By Grace Eberts, EIC
It’s been about a month and half since we last heard from Gen, our GW Local correspondent abroad in Madrid. She has been busy soaking up her experiences and making the most of her time in Spain.
Traveling
Since we last talked, she has visited Amsterdam and Valencia for weekend adventures. Some of the trips’ highlights included getting to meet up with one of her closest friends, Emma, in Amsterdam, and in Valencia, she tasted her best paella experience so far.
Despite these lovely weekends in new cities, Gen said that “weekend trips are great, but with one after another, they become very tiring and often I realize I don’t spend enough time exploring Madrid so October I really got to do that!”
In an effort to spend more time exploring her own city, Gen had a friend from her sailing team come visit Madrid instead of going to see her in Paris. This way, she was able to see friends without missing out on time in Madrid. Despite this, Gen says that “it has been a fun journey balancing international travel and school but I have been managing fairly well!”
For anyone going abroad, it’s always going to take some time to balance out your schedule, but this is a great lesson to take from Gen: it’s important to make sure that all of your time isn’t spent traveling! Lean into your new city and make sure you are getting to know it, in addition to your weekend travels.
Language skills
Gen has reported that, “my Spanish has gotten a lot better and I finally feel pretty confident speaking Spanish in my classes and with other Spanish people which is sick. It’s always such a high compliment when Spanish people talk to me in Spanish first or tell me my pronunciation is good.”
Having the opportunity to use her language skills with locals is a really important feature of Gen’s study abroad experience and being able to take her Spanish to the next level is something she knows will benefit her for years going forward.
GW Madrid Program
In addition to improving her Spanish skills, Gen said that she has been loving her classes and professors from the GW Madrid program. One of her favorite courses is “Al-Andalus and Sepharad” where “we learn about the Iberian peninsula when it was under Muslim rule.”
Learning Spanish in an immersive environment has really made Gen love the academic side of learning a language as well. She reported that, “I’m also taking 3 Spanish classes so now I am considering pursuing a Spanish minor, if it works with my studies!”
Budgeting
“Budgeting abroad has been a battle when traveling on weekends,” says Gen. However, she says that taking advantage of her homestay has been key to staying on track with her budget. When she is at home, all of her meals are provided by her host mom, Paz, allowing her to have cheaper living expenses than she would in DC. Plus, Gen noted, “it also helps that my host mom is a great cook, so sometimes I feel like I’m back in Hawai’i, getting a home cooked meal from my mom.”
Gen says that when she is traveling, she inevitably ends up spending more than when she is at home in Madrid. Her number one tip to those going abroad is to avoid planning trips at the last minute. Gen said that she has “done this way too many times but seriously, flights are extremely cheap if you get them far enough in advance,” and the same applies for buses and trains.
To save money on accommodations, she tries to visit her friends that are also abroad so that she can stay with them. If this is not an option, she usually opts for hostels “not only for their price but also for meeting others!” When she was in Amsterdam, Gen said, “[she] actually was in a room with two American college students who are originally from DC but are studying abroad in London.” Gen said that this was an experience she will always remember – connecting with strangers through shared traveling experiences is always so special.
Gen also said that it helps to set a strict budget for weekend trips for things like housing, travel, local transportation, daily food expenses, and extra spending money. This way, she is able to stay on track with her overall spending for the semester. Gen also added “honestly, what is saving my bank account from spending too much on weekend trips is the fact that I am traveling with only a backpack and I can’t really fit much in it.” Luckily, her memories and experiences in new places take up no space!
Overall, it’s hard to not be jealous of Gen after reading and hearing her experiences in Madrid. The GW Local is happy to see that our correspondent is continuing to have a great experience while she is studying abroad.
As she gets into the second half of the semester, Gen says that she hasn’t been feeling very homesick because of all of the amazing experiences she has been having. But, it helps that she will get to see a friend from Hawai’i soon to wipe away any lingering thoughts of missing home! Looking ahead, Gen says that she has some exciting final trips planned before the end of the semester, so we are looking forward to reporting back soon!
We’ll check in one last time with Gen before she heads home, so be sure to DM us (@thegwlocal) with any requests or questions for next time!
