Things I’ll Miss About Madrid

I’m sure I’ll think of a million more items to add to this list, but, for now, some of the things I’ll miss most about this place:

• Feelings triumphant when I speak Spanish well
• Traveling almost every weekend for ridiculously cheap prices
• Cobblestone streets
• Botellones (and in general being able to hang out in parks all night without the police assuming you’re doing something illegal)
• Awesome public transportation and the best metro I’ve ever seen
• 100 Montaditos and its €1 Wednesdays
• Kebab restaurants on every corner
• Tortilla española
• Taking a bajillion photos
• Meals that last hours because people sit and relax and socialize
• The general laid-back atmosphere
• My EAP friends
• Churros con chocolate

Churros con chocolate

• Giving dos besos when greeting people
• Chinos (the questionably-named stores)
• Toques, even if regular phone calls are way more convenient
• Using the word “vale” about every other word
• Lots and lots of fabulous parks
• Streets being packed even at 4am
• Warm summer nights
• El Rastro
• People being really passionate about fútbol
• Being a short walk away from my friends’ pisos
• Plaza Mayor

Plaza Mayor

• Having only 12 hours of class a week and virtually no other responsibilities
• Frequently being called “guapa” by old ladies and creepy men
• Sangría as an alcohol alternative for lightweights
• Engrish shirts like Blanco’s “I’m in subconsciusly coastline”
• Cheap crema al cacao (store-brand Nutella)
• Being able to walk everywhere important
• Sol
• Strangers sounding less ignorant because of the language barrier
• Everything being much later, like dinner at 10pm and being able to go to sleep late and sleep in
• Old people who are active and always out and about
• Jaywalking
• Being neighbors with the Royal Palace
• Colloquial terms like “joder,” “hombre,” and “coño”
• The street signs, each with their own individual artwork

A street sign. They may make it difficult to navigate the city, but they’re so cute! (photo credit)

• Being able to act awkward/foolish/whatever with the excuse that it’s just because I’m foreign
• Constantly meeting new people from all over the world
• Planning trips
• Tapas, especially the free ones they serve with drinks
• Flamenco music (even if it’s not as common in Madrid as it is in Andalucía)
• Always feeling pretty safe at any time of day
• The majority of buildings, even unimportant apartment buildings, looking like architectural masterpieces
• Walking anywhere and seeing cute restaurant after cute restaurant, unique store after unique store, instead of long stretches of houses or office buildings like we have in the U.S
• Knowing that this is the best time of my life