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 fourth and final installment, as Maloney wrapped up his time in Madrid.
We are officially in the homestretch of my semester abroad! Always my favorite part of any race because you can practically taste the cannolis from Bova’s you’re going to treat yourself to after it's over. But the past month has been a blast as well, the highlights being my trip to Morocco and my family visiting Madrid for Thanksgiving.
In October, some friends and I visited the cities of Tangier and Chefchaouen in Morocco. In Tangier we visited the world-renowned pharmacies, were treated to a traditional Moroccan dinner with entertainment, and got to see the point at which the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean kiss. Before heading to Chefchaouen, we even got to ride Camels along the Atlantic! Chefchaouen, often referred to as “The Blue City”, was like nothing I had ever seen before. We were able to see it in its entirety when we hiked to the top of a trail on the outskirts of the city. Morocco was unforgettable and I’ll have the thousands of pictures I took of cats and dogs hanging out in the streets to remind me of just how amazing it was!
Over the few weeks after Morocco I had some fun things planned in Madrid. I saw Bon Iver in concert and got to see Real Madrid play in their last game before the World Cup. Other than that, I got to spend time partaking in my favorite Madrid activities. Running/exploring new areas, going to El Rastro flea market, getting tapas with friends, and watching movies with the film club. I even got to watch the new Black Panther movie, which was a weird coincidence because my sister saw the original in Italy when she studied abroad. And speaking of my sister ...
For the week of Thanksgiving I was lucky enough to have some visitors from home! My sister Kaitlin and her partner Maggie flew in on Friday, November 18th and my parents arrived that Sunday. We were able to do so much in the short time they were here. We did a Spanish wine tasting, visited the Prado Museum, and frequented the San Miguel Market our first couple of days in Madrid. The day before Thanksgiving we took a train to Valencia, a coastal city in eastern Spain. While there we got to try the original Paella and check 0ut Oceanogràfic, one of the biggest aquariums in Europe. Before heading back to Madrid, we watched Spain win their opening game of the World Cup against Costa Rica. For Thanksgiving we went to a Flamenco show and got to see the first Christmas lights turned on in downtown Madrid. On my family’s last day in Madrid we ate at Restaurante Botín, the oldest restaurant in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records. I’m very grateful that they were able to come visit and I can’t wait to see them soon!
Before I head home there’s still much to do! Getting good grades on finals is the main priority of course (just in case my Mom reads this). But I’m looking forward to checking out the Christmas markets in Madrid, one more trip outside of Spain, and spending time with the wonderful friends I’ve made along the way before we all head home for the holidays. I’ll check back in one more time at the end of the semester, but thank you to everyone who has read so far! See you all soon!
My semester abroad has come to an end, but luckily I was able to have an eventful last couple of weeks. In this entry I’ll talk about those weeks and reflect on the semester abroad as a whole.
The weekend after my parents visit to Madrid I headed to Paris with some friends to enjoy one last trip before the semester wrapped up. I was awestruck when we walked out of our Airbnb, turned one corner, and the Eiffel Tower was standing right there in front of us. My neck was sore after the weekend from craning to look up at that thing so many times. There’s no feeling quite like eating a crêpe whilst standing under the Eiffel Tower. The Boston Common could use a few crêpe stands in addition to the roasted nuts. The rest of Paris was just as incredible as the Eiffel Tower. The Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, and the food were some highlights. As a huge Pixar fan, it was a dream come true to eat ratatouille in Paris. It was the perfect trip to save for last!
After getting back from Paris, I felt the need to do as much as I could during my last days in Madrid. Luckily, everybody seemed to be on the same page. During the week, the orientation leaders organized a day trip to the Monastery at El Escorial. The castle was amazing and the tapas after were even better. Over the weekend I did some Christmas shopping at El Rastro Flea Market, did Christmas karaoke with some friends, and got bagels at our favorite brunch place (J & J’s). All the while, we were wrapping up finals and beginning to pack for home. The final dinner we had was bitter sweet. Some friends had already headed back to the states, so there were some notable absences. It was hard to say goodbye to the friends that are heading back to Madrid next semester, mainly because I’m jealous it’s them and not me. But overall it was nice to see everybody in one place for the final time this semester. The Madrid Campus is such a tight-knit community and I’m grateful I got t0 be a part of it. The next day I headed to the airport, almost lost my phone, got on an airplane, and watched the first three Harry Potter movies before I touched down in New York.
It’s been great to catch up with family and friends since getting back. Christmas time is really the perfect time to get back home after a long absence. In the new year I’m looking forward to braving the cold, getting back on campus, and doing all the things I missed while I was away. Mainly running with my best friends and working in the office of marketing & communications at school. This past semester was an amazing journey and I’m forever grateful for the people I met and the places I went. Prior to this experience I’d never even been out of the country, so I’m thankful for everyone that pushed me to go abroad (my boss Denise and my sister Kaitlin!). Doing these journal entries has been great for me to feel a connection with home and if anybody has actually been reading, thank you for joining me on my adventures. If any student athlete, or any Suffolk student at all, has questions about study abroad I am happy to answer and help you start your journey too. Feel free to reach out to me at kmaloney4@suffolk.edu. And for now, ¡hasta luego!
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.