Living in another country across the world is the most surreal experience of my life. Some days I still get a random rush of «omg I’m really here». I live in the culturally booming neighborhood of Lavapies, and despite the distance to my school, it is exactly where I want to be. I have been getting close to my roommate Coral, who is actually from Aranjuez! Small world. My other roommates are from Manchester (United Kingdom) and America, but they are a bit more studious than social. Every weekend I try to go for a run in Retiro Park or Madrid Rio, taking different routes and appreciating the diversity of people and places. There were also food fairs, book fairs, and the famous El Rastro street fair near me, and I was able to participate and enjoy all of these.

One of my favorite places in my neighborhood is Nelson Mandela Plaza. It is more of a chill meeting place and casual hangout spot for young creatives. People play music, have a good time, and just talk about the world, whether it is politics and government or music, fashion and style. In this same plaza, There is an «ocupa» called Chimera, and I learned that this is similar to a co-operative recreation center that I would frequent when I used to live around the San Francisco bay. There are free concerts and activities here, and this is actually where where I met one of my newest friends, Enrique. He is an art student from Avila and we have recently become very close, hanging out every weekend. I help him with his English and he helps me practice my Spanish, which I really need!

Being close to other European countries has also been great. I was able to easily travel to Italy and London, and I even spent some time in Iceland and the Canary Islands. I had the best pizza of my life in Desenanzo, rode a gondola in Venice, spent a day in a luxurious volcanic spa in Reykjavik, went to Freud’s old home in London, and even scuba dove with giant sea turtles off the coast of Tenerife. If only a year ago someone told me this would be my life, I might not have believed them.

Of course, there are some days where I really miss my friends and my family. I sometimes get a little nervous thinking about if my friends will forget about their lives in NYC and LA move forward. Also,  my little brother and I used to be close, and now we find it hard to stay in touch due to our conflicting schedules and the extreme time distance. But I know that this experience is special and will stay with me for the rest of my life, so I just focus on the positives for now. I am also incredibly lucky to have this experience with my very best friend Cherisse. We look after each other and remind each other of home whenever we feel lonely or isolated. But lately I have been considering making a surprise visit to California….