The first one

Hola hola! I'm Maddy. 20 years old, from Albert Lea, Minnesota. I attend the University of South Dakota and I'm starting my third year there- except it's going to be in another country with another language. I will be studying in Granada, Spain for the full academic year. I am a Spanish and Communications major so this fits right in with the Spanish part.

This trip didn’t exactly get going the way it was planned. I was supposed to leave August 29 for the Intensive Month where I would do 80-90 hours/week of Spanish so I could be some spanish speaking master. On August 23, I was in emergency surgery for a pilonidal cyst that developed near my tailbone. Long story short, I have an open incision on my behind which I pack with gauze every day. So we knew I couldn’t leave the country in 5 days post surgery and moved my departure date back to September 19. It worked out well. I needed the time at home and it gave the family some extra time to mentally prepare for me to go abroad. September 15, my grandpa Glenn died. I could have still left on the 19, but it just didn’t feel right since we were so close to him. I called my travel agent and my ISA advisor and said, “I know you’re going to stop answering my phone calls and I’m so sorry!”. We got the flight pushed back again so I could stay for the visitation and funeral. I was on the road bright and early on September 21. Despite emotional and mental exhaustion, too many tears, and way to little sleep nothing could stop me! I’m going to make it!

I will be meeting the group in Toledo. Which means I need to find my way from the airport in Madrid to the train station, get on the right train to Toledo and then find my way to the hotel.

Here we go!

Traveler Ducky from Mayo Clinic ready to board the plane!