October 24, 2014
“So, what’s Madrid like?”
While I understand the curiosity of my friends, I have to admit that I hate this question. Not because I do not know how to respond, but because this city grew on me so quickly that I struggle to find the words to fully and correctly articulate my feelings. I could talk for hours about the remarkable architecture in Spain, about works of art in Prado—one of the most famous museums in the world—and about parks such as Retiro that put other parks to shame, but a decent travel guidebook could probably give you an accurate idea of these places.
Similarly, I am not the best person to describe the culture shocks that one faces when coming to Europe from the U.S. As an international student from Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country in Southeastern Europe, life in Spain feels very familiar to me. I will, however, give you pieces of my experience of studying abroad in Spain, so let’s start by explaining where in the world I am and how I got here.
When I was nine years old, my oldest sister took me to my first dance lesson. Latin-American and ballroom dances always seemed interesting to her and for some reason, she thought I would enjoy it. As usual, she was right. For six years, I went to the dance lessons with the same feeling of enthusiasm and happiness as I did my first day. Ever since that first class, I have been attracted to the gracefulness of the dancers, to the crystal-covered dance costumes that sparkle under the stage lights and to the emotions expressed through precise dance movements. But what I love most about dancing is the feeling that you can be whoever you want to be, constantly transforming from the seductress while dancing the dance of love called rumba or the famous Argentinian tango, to the elegant princess that dances Viennese waltz.
But, wait. You might be wondering: what does this have to do with my study abroad experience? Well, it has everything to do with it. It was through dance that I learned the rewards of going out of your comfort zone, trying something new and striving towards constant improvement. It was through dance that I fell in love with the Spanish language. My favorite dances were of Spanish origin, so I would mumble the lyrics of my favorite songs that happened to be in Spanish, even before I was actually able to understand them. As I was spending lot of time with my grandma, who watched Spanish telenovelas while preparing my favorite meals, I was also absorbing a lot of new words and phrases. I guess one could say that I have been surrounded by the Spanish language and culture from an early age.
As an international student, I already knew the rewards of studying abroad, so I had no doubt that I wanted to spend a semester studying in another foreign country during my junior year. I also had no doubt that it was Madrid where I would want to study abroad. After a few semesters of taking classes of Spanish, a few hours of filling out the application and the required paperwork during my sophomore year and more than a few days of reading those cliché articles often titled “25 Reasons Why Madrid Is The Best Place to Study Abroad,” I felt I was ready to embark on this new adventure and start my study abroad experience in Spain.
And here I am now, writing about the less than two months that I have spent in Madrid so far. Many wonderful moments come to my mind. Among them is that night when I sang in a karaoke bar with my new Spanish friends, the time when my Hamilton friends and I were the only people in a club because we came too early for Spanish standards, the perplexed look on my host mom’s face when I tried to explain to her the complex grammar rules of my native Bosnian language for the first time and the taste of hot “churros con chocolate” during a rainy day. I will always fondly remember the feeling of powdery-soft sand beneath my toes as I relaxed on Las Islas Cies, one of the best beaches in the world; the visit to the magnificent Alcázar de Segovia, which served as an inspiration for Walt Disney’s Cinderella’s castle, and the laughs I have shared and keep on sharing with my host family during every family meal.
Before coming here, the three main things that would come to my mind when thinking about Spain were the sun, flamenco and bull fights. Although I always knew that there was so much more to it, it is only now that I can fully grasp the extreme complexity and beauty of this country. Thanks to the wonderfully organized HCAYS program, I am able to learn about the years of dictatorship from the professor who actually studied and worked during the time of Francoist Spain. As part of my other class, I am spending several hours per week interning at the international non-governmental organization “Medicos del Mundo”/ ”Doctors of the World”, where I am fully immersed into the country’s professional culture. I am also enrolled in the incredibly fun class of flamenco where my friends and I are learning new steps and choreographies and preparing ourselves for the performance at the end of the year, where we will show our dance skills off to the other participants of the program, our professors and host families. When I think about Spain now, I get a feeling of warmth and love.
I once read a quote that says, “To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.” Indeed, all those moments of pure exhilaration, as well as inevitable moments of slight frustration that occur when living in a foreign country, are part of the invaluable life experience that one gets when studying abroad.
So, what’s Madrid like? I guess you will have to come and check it out yourself. I promise, it will be worth it.
No comments yet.
Comment Guidelines
Please log in to post a comment