My favorite thing about being somewhere other than Texas is the different kinds of food (by the way, comida means food in Spanish). Even in a place like Alabama the food is different than home, so along with a travel bug I have, I am always searching for the best (and cheapest) way to taste the town, Madrid being no exception. Madrid is full of food, cafés on every corner, craft beverages, pastries, tacos and tapas galore are waiting for you if you ever choose to come this way. It may not be Italian gelato but the ice cream here is not only beautiful but absolutely delicious. The local restaurantes are small so eating with others in my program has been an incredibly intimate experience where we all laugh and spend hours even if we just grabbed some coffee. I am yet to try the paella (mostly because I don’t eat seafood) but I am excited to find a chicken or vegetarian option so I can check that off of my bucket list. My particular study abroad program feeds us three meals a day every single day that we are here, this is great for my debit card but it doesn’t always let me indulge when I am out in the streets. I have skipped a couple free meals (a lot, sorry mom) to try the local food like tapas and tortillas, but I am not going to lie, a McFlurry and some fries have definitely also been eaten. In my defense many fast food chains have different menus internationally so I really did have to try them myself. Seriously though, eat your way through the city. There is no better way to see the culture than to be sitting in it. Try the local favorites, the weird toppings and sauces, the drinks unique to the region and do it with your newly found best friends.
