To culminate the last few weeks in Madrid, we spent a lot of time revisiting some of the best museums, markets, restaurants and views in the city and the experience as a whole was extremely rewarding. Certainly many of these memories will last with me for a life time as many of the customs and people of this country differ so much from what I am exposed to back home. It felt as though that with each new place we ventured to, we gained a little more insight and knowledge into their culture. Some of the places we visited were the Prado Museum, the Reina Sofia, the Market of San Anton, Plaza de Espana, and the Parque de Retiro. Each of which provided us the opportunity to relive many of the great memories we had made there in the past 6 weeks.
As for this great city’s impact on me, I’ve come to appreciate my own culture even more after being in one so foreign to me for an extended period of time. It’s not too often in life that you’re thrusted into uncomfortable situations for long periods of time, but this experience made me grow not just as a student but as a person as well. For that, I can only thank the people of Madrid for their hospitality and willingness to so generously accept foreigners into their everyday life. There wasn’t a moment where I felt out of place or left out. It was truly an eye-opening experience and it will forever be a highlight of my academic career.
-Troy Hoecker