Madrid, I’ll Be Seeing You
October 29th, 2025
Photo: Char Elkin
Writer: Grace Gingold
Editor: Sonia Walke
Next semester, I’ll be off to Madrid. I’m confident the experience will be worth all the tedious paperwork, confusing visa applications, and endless program logistics but lately, I’ve taken a step back to reflect.
Studying abroad isn’t a one-way experience: while I have the opportunity to study in Madrid, students from Spain come to study here at the University of Michigan. This semester, I saw firsthand what that looks like through the experiences of exchange students.
That idea really clicked for me when I met a European student from Zurich who was visiting Ann Arbor for two weeks. His strange familiarity prompted me to ask him if we may have shared a class over the years, leading to a much longer conversation.
Born in Ann Arbor to Swiss and German parents, he grew up in Zurich but always felt an unusual calling back to this city. I’d never heard of anything like that before, especially for a small Midwestern town. I was amazed that someone could be so enchanted by a place I’d started to take for granted.
One night, he joined my friends and me for dinner at Pizza House, where he enthusiastically mixed every sauce on the table and marveled at the bizarre menu items. He shared his experiences living with a host family for the last five years, and how he returns to Michigan for a few weeks each year. Several shared stories and laughs later, we somehow discovered that we share the same birthday. Quite a small world we live in.
While we shared this one day of the year, we could not be more different. His parents valued discipline, punctuality, and formal dinners. My family, on the other hand, thrives in what I like to call beautiful chaos. Growing up with three siblings meant loud overlapping conversations, spontaneous bursts of laughter, and at least one knocked glass of water. Yet, at our core, we found we shared the same foundation: parents who encouraged curiosity, hard work, and finding joy in small moments. Even across oceans and language barriers, the essence of family and the way it shapes us is truly universal.
I was recently accepted into the business minor here at the University of Michigan, and many of the courses are filled with exchange students studying at the Ross School of Business. What’s amazed me most is our differences in the idea of school.
Where I see competition, they see collaboration.
Where I see cutthroat networking, they see genuine connection.
They notice the intentional placement of classroom artwork, the open window structure that allows natural light to stream in, and the arrangement of tables and chairs designed to encourage collaboration–details I have overlooked for the past three years. Their appreciation of these minute details has allowed me to appreciate my life as if I were abroad right here in Michigan.
Similarly, in one of my business classes, I met four students from Spain. What started as a quick introduction has grown into a true friendship. Many of them turned out to be part of the Latino Student Organization, which they have welcomed me into, and I now feel like an honorary member of.
New friendships with these absolutely fascinating people have reminded me the importance of branching out ,even when you think you’ve already found your circle. Welcoming them has been such a rewarding experience, and I can’t wait for when they can welcome me into their corner of the world. See you soon, Madrid!
