To everyone’s surprise after the twists and turns of my Spanish visa process, I made it to Madrid. Travels were smooth as could be, and a full week has already passed since my departure from Boston. Each day has brought its own ups and downs, but all in all I am starting to settle and adjust. How did I spend my days? Funny you should ask!
Monday was a whirlwind. I arrived at the crack of dawn (at 4:40 AM to be exact, which is 10:40 PM EST). On my 35 minute Uber ride from the airport, I decided to test my Spanish, expecting that the conversation would only last a minute or two tops. However, my driver had his own agenda of conversation aspirations. Long story short, I had to turn him down when he asked me out. I am already strategizing how to approach my next Uber ride, whenever that may be. Nonetheless, I made it to my apartment safely around 6:30 AM. My flatmate, Ellie, was kind enough to let me in, and then we both went to sleep since the sun was still a couple hours out from rising.
I’d say day one was uber successful. In my first hour out on the town I found a solid breakfast, got a Spanish eSIM, and opened a Spanish bank account. I later also went grocery shopping, ate my very first yogurt bowl on the terrace, and bought necessities like sheets and towels. Unfortunately, it did take two trips to Primark and two to El Corte Ingles to successfully buy a complete set of sets (they don’t sell them together & their labeling is subpar). See below for other tips I’ve learned this week.
My flatmate and I of course chose to go to Honest Greens for my welcome dinner. I still, with my whole heart, recommend the Ginger Honey Goat Salad with Piri Piri Chicken. It was wonderful to get back to Madrid’s best chain restaurant and start getting to know Ellie. Our other flatmate arrives on Wednesday!
By day two, I was eager to get out on my first run in the city. Thank goodness I’d set my alarm for 10:30 AM (so early, right?), because after 11:30ish the temperature did not go below 93˚F until 2 AM the following night. Today, Sunday, is the first day we haven’t reached 90˚F.
My Tuesday tasks included bedside table & lamp shopping, sheet returns & purchases, and many calls with peeps back home to keep me sane. The time difference stinks, but I’m gradually discovering the random times that I can catch people on their early morning commutes or lunch breaks.
The emotional roller coaster of Wednesday was like an inverse bell curve (each day has truly taken a unique roller coaster route). The day started off strong when I successfully joined a gym (and saved 86€ thanks to my CityLife passport!) but gradually went downhill when my host mom postponed our plans, and the stress of phone plans & the countless mandatory bureaucratic procedures for foreigners in Spain took over. Nonetheless, I remain hopeful that all will work out, and that I won’t get deported (if you’re confused as to why this might happen, check out my blog post titled “Misspelled Name on Spain Visa”… self plug!).
I got out of the Wednesday lull by pushing myself outside of my comfort zone! I’d signed up for a free language exchange event at a club nearby, and figured week one was as good a time as any to check it out (the event happens every Wednesday). Not only did I run into a friend from college in a dark alley on my way there, but I even made new friends! Everyone got to wear a sticker for each language they spoke, and then we got drinks and mingled. I met people from all over—England, Arizona, Italy, Netherlands, Seattle, and more! As seems to be the European custom, we all exchanged instagrams. Even if I never see them again, I’m very glad I went because it was a great reminder of all of the fascinating people in Madrid who are also looking for friends!
I started to feel a bit more settled and stable on Thursday. Between then and now, I’ve gone on a few social runs, reunited with my former host mom, and met up with a mutual friend for drinks. On Saturday, my flatmate and I had a picnic dinner in El Retiro, and I hit up El Rastro (the weekly gigantic open air flea market in Madrid) with a new friend on Sunday.
Overall, I’m figuring it all out one day at a time. Orientation starts on Tuesday, and my first day of teaching is Friday the 26th. While I’m glad I’ve had a week to get the lay of the land, adjust to the time zone, etc., I am looking forward to some more structure and routine that will come with starting work.
Until next week, Semma XO.
What I’ve learned so you don’t have to:
- While Vodafone and Orange seem to be the main mobile plan providers here, the pricing of their plans & documents you need to provide to purchase, vary by location. Both carriers have stores in Sol, and I was turned away at Orange without a Spanish bank account, but was then accepted at Vodafone. I am paying 15€ for 20G of data per month!
- Santander is a very easy bank to join as a foreigner. I just had to provide my phone number, passport, apartment contract, and the application form, which they walked me through in the office.
- Sheets are not sold in sets! But Primark & El Cortes Inglés are great stores to buy them for good prices.
- CityLife Madrid offers a “passport” to foreign exchange students for the 25€ that provides a multitude of discounts on experiences throughout the city and Spain. They also host many events where you can meet lots of cool people!
- New empadronamiento appointments are released at 1:30 PM on Wednesdays.
- You have to be constantly checking online for TIE appointments, and take screenshots to prove you are trying to get an appointment even if none are available.
- People are so very nice but much less so when you speak in English.