I’ve been wanting to study abroad in Spain since I was twelve years old. Living out my eight-year old dream came with shock and, undoubtedly, with the castles I had built in my head. When I landed in Madrid, I was overcome with nerves and ultimately underwhelmed for the first two weeks. Don’t get me wrong, I was excited to be in a new country, practicing my Spanish and making new friends. However, something felt off—it was because of my sky-high expectations. When I started to live in the moment and go with the flow, I started to truly and fully enjoy being abroad.
Nervousness is 100% guaranteed when studying abroad—whether it’s on your first day or three weeks in. Living in a new country, making new friends, and finding your community are difficult. I struggled with the little adjustments: no canned black beans, no oven, no dryers, and not always being able to communicate effectively. However, after a few weeks I truly got the hang of living in Europe. Here are some of my tips to adjust to a foreign country:
Put yourself out there and get comfortable with the unknown. Prepare yourself by embracing every event as an opportunity to learn something, even when things might not go your way.
Take time for yourself. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the social aspect of studying abroad and forget to schedule in some alone time. My first few weeks, the only moments I had alone were when I went to sleep. I didn’t get a chance to reflect and reevaluate how I truly felt until I started talking walks alone in the city. Getting to explore Madrid by myself gave me the freedom to wander wherever I wanted. I paid more attention to the details and noticed more shops on streets I frequented with my friends. This built my appreciation for the city and allowed me to do things I wouldn’t normally—like window shop and interact with locals.
Remind yourself of cultural differences. I was nervous to talk to Spaniards in fear of embarrassment or rude comments. Their abrupt “¿Qué?”s and “¡Tranquila!”s terrified me. Looking through the American cultural lens, I felt attacked and afraid to further the conversation. However, I soon realized that these remarks were simply expressions and not judgements. I adjusted my outlook to a more global one, learning the nuances of the Spanish culture as compared to the American.
Have fun and make the most of your time. Seize every chance you get to expand out of your comfort zone, meet new people, and try things that terrify you—you’ll thank yourself for it later.