20 May 2026<\/p>\n
Our first two weeks in Spain have been \u2014 you guessed it \u2014 a whirlwind! From our native Spanish speakers to our peers who have never taken a Spanish class, every one of us has had to adjust to this new country in expected and unexpected ways. For the first few jet-lagged days, we stayed in a hostel near the center of Madrid. We moved in with our host families on Sunday, May 10th, and started language school at Estudio Sampere the next morning.<\/p>\n
Host family adjustment<\/b>: Doing my intercultural in Spain has helped me immerse myself in Spanish culture in ways I never could have experienced in a classroom, back in the states. Living only a 15-minute walk from school and a 30-ish-minute metro ride from the main plazas has given me freedom to explore the city while adapting to everyday Spanish life. One of the biggest adjustments has been the schedule, our host family making us dinner everyday at 9 p.m., going to sleep later, but still having to wake up at regular school times. It definitely has taken some time to adjust to, but after a week, it has become routine. I also feel that my Spanish has improved through the daily conversations with my host family, and when words fail, universal hand gestures (like thumbs up and clapping) help us communicate effectively. Living with a host family has also taught me how to adjust to someone else\u2019s routine, especially with having our host grandma doing our laundry for us on a designated day, and my roommate and I thinking we did a good job making our beds, but coming home to everything remade (way better) by her. Soon we will have another study abroad student move in, which I think will make the experience even more exciting and culturally immersive.<\/p>\n
– Kyla Ross<\/p>\n
Language learning experience<\/b>: On this Intercultural we\u2019ve been learning not only the culture but also the language of Madrid, Spanish! Which has been a very fun experience but, it has essentially been the equivalent of being thrown into the deep end for some of us. Thankfully with the help of many friends in the group that know some Spanish already (plus a little bit of pointing and grunting) we have all been able to fully enjoy our time so far. Then there\u2019s the school\u2026 it\u2019s been a bumpy ride so far but now that the dust has settled it seems most everyone has found a good spot to learn new things and challenge themselves just enough. After some hiccups with placements and assumed Spanish skills everyone is now in the classes they need. Just like other school experiences, some teachers you like more than others, or some days feeling better than others, but everyday at the very least one new thing is learned, whether that\u2019s Spanish words or some Chile geography.<\/p>\n
–\u00a0Bennett De Tenley<\/p>\n
Cultural adjustment<\/b>: One of the main things that I was excited to experience on my Intercultural to Spain was the change in culture. So far it hasn\u2019t disappointed. There are differences as subtle as which side of the escalator to stand on, and there are also differences that are more blatant like having to ask for the check instead of it just being handed to you. People also wear different styles of clothing than in the United States, which is really cool to see. Changing my lifestyle to fit the culture of Spain was not the easiest task, but there were things that made it easier. Although I had to recover from jet lag, most things happen at a later time than I\u2019m accustomed to anyway, which helped combat it. Dinner is later than I\u2019m used to, the sun sets later than in Virginia, and most establishments both open and close later in the day\/night. Being in the city helped me see some of the differences in clothing in person, and I was able to buy some things to better fit that picture. Most of the changes that I had to make in the way I went about life I was able to do by just \u201cfollowing the leader\u201d and copying some of the people that I saw in public. Adapting to the culture has definitely been an experience to remember, and I can\u2019t wait to bring some of it back with me when I return.<\/p>\n
– Delan Gilliam-Wright<\/p>\n
A lecture about \u201cconvivencia\u201d (Wednesday evening)<\/b>: Dr. Ana Ruiz is a very passionate and interesting person. She has done much work with country leaders, college leaders, and students. She shared that the last time all of Spain\u2018s political parties and leaders came together in a unified way was after the Madrid commuter train terrorist attacks in 2004. That was over 20 years ago. Dr. Ana has worked hard to make restorative justice something that is integrated into her daily life and the whole Spain community. I appreciated how she is trying to radicalize students little by little so Gen Z can radicalize the whole country. Restorative justice can change how whole communities work. If each of us would take the time to listen before we react, much harm could be avoided and healing could happen.<\/p>\n
– Sophia Lacher<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
20 May 2026 Our first two weeks in Spain have been \u2014 you guessed it \u2014 a whirlwind! From our native Spanish speakers to our peers who have never taken a Spanish class, every one of us has had to adjust to this new country in expected and unexpected ways. For the first few jet-lagged....<\/p>