Final Post The Remix

Hello everyone, I thought I was going to produce a final post-departure video for this week, but I realized that I should at least post one final blog post about my exams and research project during my last week in Madrid. My last week was filled with somber goodbyes and tons of studying. From Monday to Thursday I had research and class from 9 to 5 everyday, constantly studying and continuing to write the final results for the research paper. This week was hectic till the final exam, but it did have its moments, specifically with the rest of the students in the study abroad program. I was able to have some great final moments with some friends I made along the way, as well as see a couple of new landmarks before I had to go. Overall, my final week in Madrid has been amazing and quite memorable, something that I will truly treasure for years to come.

For my classes I have been taking two courses, Spanish culture and Spanish Language. Spanish Language has been the most difficult class as I had expected to take beginner’s Spanish, but due to the small number of students the beginners and intermediate students were combined into one class. This class required around hours of studying everyday, and would often stress me out, but once I took the final exam I instantly became relieved. Spanish culture involved going to a variety of museums, including the Prado and the Sorolla, so as you can see I had very little stress coming from that class. Overall, these classes taught me alot and I was very happy I decided to take these during my time in Madrid. While my classes expected a lot of energy and time from me, my research was one of my most time-consuming and intensive activities I had on this trip. I had to go three hours everyday and ensure the reactor was working, and during the time when we were idle I would write the research paper. I made many friends in my research group, and a lot of my fond memories from this study abroad trip actually come from that group and the talks we had in the lab. The times I had at Comillas helped me grow mentally and academically, and I am grateful for the opportunity I had to attend such a university.

For the social aspect of my final week, might I say it was quite a rollercoaster of emotions. It was filled with goodbyes and great laughs, while all of us sat around a dinner table at a fancy restaurant knowing this would be our last night all together. The number of students on this trip were ten, but some people had brought their friends and significant others, totalling up to 17 people in one room eating paella. We made a toast, everyone shook hands, and we all went back to our apartments, knowing this is some of our last times ever seeing each other again. It was a beautiful moment and it made me appreciate all the people I was able to hangout with during my time in Madrid. They made this trip unforgettable and collectively they definitely hold a special place in my heart.

This is my final blog post, for real this time. I want to say thank you for sticking to my stories about my wonderful time in Spain. I hope you all enjoyed my ramblings about the amazing sites and gorgeous views that I was able to witness, and I hope you all can do the exact same thing one day. I will once again leave you with two pictures that I hope can convey the beautiful nation that is Spain, one of Sorolla’s house/museum and the other of the CaixaForum building. I am very fortunate for everything that made this trip possible, so thank you all for sticking alongside me and have a great week.