Keira’s Journals

September 29, 2024

You Can Only Regret the Opportunities You Didn't Take

Hola! It has almost been a full month since I first arrived here in Spain. At the airport, I was welcomed by both my host families (including my Rotary Club YEO) with a poster board that said, “Bienvenida Keira!” After a long journey from Atlanta to Newark, and then to Madrid, seeing warm smiles and bright faces waiting for me just outside customs made all my worries drift away. At that moment, I felt like I had accomplished so much from having to navigate an airport alone to fighting back tears after a quick and brief goodbye with my family in Atlanta. It would soon set into reality that this was just the beginning.

I’m here! Now what?

It was a short 15-minute drive from the airport to my new home in a city called Alcobendas. My host family showed me around the block on my first day and almost anything can be found within walking distance. We even have a McDonalds and KFC really close to the house! The next day, I met their cousins and we went to the pool and played card games like “Uno” and “Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza” (in spanish, it is Taco Gato Cabra Queso Pizza ). Much of their extended family is very young with kids around 5-10 years old and some infants. One afternoon, we were all playing around in the complex where my host grandparents live and it was so much fun to be able to play games with the children even if I didn’t even know what we were playing. We ran around playing different games like fútbol or a game of tag similar to infection. When I had to leave to get snacks, two of the kids were following me, begging me to stay. One held onto me so much that her mom had to come get her so I could go to buy snacks. It was adorable to see. In the first week, my host mom and I had to go to different schools, searching for availability so that I could enroll in classes. Eventually, I was able to enroll in a school that is only a 10-minute bus ride from where I live. In my Instituto (school), I am in the first year of Bachillerato . There are 2 years of Bachillerato and it would be similar to junior and senior year of high school. The difference is that there are certain “pathways” or courses the students choose (Humanities, Sciences, or maybe Art) and this level of education is not required. However, students who want to pursue college will continue their studies, taking Bachillerato after 4 years in ESO (secondary school). All of the students are super nice and are patient with my spanish. Many people speak english because they take it as a foreign language class but many of the students understand that I have to learn and they speak to me in spanish. I have joined a science club at my school and they have been planning debates for topics such as astro-biology and theories about using technology to replicate a human mind. Although I may not understand fully what is happening, my goal is to be able to share my ideas and eventually be able to debate my ideas on a difficult topic. In classes, I learned I don't need to panic when I see a single digit score on my next exam because the grades are on a scale out of 10 instead of 100 here. I have a total of 9 classes but only have 6 classes per day. This is with the exception of Thursdays, in which we have an extra class at the end of the day. School is from 8:00am - 2:00pm (3:00 on Thursdays) and I take the 7:15 am bus in the morning because the next one arrives too late to school. I come home around 3:00 pm because I have to wait for the bus and I eat lunch with my host parents. I usually take a small snack in the morning to eat during our break. The public transportation system - buses, trains, and the subway - has been amazing and it is very easy to find my way even to the center of Madrid by train.

Speaking of Madrid. . . the photos do not do the city justice. During the first weekend I spent in Spain, my host family took me to Madrid’s city center. We took the train to Puerta de Sol which was not that far from home. Puerta del Sol was crowded with people and surrounding us were buildings full of shops and restaurants. In every direction there is another pathway filled with people. My jaw dropped as I couldn’t believe that I was actually standing in the heart of Madrid. I had never been anywhere in Europe prior to this exchange program and this is when reality set in. I thought, I’m actually 4,300 miles away from home. The architecture in Madrid is absolutely beautiful and I thought I could spend hours walking around. Since Spain has much more history than the United States, many of the building reflect the traditional architecture and there are statues of past Kings who ruled over 600 years ago. Not too far from the train station is a marker on the ground which says “0 km”. It is the origin and the center of Spain. We walked around for a while, visiting places like Plaza Mayor, the Royal Palace, the Cathedral de Santa María, and Madrid City Hall where Real Madrid (the professional soccer team of Madrid) goes to celebrate after a big win. I tried Llao Llao which is basically frozen yogurt with toppings and after it got dark, we had typical Spanish Tapas for dinner. I tried the Tortilla de Patatas (potato egg omelet), Patatas Bravas (potatoes in either a spicy or garlic/mayonnaise sauce), Croquetas (deep fried rolls with potato, vegetables, and some kind of meat like chicken or ham), and I even tried Orejas (pig ear). The food here never disappoints. Adjusting to a culture is more than learning the language or learning their customs. For me, I have explored part of Spain’s culture through its food. Typically shops and stores close around midday for lunch which they have at home. Much of the food we eat is homemade and lunch is the biggest meal of the day. Breakfast is usually toast with tomato, avocado, cheese, olive oil, and some salt. This is delicious! Dinner is also usually a lighter meal at around 10:00 pm. I absolutely love Queso Viejo Tostado (a type of aged cheese), Jamon Iberico (like Prosciutto), Fuet (a type of cured sausage) and everything that my host dad cooks. I actually can’t choose. Typically in the middle of the day after lunch, people eat a merienda (snack) which my favorite is a bocatta (a type of sandwich) with Jamon Iberico. A lot of people here ask me about Crumbl Cookies. It’s very popular and many people really want to try these cookies. Almost everyone I meet has asked me if I know or if I have tried Crumbl Cookies. One mindset that I have always had is to never assume what I might think about a food until I try it. I keep an open mind about anything new and I find that it makes this experience all the better.

During my second week here, I decided to start looking at which sport I wanted to play. All sports are like a club team here and there are 3 sports that I can play for my school; fútbol sala (indoor soccer), volleyball, or they have just added flag football this year. I have tried átletismo (track), fútbol (soccer), and balónmano (handball) in different clubs here in Alcobendas. While deciding which sport to choose, I really didn’t say no to anything. Even if I was against the idea of trying a certain sport because maybe I would be embarrassed or I wouldn’t be able to talk to anyone, I’m glad I at least tried it. For example, I went to my first handball practice, only knowing the very basic rules and zero experience. I was honestly very nervous when I walked into that gym, but all the girls were super welcoming and helped me learn the drills quickly. Even if I’m scared or don’t have the energy to do something, I never say no because I don’t want to miss out on any opportunities while I am here. I plan to play volleyball for my school. Practices are in the afternoon on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Unfortunately, I am unable to participate in any of the competitions for handball or soccer so I have chosen to do track for at least the first half of my exchange. Practices are on Mondays and Wednesdays so I am staying busy throughout the week.

My Rotary meetings are on Monday nights for dinner in Madrid with the Rotary Club of Madrid-Zurbarán. My host parents took me to the meeting that was in a hotel. There is one other exchange student in my host club from Denmark and at the first meeting I went to, Miguel - a former exchange student who went to Taiwan this past year - gave a presentation about his experience. I loved listening about his experience and I already can’t wait to share my experience with my sponsor club - The Rotary Club of Dunwoody - when I get back. The club was also sharing upcoming events that I want to do as much as I can to help out. I hope to strengthen a bond between my two Rotary clubs and be a supportive member of both to the best of my abilities.

This past weekend, I went to two birthday celebrations. On Friday, my host sister (Sara) and I went to prepare for a surprise birthday party for her cousin, Sebastian. I got to meet some of their second cousins and extended family. It was so great to see them almost as one big family with a bond that is inseparable. We all did karaoke at the end and I even had to sing. It was so sweet to see everyone singing along with me even if the song is in english and it made me feel so much more comfortable to be able to hold the mic. The next day, we went to a town called Soto de Real. It is very close to the mountains and we went to an old house that belonged to my host mom’s grandparents. We celebrated my host mom’s birthday with a barbecue. My host dad made a giant classic Paella with meat such as beef and rabbit. We also had some Tapas like the Tortilla de Patatas and Anchovies. My host mom showed me around the beautiful town and the incredibly clear view of the mountains. Late at night, most of the people came to our home to eat hamburgers and we watched a movie. I have been rewatching some of my favorite classic movies in spanish like Big Hero 6. It has been very helpful to learn the language in a fun way.

It is very strange sometimes to think about what my life was like a month ago. The hardest moment for me had to be while I was about to board my plane to leave Atlanta. I felt alone and kept thinking about the worst case scenario. What if I miss my connection? What if I get lost? Now, I am glad I made it through that challenge because it was all worth it. I know it is definitely going to be hard at times and I’m going to run into problems. No matter where I am, the difficulty is the same when I am trying to overcome obstacles. However, I know that every step I take is one step closer to becoming a stronger, more versatile human being.

Hasta la proxima vez! (Until next time!)