The First Month in GW Madrid

I’ve been in Madrid for a little over a month now and it has been such an amazing experience so far. When I first arrived, I was very worried about my Spanish fluency and nervous about adjusting to the culture and my homestay. However, once I got here, everyone in my program, and in Madrid in general, has been very patient and kind while my Spanish has improved. After a month I feel much more adjusted to the language and to the pace of life here. Madrid is such an amazing city, there is a perfect mix of history and the feel of modern city where there is always a million things to do. Exploring the different neighborhoods of the city after my classes is one of my favorite things, going shopping or going to museums, walking around, and then grabbing some tapas is always very fun. I’m also very lucky to be taking classes like my Spanish Art class where we get to go to different museums and analyze different world-famous works of art in person!
The GW-Madrid program also has some really great pre-planned excursions for us. A couple weekends ago we got to go to Castilla-La Mancha, Granada, and Cordoba in the south of Spain where we were able to see incredible sites like the 13th century palace city of Alhambra and the Mosque of Cordoba, and we also got to try local Andalusian food! Personally, I’ve been able to go to the north of Spain to see some cities in the Basque country, San Sebastián and Bilboa which were both incredible! In about two weeks we have another trip with our program to the north where we will get to visit Navarra, Rioja, and Burgos!
Overall, probably my favorite part of my time here so far has been my homestay. My host mom welcomed me so warmly and I immediately felt so comfortable living with her. She is incredible and has taught me so much about Madrid and Spanish culture. Also, my Spanish has improved so much by talking to her and her family. She is an incredible cook, so I get to try so many wonderful homecooked Spanish meals every day. I honestly don’t know what I would do without my host family! It’s the best!!
My advice to anyone who is unsure or nervous about studying abroad is to honestly just give it a try! GW has so many great study abroad programs and experiences and all the nervousness is nothing compared to how great it is to actually be living in a new country with tons of new experiences! Studying abroad is such a special experience and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested!