I had a great experience with GeoVisions. They are a reliable organization and they made my transition to Spain very simple. I didn´t have to worry about getting international health insurance or any logistics whatsoever. They took care of pretty much everything, and any questions that I had about Spain or about the program were answered during my Orientation session.
Madrid itself is an amazingly dynamic city. After living there for 3 months, I found it very hard to leave. The first few weeks I was in Madrid, I spend exploring the city and meeting with people who wanted to improve their English. I would meet with them during lunch and we would usually talk in Spanish for an hour and then in English for another hour. There are tons of museums in the area, and if you are a fan of art, you should really go to El Prado or La Reína Sofía. Also, I would go to what are called "intercambios de idiomas" (language exchanges) at a local bar or cafe. If you would like more information about this, I can give you all of the information you need (where, when, who organizes the meetings, etc.) Madrid is a very international city, and the people I met were some of the most welcoming and warm-hearted individuals I have ever encountered. You will see that Spain is a very social society (much more social, I think, than the U.S.) and if you are willing to be open and try new things, then you will find that you will make tons of friends very quickly.
The family that I was with was absolutely great. I got along very well with both the parents and the children. Actually, the family didn't want me to leave in the first place...but I had to because I still have to take classes at my university. However, they invited me to stay with them for another 3 months (or longer) next year, and I am seriously thinking of taking them up on that offer.
Here are some pointers:
- I don´t know how far away you will live from the city center, but if you want to explore Madrid a lot, make sure you buy an Abono from the Tabaco shops. This is a monthly pass that costs around 40 E per month for unlimited metro and bus rides. This may seem expensive, but it saves you so much money in the long run! Where I lived, it cost 2.60 E each way to take the bus, then an additional euro for the metro.
- I encourage you to spend as little time in the host family's house as possible because there is so much to do and learn in Madrid.
- Be sure to buy a cell phone as soon as you get to Madrid. You can buy a SIM card if you already have a cell phone where the SIM card can be replaced. I didn't buy a plan...I only used pre-pay, and that was fine by me. You can buy SIM cards at Corte Ingles and they are about 15 E. As soon as you start making friends in Madrid, you will see that a cell phone is essential because your social circle will grow like you wouldn't believe.
- Be open to new things, meetings new people, learning the language, etc...If you are open to new things, then I think Spain will have tons of pleasant surprises in stock for you.
- Travel on the weekends!! I went to about 8 cities during the 3 months that I was in Spain and I loved it! You can buy bus tickets from Estación del Sur or you can get a train from Atocha. I preferred to travel by bus because it was cheaper.