When I first moved to Madrid, I was prepared to experience many changes. In some ways, my expectations were correct and aspects of life feel very different here. But in other ways, Madrid feels more similar to home in the United States than I ever thought possible.
My biggest concern when I got off the plane in Madrid was that I did not have a place to live yet. I set up a meeting with the owner of an apartment, or piso, in the center of Madrid in a neighborhood called Malasaña. When I walked into the piso, I knew it was where I wanted to live. I signed the rental agreement right away because in Madrid apartments go quickly.
Over the next week, I got to know my roommates, who are three women in their late 20s to early 30s from Venezuela, Germany and Canada. They were all very nice and made me feel right at home! We even ordered pizza together one night. After that, I settled in even more by getting a Spanish phone plan, opening a bank account and going grocery shopping.
By doing things that felt ordinary and like home, such as grocery shopping and making new friends, Madrid has felt more like home than I expected! The biggest difference is that I do most of these activities in Spanish, which is an exciting change that allows me to fully learn a new language.
