We’re just past the halfway point of my time here in Madrid, and if I spend any more time thinking about that fact, I might cry, so let’s continue onto the content!

1. I have incredible friends here. If you know me, you know that I love doing something with my friends for my birthday. And they made me feel so special this year! For one, many of them joined me in getting pho on my birthday itself, which was a weeknight, so I really appreciated that. And, at the end of the dinner, they surprised me with my favorite kind of cake–Black Forest–and a card that everyone signed–even the ones who were not there. Not to mention, Alisha woke up at 5am to decorate my bedroom door without me noticing! The balloons still have not fully deflated yet, so you bet they are still hanging on the door. The day after my birthday, I went to my first rooftop in Madrid, atop Hotel Riu in Plaza de España. It was a little chilly but the vibes were so great. Finally, the week after my birthday, I got fondue. Unfortunately, there are no Melting Pots in Madrid, but a small, authentic Swiss joint isn’t so bad either :). But in general, none of this would have been possible without my amazing friends who agree to do things with me.

2. There is so much to do in Madrid. At the beginning of the month, I was nervous about how I would be spending three weekends in a row in Madrid. Now I am wishing I had more, and might even change around my end-of-grant travel plans to spend more time here. It is so easy to fill up time across museums, parks, shops, concerts, restaurants, work, and more. Specifically, I went to the Museo de Cera (wax museum) and Velazquez Tech with my volunteer group, explored a new market called Mercado de Motores, took a paseo through Retiro (I saw Spiderman in the Palacio de Cristal!), saw a candlelight string quartet perform Taylor Swift music, tried some new brunch places, did some lesson prep, and celebrated two other friends’ birthdays.

3. Finishing a TV show is sad. Not confined to just February, but in the past month or so, I have finished La Casa de Papel, Brooklyn 99, and Community. Now, I feel kind of empty, because I invested a lot of time in watching them and not many other shows interest me at the moment. I suppose I can wait until the end of the month when Season 2 of Bridgerton comes out, but even so, that is only one season. I guess I understand why people re-watch TV shows now.

4. Emotional intelligence should be a part of every degree curriculum. This semester, I am a teaching assistant for a class called “Team Management & Emotional Intelligence” for students studying communications. The link is obvious: understanding and possessing emotional intelligence and knowing how to manage teams can make you a better communicator. However, I would argue that every field needs to teach people how to be better communicators, not just those studying communications. I can see a class like this helping all university students. We started with emotional intelligence and mindfulness, so the first few activities I led ranged from increasing emotional and personal self-awareness of to meditations. I look forward to integrating this content into the context of team management in the coming weeks!

5. I am so excited to continue exploring Spain. Earlier this month, I went to Gran Canaria, the second island I have visited in Islas Canarias. It was beautiful, and my favorite part had to be the Dunas de Maspalomas, which you can see above. It re-invigorated my desire to travel domestically, as I was starting to doubt myself after hearing about all the international destinations my friends were interested in going.

6. You can never take life for granted. Towards the end of the month, a few not-so-great things happened personally, and of course Russia invaded Ukraine. While I hope things will get better, these events have really reminded me to make the most of every day and to wake up with gratitude for what I have and a willingness to make myself stronger/better. They have also helped me focus my attention with regards to balancing the line between alone time and isolating myself, because one is good, but the other can become toxic. Sending all my love to those who are also going through difficult times.

That’s all for now; ¡hasta luego!

Note: views are my own and do not reflect those of The Fulbright Program or La Comisión Fulbright de España.