Today I experienced my first rainy day in Madrid. Normally, I love the rain! Just not when it ruins my plans. My friend Tara and I had decided to do some sightseeing around Madrid this morning and see some of the famous spots like Plaza Mayor, Templo de Dubod, El Palacio Real, etc. But when we stepped off the metro and were already soaking wet, it didn't look like that was going to happen. We trekked around Sol (basically the center of everything in Madrid) for about an hour and a half, and were able to see the Plaza Mayor at least. After that we decided to admit defeat and went home. I know this isn't very exciting or inspiring, but that wasn't the point of this post: the point is to talk about what I did for the rest of the day! (Stayed home!)
Something I've been thinking about lately/struggling with is what to focus on during these months in Madrid. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting to do with my time before I came. Traveling, maybe... studying, yes... speaking Spanish, sí? I don't think I really planned what I would do with my time. I got the same advice from pretty much everyone before I left: "Make the most out of your time in Europe!" "Don't waste a second!" "See EVERYTHING!" "Live it up in España!" But I've hit a point where I have to ask myself how much of that advice I really need to follow. Is it worth spending all my money and time seeing everything, experiencing every aspect of Spanish culture? There's a very fine line between enjoying the culture and overly immersing myself in it.
This week someone held me accountable to this by asking me why I was planning a whole bunch of weekend trips away from Madrid. He reminded me that my initial goal for Spain was to perfect my Spanish! Somewhere along the way I had picked up the idea that I needed to explore the culture, experience everything, travel everywhere...essentially, turn a 4 month "STUDY abroad" experience into a "travel abroad" holiday.
It made me realize something. Just because I'm in Spain does not mean I have to turn into a typical Spaniard! (Or a typical American tourist for that matter!) There are some things about Spanish culture that I LOVE. But there are also some things that I don't love, like the dominance of the party scene, alcohol everywhere, and the more loose/liberal social relationships. Since I'm here, does it mean I have to immerse myself in that part of the culture too? Also, I barely ever travel when I'm in the US, so does it mean that I need to become a tourist now that I'm in Spain?
The beauty of my semester in Madrid is that I have time to make connections with my neighborhood, to frequent a cafe, get to know the waitresses, really practice my Spanish and make a mark. Even more importantly--I need to continue my life! I'm the same person that left the US, I like the same things, and I don't need to become a new person just because I'm in a different country. So that's why today, I stayed at the apartment, worked on homework, watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Skyped with my boyfriend. :) Good day overall!
I'm sorry for making you suffer through this rant; I just felt like I needed to put it out there!
Finally, because I promised my sister Katie:
Ciao! I miss you all! :)
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