Adjusting to Spain

Adjusting to Spain

I have now been in Spain for 3 months, and it was a challenging change at times. During the Alabama study abroad seminar, they discussed the different phases of emotions we would go through abroad and they were exactly right. There were times of missing friends and...

To Madrid…and Beyond!

Lisbon. Barcelona. Sevilla. Rome. Budapest. Morocco. What do all of these places have in common? I’ve been there! It was always my dream to study abroad as an attempt to quench my thirst for travel, and I chose Madrid to be my home base for the semester, a place...

Spanish Immersion

In the weeks leading up to my semester abroad, I had a a lot of worries running through my mind, but above all, I was nervous about “culture shock.” It seemed as though I couldn’t escape that term, as warnings flew at me from every direction whether...

Preparing for Pamplona

I have always been a chronic over-packer. Whether I’m leaving for a week or a semester, I cannot manage to pack efficiently. I know I don’t need 8 pairs of shoes and 12 different dresses for a 5 week trip, but I can’t help but think of (and prepare for) all the...

Bama in El Escorial!

Welcome to week 3 at El Escorial! I have officially completed 15 days in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain. It’s a small town about a 40 minute bus ride from Madrid, and home to one of Spain’s most well-known historic sites El Real Monasterio de San...

MOB –> MAD

Day 2 in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, and I already know I need more time than 27 days. 12 hours and 24 minutes. That was the calculated time of my flights and layovers from Mobile to Atlanta and finally to Madrid. Leaving at 3:00 pm and arriving at 3 am Alabama time...