Submitted by Jade Schlegel on the 2022 spring semester program in Madrid, Spain…
Another week has passed in Spain and I can say the time does go very fast while you’re abroad. But one thing I have noticed is the homesickness has seemed to make a reappearance this week. With more school work and strange food, the thought of being able to relax on a nice comfy sofa at home is growing much more appealing. My first real week of labs began this week and while sitting in the Basque Country of Spain, I have to find time to describe SN1 reactions.
The food was also a bit rough this week. In Spain, it is not uncommon for your fish to be served with skin on it and/or with the bones. Sometimes you’re just served the whole fish with the head on. What I did not anticipate was that their “fish sticks” also included the skin and bones. This was a very interesting discovery and it made for a very short dinner. You often don’t think of small things like this, but something like not being able to eat a big dinner makes it harder to adjust to being in a new place. What I have learned is that keeping busy will be your best friend when homesickness begins. It is not something that only happens in the beginning of your program; it can happen really any time during your experience abroad. For me, I made sure I spent time with friends this week to keep busy; we even went to an American restaurant to fulfill our French fry cravings. Homesickness is something that can be tough to get through while being abroad, but by keeping busy with good friends, it can be more manageable.
