Harvey Scholar Travels - Emma in Madrid

5 weeks in the beautiful country of Spain was barely enough to scratch the surface of the culture, food, architecture and people who call it home. I got a unique immersion into Spain, as I was working for a medical tech start-up as a business analyst. This gave me the opportunity to make deep connections with the other employees to learn more about their country, experience the very different work customs, and still travel and explore the rest of Spain.

I arrived in Madrid a few days before I began work. I used this time to get to know Madrid and adjust to their time table. Besides for the 8 hour time change, they also follow a very different meal schedule. Adjusting my body to eating late at night took time, but by the end, I loved this new schedule. The way of life in Spain moves much slower, and their meals reflect this. They take their time around the table, talking with friends and family, and savoring their food. This is different than the rush of the States, where everything we do, we do quickly, always running from one task to the next, rarely catching a breath. In Spain, I worked full work weeks, but moved slower, was more relaxed, and worked to find a balance of working and enjoying my time.

Traveling abroad to work is a bit of a different experience than most. This was a really unique way for me to travel, because I got to experience first hand the business world in Spain. I also got to step into the business consulting world, one which I have been interested in for a while. I worked for the Artificial Intelligence department of a medical tech start-up, doing market research, proposing functionality to keep them ahead of competition, and putting together communication strategies for future product launch. The work was fascinating, and showed me that this is a career path I hope to explore further, and actually helped me land my upcoming internship with McKinsey & Company this summer.

Because I was working during the week, I had to make sure to take full advantage of my weekends and free time in the country. Each weekend, I traveled to a different city, planning trips to be able to see all the history and beauty that they had to offer. My favorite travel was to Barcelona, where I got to see Gaudi’s work, specifically La Sagrada Familia. I have admired Gaudi for years, and getting to fully soak in the amazing architecture he has created was breathtaking. During the week, after work I would travel to new parts of Madrid to try new foods, and see new sights.

I grew so much in my time in Spain. I was pushed out of my comfort zone linguistically, culturally and professionally. All of these things have made me a much more independent traveller, and lit a fire in me to travel the rest of the world. I can’t wait to continue to explore, and am so grateful to have had the opportunity to see and experience Spain.