Romantic vs. Realistic, 1st week of school, & my new apartment!

¡Buenos días! !Y feliz fin de semana! (Good morning! & happy weeekend!) I am currently writing this from the desk of my new apartment, enjoying the last tid bit of coffee from breakfast, and looking out into the cloudy sky of Madrid. Much has happened since I last shared my thoughts with you. I've now been in Spain for ten days, though it feels like longer than that! So let me catch you up!

This past Monday (the 2nd of November) I left the city center, and the hip neighborhood of Malasaña where I had been staying since my arrival, for the small town life of Buitrago de Lozoya, where I have been assigned to a bilingual, primary school teaching English. Like all new things, I was feeling anxious about taking the bus and dragging my whole life (my 2 suitcases and backpack) to this new place. What if I can't find the bus? What if I look ridiculous with all my stuff? What if I take the wrong bus? or get off at the wrong stop and am stranded?! Well, I am happy to report that even with all my worries, everything turned out just fine. I easily found my bus and had plenty of time to wait in line. I even made it to Buitrago, if you can believe it! This small town, of less than 2,000 people is about 90 minutes from Madrid, give or take for traffic, number of stops, and time a day. On Monday, it took me about 2 hours. When I arrived, I was completely in love! Buitrago is surrounded by mountains, a beautiful river, and old Moorish walls. The streets are small, cobblestone roads, wide enough for only one car. So, if you can imagine a movie where an American is traveling to a small foreign town, and having a hard time with all her luggage, this was me on Monday. And of course the weather was warm and sunny, middle of the day, and also a Spanish holiday when I arrived, so many people were outside enjoying beers and tapas, watching me struggle with my bright red suitcases and clearly knowing that I was not from around there! But, sometimes I just gotta remind myself to keep going. I just need to get to point A today.

I have found the Spanish people to be very friendly and welcoming. At this point, I still wasn't sure of where to live. Buitrago is this quaint mountain town, and Madrid is a lively international city. Living in Buitrago would be cheaper, and I could walk to school everyday, and living in Madrid would mean almost double the cost and a long commute to and from home. So, while I was weighing the pros and cons, Pedro, the school PE teacher, kindly let me stay in an extra room in his house for the week. I love the atmosphere, but in the end, decided to move back to Madrid. Do you ever have this weight on your shoulders when you have a big decision to make? And it bothers you for days on end? This is how I felt about living in Buitrago. I wanted to want to live there. But it felt uncomfortable and cold and lonely in the house, and I knew that living there long term, I would not enjoy my experience. It just did not seem worth saving the money or time. Once I made my decision to be in Madrid, I felt 100x less stressed and much happier. I will love being in Buitrago when I need to be, but I will also love living in Madrid, exploring its streets, and getting to know my new roommates!

(Below are all pictures from walking around Buitrago.)

My first week at the school was a blast! I work with 1st-5th graders in the areas of English language, Science, and art. I am there mostly as a supportive role to the teachers and to help with pronunciation. Its interesting though...here in Spain they learn British English, meaning different spellings of some words. Also, the British accent is more desired than an "American" accent, which I guess makes sense geographically. Anyway, the teachers are so kind and welcoming. I think they are very appreciative to have me working with them. The kids are wonderful as well: most of the time they are well behaved and fun to be around, but some can be hooligans for sure. I am still working on learning their names and what techniques work the best when teaching. My most memorable experience from the week was from my very first day. I worked with a 4th grade science lab, explaining how the heart and lungs work. We actually dissected hearts and lungs of lambs, learned how the trachea transports oxygen, and how blood flows through the heart, then to the rest of the body! It was incredible! I think I even understand this process better now after having learned it in a hands on manner. In my opinion, this seems somewhat advanced for the grade level and considering it was taught in English. I'm super proud of these kiddos! But also, I was definitely watching to make sure no youngin' cut another with a dissecting razor...

(Below you can see the street walls on the way up to the school...super colorful, creative, and fun! The middle picture is at the entrance of the school!)

( The view of the mountains from and "patio" of my school, and my first day of school outfit!)

Fast forward to Saturday (Nov. 17, today!). I have unpacked my suitcases and am in Madrid to stay! All week has been rainy and cold, which I have enjoyed, but today the sun has decided to peek out just enough for me to sit on the patio. I feel so at home and welcomed in my new place. I have 3 other roommates, all in their early 30s: Shamala, who is orginally from Bangladesh but now lives in Poland and is in Spain for 3 months working on her PHD, Michel, who is from Luxemburg and also working on a PHD, and Arushi, who is orginally from India but then moved to New Jersey and has lived in Spain for one year already, is also an auxiliare de conversacion teaching English like me. They have made the transition to living in Madrid very easy and are able to answer all my questions along the way!

Pictures around the apartment:

1&2-Kitchen and washing machine.

3&4-My bedroom and view from my desk.

5-My bathroom.

6-Living room.

7-This little guy...I don't know where he came from, but I'm sure there's a story.

8-Patio.

9-View of my building from the street...We are on the third floor: down and to the right of the "Edifico Victoria" you can see our patio!

10&11-View of the street from the patio.

So now you can picture where I'll be! I know that when my friends and family are away, I like to see their homes because I can better visualize them in their new space!

Other thoughts, firsts, & pieces to share:

Today I did my first big grocery shopping...and I shouldn't have gone on a Saturday morning! It was quite busy, and I had no idea what to buy...I ended up with some basics, eggs, milk, yogurt, fruit and veggies. I even went inside the French bakery for a baguette and breakfast goodies...I will absolutely be going back! I went to "Mercadona," basically the supermarket. And last, to the fruit stand! There are several "frutierias" nearby for fresh fruits and veggies. But here's the catch: I can only buy what I can carry with me! In the United States, we are used to going to the store maybe once a week or maybe even once in two weeks. But in Spain, many people take public transportation or walk to the grocery store. So the key is to only buy what I need for the day or 2 days, and then I'll have to go back soon! Thankfully the walk is a short one.

Little by little I am taking care of the most important things. For example, I got my transportation card today! And as a young person, I am able to get around all of Madrid for only 20 euros a month! Which is a deal! I've already spent more than that in one week for transportation, and considering I'll be taking the bus everyday to school and then back to Madrid, I'm super happy to have this now! The next step is to learn the metro. However, I am still trying to get appointments for my TIE (tarjeta de identificación extranjero, my foreign identification card) and for my NIE, basically a number assigned to all people in Spain, as well as open a bank account (which hopefully I can do soon).

I am a bad speller as it is...practicing/reading/writing in 2 different languages is not helping. Lol.

Lastly, I just want to point out this idea of Romantic vs. Realistic. I knew that the first 2 or 3 weeks would be difficult. And it most definitely has been in some areas...COVID is effecting how this experience normally would have been a year ago. I, and everyone else in Madrid, wear(s) my mask everywhere: public transport, walking down the street, and in the school. Plus, the region of Madrid is currently in lockdown, making it difficult if not impossible to travel to other regions within Spain. Also, it is making the Spanish red tape and registration process 10x more difficult and slow. It's hard to be patient. Second, there have been several days in a row when I've broken down in tears, thinking to myself "Why did I come? What is the point?" or "I don't want to be here." So while there are some really good moments, moments that most of you see, there are also really low moments. I'm so thankful for my family who is an incredible source of support and love, and who most often hear my tears.

(A few days ago, when I felt really alone, frustrated, and low.)

(Compared to today...when I feel at peace, happy, and enjoying little things, like the sunshine and a croissant de jamon y queso!)

And in closing, I want to share an idea that my grandpa shared with me in one of his letters. "Happiness is not a destination, but a way of life." I am not happier or more sad because I moved to Spain. Of course, there are some things that make me happier, but I feel the same frustrations and sadness that I often do in Michigan. I am constantly working on living a happy life and looking for the things that bring me the most joy. I hope you are too!