January 5, 2019: I arrived at the Madrid Barajas airport nervous, but excited, for a fulfilling semester. Over 300,000 students from the United States study abroad each year, yet each experience is unique and faces different challenges.
Challenge 1: Transportation from the Airport to Segovia
The first leg of the trip was simple. I followed signs to terminal four, then asked for help from a concierge desk when I could not find the terminal. Turns out, the terminal was a bus-ride away and the concierge told me exactly where to go for the bus.
When I arrived in Terminal Four, I followed signs for Renfe and purchased a suburban train ticket to Chamartín Station. I had researched ahead of time to determine the fastest way to get to Segovia. I planned to take an AVE (high-speed train) which goes from Madrid to Segovia in 30 minutes.
I found my way to the ticket machines within the station and could not pay. There was not a place to insert my debit card; only a place to wave my card. I continuously selected my trip option, attempted to pay, was denied, and then got out of the way for people who knew what they were doing multiple times for around 15 minutes. Running low on patience, I scanned my surroundings and saw there were other (non-AVE) places to purchase a train ticket. Five minutes later, I had my local train ticket purchased for an hour-and-a-half journey, instead of thirty minutes.
Hungry after hours of travel, I stepped into a cafe within Chamartín. In a classic example of just how small our world is, I ran into a couple from Saint Louis, Missouri at the checkout counter and they told me there was a help-desk for Renfe, where I could buy my AVE ticket. The couple was heading to Segovia on the train ahead of me. I learned the reason I could not purchase my ticket was because my card was not wifi-enabled. After finishing a cup of fruit, I made my way to the Renfe desk where I bought a new ticket for the high-speed train.
Challenge 2: Language Barrier
A challenge which has transcended my semester: my little knowledge of the Spanish language has caused difficulty while helping me learn creative problem solving and pick up more Spanish along the way.
When I arrived at my apartment in Segovia, I quickly learned that my landlord did not know any English and he realized I did not speak any Spanish. Prior to our meeting in person, when he let me in the apartment, we had communicated via WhatsApp. I had used Google Translate to send him messages in Spanish and apparently he had done the same for English. We communicated with pointing, smiles, and some conversation using Google Translate on our phones.
A smaller city in Spain, many people in stores and restaurants do not speak English. I used Google Translate and my few words of Spanish to search for sheets for my bed over the first weekend. Do your research ahead of time: I was surprised to learn that in addition to shops already closing early on weekends, the weekend I arrived was a holiday (Dia de los Reyes). The combination of limited store hours and limited shop options made the task a hardship. Most shops were small and specialized and did not have anything I needed. The funniest part of the entire situation, is when I finally purchased my sheets, the fitted sheet was for a twin-size bed, while the flat sheet was made for my full-size bed.
Challenge 3: Cultural Differences
The simple cultural difference that I have had the most trouble adjusting to being from the United States is the Spanish Greeting. At home, we do a handshake or a light hug when we meet someone for the first time. Here, I was introduced to the Spanish way to greet (common with small variances in most other countries worldwide) the first time I walked into my apartment as my landlord kissed each cheek.
The same happened when I was out after meeting my roommate the first time (a full-time student at IE), who took me to several bars for tapas. I was introduced to the comfortable, small-town community as she knew each bartender and a fellow patron at one bar was the bartender at a separate bar. He bought our drinks and joked with me, explaining giving dos besos is the proper greeting in Spain.
Another cultural difference: Spanish nightlife is incredible (more posts on this later). Still, it is an adjustment. At home, most bars are closed by 1:30 or 2:00 a.m. In Spain, it is uncommon to make your way from pre-drinks to the club until 1:30 or 2:00 a.m. The clubs often close at 6:00 a.m. Siesta comes in handy when you go to bed at 6:00 a.m, but have class at 9:30 a.m. on Friday mornings.
By: Kelsie Raucher
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