I made it to Madrid



I just woke up from a typical Spanish siesta, and as I'm sat on my bed watching the golden colour of the setting sunshine transform the colours of the buildings, I couldn't be more in love with this city. What a week it has been.

I arrived in the city last Friday with my parents and I was immediately greeted by the heat. It got worse, as we soon discovered that we got catfished by the website which boasted a "loft apartment" but ended up being more like a cupboard without any aircon or windows. Having not yet found a place for me to actually live, it's safe to say I was immediately concerned that I'd be spending 4 months in a similar stuffy shoebox!

For this reason, day 2 was probably the first time I experienced a feeling of panic. We travelled up to my university campus, which is very much in the middle of nowhere, and then walked for hours around different parts of the city (unsuccessfully) trying to find somewhere for me to live. 

Eventually, and possibly due to a quick desperation prayer, I stumbled upon an amazing student accommodation and the lady who works there zapped all my worries away like a Spanish fairy godmother. 

Finally after finding my home, I was able to enjoy some of the tourist areas of the city - La Plaza Mayor, Retiro Park, El Palacio Real (The Royal Palace) and shopping in Gran Vía. Maybe the most surreal moment was when I found myself outside Cine Callao which had been in the Netflix series I was watching just the night before. 

We've now had two induction days at my university, and in the second session they talked about the psychological effects of doing a semester/year abroad. During the presentation they described 4 key stages - Honeymoon Phase, Crisis, Adaptation, Integration. It's safe to say that this process will not be easy and she said that any previous mental health issues may resurface in this time of stress. 

From where I was a few months ago, this is scary to hear because the last thing I would want is to be back there. However, I have to keep reminding myself that I need to be proud of the amount of progress I've made and that I'm completely ready and strong enough for this challenge. 

The lady leading this presentation - a counsellor at the university - also said that the full process of adapting and integrating usually takes about 3 months. In other words, as soon as I've finally adapted to life here, I have to go home. 

But, despite the difficult adjustment which is happening constantly and the time limit, I'm loving every second in this city. The feeling of finally being somewhere where I can use my passion for the Spanish language all the time is amazing. The city feels safe, the people are so kind and the weather is amazing.

I've also made some lovely friends since being here who come from all over the world. I think because we're all in the same situation and we're all far from home, we've grown close quickly and it's so nice to know that I have a good support network here and that there are some people who completely understand what it is like. 

The other night we all went out to Kapital which is a huge club in the city centre (7 floors!!) and we bonded over reggaeton music, too much alcohol and an insanely convenient McDonalds about 3 metres from the club exit. 

Overall, this first week has been an absolute whirlwind of excitement, panic, joy and learning. I can't wait to see what else this experience has in store for me and to be able to document it on this blog. 

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