Junior Kely Maloney has taken his talents overseas for the 2022 Fall Semester to study at Suffolk's Madrid campus. While stamping his academic passport, Maloney will check in with GoSuffolkRams.com from time-to-time to tell Ram Nation what he has been up to abroad.
Below is the first installment, about Maloney's department and first few days in Spain.
Hi everybody! My name is Kely and I’m a media/film major at Suffolk. Typically I’d be running cross country in the fall, but this semester I chose to study abroad in Madrid (which I’m assuming will be much less painful). I hope that by sharing my experiences I can get my fellow Rams excited to travel in the future!
Saying goodbye to my dog, Kooper, was the hardest part of leaving the country. I’m sure he’ll miss getting the last few bites of my breakfast everyday. After saying goodbye to Kooper, the car ride to JFK was typical for my family. My brother, Kyle, getting angry at New York traffic, my Mom getting nervous about Kyle’s driving, and my Dad falling asleep. I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’ll miss them and all my friends this semester, but I know everyone is going to continue doing amazing things while I’m away!
After a smooth flight with some questionable chicken, I arrived in Madrid at 8 a.m. local time. The hard part of the first day was trying to stay awake in order to adjust my body to Spanish time. After falling out of my bed twice, I gave in and took a nap. Upon waking up I explored the beautiful Galdós residence hall. There’s a 24/7 gym, plenty of common spaces, and even hammocks outside.
Orientation was a blast! My tour guide, Fernando, showed some of us around downtown Madrid and even gave us his recommendations for tapas, Spanish tortillas, and places to relax during siesta. Siesta has been my favorite aspect of Spanish culture thus far. It is a period of the day in the afternoon where most stores close and Spaniards rest after their midday meals (which is typically the largest meal of the day).
On our welcome trip, we visited the city/province of León. It was great to get to know all the wonderful students and staff on the trip and to do some exploring together. The city León was home to the Catedral de León, which I’m glad I got to tour. In the province we visited Astorga, Las Médulas, and the Cave of Valporquero; all of which had unique sights to offer.
After the trip I’m back in Madrid waiting for classes to start and am excited to see what this semester has in store!
Fans, families, alumni and friends can check in with what Isaak and Phelan are up to over sees by following their adventures on GoSuffolkRams.com or over social media by using the hashtag #RAMsinterNATIONal.