Home Away From Home

When people ask me where I’m from, they’re usually asking what place I call home. Ever since I studied abroad in Madrid, this question becomes a little more complicated. While I am proud to say that I am from Kansas, as this is where my family still resides today, there is a part of my heart that will forever consider the beautiful apartment overlooking Calle Arenal in Madrid, Spain my second home. The reason I say this isn’t because of the wonderful location of my residence abroad, nor was it the magic of living in the middle of Madrid, but rather, what made this place my home away from home was my wonderful host family.

All the Comforts of Home

Sure, the idea of living with complete strangers in a foreign country is a little bit daunting. Speaking from experience, however, I can assure you that living with a host family was one of the best aspects of studying abroad. My host family consisted of a host dad, a host mom, a grandmother and a housekeeper. They were all more than welcoming, and really enjoyed having us around. I lived with six other girls in our apartment. That sounds like a lot of people for one apartment, but the accommodations were very spacious. We lived two to a room, but the rooms were so large that we easily could have fit three beds into a couple of them. My particular family had hosted up to nine girls in previous semesters, so we were very comfortable.

For the Madrid program, the host family provides two meals a day (breakfast and dinner), bedding and linens. Our host mom did our laundry and cleaned our rooms weekly and moreover provided us with a warm and homey environment. Talk about being pampered! Living with a host family put living in a dorm to shame.

Authentic Food and Fun

Living with a host family really forced me to immerse myself in the Spanish culture. Not only was living in an authentic Spanish residence a great way for me to practice and improve my Spanish, but I learned more about Spanish customs and traditions through my own personal experiences in my Spanish home.

The food was outstanding. My host mother made a different dish almost every night. I tried paella, tortilla de Espana, all different kinds of fish and some delicious Spanish desserts. My host parents really made an effort to share their lives with us. Dinner was the time during the day when we all came together and sat as a family to eat, talk and just enjoy each other’s company. Dinners were always so entertaining and fun. Some nights, dinner would take up to an hour and a half just because we had so much fun talking and laughing with our host parents. They were always around to answer any questions we had. They helped us figure out how to buy our metro passes, told us about neat places to travel to and encouraged us to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity and get lost in the magic of Madrid.

Relationships That Last a Lifetime

I knew about a week after living in Spain that my relationship with my host family would continue past just my semester there. I still keep in contact with them via email and Facebook. The day I left Spain, I left a piece of my heart in Madrid. Living with a host family truly was a highlight of my semester abroad. My experiences only lasted a semester, but the memories I have I will cherish my entire life.

Madrid is the capital city of Spain, and the population of its metropolitan area includes more than 6 million people. Madrid is known for its art, architecture, cuisine, sports and music. It is home to several renowned museums, including the National Museum of the Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the Reina Sofia National Museum and Art Centre.

Madrid is home to the largest bullring in Spain, Las Ventas, established in 1929 and thought by many to be the center of bullfighting. It is also home to Real Madrid, a prestigious soccer team who has won a record nine European Cup championships.

DRIFT IN BUEN RETIRO PARK

Buen Retiro Park is one of Madrid’s most magnificent landmarks. Home to sculptures, monuments and the lake shown in this photo, it’s a retreat within the city.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Founded more than 45 years ago, the Madrid campus of Saint Louis University was the first foreign university to be officially recognized by Spanish higher education authorities. Classes are available in English and Spanish in more than 45 subject areas, ranging from international business to physics. Students live with host families, which helps them become fully immersed in Spanish culture.

LEARN MORE

To learn more about our campus in Madrid, Spain, visit their website.

My name is Katie and I am senior here at SLU.  I’m studying International business, Management, and Spanish. I studied abroad at the Saint Louis University Madrid campus in Spain the second semester of my sophomore year. I will be writing throughout the semester to provide tips and tricks I learned while studying abroad.

LEARN MORE

College is the time in our lives where we are truly independent. It’s a time to try new things, get involved in new groups and organizations, make new friends, and most importantly, it is a time to learn. Why not enhance this learning experience by studying abroad?

TRAVEL ABROAD

Studying abroad is becoming a common trend among college students in the United States, including our own Global Billikens. Becoming a culturally aware global citizen is a quality necessary for an increasingly international world. Spain was a great fit for me, but I have friends who have studied in all of our different study abroad destinations.

EXPLORE CULTURE

This fall 2012 semester, Saint Louis University has over 180 undergraduate students on five continents, and in 16 different countries. SLU students are not only exploring, but studying and living in:
 

EXPERIENCE THE WORLD

Whatever area of the world or travel destination interests you, I encourage all students to study abroad. You will learn things, meet people and have experiences that will have a tremendous impact on not just your university experience, but also the rest of your life.

I can personally say that studying abroad changed my life. Not only was it a highlight of my college career, but also I came away with some great experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.

If you would like to find out more about study abroad opportunities at SLU, please contact the Office of International Services at goabroad@slu.edu, 314-977-4081 or SLU’s Study Abroad website.