Post-Packing, Pre-Departure (Week 0)

The past 24 hours have flown by - a whirlwind of emotions. The reality of leaving Richmond for Spain for 4 months hadn't exactly hit me yet. But as I sit at my gate, waiting for my first flight to Philadelphia, I'm starting to realize just what emotions and thoughts have been flying through my mind.

I woke up at 8 am yesterday morning completely unprepared. I needed to get a haircut, finish my laundry, pack all my bags, and finish up some last minute work for the research lab I worked in this summer. But my day was packed. I had only really left myself a couple hours on that Saturday morning. I was stressed, but I didn't recognize that. I simply didn't have the time. As I scrambled to cross more items off my to-do list, I dismissed any thoughts that weren't directly related to the task at hand. As I reflect back on those thoughts today, I see the stress, the nervousness, the sadness, but also the anticipation, the eagerness, and the excitement.

Now, having gone through my to-do list, I'm stress-free. I wait in anticipation of my trip. I had fallen in love with the Spanish language and culture in middle and high school, having taken 6 years of the language. But deciding to pursue biomedical engineering at VCU caused me to postpone my study of the language. I just didn't have space in my schedule. So when the opportunity to pursue both my major and re-establish my foundation in the Spanish language presented itself, I grabbed it. I knew I wouldn't have another chance. I'm excited to immerse myself in the language, the culture, and the people. I can't wait to touch down in Madrid and get to know my program staff and my host family.

Having had a break from Spanish for two years, I didn't know how my experience abroad would turn out to be. I wasn't confident in my speaking skills, as I had been in high school. But receiving more information about my host family was a relief. As it turns out, my host mother is a private Spanish-English tutor. Knowing that I have a resource so accessible really calmed my nerves and prepared me to leave. I'm incredibly excited to dive back in and (re)learn Spanish.

Even more so, I'm excited to explore. My host family lives in the Atocha district of Madrid. This district is known for its restaurants, shops, and landmarks. I'm just one block from el Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, a famous art gallery, two blocks from el Teatro Circo Price, three blocks from a botanical garden and el Museo Nacional del Prado, and four blocks from the royal observatory. I'm surrounded by countless restaurants, eateries, and cafes. There is so much to do that I wonder if my 16 weeks in Madrid will be enough to explore just the neighborhood, much less the entire city. I'm extremely happy with my housing situation. I'm in a fantastic neighborhood, with a great host family, and rooming with Brennan, one of my best friends (Brennan is also keeping a blog; follow him at https://brennanonline.travel.blog).

Despite my excitement, I can't help miss Richmond. Leaving is extremely hard. I'm going to miss my family and my friends. I was able to spend a lot more time with my parents this summer than the past couple of semesters and I really enjoyed it. I'm going to miss them these next four months. My friends have either started classes again or are preparing to go abroad themselves. Sixteen weeks is a long period of time. I know my time abroad will fly by, but I'm going to miss seeing my closest friends everyday. I'm looking forward to Spain, but I'm also looking forward to reuniting with the people closest to me.

As I embark on this new adventure, I'll be updating everyone with either weekly or biweekly blog posts. Future posts will be filled with lots more pictures, don't worry. If you'd like to keep up with my travels, definitely subscribe to this blog! As Dora so eloquently says, "Come on, vámanos, everybody let's go!"