Ever since I started packing, it seems that I either don’t have enough room in my carry on or I simply don’t have enough time to read up on European customs. In preparing for Madrid I have watched the iconic show “La Casa de Papel”, a trilling Netflix series about a heist occurring in Madrid. This show captures the Spaniard way of speaking and living and gives a very in-depth understanding of traditions and European etiquette. In preparation, I switched this show to Spanish with English subtitles to get even more familiar with the specific way of taking. This iconic show has tons of Spanish History, as an example the group of robbers use Salvador Dali masks as a metaphor to “the spirit of resistance against injustice” (medium.com). If your going to study abroad in Spain, I highly recommend this series, because as soon as you watch an episode you want to spend hours binging. Season one revolves a heist of the Royal Mint of Spain, this is the place where all of Spains Euro’s get printed.
Another way I have started getting ready is using Duolingo. Though this something most people already know about, it helps tremendously with the speed at which you learn Spanish. I say “‘daily Duo dose’—just 15 minutes a day!” In the end I hope everyone adopts a great way to prepare for the amazing journey ahead. I honestly can’t wait and am very excited. My two bags are already full yet I’m not even done packing.