Submitted by Quinn Wichert the 2024 Spring program in Madrid, Spain…
I took this picture outside of Raterio park as the sun was setting. I was on my way to meet up with some friends who were visiting Madrid for the weekend. It never fails to amaze me how beautiful the architecture is. It’s a far cry from what I’m used to seeing in America. Our country is beautiful, however there is such a stark contrast between the architectural styles. We say “death of detail” and that has surely been a culture shock for me. You can definitely notice more attention to detail here than at home. There seems to be art tucked in little places all over the city. This could be a tiled alley way or ornate molding etc, but I’ve definitely taken a liking to seeing what I can uncover.
Another cultural difference I’ve noticed is with children. I think at home we are a lot more accustomed to catering our activities towards children as opposed to just including children in normal activities. For example, I see babies in strollers napping besides their parents at dinner all the time. Meaning the children are still out of the house at 10 or 11 pm. I really don’t see this much at home. There are countless things I could list off about Spanish culture that I’ve noticed over the past few months. Generally, I’d like to take some of their practices home with me. (Submitted on March 25, 2024)