Life in Madrid: Host Family, School and Trips!

Hello everyone! My name is David Rebich and I am currently in the GW Madrid Study Program. I am a second-semester junior studying International Affairs with a concentration in Development and double majoring in Business. As someone who has seldom left the United States growing up, this experience in Spain is outstanding and eye-opening. I will run you all down with my daily life and some of the awesome things I have done in Spain!

Firstly, I live in an apartment building with my host mom and three kids. The kids 8, 9, and 13, while rambunctious, they are a great time and help me so much with practicing my Spanish. My main goal when coming to Spain was to increase my Spanish abilities and my home life has helped with that. It has become a habit to invite the other members of GW Madrid to play soccer, or fútbol, every Sunday and everyone loves it! I am also guaranteed three meals a day through the program which is a great way to experience Spanish cuisine. Spanish food is amazing, tasty, and rich, but while it may seem silly, I have craved a cheeseburger after eating so much Spanish food. During a typical week, I take the train to school. It is about a 45-minute commute using both the metro and Cercanias (commuter train) to get to the Autonomous University of Madrid. On the way to class, I normally grab a small shot of espresso - which is super cheap compared to coffee in the US. I love all my classes because all my teachers put their all into them. They try hard to ensure you understand what is happening and I have enjoyed my learning experience. After I am done, I take the train back home and either explore a new part of Madrid or go to the gym.

Lastly, some of the trips I have been on were stunning. My first trip was to the South of Spain, also known as Andalusia. We visited the Mosque of Cordoba and the Alhambra. Both UNESCO World Heritage sites were gorgeous and the history behind them was outstanding. Definitely have some of the most beautiful views I have ever seen. The weekend after, I had the opportunity to take an inexpensive bullet train to Barcelona which was an amazing experience. I was able to see the Sagrada Familia, an outstanding cathedral, and then checked out the beach. Watch out for the pickpockets though!

Finally, my other trip was to the Canary Islands. The island I visited was Tenerife and which is known for its Carnival. It happens to be the second-largest celebration of Carnival in the world after Rio de Janeiro. The best way to explain it is a Mardi Gras but in Spain. It was so cool seeing everybody's costumes and all the floats in the parade. Overall, the first half of my experience in Spain has been absolutely amazing. Learning the cultural customs and culture has been challenging but easy to overcome. I am so happy I get to have this as part of my college experience and I will tell the stories I have from Spain for many years to come. Thanks for reading, and I hope you choose to study abroad in Spain or Europe one day!