In the excitement of moving to a new country and living abroad, it can be easy to forget about the big, or small, changes that we might encounter in a new cultural environment. Moving to Spain may seem like an easy home from home but our student coordinator, Celeste, found all wasn’t smooth sailing when she relocated to Madrid just a few months ago. She’ll tell us about her biggest culture shock when moving to Madrid.
Having studied Spanish at University in the UK, as well as spending many a summer in the south of Spain, I thought I had a pretty clear idea of what Spanish culture was like. In the weeks running up to the big move I was so busy excitedly running around, thinking about finding a flat and sorting out a job that I didn’t stop to think about how my routine might change!
Since moving, I have been exposed to the wonderful and vibrant culture of Madrid and it definitely poses some challenges that I absolutely didn’t expect or anticipate.
Here are just four that I can share with you so that you’ll be better prepared for the big move!