I chose to study abroad in Madrid so I could improve my Spanish as a heritage speaker and immerse myself in Spanish culture. As a linguistics major and language nerd overall, I’ve learned Catalan in the past year and I was so excited to learn more about the regional languages of Spain: Basque, Galician, Valencian, etc…

One of my favorite memories in the program was during my internship with HM Hospitales in Madrid. I was able to help international patients in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Catalan. This experience definitely polished up and improved my languages skills as an interpreter and it helped me connect with European patients that were visiting the hospital needing services in their respective language. I was able to apply both of my majors to the internship, and I gained valuable skills for medical interpretation and international patient services.  I felt completely immersed in the international department in Madrid and with the Spanish work-culture.

Living with a host mother helped me tremendously with immersing myself in the Madrileño culture, as well as having someone to reference the best local spots around the city. The daily meals and dinners also were an amazing experience, as I got to try different dishes from around Spain on a daily basis. What made Madrid so awesome was their metro system. I was able to travel all around Madrid on the train, which made it easier to get around from work, class, and all my favorite places that I’ve grown to love in the city. Flights and trains to other countries were also easy to plan and navigate due to Spain’s location in Europe! Aside from visiting several cities within Spain, I got to travel to Portugal, France, The Netherlands, Ireland, the U.K. and the Beleric Islands in the Mediterranean Sea!