Studying abroad in Madrid has completely transformed the way I experience education. This photoset is meant to capture my academic journey and showcase how learning here has been unlike anything I have encountered before. Instead of simply absorbing information in a traditional classroom setting, I have had the opportunity to immerse myself in the subjects I study, bringing concepts to life through real-world experiences. 

This semester, I am taking two courses with CEA CAPA: Food & Culture and Street Art & Graffiti. Each class has provided me with a unique lens through which to explore Spanish culture. 

During this session of Food and Culture, we met for class in a local winery. We began with a lecture about the origins of wine in Madrid and its importance in Spanish culture. 

The walls were stacked from top to bottom with all different kinds of wine. We got to examine the bottles and analyze the packaging, size, and different colors they all had. 

After tasting and learning about all the wines, we had some time to finish drinking our favorite ones while we socialized with our classmates. 

In my Food & Culture class, I have gained insight into the deep connection between food and Spanish identity. We have explored how traditional dishes, ingredients, and culinary customs have evolved over time. 

After the wine tasting was over, we all returned back to the classroom to talk about the experience and finish the lesson. We went over the importance of wine in the Spanish diet and what it represents in the culture. 

In my Street Art & Graffiti class, we learned all about tags, which are a graffiti artist's signature. We were challenged to go out into the city and take a photo of a tag. I found this one in Sol, the center of Madrid. 

What makes this class so impactful is that I don’t just learn about Spanish cuisine—I get to taste it, cook it, and analyze it in an authentic setting. This photoset highlights a class where we went to a winery and did a wine tasting after reading about the importance of wine in Spanish culture and participating in a class lecture. 

In class, we then each developed our own tags that represent who we are. I spent time sketching different styles until I found the one that I liked best. 

Once we perfected our tags, the professor lined the walls with paper, and we spent time covering the whole surface with our designs. 

Similarly, my Street Art & Graffiti course has reshaped the way I look at Madrid’s urban landscape. Before this class, I saw graffiti as just another part of city life, but now, I understand its importance in Spanish history. Our lessons go beyond the classroom walls as we explore different neighborhoods, analyzing murals, stencil work, even creating our own graffiti tags. 

The results were so exciting to see. It felt like we were all able to come together to create our very own graffiti piece in the classroom. 

At the end of class, the professor gave us black books, a type of sketchbook that graffiti artists use. We got to design the covers with our tags, and this represented the beginning of our graffiti journey! 

We got to participate in class lectures and then go into the city and spot graffiti that related to what we spoke about in class. What makes this academic experience so special is the integration of in-class learning and real-world experience. This photoset is a glimpse into that experience.