#elijahfox

Independence and confidence are two things I’m already thinking a lot about. This semester will be the longest I’ve been away from home, so they’re hard to ignore.

I have never been to Europe before, and I really want to make the most of my time here. I want to travel to many different cities and see the sights, but I often hear people describe those cities and sights as just “nice.” The goal is to experience more than nice everywhere I go. I want real adventure and excitement on weekend trips or spring break (while staying safe), similar to what I see many of my international friends doing while backpacking around the world. When I say I want to make the most of my time in Spain, I’m really imagining doing the things I can’t do at home. Even things I’d consider productive at home, like playing guitar or reading, I want to do less in order to do more of running through Madrid, train rides with friends, and hiking in mountains and cities.

And if I do get hurt my apartment is sandwiched between a dental and hearing aid store so I'm in the right spot.

I’m also really going to focus on learning Spanish. It’s always been something I’ve hated in school, and I stopped taking it as soon as I could, which was sophomore year of high school. I think the main problem was a lack of reward in learning. I’m from Michigan, and I think being able to speak Spanish there is about as useful as being able to recite the alphabet backwards. In Madrid, it’s probably one of the most important things you can do. That being said, I’m going to make studying and practicing a priority while I’m here.

Being in Europe for four months, surrounded by other people my age, is a unique experience. In addition to having the opportunity to travel and see beautiful sights, I hope I can share those sights and experiences, and make friends that last much longer than four months. “Happiness not real unless shared.”

I’m looking forward to Spanish culture in terms of slowness and, adjacently, intentionality. Umich engineering sometimes has me living my to-do list. I’ll literally have a worker-boss mentality with myself. I do not want to feel that way while I’m here. I hope the culture surrounding me makes that automatic.

At Umich, although I’ve got a few good meals under my belt, I rarely cook. I’m at the mercy of Bursley dining hall for way too many meals. I believe cooking is one of the most underrated activities.

This summer I worked at a camp that had KPs, or kitchen patrols. Each was made up of a counselor and three 14-year-olds who were in charge of cooking several meals throughout the session for over 30 people. And time in the kitchen making food counts as some of my favorite memories.

It’s an activity that, if you’re going to do by yourself already, you might as well do with a friend, and then you can share a meal together. It’s perfect. So basically, I want to get better at cooking not just to make better food, but to enjoy an activity with others more.

I’m sure this blog is going to force me to get better at photo taking.

Where I'm writing from (the room where it happened)

I think that’s about it for the reflection. I’d like to be a better person than the one writing this now. 

Adiós

Eli Fox

Mechanical Engineering

Spring break was epic. I think if I tried, I could write about this week forever.

MAJORCA

When I landed in Majorca, I followed the herd towards the bus system in an effort to get to Palma. After standing at the station for a few minutes, unsure if I needed to use a machine to buy a ticket or not, or when the bus would arrive. I thought to myself, I came here to hike, so might as well start now, with my hiking pack on I started walking towards Palma. Turns out you can’t walk to Plama from the airport. After about thirty minutes, the sidewalk and bike lanes end abruptly, so I defeatedly called a Taxi. However, it was exciting to find out my Taxi driver was doing the same hike as me a few days later.

The camping trip I planned was three days long, so I fueled up with the best food Majorca has to offer: PB and J, Chorizo, and tortillas. Just to get to the start of the hike felt like an adventure on it’s own. On the way to Valdamosa, I met some South Africans on the bus and Scottish students in a park.

The first day on the trial, time moved incredibly slow, I thought I had been hiking for three hours when only an hour had past. I shoed off mountain goats constantly on the trail and eventually set up camp in a small refuge. The whole day I had been climbing towards a peak, which made for a terrible first night. It was freezing and windy, and I couldn’t even eat with a view because my fingers would freeze. I stayed in my tent from 8PM to around 10AM.

I was rethinking the whole solo trip until literally, at the peak of a mountain, I passed a guy from Denmark who hadn’t talked to anyone in three days, and whose birthday it was! He told me we wouldn’t be talking if I went with a friend, and that completely changed my mindset. Shortly after I caught up to a German orthodontist who was hiking at about the same pace, so we talked for a while until we reached Deia. Deia is a super beautiful small town with flowers everywhere, if I were blindfolded, I would’ve thought I was in a perfume factory.

Because wild camping is technically not legal, I structured my days to set up my tent near sundown, which meant I was in no rush. I walked down to the water and watched crazy waves. There, in the masses of families and couples, I spotted someone solo and introduced myself. We walked and chatted for a while, turns out she’s a journalist and a photographer. We made a deal, if I walked with her back to the bus station, she’d be my photographer. (Still waiting on photos)

Back on the trail, near where I had planned to camp, I saw a viewpoint marked on the map. I probably spent an hour trying to access it from the three entrances displayed, but all of them were gated off. Luckily, I found an unmarked trail and could not believe no one else was there. I was convinced a tour group from the next town over would be brought to this point to watch the sunset, but no one came.

The next morning, I had calm chorizo and tortilla breakfast at the lookout. The day before, I had passed a bell with a sign that read “ring bell.” Since it was close to sundown (and I had watched Hostel recently), I was too nervous to ring it, and I promised myself I’d come back. So I backtracked, and it happened to be a local's freshly squeezed orange juice stand, which is much better in the morning anyway. I hiked with a Canadian mom and daughter for a while, and because I had backtracked, I was able to gift them the knowledge of the lookout location.

Eventually, I made it to Sollar, and pretty much the first thing I spotted was the botanical garden, the perfect lunch spot. Downtown, if I didn’t know I was in Majorca I could have easily thought it was Germany. Someone told me hiking Majorca is Germany's Florida. While downtown, looking for some postcards, I wandered into an artist's studio and really put my Spanish to the test with a long conversation.

Because I hadn’t showered in Majorca (and because yolo), I was going to swim. I walked to Port Sollar and saw on the beach only a couple of people, all in winter jackets. When I came out of the water, I was told I was “un poco loco.” At the port, I briefly met a few girls from Argentina and happened to be on the same bus back to Palma, so when we got back, I invited them to come to the beach with me and watch the sunset, despite it being complete overcast.

Walking around the city for a final dinner, I was caught off guard by a Holy Week Parade, which didn’t have the best looks as an American.

That night, I slept at the airport, proud to have secured a spot at the small “cornucopia” of six outlets before security.

IRELAND

The second part of my spring break was spent in Ireland visiting a friend studying abroad. My first introduction to Ireland was not having enough cash for the bus (because they only take cash for some reason) and being saved by the bus driver, who told me not to worry about it. On that bus, I met an Irish guy from New Dehli who confessed to me the love of his life is getting married. He also shared his favorite foods at his family's Indian Restaurant.

I hopped off the bus for a transfer and met the most Irish man in existence. He was an old guy, swearing constantly and never breaking a straight face. I was cracking up for over an hour. When I asked him if he watches the sun set often (because there was a beautiful sunset at the moment), he told me, “It’s always the fuckin same.” I also learned he owns a bar in Ennis and told him I’d check it out.

After over 24 hours in airports, planes, and buses, I met up with my friend in Ballyvaughan. My friend attends a super small art college of less than 20 undergrads, and they all live under the same roof. In addition to a change in scenery and culture, it was incredibly refreshing to experience a change in lifestyle. Immediately, I hopped onto my friends routine, we woke up at 7 am to a beautiful sunrise, journaled, stretched, and ate the most fancy yogurt I’ve ever eaten. The best part of the morning was that slowly, everyone was making their way into the kitchen and dining room, where talking and joking brought the place to life. Also, the Irish dairy Philadelphia cream cheese has changed me.

We walked to school about twenty minutes away and climbed a mountain directly behind the college. I had never been somewhere so green before and with such cool rock formations. After we climbed down, I met a postgraduate student who showed me her thesis project and took a quick tour through the studios. Each undergraduate gets their own space and freedom to work on their own different projects. It was again refreshing to be around people who are so passionate about their work.

For lunch, everyone migrated to the cafeteria on campus. My friend had to leave to work in the kitchen, but I was only alone for a minute before his friends sat down at my table. With everyone going to their classes, and my friend working, one student told me about the crystal caves not too far away. I was told to find the “bull in yard” sign, jump it, find the bee boxes, but with no bees, look for two creepy donkeys that look like the twins from The Shining, follow a long, windy gravel road, and look for a waterfall. Walking for over an hour in the rain, I felt like I was on a Lord of the Rings quest. It was almost comical, every time I thought I had lost the path, the next sign appeared in front of me. It also made me realize I don’t think I’ve ever navigated somewhere where my phone could provide absolutely zero help.

I was envisioning purple crystals like in Minecraft, but it turns out it was more of a white quartz. I hurried back to get to the computer lab for my class registration, but it turns out I had marked the time for EST, so I’d have to register that night, during Irish set dancing. My friend, two others, and I walked twenty five minutes in the rain to a church parking lot where a lady also going dancing picked us up. That’s as good as public transport gets in Ballyvaughan.  For three hours, I learned different Irish dancing sets. It was pretty funny, I was dancing with a bunch of older ladies and their husbands. And the regulars, aka my friend and his friends, were impressively good.

The last day I was in Ireland, my friend left to go on a trip to Italy. Instead of saying goodbye to everyone when my friend left, I decided to take his place at school. Every Friday for an Irish Cultures course, a field trip is held, this week's was along the Irish coast, which was literally perfect. I got a free tour with a knowledgeable guide and good company.

With the rest of my last day, I had three things I really wanted to do: Irish bar, Indian Restaurant, and Spice Box.

My original plan was to go to the owner I mets pub as a good way to spend an hour while waiting for the next bus I needed. However, on the first bus to Shannon, we got trapped on the narrow road with another bus coming the other way. For thirty minutes, our bus driver coached the other driver to back up, and traffic controlled the other cars. I felt a little disappointed I wouldn’t be able to make it, then It started to rain, mirroring my emotions. But then most incredible full rainbow appeared, our bus positioned perfectly with the windows facing the coast and sky. That got me talking to the other people on the bus, one of whom was a nut scientist giving talks across Europe. When the bus arrived, I decided to go to the bar with a twenty minute timer so that I could say I had a beer in Ireland. I met two locals who were good company for a few minutes.

I caught a buzz for the second bus to Shannon and stopped at Ireland's Walmart equivalent for the bathroom. There, a high school-aged kid approached me, telling me he was short on bus money. I asked him, “how much is the bus?” and found out we were both short on bus money lol. The ATMs were closed, but I was told I could get cash back if I bought something. So I had this kid and his friend grab me two of their favorite Irish snacks. Turns out cash back only works for Irish cards. Luckily, I shared the snacks with some guys at the bus stop, and when they found out I was fifty cents short, they covered me.

In Shannon, an hour before close, I made it to Bollywood Temple and met the guy's dad I met on the bus, I got exactly what I was told to order, Chicken makati with garlic nan and a side of pilaf rice. Super full circle moment. With only one item on the list left, I felt that the last thing I needed was a Spice Box. I was so incredibly full, but I was told by Irish friends I met abroad that if there’s one thing I do, it’s get a spice box. So, I went to a Chinese place next door and bought one. I snacked on a long walk to the airport. I’m 1/2 in walking to/from airports now.

On the way back to Madrid I had a great layover at the beach in Alicante, is a place I had never heard of before. It’s awesome that chance put it on my map. The last time I left the Madrid Airport was when I first arrived in Madrid, walking out this time felt a thousand times more comfortable than the last. A good sign Madrid feels like home. I found solo travel incredible for meeting new people and forcing you, at every turn, to be open and friendly to a unique degree. Being alone creates a gap and pushes you to seek out connection wherever you go. Still, I think visiting a friend wins out in terms of overall fun.

I also want to mention a few blocks away from me this robot pizza place is opening. I was looking through the glass at the right time, met the owner and got a sample slice. This is so dystopian.

Chao,

Eli Fox

Mechanical Engineering

This weekend I visited a friend studying abroad in Barcelona. We spent all of Saturday hiking in Montserrat, mountains about an hour from the city. We took the cable car up to the trailhead and hiked to the summit. For lunch, we ate PB and jelly sandwiches on what felt like the top of the world.

Being with people who can be present is such a gift. We made the last cable car back and had to wait about forty minutes for the train. My backpack cards came in clutch, we played a few games (one of which I had just learned a week or two prior), and charades until then.

Lunch the next day was enjoyed at Ciutadella Park, which felt very utopian. We paused to watch people play pretend combat with pool noodles and cardboard shields. The friend I was visiting was going to the Barcelona game that day. So she parted ways at the park, and it marked the first “solo” travel moment besides getting off the airplane at Madrid.

While walking out of the park, a man with like 20 parrots on his arms caught my eye. For two euros, he was giving people seeds for wild green parrots to eat out of your hands. It was awesome. When all the seeds were gone from my hand, I realized my smallest bill was five euros. The parrot man said he didn’t have change. Alone and with the language barrier, I felt powerless and vulnerable. I let him keep the five euros. As I left the park I was unsure if I had been swindled, and realized at the minimum, I should have used the fiver to pay for someone else. At the end of the day, it was only three Euros, and a good reminder that I should really carry change.

I walked straight to Barcelona’s Pablo Picasso museum, having not known much about the guy, I was interested in checking it out. I liked how the exhibit was put together in chronological order, showing how his work changed in such abrupt ways as his life pushed him in different directions. My favorite part must have been his pocket sketch books, whose contents looked so ordinary. And how he took a break for a week or two to just do pigeons.

After the museum, I had overpriced ice cream on the beach, which I could’ve enjoyed more, but felt rushed. I was trying to see too many people and too many places in just a few hours, falling into the trap of doing too much and not actually enjoying any of it. Balancing sightseeing with spending time with friends felt tricky. Luckily, the Carmel Bunker, where people watch the sunset over Barcelona’s skyline, closed earlier than I had planned, forcing me to slow down. I ran to Sagrada Família, walked around the outside with a friend, then gathered my things, grabbed dinner, and caught the train home

On Monday, I was in my school’s buildings from 10AM to 10PM, but I was so filled with gumption from the weekend that I enjoyed the twelve hours. I felt the last week or two, I was beginning to meet fewer people and make less friends. Maybe as a byproduct of weekend travel, being absent in Madrid, and more tired when I’m back, but I feel this week it really spun around with a little bit of effort.

This week I started the War of Art by Steven Pressfield. I’m motivated to read more, especially after finishing The Obstacle is the Way, and having it be applicable almost daily. Now I’m starting to notice resistance throughout my day.

In Spain, a lot of the food has a ranking A through E, healthy to unhealthy. I was looking for a frozen pizza and saw one that was a C in a pile of Ds. So I opted for the healthier one, went home, cooked it up. Be warned. There are tuna pizzas.

my sisters reaction to my tuna pizza

I had a Spanish Exam this week, and having missed a class or two revealed how much the class actually teaches me. I was surprised to notice huge holes in my understanding compared to my classmates. 

It’s cool to go to new places to eat, but I like being a regular as well. This week, I was back at the Kabab House for their Wednesday deal and Alma Nomad bakery again with the roommates. I have also finally begun getting real 99 cent cheesecake by bringing my own jar of Nutella.

I reached out to everyone I invited from last week’s run club for this Wednesday’s run, but only one friend could come. Still, I had an equally good time as with the large group. Going with one friend lowered the stakes in terms of me organizing, leading, and feeling somewhat responsible for everyone having a good time. It was especially nice to go with someone independent, allowing us to both freely meet new people.

I told a friend in two of my classes who I didn’t know that well I was going to walk around Salamanca, wanting to consciously explore a certain neighborhood of Madrid. He wasn’t doing anything, so we walked and talked for a solid three hours with no silence. While in a cafe, talking about taking a risk and meeting new people, a study abroad student came up to our table and asked to join us.

We stopped at two churches. The friend I walked with described having a video game mindset, exploring new parts of the map, and seeing churches as ”checkpoints,” a quick reset. To go inside a beautiful space and be silent and present for a few minutes. We checked out an art gallery and finished with a short workout at El Retiro.

At one of the parks small outdoor gyms, I did my best to talk to two older ladies in Spanish. Which I considered “the real Spanish exam.” I feel that old ladies are the perfect demographic to practice with because they are super patient and so excited to speak to someone new, as long as I listen with at least my eyes, they’re smiling.

“The wonderful things can’t be planned.”

Chao,

Eli Fox

Mechanical Engineering

Comillas Pontifical Madrid

I was a little sick at the start of the week, which provided a great excuse to procrastinate on everything. Luckily, two of my roommates dragged me out for Tacos and Pizza on different nights. Thank goodness for roommates. After a long weekend full of procrastination, a class-heavy Monday was exactly what I needed to put me in a finals mentality. This week I had three finals, which I spent plenty of time studying for. A lot of the procrastination stemmed from conflicting feelings, as I tried to balance studying enough to fully understand everything against studying too much for a class I just had to pass.

To celebrate finishing a class, I invited a friend for froyo. We met on the street outside, next to a game store, which was a necessary detour. The lack of a living room prevented me from playing board games this semester, but it’ll be something I’ll appreciate much more once I’m back in Ann Arbor. It’s the greatest thing to make a friend where only a bench, an empty froyo cup, and conversation are more than enough to entertain. We sat and talked for so long that we actually grew hungry again and went for tacos. Later in the week, a planned night run with a friend turned into just playing and chatting on the monkey bars for hours. Losing track of time under the moonlight was far better than any workout.

I spent an entire day working on my circuits final project. Unfortunately, my teammate and I prioritized other exams, put it off too long, and underestimated the time it would take to complete the project. I really enjoyed the problem solving and iterating, but that enjoyment was evened out by the stress of a same day deadline and a teammate with a negative mentality. We presented and submitted our project unfinished, which was unsatisfying, especially when I was just beginning to understand certain concepts.

Midway through my circuit day, my partner and I met up with another friend for lunch. It was noon, so besides cafes, not many restaurants were open. Standing at a crosswalk, we watched a man playing a pan flute walk down the street and decided that we should follow. He led us to a Poke bowl spot. We ordered, and when it came time to pay, the card machine wasn’t working, and all of our meals were on the house.

Roller skating had been on my mind for a while, but this week I finally decided now or never and invited a bunch of friends to skate with me at El Retiro. Since I organized everything, it was my responsibility to make sure I was first. I was so stressed about being a few minutes late, yet the first person came an hour and a half after me. I threw my shoes in a bush in the park and solo skated for a while.

I was constantly passing runners, dancing groups, CrossFit and kettlebell classes. I sat for a while admiring a skate school practice, doing crazy tricks through cones and on a huge low friction mat. I skated by the outdoor gym area, saw a friend there, and felt super energized. Three friends ended up coming, one of whom joined me on skates. Together we went out to dinner and wandered for dessert. I hadn’t laughed so much in a while.

School being over put me in a noticeably calm mood perfect for getting coffee with a friend who was visiting. In addition to my frisbee, postcards and pens are things I always carry. I love to write to friends and family, but also to share the experience of writing. Two blank post cards were perfect to write and draw on with my artist friend.

Mountain biking was an easy suggestion to my two friends visiting for an activity since I had just gone last week. It was fun, but I felt responsible for keeping track of time and directing us back to the shop at the right time, which took me a bit out of the experience.

To round out the week, I went to Chabad for my last Shabbat dinner in Madrid. My friend and I walked around, and people watched in Sol and Chamberi, and ended the night staring at the robot pizza place in my neighborhood.

Adios,

Eli Fox

Mechanical Engineering

This week began with a fantastic Casa de Campo morning run. Every time it amazes me how many people are up and active running and biking at the same time as me. While in the park, I ran past some mountain bikers at a race checkpoint, which inspired me to rent a mountain bike later in the week. I’ve had the seed of mountain biking since my first days here, when I saw a poster advertising Casa de Campo’s 45 kilometers of biking trails. I finally went with two friends, and we had a great time despite the sketchy sand and gravel trails and a near fatal crash.

After returning the bikes, I checked Google Maps to get home and noticed I was right next to a place I’d saved on the app. So I took a detour into Campo del Moro, a beautiful park backing up to the Palace. Heavily recommend marking a place that interests you or is recommended because months later, it’ll pay off.

I took advantage of the good weather and joined a friend at Parque del Oeste to picnic and guitar. We did our best to brainstorm psychological experiments inspired by the kids with the telescope last week, but couldn’t come up with anything as good, and concluded they must have been geniuses.

Even in Spain, it can be easy to get cooped up inside, so whenever I feel that way, I’ve started to go to a small plaza a block away to play guitar in the fresh air. While playing, a bunch of maybe four-year-olds lined up in front of me and started jumping up and down to whatever I played. Probably the coolest and happiest moment playing guitar yet.

On the academic side, I had my final stats exam and presentation. I went out of my way to join forces with another student without a partner in hopes that I’d meet someone new and enjoy more the process of putting together the presentation. But it backfired. Unable to meet up, I co-presented a topic I wasn’t passionate about, and with little practice. In hindsight, I should’ve done it alone, I’d enjoy the process more and have more creative control. Although studying statistics was unnecessary to pass the class and ultimately unimportant, it left me feeling content with the time I spent. An illusion of productivity that feels good for the efficiency, not direction, an easy mistake I don’t want to fall deeper into.

In addition to statistics, I’ve been working on my circuits final project and also planning post school travel, which has been quite time-consuming. But I understand the planning and deciding is a privilege, and it’s got to happen for the experience.

My Spanish is continuing to improve. Just days after learning and practicing the proper way to say the time in Spanish class, while working on the blog in the park, I was asked by a stranger what the time was. It feels so rewarding when what I learn in class is so instantly applicable to the real world. When thinking about how much my Spanish has improved, it’s difficult to know how much has been learned in class, or where I’d be if I didn’t pay attention or do the homework. However, I can look over at the students sitting next to me and see the contrast in the payoff.

Spike ball has a special place in my heart. In addition to being an exciting game, the loving consensus and four-person requirement make reaching out last minute, and putting together a group, half the fun. This week, I brought together a great group of friends over spike ball and snacks.

I was invited to join a friend and his class group for Chinese food, which was a highlight this week. I noticed I haven’t spent all that much time in a consistent friend group dynamic, which is definitely missed. After, we got Acai bowls for dessert, I exploded mine all over myself and immediately laughed it off because I couldn’t be a tinge upset in the presence of such a positive group vibe.

To round out the week, my Spanish teacher gave us an assignment that required us to visit a free art museum. I went in the morning with a friend from the class, went to a cafe, and got coffee (and him beer lol). The museum was awesome and contained so many incredible paintings. What could’ve been an annoying assignment turned into a gift of a memorable morning and an excuse to hang out with a friend. 

Also check out this spiky tree I found

Chao,

Eli Fox

Mechanical Engineering

Getting back to Madrid felt good after spring break. I spent the buffer day in El Retiro on Easter, and it felt like everyone else did too. The spring colors have really taken over, it’s so vibrant. If it was utopia before, now it’s heaven. I didn’t realize I had Easter Monday off school, and was gifted another day of break, which I happily spent in the park. In the park, I ran with a friend and debriefed our spring breaks, but we were both constantly derailed by the millions of newly blossomed flowers and the need to smell them all.

The same friend brought back spike ball from spring break, which I am never not craving. The game is a perfect park activity and a fantastic way to bring friends together. It’s also awesome that a lot of Europeans have never seen spike ball before, and we’ll play in front of an audience of confused spectators.

Getting back wasn’t all roses, I noticed myself eating alone in my room, a norm before now, contrasted hard with the community living I experienced in Ireland.

I got back to the run club, which felt amazing. After doing the normal Wednesday 5k, we followed the crowd to a post run bar, which was super fancy. I was convinced a beer would cost my rent, so a friend I invited, and one I met on the run audibled Kabab King, which has much more personality. There, we fit in with sweaty running clothes much better.

Later in the week, a friend texted me about camping in the El Escorial region so Thursday after class, my friend rented a car and we set out on the trail. While the sun set, we climbed as close as we could to the peak of the mountain. We cowboy camped, my friend rocked a hammock attached to the only two trees at our elevation, and I a sleeping pad and bag on the ground. The next morning, my friend was determined to reach the peak with a view of the city, so we climbed and scouted for an hour until it was reached. On the way down, with no path, we role played as mountain goats, scaling and rock hopping to the bottom. It’s pretty awesome what you can do on a Thursday after six o’clock and a proud example of what making the most of a day looks like.

Back in Madrid, quickly, I stopped at home and headed off to the other Comillas campus to get to my friends concert. Sitting on the grass, while I waited for the band to set up, a student introduced himself to me. After a few minutes in conversation, he mentioned he wasn’t afraid to do childish things or care what others think. I mentioned I play ultimate frisbee and saw excitement appear on this guy's face. I pulled out the frisbee from my backpack, found an open spot, and tossed with him and a few others.

When the band began to play, as great as frisbee is, I didn’t come to toss. I left the frisbee with the other guys and took a seat in front of the band. Sitting in my seat, head nodding, I remembered this video, “First Follower” and imagined how epic it would be if I got everyone dancing. And I had just met someone who identified themself as the perfect person for the job! So I went back to the frisbee and brought them over to dance. I did my very best, but I remained a lone nut.

Once the concert ended, everyone cleared out quickly, except me. I felt like I had a backstage pass, staying after and meeting all the band members. My friend started playing his guitar, and the sax player grabbed his instrument. We all were naturally drawn into a circle on the grass next to the guitar and sax duo, listening to and talking over their music.

Post concert, I got the times wrong for Chabad Shabbat diner and accidentally went to the entire service portion, which felt to go by surprisingly quickly. The friend I camped with and the guitarist came at the same time. Although I really have no idea what is going on, and everything is spoken in a language I don’t understand, we discussed that in some way it sets a positive mood, being present, waiting an hour before dinner with no phone in a room full of people. Over dinner, I made a friend at our table and walked around downtown with him and the guitarist afterward. Walking around the city with good company and no destination is such a great activity. While walking, we stumbled on some kids with a telescope and rushed over that did a psychological experiment on us and left us with many unanswered questions.

Adios,

Eli Fox

Mechanical Engineering

This week I went to the Reina Sofía museum with two friends. It was cool to see Guernica, especially after learning about it in my Spanish Films class. However, it was a lot smaller than I imagined.

My roommate and I, tired and hungry on the metro back to the apartment, decided instead of fighting over kitchen space, we’d team up. We brainstormed dinner together and turned a chore into a blast. We made absolutely bomb chicken pesto pasta and homemade fries. It’s pretty crazy, I’m so pro cooking with others, but I had never cooked with my roommate before.

I’ve been meaning to fix the hole in my jeans for a few weeks, and finally made it happen. Instead of Amazon, you can get whatever random things you need at “Todo a €” stores. They are the Spanish version of the dollar store, with twice as much stuff and half the size. I bought like twenty needles for less than two euros. I had never hand sewn anything before, and I think it’s so cool. It’s silly, I’m more proud of having a stitched hole in my pants than no hole at all.

El Rastro, an outdoor market, is a fantastic Sunday morning activity. I joined a friend, and we eye shopped for a bit. The plan was to jam together after at Parque del Oeste, so I invited another friend who I knew played guitar. Even though we were in a rush to the park, stopping for a few minutes to listen to a salsa band was non-negotiable.

Since there were only two guitars and they’ve both been playing much longer than me, I got a private concert. Sitting there listening to them jam and freestyle off each other was incredible. What made the day even better was how everything came together. I made separate plans with a friend from Spanish class, but the timing just worked out where he and another classmate joined us at the park for frisbee and music. After we all grabbed a drink, I got to listen to an Egyptian and someone from rural Louisiana debate politics, you don’t get to listen to debates about having one or multiple wives very often. As soon as I got home, inspired by my friend’s ability, I took out the guitar and started learning pentatonic scales, something I had never really tried before. I tried freestyling on top of Californication and I was hit with a wave of euphoria and a huge smile.

I’m staying busy and making good use of my new climbing subscription. It’s awesome that I can bring people into my hobby and enjoy time with them at any skill level. The Grand Budapest Hotel has been on my watchlist for a while, and I finally crossed it off with my roommate in my makeshift movie theater, aka my laptop on my bed. It was a great movie, despite constant ads every ten minutes from the pirated website. I’m enjoying the small classes and the ability to connect with my teachers. In my circuits lab, I learned that my teacher has triplets and doesn’t actually use circuits in his work. He learned circuits as a hobby, which blew my mind. I also just finished The Call of the Wild and see dogs as way more badass than I did before.

I’m staying consistent with the Chabad Wednesday night dinners. This Wednesday, I made a new friend and invited them to join me and some others at Kabab King. After, we went to Dubliners, a super American bar. Some people joke that you’ll see everyone you know and their mom there, and it’s true.

After a class, my friend told me there was a jam sesh in the gym in the other building that he was going to check out. So I joined him in searching for the gym, which was hidden away with the only entrance in the corner of an outdoor courtyard. When we got into the gym, there was no jam sesh in sight. My friend asked the gym worker, who pointed us to an unmarked exit door. We opened the door, and there it was. It was less of a jam sesh and more of a band practicing. My friend mentioned he could play guitar in conversation, so one of the guitar players handed him her guitar and he was hired on the spot to perform in their concert. How cool is that! Two weeks from now I’ve got a concert to go to and someone to cheer on. This was the definition of a hidden gem.

In place of this weeks Shabbat dinner, I got TKO Tacos with the same friend, we walked around after, and he showed me his favorite bar with the most insane foosball player I have ever seen. I was naive to think foosball is a game of luck. We got destroyed, and stopped at the arcade bar to cap the night.

For lunch one day, I got roast chicken with a friend. The line was full of older locals, which was an excellent sign. We brought the food back to his small two bed apartment, with a table set in the center of the room. It was both very fancy with a table cloth and napkins set, and also very college with mismatched plastic containers as substitutes for glasses. Keeping the theme of music, we watched music videos while we ate.

This week was also super logistically heavy. I finished all my research and planning and bought all my camping gear for spring break, and now it actually feels real.

Chao,

Eli Fox

Mechanical Engineering

This weekend, I took the bus with a few friends to El Escorial and hiked to the tip of the mountain. Again, my camp counselor instincts came in handy. When we reached the peak, we were inside a cloud. It was insanely windy, cold, and drizzly. One of my friends was convinced all he needed was shorts and a T-shirt for the hike and was going through it in what felt like thirty degree weather. Luckily, the extra layers in my bag came to his rescue. My portable charger was passed around, and the little plastic garbage bag I brought for our lunch scraps was used. I was also the only one without freezing fingers thanks to my gloves. I had everything except a plastic knife.

”safety first and safety last.”

My all time favorite class occurred this week. Instead of the regular fluids lecture, we had a lab. A younger professor demonstrated cavitation, turbulent vs laminar, and vortex tubes. We finished early, and he dismissed the class with an invitation to stick around if anyone wanted to see more demonstrations. Just like in every school movie, I stood still looking at the professor while everyone made a break for the classroom to grab their backpacks. The professor, one other student, and I remained in the quiet and empty lab. The coolest thing about Comillas is that all of the teachers work in industry. I was fascinated to find out that this professor is the technical director of a nuclear power plant decommissioning process.

The weather is really beginning to be wonderful, and I’m taking full advantage by spending all of my spare time in the parks. I tossed a Frisbee on three separate occasions. While tossing with a friend from Umich Engineering, we talked for a long time about Moral Ambition, a book he had read, and what we wanted to do in life. I asked him if he would’ve read the book if he weren’t abroad, a quick no was the response. I think it’s awesome that studying abroad, in addition to exploring new culture and making new friends, allows time to read books, think about important questions, and have conversations about them.

Back home, I’m a huge fan of postcards. I love to write them, draw on them, send them, and I love that people love to receive them. Because they’re so cheap, I always have a few on me. This week, I gifted blank postcards to two friends and had them write with me.

One day, I brought my guitar to class because I was coming straight from the park. As soon as the class ended, my friend told me to pull it out, and he started jamming in the classroom. A guy from class came up to me afterward because of the guitar, asked if I was Jewish, and exchanged contacts. I invited my friend to the park and we song seshed in El Retiro. My data wasn’t working, and off the top of our heads, there was a little struggle to find lyrics we both knew. Luckily, I had a paper songbook in my guitar case, which saved the day.

Spring break is coming up and unfortunately, the friend I was going to backpack with dropped out. For multiple days, I was quite stressed, each day I researched, flights became more expensive. Planning a backcountry camping trip is a lot with a group of six, a drive away, and months ahead. And this is by myself, flights away, and in days, but eventually I booked. My plans are to solo backpack a stretch of the GR221 (The Dry Stone Route) in Majorca for three nights, then visit a friend in Ireland. In the end, it feels like a blessing in disguise getting to experience solo backcountry camping for the first time.

Being stressed and not feeling great here feels different than at home. At home, I’d feel trapped in my apartment with the weather. Here, I go on a nighttime stroll to clear my head, and that stroll can lead me to the climbing gym, open late and just minutes away.

Shin splints have forced me to take a break from my usual Wednesday runs and instead attend a Chabad (Jewish Community Center) Wednesday dinner and teaching. Because many students travel on weekends and miss Shabbat, a study abroad student started these Wednesday gatherings as a way to bring people together during the week. It was small and comfortable, so I decided to go to their Shabbat dinner on Friday.

Come Friday night, I was comfortable in my room thinking up every excuse not to go. I told myself I wouldn’t be able to talk to anyone because my Spanish isn’t good enough, that I would be underdressed, and that coming a few minutes late would be a problem. But despite those thoughts, I left my room, hopped on the bus, and arrived at the Chabad downtown. I invited two friends I knew from home, but they were both traveling, so I invited the guy from class who had come up to me earlier that week because of my guitar. That night, I met a silly dad, a Umich student, and some tourists in for the weekend. The friend I invited turned out to be a very cool and like-minded guy. Out of probably over a hundred, we were among the last people to leave, entertained by conversation and an infinite supply of sunflower seeds.

If you are Jewish and in Madrid on a Friday, this is the spot to be. (Yes dad, you can say I told you so)

In addition to having no expectations, what made dinner so awesome was the number of things that had to go as they did. Getting shin splints gave me the time to explore a new community. Bringing my guitar to class made a new connection. Multiple friends saying they couldn’t come led to inviting and making a new friend. Everything happens for a reason.

Chao,

Eli Fox

Mechanical Engineering