Honors College, and CBA, my advisors at Pitt, and my family.

Adios España….NO, hasta luego. I hope to be back soon!

Rachel 💌