Rachel Menke: Madrid, Spain

I am a Hispanics Studies major with a Marketing minor.
 

This summer I studied in Salamanca (1 month) and I am currently at IE Business school in Madrid, Spain (Fall semester).
 

This year I will have spent 6 months abroad (5 studying and 1 traveling)
 

I am taking a Spanish grammar class taught in Spanish because I want to improve my speaking skills.  My other classes are all for my business minor and taught in English: Strategic Management, Statistics, Corporate Finance, and Financing New Ventures.
 

This is a SUPER hard question.  I love that traveling to different countries is so easy and cheap in Europe.  My favorite memory would be taking a weekend trip to Morocco because never in my life did I think I would be in Africa.  I did not realize it was so close to the southern tip of Spain and just a short 30 minute ferry ride through the Straight of Gibraltar.  I went with my French friend, which was super convenient because they speak French there, and we met so many other students from Europe and the US.  In Tangier we rode camels on the beach and went to the Caves of Hercules where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea. We also went to a nearby town, Chaouen that is completely painted blue.  Hiking up to different viewpoints of the cities was amazing!
 

I 100% recommend it! Studying abroad is the best thing I've done in my life so far, and you don't fully understand how awesome it is until you go!
 

My favorite landmark in Madrid is Puerta del Sol, which is the main plaza in Madrid.  There is always entertainment like musicians, people dressed up in costumes, magicians, dancers, basically anything you can think of.
 

I live with a French guy, Indian guy, and a Japanese girl in an apartment.  I really enjoy living with them and hearing about what life is like in their countries.
 

When people know you're American because it is usually pretty obvious, they generally assume that you are from with California, Florida, or New York. Everyone has asked about Trump and politics because it is an election year.  I've been called "rubia" a lot which means blonde because apparently it is not common to be a natural blonde.  Europeans also think that American coffee tastes pathetic because it tastes like water and is not as strong.
 

Studying abroad has made me very self-reliant and good at using Google maps.  I am friendlier and want to learn more about other cultures.