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<p>Growing up in California with years of Spanish classes can make you think you're ready to live in Spain, but real fluency comes not from classes or textbooks. Rather, it comes from embracing the awkward moments and making mistakes. Read (UC Santa Barbara) Aileen Pulchney's humorous and honest adventures of learning to speak Spanish in Madrid.</p>

<p>If you're wondering why you would leave behind the life you worked so hard for back home, Elena Mateus (UC Berkeley) has some advice to offer. Study abroad won't always be easy and it won't always look like the perfect Instagram posts, but it will be worth it and just might be the best decision in your life.</p>

<p>Take a 3-minute tour of Madrid and all the city has to offer for college students studying abroad. Read on for travel tips from UCLA alumna, Lily Rodriguez.</p>