#ipemadrid

As I look back on this semester, I feel an incredible amount of joy and happiness, and I have so much to be grateful for. I was able to travel the world for the first time, experiencing new cultures, foods, ways of life, and people from a first-hand perspective I never imagined possible. I was able to take classes in a new country, uniquely learning engineering principles and lessons, while simultaneously creating relationships with classmates from different hometowns, universities, and backgrounds. I improved my Spanish immensely, which was very important to me as a Dominican descendant with a relatively limited ability before coming abroad. Most importantly, I was able to share these experiences with some of my best friends from Michigan, and from home, visiting them in their home bases as well as traveling together to new destinations almost every weekend. 

As I prepare to go home, I can’t help but feel an immense sense of appreciation and bittersweetness. I am so lucky to have been given the chance to study abroad. I grew so much as a person, and I am going to miss this feeling of freedom and opportunity that I likely will never experience again. When reflecting on my entire semester abroad, the personal growth I had while living in Europe is what I am most proud of. I found myself learning how to live in the moment more than ever. To be present and feel the feelings around me. I had the opportunity to breathe in the fresh air of Lisbon, experience new flavors in Morocco, hear new music in Amsterdam, and ski the slopes of France. Culturally, I had the chance to see world-renowned art in Italy, meet locals from the Canary Islands, and sneak oversized suitcases onto dreadful Ryanair flights. Through it all, I always had this voice in the back of my head telling me to really take it all in and remember the moments. As a stressed-out, busy, anxious college student, this feeling is hard to come by. There is always so much going on in my life, with school, work, friends, etc., that it becomes hard to take a step back and appreciate where I am and what I’m doing. This all changed while I was abroad, and I couldn’t be happier to have learned this important life skill. While I am extremely sad to “return to reality”, I have so much to look back and be thankful for. These experiences will last a lifetime, and will likely be stories my grandchildren grow sick of hearing for the hundredth time. I am, however, beyond excited to return to Ann Arbor, a place I’ve learned to call home over the last 3 years. You truly realize how much you miss the football games, Joe’s Pizza, and late-night Robotics Building study sessions when living on the other side of the world for 4 months. 

I set three goals for myself before coming abroad: aim to be open (seize opportunity), immerse yourself, and explore. I can say with certainty that I checked all these boxes, and I am incredibly proud of myself for taking the once in a lifetime chance to do so. 

I also want to take this chance to say THANK YOU to my parents for supporting and encouraging me during this time, and to IPE UMich for making this possible. This was an unforgettable experience, and one I cannot recommend highly enough. 

Sebastian Wallace-Perdomo

Industrial and Operations Engineering

As my program wraps up, I spent the last week taking final exams for all my classes. While they were difficult, I was able to have good enough grades throughout the semester to not stress too much about final grades. This week was a difficult grind, nonetheless, but it was great to end the week with one of my final trips abroad: opening weekend in Ibiza. My friends and I got an awesome Airbnb right by the beach, giving us some relaxing mornings mixed with the partying and concerts going on in Ibiza. This island was unbelievable, and a place that doesn’t sleep. My friends and I spent the weekend seeing every sunrise, and it was an extremely memorable and bittersweet way to end my semester abroad. The music was incredible, and being surrounded by all my friends experiencing something like this for the first time was unforgettable. This was a Friday-Tuesday endeavor, and I came home absolutely wiped, needing 17 hours straight of sleep just to recover. It was well worth it, though, and as my semester comes to an end, I have so much to be grateful for. 

Sebastian Wallace-Perdomo

Industrial and Operations Engineering

IPE Madrid, Spain

After spending multiple weeks growing somewhat exhausted from school, it was nice to finally get a nice long spring break and visit Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Here, my friends and I were able to find an awesome Airbnb overlooking the water, with a great balcony and plenty of space to hang out. We were fortunate enough to explore much of the island, visit a new beach and area every day during our long stay (Monday-Thursday), and soak up the sun. We also got to spend a day on a boat, exploring the coast, cliff jumping, and snorkeling around various reefs. This was one of my favorite trips abroad because Madrid had begun to feel very landlocked and claustrophobic. Something about hearing the sounds of waves crashing and tossing a football around in the sand was exactly the recharge I needed heading into finals week. Unfortunately, some of the things on my bucket list, such as a volcano hike, golfing, and a water park, were difficult to make happen, but I highly recommend these to anybody else who has the chance to make the trip. After Tenerife, over the weekend, I got to visit two of my best friends from high school who have been studying in Valencia, which was an awesome experience and extremely easy trip to make from Madrid. Here, I was able to experience the student life in a new city, as well as attend Easter Sunday Mass at the famous cathedral. Once recharged, I headed into the grind of finals week for the home stretch of classes here at Universidad Pontificia Comillas.

Sebastian Wallace-Perdomo

Industrial and Operations Engineering

After Morocco, I spent the week relaxing/recovering and focusing on school work. With finals coming up, it was important to me to get all work done before spring break to fully enjoy the week-long vacation I have coming up. During the week, I went to classes and shopped in Madrid. One of my favorite European-based brands, Nude Project, opened up a new flagship store, and my friends and I went to pick up some new pieces and explore the area full of similar stores. It was also one of my best friend’s birthday, so we set up a surprise dinner and went out together during the week to celebrate. After finishing all my work, I now look forward to my spring break trip to Tenerife and Valencia. My friends and I will get some much-needed sun and beach time, play some golf, and explore the beautiful national park and volcano in the center of the island.

Morocco is THE trip to do abroad. What an unbelievable trip! The cultural immersion I was able to experience while in Africa was second to none, and it made me realize how different life can be simply based on the randomness of where one is born. This was a trip where a smile didn’t leave my face, and I had trouble pulling out my phone even to take a picture; all I wanted to do was live in the moment. From experiencing the food and life in Marrakech, to travelling through hundreds of little villages on the way to the desert, to experiencing the Sahara firsthand, this trip was full of surprises and happiness. I realized while in Morocco that I’ve never truly had African food, and I was not disappointed. The flavors are unique and interesting, and their famous hot tea is a staple at every meal. While the food was a highlight, I will recommend being careful. I stopped paying attention to what I was eating and ended up getting very sick halfway through the trip. Nonetheless, it didn’t matter. The trip felt too good to be true. We had the opportunity to ATV through the desert, ride camels to camp, stay in tents overnight, and experience local village music and dancing. The entire trip felt straight out of a movie, and it was an unforgettable experience. Looking forward, I am excited for my spring break trips to Tenerife and Valencia before I’m in the home stretch of final exams! 

Sebastian Wallace-Perdomo

Industrial and Operations Engineering

After a crazy few weeks, it was good to settle back into Madrid and get a chance to some more local things. My week started off great, with a class visit to the Reina Sofia Museum, in which I got to see works from the likes of Dali, Picasso and others. This was a very interesting experience, to say the least. The works were very unique and different to anything I’ve seen in the past, and while I wasn’t necessarily the biggest fan, it was worthwhile to go see something new. In my opinion, however, Museo del Prado is a much better museum with art closer to my taste. Later in the week, I had the opportunity to relearn SOLIDWORKS in my dynamics class, which was both interesting and extremely useful for my upcoming internship this summer. Aside from that, I also spent time with friends going out to eat at a famous (super cheap!) taco place called Takos Al Pastor, and watch some March madness basketball. We all stayed up until 5am for the Michigan - Auburn matchup, and despite the loss, was a fun experience I won’t forget. The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing and catching up on school work as I get ready for my 4 day trip to Morocco!

Sebastian Wallace-Perdomo

Industrial and Operations Engineering

Right after Dublin, I flew to Lyon, France, for Tomorrowland Winter. This festival is unlike any other and is referred to as “Disneyland for adults” worldwide. This event involves 4 days of waking up at 8 am, skiing all day, and stage hopping on the mountain before coming in at 6 pm to shower, nap, and go to more concerts at night. Like I’ve said before, I’ve kind of accepted that my time abroad means I don’t sleep much anymore (probably not the best idea), but it was worth every minute lost. This electronic music festival, to me, has been the highlight of my time abroad and will probably be one of the best weeks of my life. So many Michigan friends came together from across Europe to meet at this festival, leaving us in concerts with 10-15 people at a time. Something about being in the French Alps (Alpe d’Huez) with your best friends listening to great music brought so much happiness out of me, and I am incredibly sad that this trip is over. 

While returning to a Thermodynamics class and exam right after a trip like this may not be ideal, it keeps me grounded and focused on strengthening my academics. I’ve found myself complaining to friends and family that it feels like classes get in the way of my experience in the past, so it’s hard to remind myself that this is part of the experience. Learning material through a different lens, remaining focused on my studies, and continuing to work towards my degree all keep me appreciative of the opportunities I’ve had and remind me that life is about finding balance.

Sebastian Wallace-Perdomo

Industrial and Operations Engineering

After spending a few rest weeks between late February and early March, one of the main trips I had been looking forward to since last October finally arrived. The first part of this trip involved Dublin, Ireland, for St. Patrick’s Day weekend. This was an absolute blast and one of the best times I’ve had abroad. Everyone from around Europe came together and pub hopped various locations, all wearing green and excited to celebrate the holiday. What was so refreshing about this, in my eyes, was the UK feel that was so different from typical Europe. It almost felt homelike in a way, which was nice considering home-sickness has started to hit at various points throughout my time abroad. Speaking English 24/7 and being able to learn/have in-depth conversations with locals was so refreshing and interesting, and something easier to come by than it is in Europe with so many different languages. Aside from the bar hopping, we were able to indulge ourselves in good food such as local fish and chips and one of my personal favorites, Nando’s Peri Peri Chicken. Food has always been one of the most important things I look for in a new city, and these two places did not disappoint. Moving away from the food and drink, my friends and I were able to take a visit to the breathtaking Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. This was very important for me to see, given my Irish heritage and religious values, and sending pictures home to my family was very special. I even was able to buy a pin of my family crest which is something I plan to hold onto for a very long time. All in all, this was a fantastic trip and a great first leg before heading to the French Alps for Tomorrowland! 

Sebastian Wallace-Perdomo

Industrial and Operations Engineering