By: Judy Lee ‘17

Hey there! I’ve decided that while I’m abroad, I might as well document these once-in-a-lifetime memories through a compilation of footage I get while hopping from place to place. So with that, I introduce to you…The Look Up series, by yours truly.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

Last weekend, I had the distinct pleasure of representing the good old US of A, along with my roommate, as a delegate of sorts, if you will, at a 150-person, super exclusive fiesta about 40 minutes from Madrid hosted by an affluent friend of my host brother. Mind you, I didn’t ever participate in Model UN or even take the course when it was available to me sophomore year of high school (I took Comparative Religions instead because I wanted to open my mind and also because there were so many field trips), but I think after hearing how well I mingled, you may be willing to overlook my lack of qualifications.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

You may be thinking to yourself, “Grace, what? How did you get carded in Madrid? Isn’t the drinking age there 18? Aren’t you several years older? I’ve always thought you have such a maturity about you well beyond your years!”

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

I am going to hold myself accountable and post at least a few times a week because in the paraphrased words of the wonderful Ron Swanson, “Never half-ass anything. Except for swimsuits because that’s trendy now.” Which reminds me, I went to Barcelona a few weekends ago and have a lot to say about that, so stay tuned.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

When I first arrived in Madrid, I was jet-lagged, stressed, and barely able to put together an English sentence let alone one in Spanish. As she showed me around, my wonderful host mom told me to close the hallway door always “porque de las ratas” or because of the rats. This didn’t bother me one bit because she seemed very chill about it and I’m trying to be low-maintenance and honestly I’m not afraid of rats nearly as much as I’m afraid of actual scary things like sharks or my future kids growing up to be bullies.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

My first day in Madrid when I went for a run, I realized as I struggled to find my way home that someone had somehow pickpocket my running arm band of my ca$h (luckily just 10 euros at the time). Like any furious parent, I wasn’t mad, I was just disappointed.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

People always say that the best way to really immerse yourself in a new country is to live with a homestay family, especially when you’re trying to learn a new language. And I’m going to have to agree with the masses on this one, though at first I had my doubts.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

A few days ago at the Instituto Internacional in Madrid, I went to an intercambio/language exchange and I feel pretty good about it because now tengo una cita (I have a date/meeting) with an older man named Ignacio!

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

This summer I am studying in the beautiful city of Madrid. This is my first time traveling without my family and my first time outside of North America so everything is new to me and so far has not been the smoothest of adjustments. I may not be the most fluent of speakers or the most apt of travelers, but I sure do have a gift for finding myself in interesting situations. While these incidents may not be funny to me for a few more years, I trust they will be entertaining for third party viewers and offer a good insight into the summer study abroad experience.