By Jack Shepherd
After an almost seven hour long overnight flight departing from Logan Airport, our group finally landed in Madrid at around 11:00am. Dreary eyed and tired from what was a mostly sleepless plane ride for us, the group made our way through customs and to the designated rendezvous point, mostly on our own. No one knew each other aside from a few pairs of people prior to the trip, so this meet up was our first time every connecting as a group. Although I was lucky enough to have my girlfriend on the trip with me, I must admit it was intimidating at first to meet all these new people that I would have to spend an entire week with, especially as someone who finds it difficult to come out of their shell at first. In hindsight, however, I had nothing to worry about thanks to the man who became the heart of the trip: Fran. Fran was our Resident Director through API, and he was the one who made our trip truly special, doubling as our trip’s tour guide, activity advisor, and friend.
After a 20 minute bus ride, we arrived at our hotel, and the location could not have been better. We were quite literally in the heart of Madrid, a short walk from Kilometre Zero, and surrounded by bustling activity, shops, restaurants, and tourist attractions. Before checking into the hotel, however, we had about two hours to kill, so we made our first journey out into Madrid. What struck me most at first was how the city managed to feel so big and bustling while still maintaining a personal feel that cities in the United States like New York or Boston lose at times. To me, I think this is due to both the architecture and walkability of the city.
Our first stop in Madrid was a famous churro place in the area. On the way there, we stopped in a Real Madrid themed store so people planning on going to the upcoming Real Madrid vs. Manchester City game could buy merchandise in preparation; personally, I bought a Real Madrid basketball to bring home as a souvenir. Shortly after that, we arrived at the churro place for our first taste of authentic Spanish food. The classic Spanish dessert did not disappoint, with the dipping chocolate being smoother and tastier than any you would find in the United States.
Next, we returned to the hotel for orientation with Fran and Professor Zabalbeascoa. After an introduction to the trip, we went for a brief tour of the blocks surrounding the hotel and received the metro cards that would become very useful to get around the incredibly metro friendly city of Madrid. With jet lag setting in for many people, we were then let go for the day and instructed to try and fight through the tiredness for as long as we could to fully adjust to Madrid time. It is very important not to spend this time napping because not only did I adjust to my new time zone, but this time on the first day was instrumental to bonding as a group with my soon to be new friends.
I set off into Madrid with a group of students to get dinner, and we decided on Casa Toni, a very popular tapas bar that was recommended to us. I got the patatas alioli and some type of pig meat I had never had before, and both were incredible. This meal set the tone for my Madrid dining experience, and this level of quality was maintained throughout the trip. After this, we set off to find dessert. TikTok ended up being a useful tool for finding food on this trip, leading us to what we found to be the best dessert spot in the area: Mimi’s Creperia. Although it was a brisk 50 degrees out, Mimi’s Creperia offered outdoor seating with heating lamps, allowing us to enjoy our food outside in the lively streets of Madrid just outside of Plaza Mayor. I ordered the apple cinnamon, banana, and Nutella crepe and words cannot describe how good it was. In fact, we enjoyed Mimi’s Creperia so much that we ended up returning twice more, with some people even taking down two crepes per trip.
The first day of a trip can make or break your experience. Luckily, on this trip, I was able to find my people on day one and we stuck together for the duration of the week. Even now that we are back, we still send selfies in the group chat whenever we run into each other on campus and even make plans to hang out. Studying abroad in a new country with new people can be scary, but it allows you to build a bond in just a week that no other experience could match. Overall, I am most thankful for the people and connections I made on this trip, with both the students and the instructors.