Top 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Arriving in Spain

After living in Madrid for a full month now, I have complied a list of things that I wish somebody would have told me before I came. Yes, I knew that moving to a city would have unexpected challenges, but some of the challenges could have been foreseen with just this little bit of advice. You can only read through so many blogs, so I thought having it all in one place would be helpful.

1.Nobody speaks English. I mean seriously….hardly anybody in Madrid speaks English. I don’t know how I didn’t make this connection, but my naïve self thought that Spain was just like other parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands, where children are raised in bilingual schools and would grow up to speak perfect English. This is not true! Brush up on your Spanish ahead of time, especially since many Spaniards seem to get a little irritated when you don’t make any effort. 

2. Order your Abono card ahead of time (if applicable). If you are under 26, congratulations! You qualify for an Abono card, which is a handy transportation pass that costs 20 Euros a month for that gets you all around Madrid using public transportation. If you are above 26, you can still get a card; however, it is zone-specific and more expensive. I didn’t even know this existed until I got here, and once I figured out how to order it and arrived, I had been paying for public transport for two weeks. Order it ahead of time, and have it sent to pick up at the transportation office if you are not yet sure of your address. You can find the link to the online application here.

3. Bring deodorant, tampons, razors and some of your other favorite toiletries. It’s just easier this way. You can hit 15 different stores to find what you’re looking for, but it is comforting to have some of these things from home anyway, especially since I personally am so brand specific. I brought a two pack of deodorant, keeping one in my room and one in my travel backpack.

4. It gets pretty cold in the winter – bring 2 or 3 jackets, and lots of jeans. This statement is combined with the fact that nobody wears leggings in Madrid, unless they’re working out. The girls here look like they’re constantly ready to walk down the runway. It’s stressful at first, but forcing yourself to put on more than leggings and a t-shirt each day is kind of a fun challenge (and by “kind of” I seriously just mean… “kind of.”). Don’t worry, though, Primark will be your best friend. I bought a jacket, 2 pairs of jeans, a shirt, a dress, a skirt and a new pillow for just over 100 Euros.

5. Branch out at orientation – you will probably never see those people again unless you try. For some reason, when I envisioned orientation, I expected to meet all of my best friends at once. I compared it to other trips I had been on, where we all immediately clicked and then spent the next few weeks or months together. But, for the six-month program, our orientation was only a day, and we all felt ourselves scrambling to form friendships in such a short amount of time. What saved me was being a little creepy and getting the phone number of literally every person I had more than a two-minute conversation with. I then made a group chat with everyone on WhatsApp, which we all now use to plan trips, nights out and group dinners. 

6. Spainards don’t go out till 2/3 am and stay out till 6 – if you go any earlier, you will completely miss the party. One night, my roommate and I went to a language exchange around 10 pm. At 12:30 am, we got tired, and told the people we met that we were going to head home for the night. Every single person that we told gave us a look of either disgust or concern – I got responses ranging from “are you feeling okay?” to “you know it’s only 12:30, right?” The next night, I somehow ended up out until 5 am. 

7. You must try the famous Spanish tortilla. Okay, I guess this isn’t something you *have* to know before coming to Spain, but food is always a priority to me.It is an egg and potato circle stuffed with cheese, vegetables and whatever else you choose. 

8. El Corte ingles. I discovered this place last night and I was in there for hours. It’s like a giant Walmart. It literally has everything you could possibly need. Most of the grocery stores around Madrid are tiny – the culture is to shop 4-5 times a week, buying only enough for a few days. However, at El Corte Ingles, I was able to buy a week’s worth of quality groceries for only 30 Euros. Aside from an amazing supermarket, there are 7 stories of anything else. Cleaning supplies, feminine hygiene products, makeup, electronics, etc. There are even multiple locations that have completely different items (for example, one location is focused more on home goods). So, think 14 total stories of a classy Walmart!

9. I know you’ve probably read this one, but it really is normal to be homesick and miss the comfort of home. Picking up and moving to not only a new city or country, but a new continent where you don’t know anyone and nobody speaks your language is not an easy task. But seriously, pat yourself on the back for even having done it in the first place.

10. Finally, make the most out of every second! Time flies. You may feel eager to get home at first, but you have the rest of your life to be working your boring 9-5 job. 6 months (or even a year) is nothing…it will go by in the blink of an eye.