After a month of waiting at home, excitedly preparing for my 3 week trip to Spain and Morocco, the time had finally come! It was time to travel thousands of miles and leave the North American continent for this first time. Immediately after landing in Málaga, the host city for the my program called Global…
Tag: Spain
Alcalá, Hasta Luego
Studying in Spain was the biggest step out of my comfort zone I have ever taken. This period of time forced me into assuming a strong sense of independence unlike anything I had ever experienced before. I was living in a space where I had to completely rely on myself to communicate with a different…
Four Trains, Three Cabs, and Two Buses in One Weekend
Three weeks into the program, I was starting to feel more settled in Alcalá. Classes were in full swing, the town was familiar, and traveling in Spain was far less intimidating than when I arrived. I felt very comfortable and in control of navigating the country independently. I was also planning on visiting Málaga over…
Living Quirks with a Spanish Host
You can’t know the things that you don’t know until presented with the opportunity to learn. I often found that major cultural differences—siestas, late-night dinners, and a relaxed sense of time—were not too difficult to get accustomed to as they were daily occurrences established early on. Throughout my experience in Spain, the main sources of…
Déjà Vu of Freshman Year: Initial Reactions to Spain
A person’s first semester of college is such a unique period of time. It ends almost as quickly as it started, but many look back on it with nostalgia. That newfound sense of independence with fresh faces and unfamiliar places only happens once. I could hardly believe it when that same feeling returned as I…
Living Slowly in Spain
There is no such thing as being late for tapas. After class one night, a group of friends from my program planned on getting tapas to explore more of center city Alcalá. My roommates and I enjoyed our siestas and started getting ready, but our timing wasn’t quite right and I realized we would not…
Reflection on Global Experience in Bilbao
I gained a whole new perspective on life and globalization as a part of my professional development experience in Spain. Bilbao transformed my view on work-life balance and how actual companies operate. Research, which is something I never would have considered being a part of, is now going to be a part of my 2026…
Beyond the Books: Life Lessons from Bilbao
As my program has come to a close, I am trying to soak everything in. I am so grateful for this unique opportunity and everything that I experienced on my trip. A large obstacle for me was adapting to a new lifestyle and different customs, and I gained a lot of small but crucial life…
Pintxos and Patience: Embracing Bilbao’s Food Culture
When I first arrived in Bilbao, I honestly didn’t really know what to expect. I had done my research, and I learned a little about the customs in Spain from our group meetings, but after arriving, I soon realized that I was not near prepared. My first wow moment was the first group dinner that…
Transportation in the US vs Spain
One of the biggest culture shocks that I experienced was the urban planning of the city, but specifically its planning with public transportation. The city was designed to be walkable, and we could reach almost anywhere within 15-20 minutes. For longer rides, there were more options. The city is full of public-use bikes, which you…