Hola! from Madrid, Spain!!
I said my highlight of the week was how easy this has all been. Reflecting on that, I feel like I should clarify. This journey has not been easy, meaning without challenges and hard days. I mean to say that the process has been with ease. Things here have flown so naturally and becoming accustomed to the lifestyle and the people has come naturally. Not just for me, but I think for all of us. We have been so fortunate to have been paired with each other. Having a support system as strong as ours has made the process easy. We didn’t know each other before we came but over the weeks we have built such strong relationships and connections with each other. I can’t imagine doing this experience with anyone else. We have chosen to experience TAB as a group, and I wouldn’t ask for it any other way. There’s a couple things I have learned over the weeks that I would like to share, so that TABers to come can also have this sense of ease in their journey.
Living with roommates is challenging and fun. I think one thing a lot of us were worried about was alone time. There are 5 of us living in an apartment beside the Royal Palace. Though our living situation is incredible and I love the people I live with, living with 4 other girls is a lot. Our social batteries run low often. I think for us it was important to talk about our expectations and boundaries when we first began this journey together. We know that sometimes people just need a second in their room alone and we aren’t afraid to say we need to go on a solo walk.
Second, balancing life between teaching, traveling and school. The three most important parts of TAB. It’s a bit overwhelming at first. We didn’t have our schedules finalized until the third week of teaching and our classes started with a bang. It is a lot of group projects and readings, but once you figure out the rhythm of what needs to be done and where you have to be, it’ll become much more manageable. Lean on your classmates for help and remember to take it one day at a time. Remember that teaching is supposed to be the fun part! Lucky for us we got to choose what days we come in (for the most part) which made our lives easier. I love coming into the school and getting to be with the kids while also being in class. Traveling on top of those two demands requires organization and planning. Know your schedule and what needs to be done. Do your readings before and work with fellow TABers to create a schedule to get things done that works for everyone. Our group has dedicated ‘school days’ to Monday through Wednesday and ‘teaching days’ to Tuesday-Thursday’. This blocks off days for specific tasks and allows us to plan our weekend trips in advance. Which is much cheaper and allows us all to take a breath that we will get it all done.
Finally… a list of items we are happy we brought
- Tote bags. We use them every day, whether it’s grabbing groceries on the way home, having a picnic in the park, or going to teach.
- Pillow case. For me my pillow case gives me a sense of home. You never know what kind of bed you will be given for the next couple months, might as well make it a little homey.
- Blanket. We love to picnic outside and lay in the grass. We bought some cheap blankets in our first week here and we have made good use out of them!
- Fanny Pack. Madrid is really safe, you never have to worry about walking alone. However when you travel anywhere else beware of your things! Spain has a lot of pickpocketers!
- Rain Jacket. It starts to get rainy here at the end of September and throughout October. Bring a small packable one and you will be set!
- Water bottle. It is so soo HOT here! It is so important to drink a lot of water.
- Travel mug. Specifically for SEK Castillo bring or buy a a travel mug if you would like to have a coffee/tea at the school.
- Apple Watch. It’s been very interesting to see how many steps we’ve been putting on just exploring the city. Makes it easier to justify all the ice cream!! If you have one and are contemplating bringing it along you should! It’s also really helpful during teaching.
A side note of something to look into for future TABers:
Look into booking an appointment to get a personal metrocard before you get here. We have learned that to get the deal of 10 euros for an entire month of travel you need a personal metrocard (with your face on it), and to get one of these you need to have booked an appointment in advance. Unfortunately for us the next appointment isn’t until the middle of October. So if you are going to use public transit a lot I recommend looking into booking your appointment before you arrive so that you can get one asap! Madrid is a very walkable city though and not having one is not the end of the world.
Another suggestion is to not get the Eurorail pass. Very opposite of everything you will read I bet. However, it is nearly impossible to use it in Spain and Portugal.