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 third installment, as Maloney approaches the midway point of the semester.
I can’t believe we are already at the halfway point of this semester. Typically this is the point where I’m stress-eating El Jefe's and questioning whether I should drop out and become a street performer, but this semester has a different feel. The last few weeks have been full of fun all over Spain!
The first weekend in October my Astronomy class took a trip to the Canary Islands to complete the lab portion of the class. We stayed at the Teide Observatory on the island of Tenerife and got to use professional telescopes during our stay. While the nights were full of pointing out planets and constellations, the days were also full of excitement. We hiked around the top of Mt. Teide, an active volcano on the island, and even got to relax on Playa del Duque beach our last day. I did not get a lot of sleep on the trip, but what I did get was much better: plenty of Tenerife’s famous plátanos and pictures of the wildlife on the island. I’m so grateful for Alvaro, Hristo, and Sylvia for making this trip an unforgettable experience!
Shortly after getting back from Tenerife, it was time to pack my bags once more. The second weekend in October we had a cultural trip scheduled to Málaga, in the south of Spain. Tenerife had left me longing for more beach naps. Luckily, Málaga was able to fulfill that need. Friday, I went to the beach. Saturday, I went to the beach (in the beautiful nearby town of Nerja). And Sunday, I went to the beach. In the middle of all of the beach-going we had a sunset Catamaran cruise, I went to a hammam with some friends, and we visited Nerja’s famous caves. If I am to return to Spain after this semester, Málaga will be at the top of my list of places to go.
After all that time away I was glad to have two weeks home in Madrid. The past two weeks I’ve spent taking midterms, going on trips with film club, hanging out in Retiro park, and running at Casa de Campo. However, the highlight was the Fiesta de la Trashumancia this past Sunday where over 1,000 sheep were guided through downtown Madrid by shepherds. I could baaaaa-rely (sorry) contain my excitement seeing the sheep filling the streets.
I’m looking forward to more adventures in the second half of my time in Europe (and potentially other continents!) and I’m glad I get to share them.
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.