My first week in Madrid has honestly been one of the longest, most overwhelming weeks of my life.
When I landed in Madrid around 7:30 a.m., I was met with darkness. Turns out, the sun rises at around 8:30 a.m.
Jetlagged and nervous, I navigated my way through the airport and to my living accommodation in Gran Via, Madrid.
Even though I had come into this knowing English wasn’t commonly spoken in Madrid, I was surprised by the extent of it. Walking around, I felt culturally disconnected and vulnerable.
The Spanish I learned in high school and college was more textbook, not conversational. This week, I struggled just to order a coffee.
It also took me a few days to learn the public transit system, where I inevitably got lost on the metro. In Gainesville, while I occasionally take the bus, I mostly walk everywhere. And at home in Pennsylvania, I mostly drive.
So, navigating the different metro lines and where I need to transfer took a couple of days to master. On my first day of class, I even woke up two hours early to make sure I made it on time.
My classes are off to a solid start — I’m taking digital design, American history and politics and world politics. But I’m still finalizing my schedule during the add/drop period until Feb 1.
There are a mix of exchange students from all over the world and Spanish students in each class. My class discussions are a mix of Spanish, Australian, American, Swedish and English accents.
The meal timing also completely threw me off. In Gainesville, I typically eat lunch around 11:30 a.m. and dinner around 5:30 p.m. Here, lunch and dinner are typically eaten — at the earliest — around 2 p.m and 8 p.m. After a week, my stomach and brain have finally reprogrammed.
Among all of this change, the biggest stressor has been meeting people. It feels extremely similar to when I started at UF — feeling lonely, having the same introductory conversations and trying to make friends.
I’ve been hanging out with a group of Australians from the University of Sydney, making new connections and trying to find my footing. Earlier this week, I took my first day trips with a few of them south to Toledo. We got Spanish omelettes for lunch and explored the old city’s incredible views, which included historic churches and synagogues.
As my first week comes to a close, the anxiety is starting to subside, and I’m beginning to find my groove. I don’t plan to travel outside the country for another few weeks until I’m more adjusted. Until then, I’m eager to explore within Spain and work on my Spanish.
Contact Shaine Davison at sdavison@alligator.org. Follow her travels on Instagram @shaine_in_spain.
Shaine Davison is a junior majoring in journalism and minoring in environmental science. She has previously served as the editor of the enterprise desk and reporter for university and sports desks. This semester, she will be studying abroad in Madrid, Spain.
