Being accepted to the Verano Español program was extremely exciting, especially when I learned that my closest friends would be accompanying me on the journey. Being able to share so many fantastic experiences and exploring all that Madrid, and Spain generally, has to offer is such a blessing. We have had so many amazing memories thus far however, I think my favorite has to be el Parque Retiro. The area surrounding the park is very cute with small boutique shops and cafes which we got to enjoy before entering the park. The actual park had beautiful greenery and gardens with statues and a small lake in the middle. The lake had paddle boats which were only six euros to rent out for an hour so naturally, we had to give it a try. A lot of splashing and crashing into other people’s boats was involved, but we had so much fun and the weather was wonderful. After our attempts at paddling around the lake, we went over to the “Palacio de Cristal del Retiro” in the park.  A giant greenhouse that was originally intended to hold many tropical plants, the Crystal Palace is instead used to hold exhibitions. This was where the picture above was taken. It was very large on the inside and very beautiful however it was also extremely hot since it was intended to be a greenhouse. After this we walked back over to the main area of the park by the lake and got some much needed afternoon ice cream. It was such a fun day and I will hold onto the laughs we had on that shaky little boat for years to come. I’m looking forward to more memories and fun times on this trip with these girls and other great people on this trip by my side!