Author: Mara Privette | Major: Business Economics | Semester: Summer 2025

Bullfight Arena                                  

 I studied abroad in Madrid, Spain over the Summer between my junior and senior year. I Spain since I have been studying Spanish since 7th grade, and had hit a barrier in my learning. I wasn’t progressing and had frequently heard that immersion was the best way to break through that wall. I stayed in Madrid, Spain’s capital, for one month during the Summer session. My time there was divided between classes and exploration of the city. The classes I took were business courses offered by Universidad Antonio de Nebrija: International Marketing and International Business. The classes I took were in English, though Spanish classes were available. Going into my last semester of college, very few classes would count towards credits I needed to graduate. This limited my Spanish exposure while I was there, so I would encourage anyone looking into study abroad to do it as soon as possible. Studying abroad sooner would increase the chance that more classes will count towards credits needed for graduation. I wish I had been able to take classes in Spanish while there to increase my immersion, it just wasn’t an option in my case. Though I was mainly in Madrid during my time abroad, I did get to experience two other cities through my program provider. I spent a day in Toledo, one of the oldest and most historic cities in Spain. It is known for being the city of three cultures, as Catholics, Jews, and Muslims have all called the city home. I also spent a weekend in Valencia, a beautiful city near the coast where those of us on the trip were treated to an authentic paella experience and surfing lesson! The biggest culture shock I experienced while in Spain was the perception of time. Everything is much slower, and not rushed. Meals are often a few hours later than they are here, especially dinner. The sun sets around 10pm, so dinner is often between 9 and 10pm. Some stores and restaurants also close for a few hours in the middle of the day for ‘siestas’. Siestas are essentially a break in the middle of the day to unwind and relax. Not all places participate, and the hours differ between places as well. Using the metro was odd at first, but became something I loved throughout my time there. I had not used anything similar before, such as the subways in New York and Chicago. The ease and convenience, along with the very reasonable price for a one month pass, made transportation around the city quick and easy. The two big cultural experiences I had, outside of museums, were a flamenco show and bullfight. The flamenco show was my favorite experience that I had. The performance was so moving, my jaw had dropped at the beginning of the performance and didn’t get back up until the end. There was so much skill and passion by the dancers and other performers, and you could feel the emotion even just watching. The bullfight was good because of the cultural exposure and experience, but it was a very hard experience to get through. There were six fights throughout the event, and it was very hard to watch six bulls become injured and eventually die. I would describe it as more of an execution, than a fight. I was glad I went, even though it was difficult, because the culture of the crowd and long-standing traditions were amazing to witness. Overall, I did have a very good time studying abroad. It was not without its difficulties and challenges, but I would one hundred percent do it again. If you are given the opportunity and are able to go abroad, even for one month like I did, you should.