It didn’t really sink in that I was moving halfway across the world until I was alone in my Spanish host family’s apartment. They’d just left for a vacation and I was there with my bags still unpacked, staring at a set of keys and a door I barely remembered how to unlock. No amount of research, planning or checklists would make me feel fully prepared for the small but daunting realities of moving to a new city in a foreign country alone. In fact, in those initial moments of arriving in Madrid, I felt completely out of my depth. Everything was unfamiliar: the streets, the people, the food, even the language. And the realization that I wasn’t just visiting this city, I was going to be living here for a year? Terrifying.
That was almost a year ago. Now, I’m in love with living here and I’m not ready to move back to Canada in just a few months. Madrid genuinely feels like a second home, from the people I’ve met to how familiar everything has become. There was no big moment where it all clicked into place, it happened gradually. I slowly adapted to the pace of life here from longer dinners thanks to sobremesa and slower walks to falling in love with Mercadona and knowing exactly which metro line to take. Even speaking Spanish feels more natural now. While there are still many times I hesitate, I’m less likely to switch to English at the first given opportunity. It was all a slow settling into familiarity as I navigated every new experience. Overall, I’ve reached a stage of normalcy that I’m grateful for. Don’t get me wrong I still have moments when it hits me – Wait, I live in Spain? The awe and gratitude haven’t worn off but I feel settled.
Even so, this term has been full of transitions. I moved out of my host family’s apartment and into a shared flat in the city with five roommates. At first, it felt like being the new kid in school as they all had already moved in. But when I walked in with my bags, they all happened to be sitting around the dining table and introduced themselves (which I later found out was a planned welcome). That day, they also invited me out for a walk around Retiro Park, we grabbed açaí and ended the evening with tapas. After having most of my friends from last semester move away, I was dreading the cycle of making new friends all over again. However, that dread quickly dissolved. Despite our different cultures, first languages, and backgrounds, we easily fell into a rhythm, seamlessly going from strangers to roommates to good friends.
I also started a new semester continuing my engineering degree at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, with new classes, new routines, and new commutes. The classes here are smaller and more discussion-based than at Waterloo, with fewer assessments but heavier exams, and a slower pace overall. I took a humanities course and some electives in Spanish. Something I wouldn’t typically get to do as an engineering student. But it’s been refreshing to take a step outside the technical mindset and engage with something totally different. Outside of university, I also started taking weekly oil painting lessons in Spanish at a local art studio to practice the language while doing something for fun.
Even though I was still in Madrid, this term felt like starting all over again but this time, I didn’t feel as lost. The nerves were replaced with something steadier. A quiet confidence that even if I didn’t know exactly what I was doing, I’d figure it out just like every single time before.
That mindset of trusting that I’ll figure it out is probably one of my biggest takeaways from moving abroad. I used to think confidence comes from knowing exactly what you’re doing. But now I think it comes from doing things anyway, even when you don’t.
The experiences that have come from living here have pushed me in ways I couldn’t have imagined, and in doing so I’ve evolved. From saying yes to a last-minute host family get-together in the countryside within my first few weeks in Spain to taking off on a solo adventure to an island in the Canaries to having my first full interaction in Spanish without hesitation. I’ve become more adaptable, more open to new experiences and more grounded in my capabilities. If I can start from scratch in learning how to navigate a new city, learn a new language, build friendships, ask for help and handle setbacks – then I honestly feel like I could move anywhere, start over, and make it work. It’s amazing how much you are capable of when you simply give yourself the chance to try. But of course, that’s always easier said than done.
With that in mind, I’m excited to make the most of my summer in Spain! I’ll be moving to a new city and starting an internship as a product designer at a startup, putting my Spanish to the test while working on a fully Spanish-speaking team. As I move into this final chapter of my fellowship, there’s still a lot that I haven’t figured out. But that’s okay, as I’ve learned that’s the point of most journeys. Showing up, letting things unfold and trusting that you’ll figure it out as you go. And if all else fails at least you’ll learn something or walk away with a good story to tell.
Thanks for reading! Hasta Luego 🙂
The McCall MacBain International Fellowships are open to undergraduate students of McGill University, University of Manitoba, Dalhousie University, and McMaster University, along with recipients of the McCall Huron County and MacBain Niagara Falls Scholarships studying at any Canadian institution. The Fellowships accept applications between October to January each year.