All settled in.

Hola a todos!

I have officially been in Madrid for three weeks, and I finally feel settled enough to sit down and write into the abyss about my journey thus far. I am currently sitting in the teachers lounge in between classes at school.

For those of you who might not know much about my position, let me explain. I am part of a program called Auxiliaries de Conversación. The program aims to place recent college graduates who are native English speakers into classrooms across Spain, so that children can practice their English with native speakers. Did I have any teaching experience prior to this? No. Did the teachers at my school expect that I did? Yes. I have found that there is a lot of miscommunication and general chaos in this program. So, I have had to learn a lot on my feet, poco a poco. (Poco a poco is my favorite saying right now).

I often think back to how terrified I was before starting this program. Ask any of my closest friends or family members, and they will tell you that I almost backed out and declined this position countless times. It felt like the universe was telling me not to go. Here are a few examples:

1. I applied for primary (elementary) school and got placed in a secondary (high) school.
2. I did some online research of the school, and quickly became aware that its reputation was far from pristine, an average review on Google stating “they only know how to humiliate you, plunge you into misery until you fall into depression, and say goodbye to your rights.” Safe to say, I was a little apprehensive.
3. Through the visa application process, I discovered that my fingerprints do not print. I went to USPS a handful of times to scan my electronic fingerprints for my background check, but they appeared as black blobs. Eventually I did it the old fashioned way at the police station, and still, black blobs. I submitted those anyway, and I must have a very forgiving FBI agent, because they were approved. Good to know I can lead a life of crime if I desire.
4. My visa arrived two weeks later than expected. This means that I arrived to Madrid ten days later than my roommates, lost a sizable chunk of money to an AirBnB that I never stayed in, and missed out on the apartment search.

Okay, enough complaining. Because, of course my loved ones were right when they told me to suck it up and just go. I was lucky enough to arrive in Madrid before school started, and after the apartment search was over. The first couple of days included adjusting to the time zone, getting my bearings, and finding a fourth roommate.

Then came the first day of school. Oh god, was I nervous. It was the kind of nervous I got when I took my driving test at 16. Despite being an avid traveler, I am generally quite afraid of the unknown, and I am particularly afraid of making a fool out of myself. And honestly, make a fool out of myself I did.

I woke up an hour too early on the first day, struggled to figure out the metro, completely blanked when someone asked me the time in Spanish (it was seis y media), could not understand the bus driver when I realized I had to pay in cash, and showed up to school 30 minutes before the gates even opened. I stood there in the pitch black, terrified, and the only thing keeping me from crying was my mom on the other end of the line.

Then, the sun rose and the gates opened and the masses began filtering in. I handed in my paperwork, put a smile on my face, and quickly realized how kind all of the teachers are. I will never forget how every teacher says “hola, buenos días” with a big smile when I walk by, regardless of whether they know who I am.

I made it to my first period class, shoving my trembling hands in my pockets and suppressing the stumble in my voice, because if those teenagers sniffed my fear, I would be lunch. And whether by luck or miracle or good karma, I ended up loving my first day. And basically every day after that.

Don’t get me wrong, school is exhausting. And maybe teaching isn’t my calling. But the little flutter I get every time a student gives me a cookie, or tells me they love me, or even just when they learn a new word in English from me, is priceless.

Three weeks later, and my routine is solidifying. I’m adjusting to my job and to my new city, and I have to say – I love it here. I love the food. I love the people. I love the slow pace of life. I love the shopping. I love the walking. I love the culture.

I’ll probably make posts in the future about my challenges and my adjustments, but for now I want to check in and assure you all that the transition is going swimmingly! If you know me, you know that I will not be blogging on any sort of consistent schedule, but I promise that I’m here, and I’ll be back soon!

Hugs and kisses,

Molly