"Before starting the GW Madrid program I was very nervous, I wasn't sure if I would like the new environment I was entering and if I would get along with the people in my program. All those doubts disappeared when I arrived in Madrid and participated in the orientation events. The directors of the program are some of the kindest people I have ever met and they genuinely care about every student in the program and want to make sure you are comfortable, safe and are able to immerse yourself in the new culture and make new friends. The people in the program are great! so many new GW friendships are created off campus; some are people from past classes whom you had never had the opportunity to chat with. I was nervous to meet my host family and all that went out the window when we had our first lunch together and were able to have a casual conversation over lunch. She's my Spanish grandma and she is so sweet I can tell she cares about me and my well-being. She even makes me croquetas ( a Spanish tapa) once a week because she knows they're my favorite. I really like it in Madrid and the cultural excursions that are included in the program are a trip of a lifetime! We just went on our trip to Andalucia (south of Spain) and I have never learned so much culture and history while also having fun. The program directors take you to amazing and beautiful cultural sites many of which we are learning in GW Madrid courses. My favorite part of the trip was visiting Alhambra in Granada. The palace is absolutely beautiful and has a rich history and beautiful architecture. After touring the palace we got to have a typical Andalucia lunch and it was absolutely yummy. I am so glad I went on this program to study abroad and I am so excited for the future adventures and memories I'll make!" - Gillian Villarroel, ESIA student, GW Madrid, Spring 2023
"As part of our program, we go on three cultural excursions. From February 10-12, we went to southern Spain. We took a bus from Madrid down to Granada. We stopped at a small town called Almagro and toured an old theater that opened in 1652. We had an delicious lunch at Parador de Almagro, courtesy of the program. Then we continued to Granada and arrived at the hotel. We went out for a nice dinner and then went to sleep to prepare for Saturday. We woke up early for a tour of the Alhambra, an old fortress built by Muslims that began construction in 1238. The Alhambra had beautiful buildings with ornate mosaic floors. After the tour, we had another lunch with multiple courses and took the bus to Córdoba. We had tapas for dinner which were delicious. The next day, we toured the Mosque of Córdoba. The mosque was enormous and had sophisticated decorations. Then we toured the historic neighborhoods of Córdoba, where we came across La Judería, a Jewish neighborhood filled with
restaurants and souvenir shops. After a great weekend in southern Spain, we drove back to Madrid on Sunday." - Ryan Jurgelewicz, GWSB Finance student, GW Madrird, Spring 2023
"Holaa!! My name is Serena, and I’m currently participating in GW Madrid’s study abroad program! I am a double International Affairs and Art History major with a minor in Dance. I’m currently taking four classes with GW Madrid and one class directly at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. And of course, I had to enroll in the program’s Flamenco class. All of my classes are in Spanish, which is definitely a challenge! However, I’m glad that I always have my host mom to have casual conversations with. Both my host mom and I spend a few minutes of our day doing Duolingo in English and Spanish respectively. Her food is AMAZING! Since I don’t eat red meat, I’ve eaten seafood probably everyday I’ve been here, because crazily enough, Spain is the second country in the world with the highest seafood intake! I’ve also been having probably three or four coffees a day, but it’s okay because Spanish coffee cups are extremely small, and Spaniards like to make fun of Starbucks coffee sizes. The other day, my friends from study abroad programs in Lisbon and Edinburgh visited Spain, and we went to a rooftop restaurant called Doña Luz where we had some fabulous patatas and shrimp tacos. Yum! I’ve also been frequenting the bars in Chueca and dance clubs with my friends in the program, shoutout Hannah and Aziza. We have a few trips planned to other cities in Spain and abroad; the trip to southern Spain with the GW Madrid program was a blast! We visited Granada and Córdoba and partook in traditional meals of the area, including a postre of Manchego ice cream. Next up are the Canary Islands! See you pronto with another update, hasta luego!" - Serena Martin, ESIA student, GW Madrid, Spring 2023
"I now have one month here under my belt, and I am starting to get the hang of everything. The food is, for the most part, fantastic, but I am missing spicy food like at home. Here, my host mother will say something tastes spicy to warn me and when I try it I can hardly tell! The host family overall is a great experience. I love watching Spanish TV with her- we watch everything from gossip shows to the news to soap operas to reality TV. It is a great way to unwind at the end of the day and connect over something we both enjoy- not to mention incredibly helpful in learning spanish. People do, indeed, speak very quickly here. I would say the most difficult part of the host family is that my host family does not speak any english. This is very good in one way because it forces me to learn, but it can also be somewhat frustrating and isolating when I cannot come up with the words in spanish. However, Toti (the host) is very patient and always helps me figure it out.
I am also starting to get into the actual meat of school. The first few weeks were very easy- mostly syllabus weeks. I am taking four classes through GW Madrid, and one at UAM. Although the content is not too difficult, I do think that my UAM class is the most challenging because it is very intimidating being the only non-native speaker in a class full of Spanish students. The other day, I had to give a last minute presentation in Spanish and I was very nervous! I definitely got into my own head, but it ended up going alright. Both my group members and my professor told me that my Spanish was better than I thought.
Finally, being able to travel already has been a real treat. I went to Bilbao and San Sebastian with a friend to experience the Basque language and AMAZING food. Also got the chance to travel around southern Spain as part of the GW Madrid program. We went to Almagro, Granada to visit the Alhambra, and Córdoba. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience to experience these beautiful places with the friends I have made so far. I am certainly looking forward to additional trips, both with the program and individually, as well as getting to know Madrid even better.
I will update for the second half of the semester! Until then, adios!" - Clarice LeBow, ESIA Student, GW Madrid, Spring 2023