Blog II: Arriving in Madrid
As I mentioned previously, I am studying abroad in Sevilla, Spain, but I flew into Madrid for a cheaper flight. With hindsight, I have identified some significant pros and cons from this decision.
Pro: The Madrid airport, designed by Antonio Lamela, is absolutely beautiful and was a wonderful introduction into the fascinating architecture in Spain (picture below).
Pro: As I mentioned, the flight was also about $200 cheaper than any flight that I could find into Sevilla.
Pro: Flying into Madrid allows one to see Spain’s capital.
Con: Getting to Sevilla. As someone who grew up in the Southwest, I can openly admit that I struggle with identifying, navigating, and using public transportation. To get to Sevilla, I went from the Madrid airport to the Metro to a larger train station where I could depart to Sevilla. Overall, with my luggage and terrible sense of direction, this experience was, at times, stressful.
Con: From the round trip from Sevilla back to Madrid, including metro, train, and taxi, my savings were probably closer to $50. Had I booked my train ticket in advance, I could have saved a little more.
Based on my experience, I would recommend flying into your host city if it is within a couple hundred dollars of a flight into Madrid. I am hoping to return to Madrid for a weekend this semester and familiarize myself more with Spain’s capital since I went directly to Sevilla.
Although I was anxious about getting to Sevilla, I was still incredibly excited to be in Spain. I enjoyed the train ride to Sevilla, where we cruised through the countryside in the cool, winter fog. Arriving in Sevilla was a sensory overload as I began to take in my home for the next couple of months.
I arrived in Sevilla before I could move in with my host family, so I rented an AirBnB close to the train station and spent the night in a quaint, fourth-story apartment with two locals. They gave me a recommendation for dinner, and I ended up closing out the restaurant with one of the servers and the owners, talking to them about their favorite local foods, areas of Sevilla, and Spanish culture in general. I could not have asked for a better welcome into Spain, and I immediately understand why Spaniards are known to be some of the most accommodating, hospitable, and friendly people in the world.
After moving in with my host family, I feel prepared to start exploring Sevilla, immersing myself in Spanish culture, and attend classes.
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