Madrid, Until We Meet Again

The following blog was written by a student intern on a 2026 CIEE high school summer abroad program in Spain.

It’s hard to believe we’re already entering our last week of Session I of our Language & Culture and Photography & Culture programs in Madrid! Our Global Navigators have truly immersed themselves in Spanish culture through speaking and exploring perspectives. They learned to navigate life in a new city, develop new friendships, and create memories that will last a lifetime! In just a few short weeks, this session’s students have visited many of the city’s iconic landmarks and museums, tried their hand at cooking traditional Spanish dishes, and even ventured out to explore local culture in other cities through the excursions our program has to offer. 

Now that the students' trip is coming to a close it doesn’t mean that Spain will no longer be a part of their lives. The memories they made here were unforgettable and will be something they’ll carry with them for a lifetime. As an expat that has moved back and forth from the US a couple times now it definitely takes some getting used to life back home so I have some advice for how to get adjusted:

• Journal, journal, journal! This is a great way to keep track of your experiences and reflect on all of the fun memories you had.
• Cook your favorite Spanish dish or try to find an authentic tapas restaurant. When you’re missing some of that Spanish flavor, cooking or finding a restaurant back home can help bring that taste of Madrid back temporarily.
• Take time to process. Recognize that being home may feel different and that it may not be quite how you remembered it to be because you have come back with new experiences and a unique perspective.
• Talk to your friends/family about your experiences. This is especially helpful when you have other people in your life that have experience traveling abroad for extended periods of time.
• Make a list of things that you missed about home while you were in Spain. This helps make it easier to appreciate being back and even if it’s something small like your favorite snack then go buy it to develop that connection back to home.
• Reach out to the friends you made here. Reminiscing on old memories with the people you shared them with can help with the nostalgia and sometimes can lead to future trips with them.

Are you a high school student interested in studying abroad with CIEE? Explore our high school summer abroad programs today!