I have been home for a few days now and it has taken me a bit to adjust back to this lifestyle I had before Madrid. The past four months sadly flew by. They were unforgettable and almost felt unreal. I am grateful for the memories, friendships and lessons I learned while my time abroad. Looking back through all the pictures taken, beautiful places visited, there is so much more that I will take away from this experience. I enjoyed every second of it, from the first few weeks of feeling lost and excited to begin exploring the city, to the last week walking through the streets of the city one last time before returning home soaking it all in. I was excited to come home and see my friends and family, but I also felt like I was leaving a new part of my life behind. I wasn’t expecting to make friendships like I did, and am grateful for their adventures, memories and for making this a great experience for me. Saying goodbye was the hardest, but I knew I would be back and I would get to see Madrid and my friends again.

It has definitely been difficult for me going from waking up in Madrid looking forward to something different to explore every day, to returning to my hometown and having the same routine every day. I am returning home with a new mindset, new goals, improved confidence, which has taught me a lot and has made me grow as a person. I can easily say this is the best decision I have ever made. I went from someone who was an introvert to someone who flew thousands of miles across the world, became independent and met strangers who later became my closest friends. It is impossible to explain how grateful I am for the experience I had during my time abroad, and definitely encourage anyone that has the opportunity or even the thought of doing it to pursue it because it is possible. It was the best experience — until next time, Madrid!