Hello! My name is Nicholas Penders and I am a Junior Public Health student in the GW Madrid Study Program this fall! Welcome to my Madrid experience so far.
I arrived in Madrid in late August and was immediately thrust into a completely new culture, a new language, and a new way of life. In the beginning, there was a lot to adjust to. I am living with a host grandma and we are the only people in a little apartment in downtown Madrid. Being placed in a host family has been an amazing experience so far because I have the opportunity to talk in Spanish constantly and be exposed to another side of Spanish culture that I would not get living in a dorm or an apartment by myself. I am surrounded by Spanish culture, people, and home-cooked food, which is always a good thing but I have also had to learn house customs and adjust to social norms in a Spanish household. Having been living in Spain for almost a month and a half, I have adjusted much better to Madrid and am feeling much more comfortable in my program. I am starting to think in Spanish, speaking comes much more naturally, and I have found a routine that makes me feel like I belong.
The GW Study Program was a great choice for my study abroad experience, as the resident directors plan cultural events and excursions for the students, which have been extremely interesting and applicable to my conversations with my host family. We took a trip to Galicia, the northwest portion of Spain to a city called Santiago de Compostela which allowed us to see a completely different side of Spain and experience a very distinct culture. Although Spain seems to be a small country, it is culturally and linguistically diverse between its regions and by visiting Galicia we were able to experience not only Madrid culture but Gallego culture as well. Also on this excursion, I was able to see my family who live in Galicia for the first time in more than 10 years. Later this month we will be visiting Extremadura and Toledo, which will be two other opportunities to explore Spanish culture outside of Madrid.
The Universidad Autónoma de Madrid is very different from GW. UAM is a more rural campus, with almost 3 times the number of students at GW. The campus is always full of people, and it is common to go to the local cafeteria between classes with classmates just to sit and talk. Because the campus is a little more rural, I have about a 30-45 minute commute to school every day, which is not ideal but is relatively easy. I walk right outside of my door and into the metro station which is nice for going to class or trying to get anywhere in downtown Madrid. Every day here I get to step out of my comfort zone, in my personal life but also academically. GW Madrid offers a wide variety of classes that are very culturally relevant to our time here as well as academically interesting. For example, I am taking a Spanish literature class that is giving me a crash course on the Spanish literary classics, but I am also taking a Flamenco class where I am learning how to dance flamenco. I never would have envisioned myself taking a dance class, or ever having the confidence to take a dance class, but I am enjoying the experience. My favorite class so far has been our art history class. This class is really special because every week we spend one lecture in a classroom and one lecture in the Museo del Prado, one of the most famous art museums in Spain.
I have already made some friends through the Prado, acting like a tour guide using all the things I have learned in that class, which is extremely rewarding as a student and are experiences that students cannot replicate at GW. One blog post is not nearly enough to write about all the things that I have learned, experienced, and loved here at GW Madrid, but I do want to stress the importance of studying abroad. There are hard parts, it is scary and sometimes uncertain or uncomfortable. But at the end of the day these experiences are going to make you more independent, culturally aware, and a better global citizen, which is becoming more and more relevant in our day and age. I feel myself becoming more confident, comfortable, independent, and self-sufficient by the day. I am learning more than I could ever learn from a textbook just from my conversations at dinner, and I'm sure that once I get home my friends will all be sick of hearing about my Madrid Experience. Take the chance, to experience something new. I promise it will be worth it.
Nicholas Penders
Fall 2023
GW Madrid (GW Study Program)
Milken Institute of Public Health
Public Health Major