It is no wonder that the hardest part about studying abroad is actually studying. Innumerable sites to see, food to taste and people to meet exist at one’s fingertips.

Studying abroad requires striking a balance between studying for classes, exploring the city and the culture and learning about yourself and your surroundings. There is only so much time – you cannot be cooped up in a library! By all means, I am not condoning not studying, but wouldn’t it be so much better to work in a local café where you can people-watch or strike up conversations?

I have been managing to not study not only in Madrid, but also around Spain and in other parts of Europe. Let me fill you in:

Madrid
1. The nightlife in Madrid is crazy. They say New York City never sleeps, but I am pretty sure Madrid tops it. The clubs do not close until 6 AM and they’re pretty much empty until 2-3 AM. No wonder the Spanish take siestas; they’re regaining energy to party all night!

2. For my 22^nd birthday, I decided to do something a little different: Visit the amusement park! I rejoiced the kid inside and spent the entire day rollercoastin’ at El Parque de Atracciones. My friends and I managed to sneak in my Flipcam on the ride – check out the video! Warning: lots of screaming.

3. I’m convinced that there is no better way to explore a city than on bike! In less than two hours, I visited all the cool and hip neighborhoods of Madrid while burning calories, having a good laugh and trying not to become road kill. If you’re ever in Madrid, I highly recommend MadRides. Our tour guide was awesome!

Spain: Córdoba, Granada and Toledo
Located in Andalucía, the southern region of Spain, these three cities serve as living testaments to the deep influence of both Arabic and Jewish culture. And I have consequently fallen in love with all of them.

Feeling like an Arabian princess, I strolled through Granada’s La Alhambra, a magical Moorish palace, replete with gardens, fountains and beautiful architecture.

In Córdoba, I went back through time, traveling back to 1600s, walking through the tiny cobblestoned streets, visiting the mosque-turned-cathedral La Mezquita and perusing a torture museum with scary contraptions from the Inquisition.

Toledo took my breath away with its picturesque landscape and examples of mudéjar – Arabic-influenced Christian architecture.

Europe: Germany and Czech Republic

My number one goal for studying abroad was to visit Germany, my birth country. And I’m proud to say I accomplished it and accomplished it well: I went on a road trip! My friends and I rented a car and braved the speed-limitless autobahn to travel from Frankfurt to Prague in Czech Republic to Berlin and back to Frankfurt. It is hands-down the best trip of my life, ever. I indulged in bratwurst and beer (how could I not), took in the beautiful foliage and the amazing histories and sites.

Phew. And now, just to be clear, whether you’re currently studying abroad or planning on it, you should definitely be mindful of your school work and grades, but just keep in mind that there is more to see and do that your textbooks can never replace or teach you. Now go out there and not study!

In my previous post, I discussed what to do in the unfortunate event of boredom at the internship, a reflection of my current situation.

But my own advice wasn’t even working for me.

Ugh, I know.

I tried talking to my supervisor. I tried taking initiative. I tried seeking alternatives. Every dead end I stumbled upon led me one step closer to shamefully waving the white flag and simply saying “I quit”. I never would have imagined those words ever crossing my mind, but I was at that point.

I was disappointed with myself, with my situation, how I was handling it. I thought I was supposed to be having the time of my life studying and interning in Madrid, but instead I was moping, stressed and acting very unlike myself.

After much talk with my program, I was finally given what I thought I wanted: the option to quit. But surprisingly, that thought of quitting and giving up hurt more than the thought of just enduring the internship for another month.

No. I couldn’t quit. I wasn’t going to let myself quit.

Out of nowhere, something inside of me clicked.

In a matter of a few days, everything changed. The cloud over my head made way to the bright blue sky and the warm, glowing sun characteristic of Madrid. I felt that “first day” bubble of excitement when I returned to my internship last week. I was inspired and renewed.

Strolling through Madrid underneath a cyan blue sky.

Two things facilitated this shift in mindset:

1)  Listening to myself. It’s always important to factor rationale into decision-making, but sometimes it’s better to just listen to yourself, to follow your intuition.

2)  Talking it out. Confiding in someone – whether a friend, mentor or professor – can help lead you to other ideas, another perspective, even an epiphany. Be mindful that talking it out is not the same as complaining. Complaining doesn’t fix anything.

I am so happy and proud of myself for not quitting and this is a lesson I least would have expected from studying abroad in Madrid.

Never quit.

As Joshua E. Porter, the Co-Founder of The InternView, told me: “The solution is always in the problem.”

If I am at work, I want to work. I do not want to kill time refreshing my email, stalking friends on Facebook or reading my Twitter feed. I yearn for productivity. I want to start a project, work tediously, complete it and feel accomplished. I want to be useful, a contributing member of the team.

But inevitably there will be periods of inactivity like I have found myself at my internship in Madrid. Work comes as it goes. But what to do during these times in-between? What if work never comes?  It’s practically painful to just sit here and do nothing. And I feel horribly annoying constantly requesting more work.

I know you’ve found yourself in a similar situation at one point or another.

So then what to do?

You can waste your time sucking it up i.e., mope and whine all day and complain to anyone who bothers to listen…or you can do something breathtaking like:

A) Talk to your supervisor. An internship should be mutually beneficial, but if anything it should be more beneficial for YOU. You’re there to learn.  Articulate what interests you, what you wish to learn more about and what skills you would like to gain. Together, you can determine a plan of action tailored to your needs and interests that will help for the remainder of the internship. With clear communication, your employer should then understand what you want and hopefully will respond with more projects and opportunities.

B) Take initiative. Sit back and observe. What does the company need? Any areas that need improvement? Take it upon yourself to tackle these issues, creating productivity, opportunity and a project for your own self. If it’s something huge, ask permission first. If not, just do it. Sometimes it’s easier to show your employer the benefits of what your newfound project doing than explaining it first.

But what if these steps do not work?

As one would say in Spanish, “Ha llegado la hora de la verdad.” The moment of truth has arrived. It’s time to re-evaluate your internship situation. Is it worth staying for however many months are left? Is there any possible way to change the situation to your benefit?

Weigh the pros and the cons. It’s understandable to stay if the company is in the right field of work and/or you have great relationships with your co-workers and will leave with great contacts. Otherwise, think deeply about what it is you want professionally and take the necessary steps, even if that means leaving. It’s not quitting. It’s just realizing that the internship is not the right fit.

Have you been in a similar situation? How did you handle it? What were the results? Please share!

And speaking of sharing, check out these cool pictures from my recent adventures in Spain!

On the first day of my internship, I promptly arrived at 8:45 AM, ready and eager to start my práctica at a fashion PR agency.

The clock struck 9 AM. Nobody was there.

9:15 AM. Still nothing.

9:25. A co-worker finally arrived, greeted me with a warm smile and the traditional double kiss. Is there nothing wrong with this picture?

Upon discovering how early I arrived, he told me to arrive instead between 9:15 – 9: 30 AM.

“Tranquila,” he said. Relax.

Tranquila. This is a word I constantly need to repeat to myself. Accepting the laid back lifestyle and mentality has been one of the hardest points of adjustment to my new life in Madrid. I’m accustomed to expecting heavy workloads and working non-stop. I love to have a plan, to be organized, to be useful.

Now I find myself at an internship where work comes as it goes. Sometimes it’s busy, other times it’s not. And I have to learn to just roll with the flow instead of always expecting and looking for things to do.

The Spanish take work day by day.  No rush, no stress. No constant hustle and bustle. It’s not to say they are inefficient, quite the contrary. They just have a different approach and mentality.

In Spain, Americans are seen as workaholics that frequently sacrifice relationships and family for “success”. In their eyes, we live to work. They instead work to live. Work is only the means for fun such as traveling with the family and going out with friends. It is not the end. Los españoles, for example, cannot fathom how most Americans only receive 1-2 weeks of vacation in a year whereas by law, each working Spaniard has the right to four weeks. To take away their vacation is to take away their right.

In America, we praise individualism and ambition. In Spain, those two qualities are perceived negatively; they’re egocentric. Imagine how I felt to realize that the my hard work in the states as well as my work ethic are practically not valued in this country?

All this and more has given me culture shock, but I’m slowly but surely adapting and understanding. I’ve had to slow down and relax – something I really haven’t had the chance to do after interning the entire summer in NYC, starting weeks after the spring semester ended and ending days before I left for Madrid.

I’ve been making the effort to live in the moment instead of worrying about what’s next and what’s due. My mind is always in the future, I need to live in the now. It’s time to be tranquila. It’s time to take a siesta from the American work ethic.

Check out my video below of my first few days in Madrid!