Alyssa Voight- Blog Abroad
Blog #1
Officially, I have been living in Spain for one month. Within one month my life has entirely changed. But what else would you expect from moving across the world and leaving the comfort of everything you have ever known? The journey to get here was not as magical as I had planned it to be. It was the most nerve-racking summer of my life having to wait for my visa, which arrived three days before I left. I had submitted all my documents three months prior, but the company lost some documents and I had to resend them. Smooth sailing was not an option this summer. But, alas, it arrived and I did not have to reschedule my flights. Also, I advise anyone traveling 24 hours on a plane to not get a sinus infection before leaving. The easiest part about leaving was just having to sleep on the long flight. And as soon as I landed in Madrid all the hardship was worth it. I made it. The excitement of being in a place I had only seen in pictures was overrun by pure exhaustion. Nothing a bit of medicine couldn’t fix (okay, a LOT of medicine). Thankfully, I had my mom with me for a week in Madrid to help me settle into the city. Although I was sick, I managed to drag my body around the city and show my mom the places I planned for us. Together we saw the Royal Palace of Madrid, Retiro Park, Plaza Mayor, and other beautiful places that I took too many pictures of. On one of our nights in the city, we had dinner at a rooftop bar. We sat silently and in awe at the sight in front of us. We were looking over all of Madrid, with the sun setting behind the Royal Palace. So much time, money, and work were put in by my mom and myself to get us to that point. We looked over at each other and shed a few tears. My mom, who is in her 50s, told me she never thought she would see this part of the world. Her dreams of traveling were overshadowed by working and creating a family. But there she was on this rooftop in Spain because I decided to take a chance to study abroad. And there I was with her, because of her. Where I am would not be possible without her. The week with my mom was over too soon and we had to say our goodbyes. She told me to be strong and I told her to be stronger. After all, she left her only baby girl across the world. I reassured her that I would be alright. She kissed me goodbye and soon the excitement of my new life stirred wild in my stomach. While my mom was with me, we found an apartment next to campus. Unlike other students I have met I do not live in the city center. However, my rent is cheaper, and I am content taking a train ride into the city when I want to do something fun. Every time I want to go out I take a train for 30 minutes and I am then in the heart of Madrid. The tricky part is making sure you don't miss the last train home. I already had to pay for one too many Ubers or get lost trying to find the correct night bus. It is all a part of the adventure, especially with new friends! Nonetheless, I am happy. It did feel weird not going back to UNM this year. Major FOMO has hit me. I miss many things from UNM that I didn’t expect to miss. My freshman year was great, and I created a life that had to be left behind once the spring semester ended. Part of me wishes I could freeze time at UNM, so I can resume life there when I return without missing out on anything. But life goes on and I have no regrets about studying in Spain. I make the most out of every day and remind myself I am accomplishing a goal I have had since I was a kid. Eating lots of churros also helps ease any melancholy thoughts. The weeks after moving in have been filled with so much exploring and meeting so many new people. If you are a social butterfly, the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid is for you. The school is full of international students who are eager to meet someone from an interesting place. I have already befriended a Spaniard, a German, and some Slovakian girls. I would go on about the people I have met, the food I have eaten, and the art I have seen, but I will save that for next time. Right now, I just want to sit with the fact that I made it to Spain. Some days it feels all too surreal. It’s all happening. I am living in a reality I have created.
Blog #2
There is a certain liberty we had as children with our vast imaginations. No one could tell us that our backyard wasn’t the beach in the Caribbean, a castle in Transylvania, or the Amazon rainforest. As kids, my little brother and I would create a world where we could travel anywhere. But now, my ultimate travel companion, my little brother, is across the world at home. Being so far from family is difficult, but I am neither alone nor lonely. I have new travel companions, friends, and people I would like to call family. Within two months of living abroad I have packed, unpacked, and packed my bags routinely; and I have been accompanied by some of the best people. Let me set the scene back to September 6th. It was the welcome day event for the university and I had only one person I knew there. This person was someone I met through a buddy program I had signed up for before coming to Spain. I highly recommend signing up for the buddy program so a local can help you adjust. Her name is Intissar, she’s from Spain, and she was my link to so many more people that day. It’s a huge chain link with the people you meet here. One person leads you to another who leads to another and then at some point too many new people surround you to count. From that day on I have yet to be alone. Someone is always willing to do something with you in this city that never sleeps. There is always a new cafe, museum, or activity to do in Madrid. Aside from friends from school, I was lucky to get three very cool roommates. One from the States named Abby, another from Morocco named Marwa, and another from Colombia named Paula. It is eye-opening to live with people from different parts of the world, and also comforting to have someone from the States to whom I can relate to. Abby and I have grown very close. So far we have traveled to Porto, Portugal, and Barcelona, Spain. Now, we plan to travel to Vienna, Austria together in December. My other travel companions have been my good German friends Rafael and Olivia. They have shown me parts of their culture and traditions that I am happy to partake in this holiday season since I will be going to Germany with them! I cannot list everyone here, but it means a lot to me to grow a deeper connection with the people I surround myself with. Even if it is for an allotted amount of time, I cannot describe how happy I am to have met all the people I now know. The people from different parts of the world have shown me so many new things. We can share our differences, and find our individualities, but still reconnect and realize how we are all the same. I will never forget even the people I’ve met on a weekend trip away. Speaking about weekend trips, I was able to go to Porto, Portugal for my birthday in early October. My first birthday away from my family and I thought I should give myself a trip. It was the best decision, and I adored Porto! The weather was not in my favor, but I never let the rain get me down. To anyone reading this, I highly recommend getting a pork sandwich at Casa Guedes Tradicional and pastel de natas at Castro. I spent three days there, and on my first night, I befriended a dog named Bowie. Bowie, of course, had an owner who I also befriended. The owner and his friend ended up being my and my friend’s dinner companions for the next two nights. These locals were able to show us the best places to eat with amazing views. I went back to the same restaurant twice just because of the outlook I had of Porto. If it weren’t for my love of dogs I wouldn’t have met two locals to show me the hidden gems within the city. Initially, I doubted my choice to stay for a year in Spain, I thought I would become too homesick or not create a life worth living out here. But after some time, I am confident that staying a year was the best option. Many exchange students from America I have met only stay for a semester. They try to pack in as many trips around Europe while they are here, which is understandable since they are here for a limited amount of time. But within a year, I can balance enjoying Madrid and seeing other countries and cities. My trips are more spread out and this has given me more time to integrate myself into the Spanish lifestyle. The friendships I have created here are also worth staying the year for. In fact, two of my friends just extended their studies in Madrid! With more time I can also plan out my trips and put more attention into why I am going to a specific place and what history, foods, and culture I want to be exposed to. It is my brother who has also influenced me to be more aware of the places I travel to. With time and consideration, I allow myself to research the places I visit and therefore enjoy my journeys all the more. Anytime I tell my little brother about a place I am traveling to he tells me the historical sites I should see or the traditional foods I should try. The reason I keep my hunger to see and understand new places I owe to my little brother, Evan, my first travel companion and my built-in best friend. So, until next time, I will be wandering the wonderful world within Madrid!
Blog #3
It’s incomprehensible how much we are capable of until we finally explore it. Away from the cold noisy city of Madrid, the warm weather of Tenerife called out to me. Until recently, I thought the world was too dangerous to venture into alone. So I challenged that idea and booked one ticket to Tenerife, a Canary Island part of Spain. At first, the thought of going alone scared me. I had always traveled with my family or a friend. My mom had also always advised me to travel with someone, especially as a girl. You can only imagine how much stress I gave my mom when I told her I was traveling alone to a small island. Paranoia and fear did enter my mind, but I did not let my thoughts limit my ability to set out on this small journey. My first solo trip was truly unforgettable. To any girl too afraid to go out there alone, don’t let fear get in the way of seeing the world. I want to start with the obvious: make smart choices! Prioritize your safety and trust your instincts. I can thank my mom for making me over-prepared for every situation. I advise the same to anyone traveling with or without someone. Download offline maps, take screenshots of tickets and important documents, keep a copy of your passport, plan out routes from the airport to where you’re staying, and let family and friends know where you will be. Being over-prepared allowed me to enjoy my trip all the more. Traveling alone meant I had no one to rely on. This was more liberating than a daunting thought. Yes, I was responsible for getting myself to the airport, to my hostel, and around the island safely, but I knew I could trust myself more than before. Being alone allowed me to make a choice and not have someone question it. If I was wrong then there was no one to blame but myself. No one could influence my choices for this trip. If I wanted to stop for a coffee in the middle of the day, I could do that without asking anyone if they wanted to do the same. Even better was not having anyone judge me for eating a sweet treat before having a proper lunch. But what I truly enjoyed was listening to the rest of the world. The part of the island I stayed on was away from the city and more rural. There was only one bar near my hostel and the rest of the buildings were small homes. Everything was on the coastline. I could hear the waves crashing every morning and every night. My hostel was perfectly placed near the beach. For three whole days, I laid out on the beach and watched the waves come in and out. I studied the people who passed me by. I listened to different languages being spoken around me. I wrote for pages and pages in my journal and finally let myself decompress. On this beach, I was able to hear my own thoughts. Madrid can be hectic, there is always a train to chase or human traffic on sidewalks. As much as I enjoy the big city, I loved my time in Tenerife. The hostel I stayed in made my trip even more memorable. The owner was British, and he had a team of volunteers from around the world. It was fascinating talking to the other people passing through as well. Everyone had a story, and everyone was eager to share their backgrounds. Listening to where people have been and where they are going is always inspiring. It made me consider traveling to places I had never thought of before. I never realized how many other places I never considered traveling to, such as Morocco or even Turkey. Coming to Tenerife was not in my plan until an Australian girl in my class told me about her trip there. The hostel also came with a free breakfast, which was delicious! Everything was homemade each morning by the volunteers. So, everyone in the morning gathered together on a small outdoor terrace and shared a meal. After eating and talking to new people, the hostel grew silent. Everyone was either reading, writing, or drawing. All we could hear was the ocean. In between I was able to befriend a girl from Hungary. Her name was Reka, and she taught me how to play the piano and some of the guitar. The hostel created a homey feel that almost made me consider never leaving the beach. Also, the view from my hostel bed was straight out of a dream. Who knew a hostel bed could be so heavenly? My first solo trip left me feeling empowered. For some time, I was able to enjoy my solitude before going back to chasing trains in a sleepless city. For the first time, I was able to love myself in my silence. The fresh air by the seaside was a cure for my seasonal blues. Maybe my next solo trip will be in a big city. Then I will have to learn new ways to navigate unknown parts of the world on my own. And yes, I will freak out my mom again. As for myself, I’m no longer afraid to face the unknown alone. 
Blog #4
With two blinks of an eye, the first semester abroad has already ended. By the middle of December, I said goodbye to many of my friends who were only here for the fall. It hasn’t phased me how I will meet new people and create new friendships once the spring semester starts. I was already becoming so comfortable with my set group of friends the first semester. As uncomfortable as it is to let go of these people, I am still in contact with everyone I have met and the fun isn’t over yet. I already have plans to visit friends from Prague and Estonia, places I never considered going to before meeting people from there. It was bittersweet having to say goodbye, but my December was not as full of sorrow as I thought it would be. After exams, I celebrated one last hooray in 2024 in Madrid. The next day, on a Saturday, I took a plane to Germany! I would be spending the holidays in Germany, with an intermission between Christmas and the New Year in Austria. Plane tickets to go back to the States were too expensive. As much as I would have loved to have seen my mom, dad, brothers, and even my brother’s new baby girl, the cost to fly home was out of budget. Thankfully, I had some great people surrounding me during Christmas. Now is a good time to mention someone great I met while studying in Madrid. His name is Rafael, we met at UC3M and quickly became close. Needless to say, Rafael is more than a friend, and someone who I am grateful to have met. I spent Christmas with him and his family in Heidelberg, Germany. He opened his home to me and I was embraced by him and his family. I even received gifts from his family on Christmas, which I did not expect. I may have shed a tear or two from their kindness and from missing my family. We ate traditional German cookies and over cooked goose for Christmas dinner. Christmas was still a success and a beautiful new experience for me. It was interesting to be immersed in a German Christmas. It was far different from my Christmas back home with my large Mexican family. I definitely missed having tamales this winter. But while in Heidelberg, I was introduced to new foods such as white sausage, bratwurst, knoodle, rotkohl, goulash soup, and so much more. I was shown all the traditional foods from the Bayern region of Germany, where Rafael and his family are originally from. The Bayern region is also where pretzels are from! All the meals I had were perfect refuge from the cold icy weather. I was always left full and warm inside. I came back to Madrid 10 lbs. heavier (or 5 kgs as they use here). Christmas in Germany was also lovely with the Christmas markets set up around town! It was straight out of a children’s book. It even began to slightly snow as we walked around the market drinking gluhwein (mulled wine). Heidelberg is one of the most beautiful towns I have traveled to so far. The town had so much nature which was refreshing after being in a city for so long. It has a huge castle in the old city center and at the top it overlooks the river and green hills. Besides the food and town, I also learned a few German words like, “genau”, which means “exactly” and is probably the only word I needed. “Prost” was also said way too often this holiday season (it means cheers). I learned about traditional foods and the different regions in Germany. I was even taught about the various dialects and traditions that come from the South and North. After Christmas Rafael, his dad, brother, and I took a road trip from Heidelberg to Munich, Germany. The landscape was gorgeous as we drove through the snow-covered countryside. In Munich, we stayed with Rafael’s uncle and had a fancy dinner for the one night we stopped for. We toured Munich for a short time the next morning before we were on the road again. This time it would be Rafael’s brother, the brother’s girlfriend, Rafael and I driving to Vienna, Austria. I will write separately about Vienna in another blog since I have too much to say about it. My time in Heidelberg and Munich was already a lot to write home about. I cannot grasp how much time has passed and everything that has happened since I arrived in Madrid. My mind has taken mental pictures of everything so far. I try my best to remember this dream-like world I am in. I want to come back to all these places when I am older and recall all the fond memories made. I pray my memory never fails me. Thankfully, that’s what all the pictures are for. 
Blog #5
Sometimes I have these "out-of-body" experiences where I watch myself from a third-person perspective. Life doesn’t feel real and I have to bring myself back to reality. There is so much going on around me—too much beauty, too much laughter, too many good moments—that I must soak up before they slip from my mind forever. I then have to describe everything in front of me. From where I am, to what I am doing, to who I am with. Describing these moments to myself helps me feel real, and helps me to remember everything as if I had filmed it. This is why I can still picture myself in Vienna, sitting at Cafe Sperl, eating a chocolate cake with a cup of coffee, hiding out from the chilly winter weather. A man is softly playing the piano in the background, my nose is cold and runny, and the lights are dimmed down low. Visiting Vienna felt surreal, as most of my trips do. I was in this lavish city that I knew about from films and music. But now I was physically there and in absolute awe. After some time in Germany, I drove to Austria with my boyfriend, Rafael, his brother, and the brother’s girlfriend, Simon and Catie. The four of us rented an Airbnb in the city and spent the next two days together running around Vienna. It was nice to be with Rafael since he can speak to people in German and read certain things for me. This was especially useful when reading medicine bottles in the pharmacy. Unfortunately, I woke up sick on our first day in Vienna and could hardly breathe through my nose. I thought I had escaped catching the cold everyone had gotten during December, but sadly not. My lungs and my body, in general, do not do well in cold climates. Although the air was freezing, our trip was blessed with sunny blue skies while we were there. We started our trip by going to the Hofburg Palace where Sisi, the Empress of Austria, lived. Around the palace, there are horse-drawn carriages and someone playing an instrument around every corner. With every corner, there is also a magnificent building to leave your jaw locked open. They say that every building in Vienna could be a national monument in another European city. After strolling around the center we spent the rest of our day in the Weltmuseum. The museum is the largest anthropological museum in Austria and it holds so many objects from around the world. What I truly intended to see was the Quetzal feathered headdress, from Mexico. I saw a replica of this headdress a year ago in Mexico City. I knew that the real one lay in Vienna, and from then on, I knew I had to see it. Once we got into the museum I ran directly to the Mexico exhibit. The headdress was brighter and more marvelous than the replica in Mexico City. The feathers on the headdress were mesmerizing. I could have spent the whole day in that museum, reading everything, and learning about all the artifacts collected from around the world. At the end of the museum, there was a section that acknowledged colonization and how most of these artifacts were taken against the will of certain cultures. I thought about the headdress again, and all the things from Mexico that were taken due to colonization. I appreciated the acknowledgment from the museum. The headdress is too fragile to be moved back to Mexico, but a small part of me was thankful it brought me to Vienna to see its beauty. While Rafael and I were taking our time in the museum Simon and Catie did a speed run through the exhibits and waited for us at Cafe Sperl. Rafael and I met them there and had a chocolate cake and coffee. It took me five minutes to realize the cafe I was in. Just before, I had been talking about the movie “Before Sunrise”, with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. The movie is set and filmed in Vienna, and the cafe we were in was where they had filmed! As soon as I realized it, I was ecstatic! The movie is one of my favorites due to the well-written dialogue. It is also one of the first movies Rafael and I watched together. Ethan Hawke’s character reminds me of Rafael in a way. Little did I know that that day had two full-circle moments awaiting me. A year ago, if you had told me I would be in Vienna, seeing the real Aztec headdress, and then be in a cafe of one of my favorite films with my German boyfriend… Well, I don't think I would have believed you. To finish off the evening, Simon treated us all to dinner at a fancy restaurant where we had delicious authentic Austrian food. We filled up on schnitzel, potatoes, beer, and roasted beef. The next day was spent at Prater Park, where they had a huge Ferris wheel. At first, this wasn’t exactly the plan. We wanted to go to the Belvedere Palace and the Sisi Museum, but tickets were all booked out. My advice for anyone visiting Vienna, definitely book in advance and have more moneyon hand because these museums were not cheap. We found our way to the ferris wheel after a few stops at some other attractions. But by the time we reached the Ferris wheel, there was a huge line and it cost 17 euros each to enter. Everyone agreed to take a kaiserschmarrn instead. Kaiserschmarrn is a German/Austrian dessert with warm vanilla sauce and scrambled-up fluffy pancakes. It was delicious and the line was shorter than the Ferris wheel. At this point, my roommate, Abby, joined us and we all went ice skating. Ice skating was not the best option for my lungs, but I had been dying to ice skate all season and there was no better place to do it than in Vienna. As fun as it was I was still stressed to see one last thing before we left the next day. Rafael and I ran to the Austrian National Library before it closed. Yes, my feet and lungs were acheing from ice skating and the cold air, but it was well worth it. The library was beautiful and unlike anything I had seen before. If only I could pick the old books from the shelves and have Rafael translate what was written. Afterward, we walked around the center peering into cafes and shops before heading to dinner. We ended our last night in a diner eating kasespatzle(basically, German mac and cheese). The next day at 5 a.m. Rafael and I took a train to Ravensburg, Germany where we would be spending the New Year with our friend Olivia. Now, after seeing the amazing architecture of Vienna, I have to say the best sight was on the train leaving Vienna. Yes, I know, all this hype around the beautiful city, but nothing compared to the train ride between Austria and Germany. I was fully prepared to read a book or write during the seven-hour train ride. Instead, my eyes gravitated towards the snow-covered Alps and frosted trees. I sat with my thoughts and kept my tired eyes from closing. I grew up in a desert with beige landscapes and brown rocky mountains. So naturally and with zero regret, I spent seven hours watching crystal blue lakes, snowy landscapes, and small towns pass me by. I decided that I plan to go back to Vienna when I am older and when I am not a broke college student who can’t even afford a 6-euro water bottle. When I go back I plan to take this train ride again, hopefully to revisit my dear friend, Olivia. And hopefully, next time, I will be with my mom, dad, or brother. Although I didn’t get to see the most iconic spots in Vienna, I feel content knowing I can come back and save seeing certain things with my family. Because, yeah, Vienna does wait for you. Cafe Spearl & the recreation of the iconic scene in "Before Sunrise" film Horse-drawn carriages outside Hofburg Palace Quetzal feathered headdress, from Mexico at the Weltmuseum Ferris Wheel at Prater Park Kaiserschmarrn, a German/Austrian dessert Iceskating in Vienna! Snowy train-ride views from Austria to Germany 
