Submitted by Emma Straw on the 2020 spring semester study abroad program in Madrid, Spain…
Today marks one week of beautiful sunny skies, hundreds of metro rides and enough cafés con leche (milky coffees) to last a lifetime.
Just seven days ago, I landed in Madrid, Spain, wide awake at 6 am and ready to explore my new home. With the whole day ahead of us, my friends and I walked along Gran Via, also known as the “Spanish Broadway.” We got our Spanish sim cards, learned how to ride the metro and visited Puerta del Sol, one of Madrid’s busiest public squares.
On day two, we enjoyed a lovely brunch and made our way over to Saint Louis University (SLU) where we’ll be taking classes for the next five months. We met some of the staff and took a tour of our tiny, yet picturesque campus. One of the academic buildings, San Ignacio Hall, has an amazing rooftop terrace that has already become my favorite study spot.
The next few days were spent meeting professors and getting introduced to our courses, putting my many years of Spanish to the test in restaurants and in stores, drinking even more café con leche, visiting the Royal Palace of Madrid and watching the sunset at Temple of Debod.
This study abroad experience marks my first time out of the country and just one week in, I’ve already felt every emotion under the sun. I’m excited to call Madrid my home, and while I miss my family and Delaware, I can’t wait to grow and see what the next few months have in store!
