Before you leave to study abroad, it is likely that you will hear the words “culture shock” many times. People will tell you that one of the most difficult things about studying abroad is getting used to the culture that surrounds you and its quirks, customs, and rituals. I assumed that adjusting to a new lifestyle would be awkward and troublesome at times, but I didn’t realize how completely and unforgivingly my life would change in my first week in Madrid. Living with a host family has forced me to adopt customs that are completely outside of my understanding and sometimes even ability. A few nights ago, my host mom had to peel my apple with a knife for me because I didn’t understand that it’s not socially acceptable to take a big bite out of an apple using your hands. Another time, at an orientation meeting for my university, our program director told me (jokingly) I would never be able to find a husband because I “laugh too loudly.” It has taken me a while to understand the bluntness of this culture, but I am beginning to realize that nobody means these things offensively – they’re just trying to help me assimilate.
What has also intrigued me about Spanish culture is that even though we eat much later (after 2:00pm for lunch and after 9:00pm for dinner), and people go out much later (no one leaves the house before 1:00am), people still wake up as early as they do in the United States. If I have dinner at 9:30pm, go out for some tapas and drinks at 11:00pm, and don’t get back home until 3:00am (which is even considered EARLY here), I still have to wake up at 7:00am for school. The saving grace in this exhausting culture is the siesta, in which people take a few hours after lunch to rest. It isn’t abnormal to sleep for two or three hours in the afternoon. Socially acceptable napping – isn’t that the dream?!
Another difficulty I’ve come across is the language barrier. I’ve been taking Spanish classes since seventh grade, yet no classroom experience can prepare you for the time when you need to know the language to literally live your daily life. All of my classes, which include subjects like language, literature, history, and art, are all in Spanish, and many of my professors don’t speak English or can’t speak it very well. So, when I come home from school exhausted every day from constantly having to translate in my head, I then realize that I have to communicate with my host mom who doesn’t speak a word of English, either. The upside of this, however, is that my Spanish has improved by leaps and bounds just within one week. I already feel like my host mom and I can understand one another better, and I feel more comfortable when she corrects me. When you are forced to speak a language to survive, it’s really amazing what your brain can do in such a short time. There are some moments when I’ve even found myself thinking in Spanish. It’s quite an accomplishment when you can go to a store and ask for help finding something or order something at a restaurant with very little problems.
Overall, my first full week in Madrid has been exhausting but rewarding, and it has forced me to grow in ways I never anticipated. I've learned that culture shock is not something negative or something that should be feared. No one can prepare you for what you've signed up for, and that's the beauty of an experience such as the one I'm living now. I feel more like a madrileña each day and I'm looking forward to the next week ahead. Hasta luego!