Soccer culture of Madrid!

Author: Azucena Carbajal | Major: Supply Chain | Semester: Summer 2023

Hi! My name is Azucena Carbajal. I’m a Walton College Honors Student, studying Supply Chain management with a minor in Spanish. This summer 2023 I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad in Madrid, Spain with the program AIFS. Long story short, it was the best summer of my life!

Preparing to study abroad was a very stressful process for me. I had never been away from my family and friends, so I was undoubtingly terrified. Nevertheless, it all went to plan. I chose Madrid as my location and never looked back. Madrid was my dream. I was also awarded the University of Arkansas Honors College Study Abroad Grant and it was a huge accomplishment for me. Essentially, my whole study abroad was paid for.

As previously stated, I am a Business major and Spanish minor. I chose to take an international management class in Madrid because it was previously approved by my advisors as an junior/senior elective. Taking this course over the summer saved me time and money. My professor in Madrid was amazing. He quickly became one of the most influential professors I have ever had, despite only being his student for one month. It was a quick class and we learned new material every day. He connected one on one with his students which was different than the U of A.

Booking my flight to Madrid was the best feeling ever and sure enough the long-awaited countdown began. I began networking with my friends abroad, and those who had returned from overseas for advice on everything! They were so helpful; however, I could only prepare myself so much. Before Madrid, I had traveled plenty so I was confident that it would not be bad, but I was wrong.  Here are the TOP 8 things that threw me off:

• Spaniards being so slow (at everything)
• Walking nearly 20,000 steps every day
• Having dinner at 10pm
• Having to pay to use public bathrooms
• The excess use of public displays of affection
• McCerveza at McDonalds being cheaper than water
• The unimportance of sleep
• And the excess use of cigarettes.

This brings me to the first thing I wish I knew before studying abroad: homesickness is so real. Homesickness is different for everyone, but it hit me like a bus. No matter how beautiful Madrid was, I missed my family, friends, and boyfriend. It came in waves, and as the end of my trip neared I began counting down the days till my return.

These were my first impressions of Madrid; however, it was the best experience of my life. I met some of the best people ever through study abroad. My best friends even. Aside from getting to explore my childhood dream travel destination, that is what made this experience unforgettable. We were all strangers from colleges across the U.S. and within a couple of days we were planning trips to different countries. One of my core memories from my study abroad was my trip to Portugal. It was the most beautiful place that I have ever seen.

Living in a homestay abroad was one of the things I regretted the most. Although my host-mom cooked dinner every night, sharing a small room with tiny beds and another student with no air conditioning was not the greatest. That is the second thing I wish I knew before studying abroad. My friends in apartments got to bond much more and were often much closer to campus, whereas my homestay was near the outskirts of Madrid. Nevertheless, I was grateful for that opportunity.

Next, the nightlife. Madrid’s nightlife is a bucket lister everyone must experience. It was a cool experience, but I must admit I got exhausted quickly. There were clubs open every day of the week (yes, even a club specially for Mondays), and other great opportunities like concerts. I got experience artists like Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem.

Lastly, the third thing I wish I knew before studying abroad (or wish I listened to) was to pack lightly. There are so many amazing stores like Zara, Brandy Melville, H&M, Pull & Bear, and official sports stores. They are much less expensive in comparison to in the US. My suitcase was struggling on the flight home and thus, I recommend shopping for your clothes once you arrive in Europe.

I wish more people chose to study abroad. It was life changing for me and I would whole heartedly do it again.  I grew so much as a person and experienced things I thought would never be possible, like weekending to Barcelona. Now, I see the world as my oyster and am considering Brazil or Argentina as my next destination. Everything is possible.  I am beyond blessed to have been awarded this opportunity and will cherish this memory forever.