Author: Savannah Eanes | Major: Chemical Engineering | Semester: Summer 2025

Aqueducts in Segovia

This summer, I was able to study in Madrid, Spain for the month of June. This trip was only the second time I’d been out of the country and the first time I’d ever traveled alone, and it will stand as one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I’d always wanted to visit Spain because it looked so beautiful in pictures, so the day I arrived in Madrid I explored the city near my homestay for several hours. For the first time ever, I was surrounded by a language other than English. Outside of the touristy areas of the city, it was easy to feel alienated. I went to get my nails done and everyone around me was speaking Spanish. The nail tech literally had to take my hand and guide it around since I couldn’t understand her directions. Although my Spanish improved throughout the month, I constantly had to focus on what others were saying. Even going to ask for coffee could be a chore. Studying abroad in a country with a foreign language really made me appreciate the struggles of immigrants trying to assimilate to the United States. All I wanted to do by the time I got back to my homestay was speak in English and even there my brain had to be turned on. However, I think that being in a homestay was one of the best parts of my trip. Homestay is crucial for better understanding the language and culture. My host mom was incredible. Incredibly patient as well as kind. She would always help me with little grammar problems and explain new words to me. At night we would eat dinner together, talk about our days, and then watch different shows like Cifras y Letras and El Hormiguero. Being in a homestay introduced me to lots of Spanish actors and cinema I’d never known. We were also able to talk about some political things happening in the country like the job market and housing crisis where I was able to get the perspective of a native Spaniard and not a random BBC journalist. While there, I attended two classes on Spanish culture and literature. These were two of my final classes for my Spanish minor, and my schedule was too busy during the school year to fit them in anywhere other than summer. However, I’m glad it worked out that way because learning Spanish in Spain was the first time I was able to devote all of my brain to just learning Spanish. Plus, a lot of the lessons in class came in handy during my stay. In my literature class we would learn about stories set in famous cities likeSalamanca, and then I’d get to go visit the places in Salamanca where the story was set. In my Spanish culture class, we learned about flamenco, tapas, royal lineage, sports, and other cultural references that helped me to better understand my host country. Moreover, lessons of Spanish geography helped when planning day trips outside of Madrid. Day trips from Madrid were easy because there are so many historic sites in Spain less than three hours away: Toledo, Segovia, Salamanca, and El Escorial to name a few. The architecture was amazing, and it was interesting to see all the different cultural influences in Spain. Toledo in particular was a mixture of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim cultures, as reflected in its elaborate synagogue and cathedral, and many other buildings constructed with Islamic architectural styles. I think one of my favorite things about Madrid was its walkability. I liked exploring the city around dinnertime and seeing big groups of people of all different age groups eating dinner or just hanging out in a park. There was just so much laughter in the streets. I miss evenings in Madrid the most, because the community seems so much stronger there than in the United States where everyone is so far apart. The city is almost like the college- microcosm extended to an entire city. I would definitely live for a time in Madrid if it ever became a possibility. I highly recommend students learning Spanish to immerse themselves abroad. Seeing all the billboards in Spanish, the bookstores in Spanish, the menus in Spanish, and the media full of Spanish is a reminder that there is an entire world where English is not the key player. I think this is an important lesson as the world becomes more and more interconnected.