Getting Oriented

After months of living in a constant state of getting ready to go to Spain, the time has finally come for me to start actually living in Spain. That’s right folks! I made it across the Atlantic and am preparing for my first day of school on Tuesday (September 17).

My flight to Spain was long, but uneventful. My WONDERFUL parents drove me all the way to New York City, where we got to enjoy a delicious last-meal-in-the-US (of 2019– presumably I’ll come back!) with my best friend from home. After our goodbye at the airport, and a few tears shed, my parents drove back to Maryland while I spent a thrilling four hours in the JFK airport– one of the worst side effects of anxiety is being absurdly early for flights 😦

Before the official Fulbright orientation in Alcalá de Henares, I got to enjoy a min-vacation in Madrid while working my way through some logistics like getting a Spanish SIM card, trying and failing to open a bank account (they really want you to have a permanent address!), and scouting out housing leads. I stayed in an AirBnb in Chueca with an older couple– the husband is from England and the wife is from Madrid, although she speaks with such an impeccable British accent that I didn’t know she was Spanish until she told me. She took me to a few lunch spots, first to a nicer location then to a “cheapie” so that I could learn and recognize the difference. She taught me Spanish phrases that were more sophisticated so that I would sound “high-class.” I had to laugh because she reminded me so much of my grandmother teaching me how to properly set a table, in case I ever have dinner with the Queen. It was a very sweet introduction to the neighborhood, and after some tapas and a cool three glasses of wine for lunch (Spanish grandmas go hard!) I was ready to eat more– umm, I mean, explore.

Of course it wouldn’t be a vacation without Rick Steves, and through the modern miracle of podcasts I allowed Rick to guide me through historic downtown Madrid, encountering several fellow RickNiks (fans of Rick Steves, for those not in the know). I have to admit, since this is my first time really travelling alone, it was nice to have the familiar, fatherly tones of Rick guiding me through the city. For the most part I’ve been comfortable navigating and finding things to do. The only challenge can be eating out– that middle school fear of eating alone is so deeply ingrained, but I’m trying not to let it stand in the way of DELICIOUS tapas.

Speaking of food, one of my favorite activities was a food tour. It covered a lot of the same geography as my Rick Steves tour from earlier, but this time with a (very handsome) local guide and six stops for food and alcoholic beverages. At first I was the only one signed up for the tour, so my plan was to pretend I was on a romantic date with my Spanish lover. However Alfonso and I were joined by several other travelers, some from the US and some from Australia, who were all very fun to get to know! If you’ve never been on a food tour, I highly recommend it. I’ve done one in Rome, one in Bogotá, and now one in Madrid and it’s always one of the best parts of a the trip.

Fulbright Orientation

After enjoying my time in Madrid, it was time to head to the nearby town of Alcala de Henares for the official Fulbright orientation. This lovely town is the birthplace of famed author Miguel de Cervantes and home to a beautiful historic university. The Fulbright Commission kicks off with this orientation so that all Fulbright grantees placed in Spain and Andorra can start the year with an exhausting but exciting flurry of trainings and open-bar cocktail parties.

I knew that as a 2017 graduate I would be one of the older people in the program, which mostly consists of people who graduated this May or last December. However, I was surprised by how much I felt those two year out of college once I was surrounded by very recent grads. I met a few other people who were a few years out of college, and we all had the sense that we had changed more in the two years out of college than during the four years in college. In college I felt safe and nurtured and loved by my friends, professors, family, etc– and I was very fortunate to have that experience! But since graduation I have, for the first time in my life, really struggled and failed and learned what it means to be resilient, and I don’t regret any of it (lookin’ at you, TFA). Anyways, I was definitely the annoying old lady who smiled knowingly when the youngsters talked about their hopes and dreams, realizing that I felt the exact same way during my Teach For America orientation two years ago. During this orientation, I felt less pressure to say yes to everything, impress everybody, and discuss my “five-year plan” at length with people I had just met. That being said, I met some really awesome and accomplished people that I’m excited to get to know better– and to visit in their various placement throughout Spain and Andorra!

There’s No Rick Steves Guide for Lanzarote!!!

Finally, after the hype of Madrid and orientation, the time came for me to fly to the island that I will call home for the next nine months. Lanzarote is not a particularly popular destination for American tourists, and it was nearly impossible to find information about any of the Canary Islands in the guidebooks I leafed through while still back in the states. Even Rick Steves does not appear to cover this island paradise. However, I can so far report back that Lanzarote is insanely beautiful– it is a volcanic island with almost year-round perfect weather, sandy beaches, and very friendly people! For the first week, I am staying in an AirBnb in Puerto del Carmen, the town where I will be working. However, I will most likely be living in the capital city of Arrecife, which is about a 30 minute bus ride up the coast.

The housing search has been the part of this process that I’ve been most anxious about, but for now I can say I think I’ve lucked out. I found a room in a shared apartment that is a 10 minute walk from downtown Arrecife, a three minute walk to the bus that will take me to work, and two blocks away from the beach! However, since move-in dates generally start in October, I will have to find short-term housing to fill that gap. That is one of the things that seems to be very hit-or-miss across placements. Some Fulbrighters placed in the bigger islands were able to find housing before orientation even started, whereas those of us on the smaller islands probably should have just assumed we would need to book an Airbnb for our first two-three weeks here. I am currently in my fourth housing arrangement in two weeks, and I know that number is only going to go up before I’m finally settled in for the long term. It is definitely tiring to feel so nomadic– I haven’t felt like I can really start a routine or start building friendships or even start getting to know a neighborhood quite yet.

Thankfully, my first day of school is tomorrow (Tuesday), and that will finally start to anchor my schedule in a daily routine. I’ve gotten the chance to walk by my school and it’s a lot bigger than I expected– but it’s also at the top of a hill with gorgeous ocean views 🙂 Before accepting this job, I was feeling anxious about being back in a classroom. Now that I’ve had more time to process my TFA experience, as well as to have an overwhelmingly positive experience working with children through my ABA therapy job, I feel a lot more excited. From working with children on the autism spectrum, I have learned so much about behavior management, making content accessible, and simply being patient that I wish I had known when I first started teaching. I feel a lot more confident in my abilities to adapt– not to mention I will only be teaching part time this time around 🙂

Tomorrow will be my first day going to school and meeting my coworkers, and so far the only information I have received is to arrive at 8:30. Still not quite sure where they want me to go first, whether I will actually be teaching this week, or what grades I will be working with. I am trying to take everything in stride, adapt to the “no pasa nada” lifestyle, and draw heavily on my improv training so that I can just roll with the changes.

Un abrazo to my faithful followers!