Erina Shin
Erina Shin
Madrid, Spain 2025
Hi! My name is Erina Shin, and I am so excited to take part in this amazing opportunity spending 3 months in Madrid, Spain where I will partake in an international developmental program supporting immigrants and their transoceanic needs in the country. Read More About Erina →

Photo Dump and Project Finalization!

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Hey everyone! I have officially made it back home and have completed my Lumos project. 🙂 I’ll provide a more in depth report of what I’ve done with my presentation coming up, but wow has it been a dream. This opportunity has opened a path into my future that I thought I wasn’t sure I would be able to have, and I’m forever blessed. For now, here’s another photo dump and thanks for following along in my journey!

Here’s my younger sister in Spain visiting before starting her study abroad program through Belmont in Paris for a semester! This was her first time in Spain, so it was only right to try and show her around as much as I could

We explored Toledo (a city just about an hour south of Madrid) too! It was so incredibly hot... It was the hottest it had ever been in the region this weekend...  but regardless we pushed on!

We even saw the Bolivian festival that was set to happen that weekend as well on Gran Vía! We didn’t stay for too long, but it was amazing to see the traditional dances and music on the street!

Then, the following weekend after my sister left for Paris, I went to Marbella, Málaga to see the beach again as my last trip before having to come back home the following week. This trip was amazing and don’t even get me started with the seafood! The food was incredibly fresh and quite literally the best seafood I’ve had.

Once I got back to Madrid, I spent the rest of the week resting and visiting the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum and a park nearby that I’d never gone to before. The Thyssen museum is located just a few minutes away from the Prado and had beautiful artwork as well.

And of course, more peacocks along the way!

And I even got to see the renovated Bernabéu stadium which seemed like a huge spaceship after work being done since 2019! The stadium is now undergoing its final completion phase, and should be ready for full use soon. It’s an incredible work of architecture, and the time and effort shows it all.

This trip has been incredibly special, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else in the world. These last two weeks have been tranquil yet still very exciting to explore parts of the city I’d never seen before. I’ve learned so much, and the connections I’ve made here are some that I’ll never lose. Not only had this experience taught me to step out of my comfort zone, but it has pushed me to be a better version of myself. Whether it be improving my Spanish, trying new foods, or exploring places solo, it all has expanded my capacity of who I am as an individual. No matter how small a detail like this may feel, it builds who I am, and I’m incredibly proud of what I have been able to do abroad here in Madrid, and it has motivated even more to pursue what I want to do after this. I look forward to more adventures ahead with this experience now with me! Again, thanks for following along my short but meaningful journey. 🙂

My Final Week – A Turn Back To Reality (pt. 2)

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Along with my last blog update, there has been a lot of other things I’ve been able to do as well outside of the work I’ve been doing. One of the most exciting moments being my sister coming into town to visit before she started her study abroad program in Paris this semester through Belmont!

When my sister came, I was able to show her around the city and take her to many places she wanted to visit as well. For example, the day that she arrived, we walked through the Prado Museum and Retiro Park after she took a needed break from a relatively long flight. There, we saw as much as we could of the beautiful artworks as well as the more notable ones. Then, we walked all the way to one side of the park that had the roaming peacocks since she had been wanting to see them for a while. After some much needed sleep the next day having done a good amount of walking all through her jet-lag, we continued on our exploration throughout the area. This included a day trip to Toledo, a beautiful town about an hour south of Madrid where the town was built around castle ruins. The town including Madrid that weekend was incredibly hot with the heatwave going on that we were trying our best to hide in the shade as best as we could all day. However, the heat wasn’t going to ruin her weekend and the remaining days were filled with showing her around Sol, Gran Vía, Fuencarral, and El Rastro as each are very well known locations nearby one other. Of course there are many other places as well, but these were the places that stood out to her. Overall, her visit to Madrid for the first time went smoothly, and I’m super grateful to have been able to be with her when she did.

The next activity I was able to do over the following weekend was take a weekend trip to Marbella down south again by the beach! Here, the weather was amazing and the seafood was incredibly fresh. During August, many people escape to the beaches because of the heat, and Marbella showed exactly just that. Here, I was able to enjoy some time off again and enjoy the heat away from Madrid’s concrete oven-like heat for a few days. Gratefully, the weekend passed by smoothly, and I was able to get back to Madrid right as the heatwave was predicted to pass. Now, Madrid has cooled down an immense amount, and the summer is coming to an end. With September just around the corner, and a few days left in my trip, it’s been an impacting experience filled with joys of learning. There’s so much I’ll be taking home with me from here, and we’ll see what these last couple days have in store for me 🙂

Another blog and photo dump coming soon! Keeping up with this blog has been a blast, and I can’t wait to show you all what more beautiful things I’ve been able to see!

My Final Week – A Turn Back To Reality (pt. 1)

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Wow have these last few weeks flown by! It’s been an incredibly bittersweet last couple of days thinking about my return back to the U.S., but I’m leaving Spain with incredible experiences, new connections, and a lot of emotions. I think I have a better sense of self and learned that I am capable of doing a lot of things outside of my comfort zone. Being placed in a situation to speak only in Spanish not only pushed me to reach past my speaking limits but it bettered it in the process.

In my last couple weeks of work, I’ve reflected a lot about what I’ve done and what social work in this area consists of here in Madrid. Many of which deals with a lot of in-person work as well as telephonic. The majority of people that reach out for assistance almost always reach out telephonically because many people either don’t have access to cars or leave outside the central part of the city. And although public transportation in Madrid is amazing, it can still be quite difficult for those that don’t have access to it from a distance. It’s amazing to see all the work the people in my organization have done. The roles each person plays are crucial and important to provide the best assistance possible for the immigrants who are in need of resources. Also being able to see everything first hand has shown me that it’s hard work and takes a team effort to make the process for them flow in a better direction.

This is a short but sweet update of work, and another part will come this week talking about some new places l’ve been able to visit 🙂

New Tasks + Weekend Trip!

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What a blast these last few weeks have been. From accumulating more experiences at work to having a weekend off with friends at the beach in Valencia, it has been great. I couldn´t be more grateful for all the friends that I´ve made here and to be able to travel with them is amazing.

At work, due to renovations being done at the second office location in the city, I have been able to assist my coworkers with different tasks. Although I haven´t been traveling outside the city center as I had been in June and July, there is still much work to be done in preparation for September’s work month. Making appointments with immigrants that need paperwork done with the lawyer to receive consultations on their situation in the country, it’s a lot of work to handle. Moreso, it’s interesting to see how this process goes with the organization here. For example, handling important documents, bringing in paperwork, and the next steps that are needed to get these people in a better position than where they are now. The lives these people lived in their home country to come to Spain in hopes of living a better life are what keeps them dedicated in their journey. For some, even without having proper paperwork, are trying to find ways to solidify their legalization and standing within the country. Many of which come from finding a job, but it’s difficult without proper paperwork and schooling. From the people that I was able to sit and interact with, with my coworker, most immigrants that came looking for help either had no college or high school degree, and to find jobs without having had higher education is hard and quite limited in any instance. However, although it’s hard, there’s always hope in finding what they need and living the life they hope they can live.

Outside of work, I’ve been able to rest and spend some quality time with friends that I’ve met here. Whether that be grabbing lunch or dinner with them or simply just walking around the city and hanging out, I’ve been enjoying and trying to make the most out of the time off that I have. This past weekend, I was able to take a trip out to Valencia where we went to the beach and explored different parts of the city. We also saw the sunset and how lively the beachside was during the evenings. Of course, this was all combined with amazing paellas and seafood! The food was incredibly fresh! Having been once, I thought I had a feeling of what I could expect the city to be, but oh was I wrong… Valencia is another incredibly large city with so much you can do. Although many people travel down for the beach and paellas, the city has a special charm that people would have to come visit to understand.

I can’t wait to see what more awaits these coming days! This has been an incredible experience so far, and I couldn’t be more grateful to be able to do what I do with my coworkers and friends.

Photo Dump!

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Here is a photo dump of the past couple weeks of what I have seen day to day exploring and traveling around Madrid for work 🙂

These pictures are from small towns called Villaconejos, Titulcia, Navalcarnero, and Caraba̱a Рplaces I went with my coworker to attend and assist people who needed help with finding resources and could not make it down to Madrid themselves. From what I have noticed, many of these towns are incredibly small and only have locals or immigrants (mostly Latin American and Morrocan) living there. Nontheless, the towns are filled with life and have their own, respective charm to them!

And here are some photos of what my work has looked like:
These are from Casa de Américas where the Bolivian presentation took place to announce the official date of the celebration on Gran Vía on August 16th! The building was incredibly beautiful and is a consortium for strengthening bonds with Spain and America (particularly with Latin America):
Here are some photos of what I have seen outside of work including places I have been for the first time/some that have changed since I have been here!:
Candelada – a beautiful town with natural mountain pools!
El Rastro – a part of Madrid that becomes a bustling flea market on Sundays! Here, there are a diverse range of goods and specialty shops where historic sites line the area as well as typical bars. One of those historic areas also being La Latina where August celebrations occur as people are on break.
And... some more photos of different parts of the city!:
Watching the sunset at a park called “El Parque de las Siete Tetas”, walking towards a park called “Campo Grande” and crossing a beautiful bridge on the way, seeing ducks and an immense book fair in Retiro, as well as simply passing by the streets of Madrid.

Calm Season

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Another two weeks have gone by and it´s been a mix of good work and some time off. With July ending and August starting, many businesses and stores are closing for break and vacation. I´m not quite sure if this is what it´s like in other parts of Europe, but in Spain, the end of July and all the way through August are dead periods where not much goes on within the country. During this time of break for many, there are a number of local events that happen as well as construction throughout the city that take place during this time. This can range from renovations, reconstructions, and new roads and you see this all take place throughout the summer months. Initially, there is little construction that progresses into more cranes, bulldozers, and concrete being placed around the city. This has increased traffic and commute times a generous amount, but because there are less people around, the traffic and construction cancels out.

This is all to say, work has been less busier than usual. My coworker and I are traveling less around the city and are spending more time reaching out to people electronically while organizing paperwork. With many people who we have on file on vacation, it’s harder to get in contact with them. However, this doesn´t stop the work we are trying to get done for when break ends. There´s still plenty to do in order to prepare for the upcoming season of work here and I´m grateful to be a part of it. This past week, the organization was invited to attend a presentation at Casa de Américas about a celebration coming up representing Bolivian culture on August 16th. Many other Bolivian based organizations, reporters, and people who work in Casaméricas were there to present and support the occasion! There were a couple performances of traditional dances that we would be able to see that day as well.. It was incredible to see the cultural differences between Bolivia and Spain from simply a few snippets of dances. That Friday was also a national holiday for Spain, so I was able to have a day off of work and have a longer, relaxing weekend. 🙂

With a little more time off to myself, I´ve been trying to figure out what I can do to maximize my opportunities in what I can do here. Even though I´ve visited many places around the city by myself and with friends, I´m trying to go out of my comfort zone and try exploring different parts of the city that many tourists don´t go to. In attempting to do this, I´ve noticed that the Spaniards continue to take advantage of their time as a community. Many local and smaller restaurants and bars continue to be filled with people throughout the night getting together with family and friends. This aspect is one that I admire about Spanish culture and wish that there were more places in the U.S. like this. I think we’ve become accustomed as a country to see bar culture, especially during the evening, as places of parties while having drinks. Here, people see bar culture as places to enjoy spending time with other people while conversing and eating tapas throughout the day. Not to mention bars are typically also places for families and kids at any point in time!

Side note: pictures will be posted soon!

New Experiences :)

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Hey everyone! Here’s another update for you all about what has gone on since the last:

To start off, my roommates and I with a few other friends went to Madrid’s Pride weekend celebration on the 5th! I had never gone to any in the U.S., and I had heard that Pride weekend in Madrid was filled with fun events for all, so I couldn’t not go. Unfortunately, I did not celebrate the 4th of July with a backyard barbecue with family, but I was able to talk and reflect on the day with my roommates wondering what our families were up to that day. Of course, we knew it was going to be a day of celebration, but Madrid had a couple places to recognize the day for the Americans that were there. Since then, the following the days I was able to spend time with my friends during the evenings after work watching the sunset while having a picnic at a park nearby, going out to eat tapas throughout the city, and exploring places outside Madrid. This past weekend I was able to go about an hour and a half outside the city to a town called Candelada and spend the day there at their natural pools that was filled with water purely from the mountains by the city. It was beautiful to see... I had never seen water so clear. Then, the following day, I was able go out to a park and play basketball and paddle with a friend. I hadn’t played basketball in so long, and padel was something I wasn’t accustomed to, so it was a day of learning and fun. For those that don’t know what paddle is, imagine tennis but with a softer and larger pickle ball paddle where the court is lined with a wall/barrier where you can play the ball off of. It’s an interesting sport to say nonetheless, but very entertaining to play.

In terms of work, l’ve had a mix of working with people directly with my coworker to more administrative work compiling/organizing paperwork for those that we had seen over the last couple days. In terms of in-person work, my coworker and I spent a few days last week at the organization’s other office location in Usera where we hosted more courses for those looking for basic assistance in finding work around the area. I was able to assist them 1 on 1 to teach them how to start writing one as well as using the technology they had to their advantage. Many of them struggled navigating their phones and computers, so it was a mix of teaching them how to use one as well as conversing with them to better learn about their abilities and characteristics. From establishing better understanding of their past work experience and their potentiality working here in Spain (depending on if they had necessary paperwork or not), I was able to assist them the best I could and redirect them to more professional help if they needed whether it be on the phone or in person.

Otherwise, in terms of these recent past two weeks, this is practically all! Spending time with friends, going out to explore more parts of the area that l’ve never been to, and eating good foods has been the routine so far. It’s been a continuing wonderful experience here so far, and I’m grateful for the work that l’m doing for the organization as well as the locals here.

To more adventures ahead 🙂

 

Meaningful Observations and Insightful Experience

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These past two weeks has been one for the books. Since the last blog, I visited the Reina Sofía National Art Museum, went to Madrid’s Chinatown, saw my host family in Valladolid (the kids LOVED the snacks), hung out with friends, and had very productive days at work.

Having already visiting the Prado Museum here in the past, the Reina Sofía was one I really wanted to visit for a while. The artworks of Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso were amazing to see, especially Picasso’s famous Guernica piece. There were so many other artworks of many Spanish artists that filled the museum, and walking around I noticed it was primarily a museum of modern and contemporary art. The Prado museum holds more classical European works with pieces of Diego Velázquez, Francisco Goya, and El Greco. Of course, this isn’t all but simply the names that stand out the most. This is to say, the Reina Sofía museum was amazing and cannot be compared to the Prado museum due to their distinct and differing artworks. Each holds intrinsically beautiful pieces that make the museums what they respectfully are.

One of my roommates and I this day also went to the Chinatown of Madrid where there was a diverse array of stores, foods, and culture. If anyone reading now has been to cities like New York or Chicago, seeing their Chinatown and the one here is quite similar but still holds their unique qualities. Having been to the Chinatown in New York, I feel as if there was a more diverse range of people that would visit the area than Madrid. Here, you see a mostly concentrated Chinese community roaming around together which is a fact that I recently learned working with my organization here. Apparently, many of the Chinese immigrants in Madrid like to stick together, and stay within their community than to expand out. This is to say, that there is somewhat of a cultural difference in being in Spain versus the U.S. When I think of Nashville, yes, we do see more concentrated areas of immigrants or people of color around the city. However, I noticed that I feel as if it’s still somewhat more diverse when roaming around in Nashville, compared to here. In Madrid, even myself as an Asian, if I walk around certain parts of the city that may have a much smaller racially diverse population, I experience being looked/stared at as I walk by. It’s definitely an odd feeling but something that I’ve become accustomed to while having been here in the past and today.

Next, my trip to Valladolid was one I truly cherished. Seeing my host family again after a while was so fun, and I was able to see the kids’ triathlon competition! Once they were done, we spent time at the pool at their grandparents’ house eating wonderful homemade lasagna and playing paddle. We celebrated the recent birthdays of the daughter and the dad, and it was a beautiful day to spend time with one another. Although it was only a day trip, I made the most out of it as I could and couldn’t be more grateful for their hospitality.

I also had an incredible last two weeks at work. Going through paperwork, the data we collected while going to different parts of the city, and taking calls, I’ve learned so much about what the recent immigrants in this community seek for. Many people are in search of job opportunities but face difficulties finding them due to their lack of paperwork. Thus, they seek the organization’s help to find places that take in individuals without them while we help them through the process of getting those paperwork done. My coworker and I went back to Villaconejos after a while to assist a Moroccan family receive their paperwork as well as sign other individuals up for Spanish classes to better their speaking, writing, and reading abilities. We also went back to Carabaña to help others as well, and I was able to practice speaking English with someone who asked for time with me to talk. It’s been a great two weeks of experience since the last, and I continue to look forward to what I can learn about myself and this community through my work with this organization.

I’ve realized that my last post has been deprived of photos, so here are some that I’ve taken since then!

Side note: It’s been sweltering hot these last few weeks... According to many of the locals, the Madrilenian summer heatwave has begun early.

Settling In

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Hey everyone! Today marks already my 13th day in Madrid, but I feel like I’ve been here forever.. Time flies when you’re having fun! This week has been one to remember. I thought my coworker and I had a very productive time going to a town west of Madrid called Aldea de Fresno (one of which we visited once last week), and helping a number of immigrant women. Instead of traveling from one town to the other like the week prior, this week we spent everyday at Aldea de Fresno with the same group of women teaching them about Spanish work culture, what to expect, helped perform mock interviews, and even revised and created their CV’s. We did lots of activities with one another that brought a lot of laughter and connection amongst the group, and I couldn’t be happier with how much more comfortable these group of women felt after.

Each day was blocked off with presentations, a snack break, then an activity or using computers to help them manage their way through job sites. One thing my coworker stressed to them was the importance of being able to use technology. Nowadays, being able to function a laptop or computer can go a long way in any type of work that they do. This would go along with using our phones to good use as well. Being able to navigate a job sites, social media, or any platform that can bring employment opportunities was a big step in their journey here in the country. It was interesting to see the contrast of how some women knew how to navigate a computer whereas some didn’t really know how to at all. These women I helped out to the best of my abilities from logging in, navigating to websites, and even using the touch pad to their advantage. However, even with their slight challenge towards technology, I knew that each woman in the room was incredibly strong, diligent, and could work in any sector that gives them a chance. Of course, we talked about the significance of communication, body language, and managing stress as well, but we primarily spent the most amount of time showing them the reigns of technology.

Another important topic we addressed was workplace discrimination. How it affects us, what we could expect, and why we may experience such treatment. As immigrants, we made clear that even though much has changed and Spain’s community has become very diverse, there is still signs of discrimination in the community. People of color, those in the LGBTQ+ community, women in general, and even disabled individuals are typically treated contrastingly. In Spain, many people of color are seen working in the cleaning, cooking, and personal service industry. One note that I never realized that my coworker mentioned was that when looking around, there is not one colored Spanish law enforcement officer walking around the city at all. She explained how many years ago there used to be job listings that said they were looking for “Spanish only” but those have been taken down since laws changed towards promoting more diversity and less discrimination. Hearing all of this made me realize that the U.S. truly isn’t any different still, and we continue to see discrimination throughout the country. Hopefully, bringing awareness to this topic allows these women to stay in a relative headspace in what they can expect, and will allow them to stand strong in what they have the opportunity to do.

Now that is to say, I didn’t just do work and nothing all week. With the work part summed up as best as I can without stretching it out too far, I did some other personal activities after these days as well. This week my roommates and I met other people within our program and spent some time out together. We had dinner at an amazing all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant and also went to the pool the following day. It’s incredible to see just how busy the city is now that it’s finally summer break for many people because everywhere we went was packed. Most places have been a mix of tourists and locals, but it has been fun nonetheless. I think the mix of commotion in the city brings more productivity out of all of us, and it gives me joy to do the little things whether that be taking a simple walk to the grocery store, going to the gym to workout, or having conversations with my roommates. Although I do love tranquil days as well, there is something about blending into a bustling city that places me in a focused headspace. And not to forget, this Sunday I’ll have the chance to travel back to Valladolid where I studied abroad through Belmont the last two summers and see my host family! I brought their favorite American snacks (Goldfish and Nerds) that they asked for a year prior, and it’s the birthday week of the daughter and dad, so I can’t wait to see their reactions and spend the day with them.

That’s all for now! Until the next blog. Hasta pronto 🙂

Finding My Rhythm

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Hola from Spain! I have officially completed my second (technically first) day of work (yesterday was more of an orientation and getting the hang of their system/what I should expect to do), and I couldn’t be more excited for what I can learn from this experience. Some updates of what has happened over the last 3 days since arriving early Saturday morning: first, as I was in the process of moving into my apartment officially, I had the chance to hang out with Belmont’s study abroad program that is happening right now in Valladolid! They were in Madrid for the weekend, so I was able to reconnect with friends and professors. I was incredibly grateful to see them again post graduation, and plan on visiting them one more time before they leave this month.

Second, it is SO hot here. The heat has been keeping me sweaty everywhere I go, and it’s crazy to hear that this isn’t even as hot as Madrid can get during the summer. There are many people here on vacation touring from all over the world, and there seems to be a consistent trend of sun hats and umbrellas to keep the sun out of their faces. However, I can’t complain because, overall, the weather has been sunny with little to no clouds. It does make it a bit dry, but I would take dry than sticky and humid any day!

Third, my roommates moved in Sunday, and I was able to hang out with them during different points in time as each was arriving. That night was Carlos Alcaraz’s French Open finals match and because the TV in our room wasn’t working at the time, one of my roommates and I went to a nearby bar to watch the game! The environment was electric with many people from all over the world coming in to support Carlos’ win against Jannik Sinner. Then, shortly after, the UEFA Nations League final played where Portugal and Spain went head to head. Unfortunately, Spain lost in the penalty shootout after overtime, but it was a great match to watch nonetheless. For Spain to have two sports represented in respective finals matches was amazing to see since the city was fully alive throughout the evening. If only Spain could have pulled through at the end of the soccer match, but I guess you could say we win some and lose some!

To finish this quick recap, I think I’m starting to find my pace around what I’m doing and helping the organization. Today actually, I learned so much about the process in which it takes for immigrants to find jobs and be legalized to work here. Just like the U.S., Spain also has undocumented immigrants that work and organizations such as the one I’m working with has social workers and labor relations staff that attempt to find ways for these people to receive the documentation they need and work legally. Seeing and speaking with my colleague I’m shadowing, they told me that immigrant women tend to have the hardest time finding jobs, and they typically assist them more than men. We traveled to Carabaña, a small town (pueblo), which is about a little over an hour east of the city center but still in the autonomous community of Madrid and met with immigrants who lived in the area. Here, I was able to organize files/documentation as well as see in person the process in which a person working in labor relations assists those that need jobs and proper documentation.

In the meantime, here are some photos that I’ve taken recently. I’m excited to see what more I can experience 🙂