Falling in Love With a New Culture While Studying Abroad in Madrid
The shift between experiencing US culture and experiencing Spanish culture is vastly different and yet very similar at the same time. As someone who’s lived in the United States her whole life and has always dreamed of living in Europe, these are the main aspects of Madrid that I’ve been able to admire, and how it’s different from what I know in the US. I’ve only been here a little over a week, and there’s already so much to note!
Random street in Madrid, cannot resist the urge to take a picture of every beautiful street I see (my camera roll is full of them).
The Metro! Have not gone a day without using it; it’s an integral part of living in Madrid and getting around.
One element that was very jarring was going to the museums or certain major buildings such as the Royal Palace or the cathedrals and seeing just how old everything is across the sea. Comprehending that I was looking at a picture or sculpture made in the 14th century is absolutely unbelievable considering you wouldn’t really find that in the US, given the fact that the US is only getting to its 250th birthday this upcoming year.
The Royal Palace: stunning on the outside, breathtakingly beautiful on the inside.
In general, the winding streets and famous landmarks such as the Plaza Mayor are so intricate and have a very specific style that just makes you think “Europe.” Most of them are nothing short of jaw-dropping, and casually walking down the streets you realize, “wow, I can’t believe I’m actually living here!”
Plaza Mayor, a stunning square with so much history (and food).
Museo Nacional del Prado, one of many museums that casually has me looking at paintings from medieval times
Now in terms of food, the actual meals are not that different (depending on where you look), but the mealtimes vastly differ. Madrid has its delicacies such as churros con chocolate or tapas (little appetizers of various assortments, both I highly recommend), but the typical meal schedule is a little snack around 11am, lunch at 2pm, and dinner around 10pm. The adjustment was a little difficult, but manageable.
Tapas! This specific dish is fried calamari, but I’ve learned that tapas can be essentially any little appetizer from bread and tomatoes to roasted peppers.
Churros con chocolate, another staple in Madrid; happy to say I’ve already tried this combination at three different places, and most definitely more to come.
In general, the pace of life is a little slower in Spain. While people in the US rush and sometimes eat on the go, in Spain, the way of life is to properly sit and socialize for hours upon hours. It can be hard to be stuck behind the slow walkers, or have to wait ages to get your bill, but it is worth it to step back and enjoy living in the moment instead of rushing to the next thing. For example, spending the day at El Retiro was the perfect way to slow down and relax; admiring the sculptures, little rowboats, and music that was inevitably playing in the background, the scene was as dreamy as could be.
El Retiro Park, a huge and stunning park with lots of fountains, nature, structures, and rowboats!
El Rastro, a weekly flea market in Madrid every Sunday! With how big it is, there is no doubt you will find something you love.
Slowing down is also the perfect time to analyze those around you, and the common patterns between them. Through this, I was able to note that one major difference is that the athleisure epidemic does not seem to exist in Madrid. Sweatpants and leggings are mostly a no-go, and I’ve seen a lot of jeans, trousers, skirts, and more. I sadly left my sweatpants at home, but I’ve been able to dress my best, and now have more incentive to do so!
A building so stunning, I had to take a photo in front of it (featuring my trench coat that is getting a LOT of wear in Europe).
As a whole, the food, architecture, the people and their way of life, all contribute to the liveliness of Madrid that I’m growing to love.
