Renewing Your TIE in Madrid

It's that time of year already, back to paperwork!

After receiving my new Carta Nombramiento for this coming school year, and yes staying in my same school, I thought I would try take a few (baby) steps on the paper trail.  Per usual, extremely overwhelming.

As my anxiety started to set in on how I would possibly be able to get all of it done in the month before I go back to the USA for a visit, I had to take a step back and organize myself.  Leading me to this current post, as I assume I'm not the only one grasping at straws right now.  Prepare to be informed and simultaneously bored, after all Spain can't always be exciting.

Representation of my current emotions, but not as pretty...or fun

First off, make sure to use ANY resource available: If you're part of the main Madrid auxiliares FB group, look up in the documents section the document "RENEWING NIE in Madrid."  If not, just use this document from the Madrid auxiliares' website: Renovación de la tarjeta TIE, which was just updated today.

The documents that you will need are:

1. Impreso de solicitud en modelo oficial (“Solicitud de autorización de estancia y prórrogas-
EX – 00) make sure it's completed and signed, and that you have two copies. I used this link
2. Copy of ALL pages of your passport, plus bring your actual passport with you.
3. Old carta de nombramiento from the 2013-2014 school year
4. New carta de nombramiento from the 2014-2015 school year
5. Certificado de aprovechamiento from the 2013-2014 school year (Ask the director of your school!)
6. Photocopy of the student TIE that you want to renew (front and back of card)
7. Receipt of tasas de prórroga: Modelo 790 / Código 052 costing 16,81 euros Download, complete, and print here, make sure to mark the box for: 1.3 "Prórroga de la autorización de estancia por estudios, movilidad de alumnos, prácticas no laborales o servicios de voluntariado (titular principal y sus familiares)"
               *Make sure you select the right province: Madrid- código de provincia 28)
               *No need to photocopy, it will print out the three copies of the tasa to bring to the bank

source

Applying for the renewal:

You must go in person to the Oficina de Extranjería at C/ Garcia de Paredes, 65 (Metro: 

Gregorio Marañón – Line 10, 9am to 2pm, Telephone: 91 272 91 71 – 92 88) either within the 60 days before your card expires OR within the 90 days after your card expires.  According the auxiliares document (linked above) if you later need to present another document, or something has changed you can drop off the document at the registro público auxiliar de la calle Manuel Luna, 29.

According to the FB group, you follow the sign that says “Registro”unless you have questions and need to go to information.  Once you have turned in all of your paperwork you will be given back the stamped copy of your EX00 and Tasa 052 receipt (which you willl need these for your second appointment and to apply for an autorización de regreso if you plan on traveling outside of Spain while your NIE is expired). Make sure the address on your EX00 is correct because this is where information will be sent to you.

While I'm not sure of any specific time frame as I'm in the process myself, the documents from the ministry claims that within two months you should receive a letter in the mail telling you if your renewal was accepted or not.  If accepted, the letter should have a date of when you're supposed to go to Aluche and what documents you need to bring with you.  And after that approximately another month or so until the physical TIE should be ready.

source, Don't let this be you!

I'm in the initial stages of the renewal and have collected almost all of the paperwork, except the certificado de aprovechamiento from my school.  If you're still waiting for your carta, I highly suggest starting to gather all of the documents you'll need.  Most of them felt much easier to gather than from the initial TIE appointment!  Not to mention it will help you start to prepare if you are going home for part of the summer and need an autorización de regreso like I do.

[Update 7/18: Checked the status of my renewal to see that the result is: favorable, meaning that so far in the process my renewal has been accepted.  Pretty good considering it hasn't even been a full month since I turned in my papers.  Now just waiting to see when I get the official letter in the mail to get my fingerprints done!

Update 8/18: About three weeks into the process my favorable letter still never came, so figuring it was either A) lost in the mail or B) sent to my old apartment I decided to make the appointment myself without the letter.  To make an appointment for your huellas (fingerprints) in Madrid go to the extranjería website, select Madrid and EXPEDICIÓN DE TARJETA DE EXTRANJERO (HUELLAS), then follow through and put in your information.  

1. Once you have your cita, print the justificante form.
2. Print out your "favorable" status
3. Pick up the Tasa Modelo 790, Codigo 012 form at any national police station or foreigner's office (This cannot be downloaded, I went to the foreigner's office on Calle Silva near Callao) and make sure to mark box "4.2 Tarjeta que documenta la renovación o prórroga de la autorización de residencia temporal, la prórroga de la estancia o de trabajadores transfronterizos" pay €18,56 at a bank

4. Original + copy of your passport (including old visa and entry stamps)
5. Original + copy of your empadronamiento
6. Your old TIE + copy of your TIE (front and back)
7. A new photo (carnet size, I went to one of those booths in the metro stops and it cost 5€ for six)I also brought the EX-00 document with the stamp/sticker from my original renewal appointment just in case. 

Update 9/18: Went to pick up my new TIE today!  No issues and I was out in five minutes with my shiny new card :)]

On the day of your appointment go early, like at least an hour early if you can (and bring water if it's in the summer!).  Get in the line labeled "huellas" and wait until it's your turn to enter, if it all goes well you'll get a resguardo at the end and be told to come back in 25-30 days with your old TIE and passport to pick up your shiny new card.  Good luck!

So hot the line was waiting in the tents.

Autorización de Regreso

After you turn in your renewal paperwork you can start to apply for your autorización de regreso (yes, at the dreaded Aluche), which gives you permission to re-enter Spain once your card is expired and you don't have a valid card.  The regreso is valid for three months and is only good for one use, which is why it's suggested to only present it IF asked for it.

To apply for the regreso you must have these documents:

source, How I feel when I have to go back to Aluche

1. Original and copy of your passport (some debate on the FB group if you need a copy of the whole thing, or just the information page)
2. Original and copy of your NIE (front and back of card)
3. Stamped EX00 form from your renewal appointment
4. Copy of your plane reservation
5. EX13"solicitud de autorización de regreso" I used this link
6. Receipt from Modelo 790 Codigo 012 (pick up a PHYSICAL tasa form from any police station or foreigner's office, I went to the one Calle de Silva, 19 near Callao) so show you paid the fee of €10,30

Be sure to ask for an appointment: here.  Choose “Madrid” and “Autorizaciones de Regreso” from the drop-down menus. Click “Entrar” at the bottom and be sure to fill in your personal info correctly. Select “Solicitar cita” to make an appointment and from there complete the rest of the information. Do not forget to print out the confirmation, you need it for your appointment!

Definately feeling the pressure to get these done with my flight home only a month away!  Just a reminder that while life in Spain can be great, it's not as glamorous as people think.  It's full of lesson planning, daily errands, and enough of paperwork to keep you on your toes.

Now go celebrate some football!

Have you started the renewal process, or applied for an autorizacón de regreso yet?  What tips do you have?

March Madness

And no I'm not talking about college basketball...

I can't believe I let a month fly by without posting anything, but I guess that's life for you.  Sometimes it can call for more than you're used to.

Spring blossoms on the way home from work.

It's not like March was supposed to be a busy month, the only thing I anticipated was the coming of Spring and hopefully having my clothes start to dry in less than a week (wishful hoping).

Instead March was a month full of extremely high "ups" and equally low "downs": stress, anger, frustration, joy, love, and fun.  It was a crazy month that I guess has kept me posting because I A) Didn't know how to express everything I was going through exactly as I wanted and B) Because I just didn't have the time to sit myself down at the computer and write.

And I really did have posts lined up to write, I even started a few of them: my first Día de los Reyes, Carnaval in my colegio, the process of renewing, and my thoughts on how living in Spain I've grown to love so many different foods.  But then they all just got put on the back burner of my life.

Spanish potluck dinner with friends.

I don't want to bore you all with a long post of every detail of my month, trust me, some of them I would rather not relive.  And that being said, some other ones I will put in their own post (hopefully not several months behind again).

To get over with it I'll start with the worst of the month:

• School drama.  My school is great, don't get me wrong but two situations that had been growing for a while mad March a very stressful month:
• One of my usual teachers was on maternity leave for a few months and a long-term sub was brought in.  Normal, right?  The only problem is that they brought in a teacher whose level of English was not up to what it should be in a bilingual school and she also could not control the class, among many other frustating situations.  I have never been so happy to have my teacher return last week, good teachers make all the difference.

Las Meninas at the Carnaval Parade

• With another grade we are preparing exams, which is frustrating for all parties involved.  The other auxiliar and I started to become way overused (and overwhelmed) with what we were being asked to do, like: solo teaching all of the classes.  It just got to be too much, finally leading us to a meeting to talk through all the issues and miscommunication.  Which was a reminder that when there is a problem and/or you feel uncomfortable, it will only get worse until you talk about it.

• General job stress.  With the crisis in Spain and lack of jobs for most of the youth, we were anxiously waiting to hear back from the BF's company if he would get officially hired like they kept hinting.  My staying in Spain for next year depended a great deal on whether or not he would be able to stay in Madrid with me.  After a long distance relationship for two years we've both vowed to do whatever we could to avoid being in the situation again, making the uncertainty of his job a huge stress for both of us.

• Children are infested disease carriers.  Kidding...only a little bit, at least they're cute...

Sneak peak of las murallas de Ávila.

But like I said before March also had its beautiful moments, worth all of the stress and frustration.

• Finally good luck in jobs!  At the end of the month we finally received good news on both fronts and will likely be here for at least two more years (at least one more for me with Auxiliares as I was officially placed last Thursday!)

• A day trip to Ávila, the capital of the province of Ávila in Castilla y León, with friends.  It's a great small city known for it's medieval wall and it's high number of Romanesque and Gothic churches.  Plus great Chuletón (a type of T-bone steak)!

• An impromptu trip to Barcelona last weekend to visit some of my boyfriend's friends.  It was my first time in Cataluña in general and I had an amazing time getting to know them and the city.  There's nothing better than having native tour guides, especially ones so welcoming!  We didn't get to see everything we wanted, but we both want to go back with more time to enjoy the city and his friends.

• And general exploring and enjoyment of Madrid.  Like watching the Carnaval parade in person, visiting the Museum of Sorolla (one of my favorite Spanish artists), and devouring the Spanish cuisine.  We're a couple that really, really loves food and on the weekends (and sometimes the ambitious weekday) we like exploring different corners and restaurants of Madrid. 

• And finally my dad arrives to visit on Wednesday and I'm beyond excited to see him, as I haven't seen him since August!  I spent most of March planned for his visit and looking forward to his arrival.  It's his first time in Europe so we have plans to travel to some different sights in Europe and Spain.

Now that April is here and the weather is BEAUTIFUL I'm excited to (finally finish the posts I've planned, of course) what this month has planned for me and spend more time walking around and exploring Madrid.  It's such a huge city and there's so many places yet to discover.

View of Barcelona from Parque Güell.

How has March treated you this year?

Living On a Budget: Auxiliar Style

A lovely day in Madrid to talk budgets.

I've had a lot of people back home, as well as people interested in teaching abroad in Spain, wonder how I'm able to live abroad and make ends meet.  Many who are not in the program have wondered if I get paid on time, how much I spend per month, and if the money I make is sufficient to live abroad in Spain.

In the Auxiliares government program you get paid  based on the location you work.  In Madrid you work 16 hours per week and make 1000€, while in the rest of Spain you work only 12 hours per week and make 700€.    As the capital, and largest city in Spain, Madrid is one of the most expensive cities to live here and with the Auxiliares you make more money to cover the extra living costs.

Though many may not believe it, in this program you can make more than enough money to live comfortably in Spain.  Especially if you find any of the abundant Private English classes.

To help give you an idea of how I live on my budget abroad, here's a breakdown of my monthly expenses:

Transportation:

My school isn't in the center of Madrid where I live, instead it's a city just outside of the city limits so I have to buy a monthly Abono/Transportation pass.  You can buy these Madrid monthly abonos in based on what zone you need to travel between (A, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, E1, E2) and your age: Joven, Normal, and Tercera Edad. Because my school is in the B1 zone I buy the monthly B1 Abono, and unfortunately (for me) because I'm over 23 I have to buy the Normal B1 abono.  The card costs me 63.70€ a month but covers any (trains, metro, or bus) travel in zones A and B1.

source

Housing:

As I said before, I live in the center of Madrid.  And when I say center, I mean center, as in three minutes from Puerta del Sol.  My boyfriend and I share a one bedroom apartment together, and obviously the rent and utilities that come with it.  Since it's only a one bedroom apartment it's very cheap for us: 280€ (for each of us) per month for just the rent.As for utilities, we don't pay for our water only for electricity and internet.

source

For internet and phone we each pay 17€, but this also includes a few hours of international calling to the USA per month.  [Hear that stateside friends!].  And for electricity it depends on the month and the amount we use.  In September and October it was around 11€ for each of us per month, in November and December it was closer to 25€ for each of us per month, and now that the cost of electricity has risen starting this month...we shall see...

Point being that my cost for housing in Madrid's center has ranged monthly from 308-322€.  Definitely not too shabby for living in the Country's capital.

Groceries:

Groceries in this household depends a lot on how much my boyfriend feels like eating in a sitting, which is usually a lot more than I do!  We still split all food costs 50/50 and usually the monthly cost is 300€ for the two of us, so around 150€ each one.  If you're wondering what grocery stores that we shop at, we generally go to the Hipercor of Cortes Ingles (which I've found far less expensive than everyone claims it to be) though sometimes I also go to the Ahorra Mas across the street from my school, or the Carrefour Express that's also near our apartment.

How can you not love the fresh food in Spain? source

Phone:

In Spain this doesn't have to be you! source

Paying for my cell phone here is so cheap that it's something I rarely think (and never worry) about it.  The thing about cell phone service in Spain compared to the USA is that purchasing the actual phone is generally much more expensive (even with a contract and you don't get free upgrades!) but the plans are usually way cheaper.

The cheapest unlocked smartphone I could find was 79€ but my monthly plan with Tuenti is only 10.89€ (now changing to 10.75€!).  I chose Tuenti because of this plan of 1GB of data and 75 minutes of calls per month, so far I haven't gone over either since being here since September.  The only thing is that when I pay monthly on my account they only accept payments in increments of 5€ so sometimes I only have to pay 10€ while others I pay 15€, so I always budget a full 15€.

Savings:

Like many other auxiliares in this program I'm a recent College graduate with student loans to pay off.  I didn't want to defer them but also didn't want to have to pay them while I was here, so I saved up enough money to pay for my loans for two years (seriously spent all last year saving) to prepare for if I was renewing.  In case I do want to stay in Spain for a third year, I have been saving 80€ a month that is for my loans to be transfered to my American bank account at some point this year.

Save those euros! source

General Spending:

This category is for all the general spending in a month, whether it be for: drinks, clothes shopping, having dinner out, or general miscellaneous purchases.  On average per month I spend around 200€ for all of the above, rarely going over my budget.  While Madrid may be more expensive than other cities in Spain, I've found that it's much cheaper to go out here than where I live (beers and wine for 1€, yes please).

You just have to know the different options and know the ofertas, for example: if you like shopping, know when the rebajas (sales) are during the year.  In the current post-Christmas rebajas for only 115€ I've bought a winter coat, a dress, two pairs of jeans, two blouses, and 1 t-shirt.  Score!


For those who want a clearer break-down, these are my monthly costs and the amount I have leftover:
My Average Monthly Income: (1000€ + private lessons)
63.70€ Abono
308-322€ Rent/Utilities
150€ Groceries
15€ Cell Phone
80€ Saving
200€ General Spending
816.70-830.70€ Total Expenses

Every month I clearly have plenty of euros leftover.  This money  is what I've been saving to use for future European travels, like when my Dad is coming to visit me (and Europe for the first time) in April!

If you want advice on any of the above processes like housing, abonos, and phones; read my post:

 "How-To's" for Moving to Spain: Advice from the First Year

And for those who what more ideas on budgets in Spain check out these helpful posts:

Young Adventuress: Spain Budget Breakdown

Oh No She Madridn't: Auxiliares de Conversación Budget in Madrid

How does your budget abroad differ from mine?  Do you have any questions about living costs in Spain with the Auxiliares program?

And What Exactly DO You Do? A Day in My Life Abroad

A lot of people from home, and others looking into working abroad in Spain, have asked me what I do on an average work day.  Usually I met with a mix of shock and amazement.  They tend to think my life abroad is super glamorous: always going out, constantly traveling, stocking up on a fashionable European wardrobe; that's really not the case (I wish, right?!).

And I mean yes, I do go out sometimes and yes, we have such an amazing opportunity to travel here, but I am still working.  I still have responsibilities, bills to pay, and errands to do during the week.  The reality is that my daily life in Madrid is relatively normal; I wake up, go to work, cook lunch, do errands, plan lessons, and go to sleep.  In many ways it's much like my life last year and of my friends who are working back at home.

source

For those of you wondering if you want to make the move to Spain too, here is a breakdown of my day-to-day life here in Madrid:
Tuesday-Friday
7:25 am (I know, I'm weird) I wake up and start to get ready for a day of work.  I would say 'Bright and early' but the sun is really not out until I start walking to the train.  With my program I only work 16 hours a week and have all Mondays off, it's pretty awesome.

8:10 am I leave the apartment to catch the cercanías/train in Sol.  Luckily our apartment is really close so it's a quick walk.

8:19 am I catch the train south to Getafe, it's about 18/20 minutes on the train and then another 10 minutes walking to the school.  I don't actually mind the commute, one of my favorite parts about Spain is all the walking and public transportation.

8:50/8:55 am I arrive at the elementary school and make sure I brought everything I needed (so far so good!) and that I have everything prepared for my classes.

9:00 am The school day begins and I go to my first class, either First or Fourth grade English or Science.  All my classes are different depending on the day of the week, but they're all always with the First and Fourth graders.

10:00 am Second class of the day.  Usually it's First or Fourth grade English or Science but on Thursday I have Physical Education (PE) class with my Fourth graders.

11:00 am Third class of the day, again First or Fourth grade.

11:45 am Break/recess, students go out to play on the playground and the teachers get a delicious breakfast in the lunch room.

12:15 pm Fourth class.  On Wednesdays I have a break during this period and I use it as more planning time.

1:15 pm Last class (yayy)

2:00 pm End of the school day!

On the days I don't have private classes I take the train back to Madrid capital to have lunch with the BF, run errands, and prepare for the next day.  However, on Tuesdays and Thursdays I have my private lessons so I don't come home until much later.

Tuesdays
On Tuesdays I have two private English classes I teach.  One at 4:00 pm and another at 6:00 pm
2:00 pm Planning time at the school, I use this hour to finish any preparation for my private lessons or classes.

3:00 pm Lunch in the school lunch room with the other teachers and administrators.

4:00 pm My first class that is just perfectly right near my school. When this first class ends I have a coffee with the family then leave straight to my second class, which is about 40 minutes away.

6:00 pm.  Second class of the day with two siblings.  It's fun class that's all about different games.

8:00 pm This is around when I arrive home.  It takes roughly 40 minutes to get back home when the class ends so I usually get home very late and very exhausted.

How I feel at the end of every Tuesday..., source

Thursdays 
Thankfully it's a day with a much easier workload, especially now that I might be dropping my second class (really not worth the stress it puts me through, just not a good fit).
2:00 pm Planning time while I eat a lunch I packed from home since there's not enough time to grab a delicious lunch from the school.

3:30 pm This is actually the same 4:00 pm class from Tuesdays, just thirty minutes earlier.

5:30 pm Arrive home from my class and prepare for the next day of work.  Usually feeling great on Thursdays because Fridays are so easy in comparison!

As for what I actually do in my in-school classes depends on the class and teacher I'm working with.  In my classes I'm used differently by all of the teachers I work with, some I prefer more while others tend to leave me guessing.  It's definitely been interesting getting used to all the different styles and trying to figure out what is expected of me in the different classes.

I have one teacher who asks me to teach the class's lesson in advance and I will look through the book and plan how I will present the material to the students.  With another auxiliar in the same grade we also plan activities for the students on American culture for special occasions and holidays (for example this super cool "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" game), as well as do special tasks they want us to do like creating the above book cover for the class book on growing up.  Sometimes they put a lot on our plate but the teachers are really understanding and grateful for everything we do.

It is, right? source

I have another teacher that doesn't usually ask me in advance, but will ask me in class to teach the lesson.  At first it completely caught me off guard and I would sweat my way through the lessons until I figured out exactly how she wanted me to teach the material.  Luckily I started to have a hang of it before she left for a few weeks and I had to solo teach her class.  Usually she doesn't have me plan anything special for holidays because she's so on top of it, she plans the most amazing things for the students.  While the last minute planning was a bit unnerving at first, I now know exactly what is expected of me with this teacher too.

It's my final teacher that I still sometimes don't know what is expected of me.  Sometimes she tells me what she would like of me, other times I have to figure out, some days I'm asked to plan something, other days I'm expected to plan something without knowing.  I finally brought it up to her and she explained what she wanted and I'm thinking over the Christmas vacation how I can realize those expectations in the classroom.

This whole experience has been full of so much learning for me as a teacher.  It's definitely made it easier that I came into the program with prior teaching experience, but the education system and styles in Spain are so different that I've had a lot of catching up to do.  It's important to remember that each teacher has a different method to the madness and it really helps to talk to them and get on the same page.  Being so shy I have had trouble going up to the "much-more-forward-Spaniards" but it has really helped discussing what we both want to accomplish in the classroom.

This is what it's all about after all

How does my life compare to yours?  Do you have questions about teaching English in Spain?

Where Have I Been?

Where have you been?  Why haven't you been posting?  Are you not doing your blog anymore?

Woah.  Slow down there everybody.

I'm still in Madrid and am still working on this blog, problem is they "why" part.  Why haven't I been posting?  It's a question I sometimes ask myself.  There are so many days I come to my blog and start a post but half way through stall, only to finish eventually or delete it permanently.

Even though I technically work only 20 hours a week (26 with all the travel time and 30 if planning is included), my life here isn't super glamorous here.  I don't travel every weekend, I don't go out every night, I don't buy all the clothes I can (trust me, this is really hard here).

Christmas lights in Plaza Mayor

You want to know what I did this week?  The highlights so far have been enjoying the Christmas lights (oh my they're gorgeous) and buying some yarn to knit a hat.  I know, I'm secretly a grandma.  (Is my youth redeemed if I drink a beer while I knit?  I'm going to pretend it does...)

But really.  Despite what most people may think about me living in Spain, during the week my life is pretty routine: I go to work, have private lessons, come home, eat lunch, run errands, eat dinner, get ready for bed, and repeat.  So what do I have to write about that, it's just like most people I know at home.  Who really wants to know which grocery store I'm going to today or how long it's taking for my clothes to hang dry (forever now that it's cold out if you were wondering) other than my family that is.  Though I do have some posts to come that are a bit more interesting, the main reason I've been absent from blog world is the fact that the past few weeks at school I have been extremely busy.

After Halloween we celebrated the Spanish festival of Castañada, a festival traditionally celebrated on All Saint's Day as a way to remember deceased loved ones but is now more a celebration of Fall and its food (like different fruits and nuts).  After that came Thanksgiving where the auxilars had to explain its history and our American traditions.  And now we are starting that stretch before the holiday break that is full of exams, so there has been a lot of revising the material.  Not to mention planning Christmas activities for the next two weeks!

The extent of yarn you could touch before purchasing...

And to add to the mounting list of planning on my plate, one of the main teachers I work with has been out for the past two and a half weeks so I have been acting as the main English (technically English and science because both are taught in English) teacher for her classes.  Do you know how hard it is to get first graders who speak your own language to listen to you?  Now imagine they are just beginning to learn your language.  Imagine how well that worked out, especially when I'm not allowed to speak Spanish.  This would be your face --> :-s

The effort I put into trying to get one of her classes to not keep falling behind seriously had me dreaming about it.  I'd wake up in the middle of the night thinking about the different joints, body parts, and children screaming: "profe. Profe. PROFE. PROFE! PROFEEE!" (Yes, Spanish children call their teachers by their first name or just "Profesor/Profesora" a.k.a. "Teacher").

Today when she returned we had the nightmare of trying to get the students all on the same page, literally.  How do they end up on three completely different pages?  How did we survive without her?

More lights, because who doesn't love lights!

Thankfully with two full months under my belt here things have been starting to feel more normal.  I don't feel like such an outsider, I can tell my Spanish has improved, I successfully hosted a Thanksgiving celebration, and successfully cooked my first Spanish food.  I've really started to feel more and more sure that moving here was the right decision for my life, no matter if it turns into something long term or not.

I guess it's part of what you feel after the culture shock of moving abroad, but I'm not complaining.  I never thought I would end up working and living in Spain, or a large city, one day but I'm extremely happy that I decided to take this leap of faith.  It may not always be perfect, but surprising Madrid really does feel like home now.

source

Where have you all been the past few months?

Adults Can Feel Homesick Too?

It's been ages since I felt even slightly motivated to write anything, ugh.  And I was going to write about my recent trip to Sevilla, but over the past few weeks I've started to become bothered by some creeping negative feelings that I couldn't quite describe.   And it wasn't until a few days ago when I read a blog post about another girl doing the same program as me: "How I'm Battling Homesickness", that I realized the feelings I've been experiencing recently are actually the result of homesickness.

You heard me right.  And to those that know me well it may come as a shock, because I've never really been one to be homesick.  When I was little I always wanted to go to the longest sleep-away camps, stay forever at my family's summer cabin, or always sleep over my friends' houses.

A recent care package I received from some old students from home

I hadn't even realized my mood had changed until it was pointed out by my boyfriend.  "Why aren't you studying Spanish anymore?  Why don't you go out with your friends?  Why don't you seem happy?" he kept asking.  But I'd just brush it off by arguing that I was exhausted, I would feel better soon.  But I wasn't feelig better, and how could I be that tired when I'm only working twenty hours per week?  Yes, dealing with the language barrier and children are tiring, but there had to be something more.

And queue me stumbling upon that aforementioned blog post about homesickness and reading what she had to say: "Homesickness has nothing to do with whether or not you wanted to move to your new place or if you were forced. It’s a completely involuntary reaction" (source).  It hit me.  It wasn't about me missing anything specific about home, but about missing things that felt familiar.  I of course missed my family, friends, and cats; but I also missed feeling comfortable.  I missed feeling like I belonged.

My BF trying to help me keep my Halloween traditions abroad

I do love living in Spain, but living in another culture isn't always easy.  I missed being able to tune in and out of a conversation without being lost, I missed knowing how to get around my town without getting lost, and I missed feeling like I belonged.  I missed so many little things that I had taken for granted at home, things I didn't notice until they were gone like: living in a house instead of an apartment, not having to plan trips around available public transportation, marathons on TV, and comfort food.

I think there's nothing inherently wrong with feeling homesick.  It's perfectly normally when you make a big change or move away from where you have become familiar.  As far as I'm concerned it just means that you left a place that was worth you missing it.  My problem though was that over the past few weeks I had become so busy wallowing in my homesickness that I had stopped appreciating all the wonderful reasons that I had moved to Spain for in the first place.

A hiking field trip with my students definitely helped clear my head.

So instead of continuing my moping, I set out to find ways to deal with finding ways to deal with my bout of homesickness in a healthier way:

Don't want to lose touch with this cutie ^

1. Allow some Familiar Media-I had set out to only watch programs and movies in Spanish while I was living here, but then I just found myself missing the familiar voices of characters from my favorite shows and movies.  So I came up with a compromise of watching my favorites in English but the rest in Spanish to improve my understanding.  And to be quite honest I find that now that I feel like I have the choice, I generally choose to leave the TV in Spanish.
2. Don't Hide Away from the World-There have been so many days recently where I'd rather hang out in the comfort of my apartment then explore the outside world.  I even postponed grocery shopping as long as humanly possible because I just didn't feel like moving.  When I finally got myself up and moving, and spending time with friends I started to remember that Madrid is starting to feel like home, but only if I let it.
3. Find a Comfort Hobby-At home I always used to cook.  I love cooking, baking, trying different recipes, and food in general.  But when I moved here I was without an oven for the first time in my life and had trouble finding sufficient substitutes (hello where is the baking soda?), but thankfully my boyfriend and mom banded together to help me buy a small oven.  It is sadly seriously my favorite thing in my apartment and has made me feel so much more at home here in Madrid.  It's perfect for those cookie and cupcake cravings.
4. Don't Lose Touch with Home-Wherever you are in the world, whether it's near or far from where you're comfortable don't lose touch.  Sometimes it's not easy (the six hour time difference is not very forgiving) but even a few moments on Skype or just chatting on WhatsApp makes a world of difference.  Even if just for a few minutes talk to my cat, yes I said cat, I feel infinitely better.
5. Most Importantly: Don't Take Anything for Granted-Remember why you made this change in the first place.  Maybe you moved away for a great job or a new experience, but whatever the reason don't forget why you chose this step in your life.  You made the choice for a reason and don't take the opportunity for granted.  I may miss the comforts of home, but I am still incredibly grateful for this wonderful experience.

In the end, I have to realize that the good and bad are both parts of the experience of moving abroad.  Yes, I may have given up a lot and miss a lot of the familiar things from home, but as I near the three-month mark in Spain I realize I have also gained so much from living abroad.  I am more self-reliant, braver, and truly happier.  And not to mention that for the first time in the past two years of our relationship, my boyfriend and I are finally reunited.  Even on the worst days that is enough to remind me to be grateful for this experience in Madrid together.

Is anyone else out there feeling homesick too?  How are you dealing with it?

Exhausted in Madrid

Yes.  I know.  It's been over a week since my last post, but trust me; definitely not the most exciting week you've all been missing.  If you don't believe me here's a quick rundown of the "excitement" you've been spared from missing.

Proof of delicious Spanish beer!

• Picked up my NIE (Foreigner Identification Number) so I'm almost legal in Spain
• Experienced a field trip to the zoo with my fourth grade students
• Tried, and I can't believe I'm saying this, some good Spanish beer this is actually brewed right here in Madrid
• Finally made a Spanish bank account; seriously why is it such a hassle here?
• Started the first of my private lessons that I will hold after school
• Planned a trip for the upcoming puente "long weekend" to Sevilla
• Enjoyed the Fiesta del Cine (Cinema Festival) in Madrid

But mainly what the world has been missing from the commentary on my life abroad is how exhausted I'm finding myself at the end of every day, even though I'm working far less than I did last year.

I love my school, my classes, my students, and my teachers; but it can be exhausting the effort it takes to communicate some ideas to the students (especially the younger students).  My school has a very strong bilingual program and in all the Science and English classes the teachers, and the students, only speak in English.  It's very impressive, but some days dealing with the language barrier (and studying Spanish at home myself) are harder than others.

I seriously forgot how much practicing, and especially teaching, a language can take out of you.  At work we're not allowed to speak Spanish or translate and while it's definitely better for the students to make them speak English, it's much harder as the person trying to convey the ideas.  I'm constantly searching for words and ways to describe concepts in English, repeating simple commands, and keeping track of my instincts to respond to Spanish with Spanish.

PERFECT thing to come home to after working all day

The younger students generally are more tiring because of their boundless energy (can I have some pretty please?) and the fact that some days I find myself constantly repeating: "Go to page 10.  Page 10.  Page 10.  Page 10."  or "Raise your hand please.  Raise your hand.  Raise your hand. Raise your hand."  Many days by the time the students have recess I'm ready for a longggg siesta.

And now after school I've started giving private English lessons for some extra spending money.  So far I only have four hours, and they're on the same two days, but I will be out of the house and commuting more than I am used to.  On the days I have private lessons I won't be home until around 7:30 pm if I'm lucky.

But I'm still only working twenty hours.  And never in my life would I have thought that working twenty hours a week would be something to complain about.  Twenty hours in itself is practically nothing, but living abroad it's not just that.  It takes a lot living a different country and adjusting to many different aspects of life in a different culture.  I honestly think the real things that exhaust me are a combination of the language barrier and the Spanish schedule.  Let's face it.  At 23 years old I've been living my life like a grandma.  How many other people my age spent the past year knitting and going to bed before 11:00 pm?

Preparing crafts for Halloween at school next week

In Spain the lifestyle is much later and much more social on weekdays than I'm used to.  It's very common for us to meet our friends out for drinks and dinner late on weeknights (not that I'm complaining about some post-work drinks) but it's just this dang time-frame that the grandma in me is not adapting to very effectively.

On an average night in Madrid we eat dinner around 10:00 pm and are lucky if we make it to bed by midnight.  Then wake up at 7:30 am to do it all again.  Personally I don't know how Spaniards are not perpetually worn out by the late schedules they keep.  I guess it's just something they are used to?

And so I guess what you all really missed this past week is that I made a life-changing revelation: It's time to kick that internal grandma out of my life and enjoy my youth.  I've always forced myself to be serious and work hard but I've come to realize that there's nothing wrong with working and taking part in some cheese, wine, and dancing.  So yes. I'm currently exhausted; but I'm living my life and I don't think I've ever been happier with where it's going.  Thanks Spain!

How has your Fall been going?  Have you had any life-changing revelations?

I Survived the First Week

I keep thinking that as the weeks go by and I'm more settled in Madrid it will become easier to keep up with these posts.  Then it comes time to actually sit and write and I just can't seem to get the words out as I want.  Everyone at home asks me how things are and what exciting things I'm doing, but really things just feel normal.

Maybe it's the fact that being in a classroom is the norm for me, or that I'm living with my boyfriend, or now with my first week of work I'm officially speaking way too much English here!  This weekend has been my first alone to decompress and to really reflect on both this past month abroad and surviving my first week of work.

source

And yes, you heard that right.  I survived my first week, high-fives anybody?  And from now until the end of June I will be working Tuesday through Friday in one fourth and three first grade classrooms.  If you ask why only the four days, in my program we can only work 16 hours per week.  But don't worry!  I'm looking for private classes too, we all know I'm a weirdo that lives to be busy.

Anyway, my school is a bilingual elementary school.  This means that multiple core subjects are taught completely in English, even to kindergarten and first graders, and each week I assist in teaching English, Science, and Physical Education (super fun!).  Even though it's only 16 hours per week, it's far more tiring than any teaching I have ever done before, and in fact far more frustrating because I have to pretend I don't know Spanish.  So many of the students are eager to talk and bond with me, but the young ones cannot communicate effectively in English yet.  I know they will improve quickly with all their exposure in school, but it still breaks my heart when I see their frustration because they can't express themselves.  I guess right now I'll just have to settle for hugs, kisses, and hearing "Hello Lauren (L-ow-rain)" yelled down the hallway.

My Experience

Each morning I wake up bright dark (seriously pitch black) and early at 7:30 am to catch the 8:26 train.  The day starts at 9:00 am, they have recess from 11:45 am to 12:15 (teacher's get a delicious breakfast!), and the school day ends at 2:00 pm.  At this point students can either be picked up by their parents or stay for the school's lunch.

And to be honest, my first day was a little jarring (and not only because they use mostly British English: rubbers, trousers, basins, toilets, oh. my. goodness.).

Luckily I had previously visited the school and kind of had an idea where everything was, so I wasn't that big a bundle of nerves.  Upon arrival the other auxiliares and I all met for a meeting where we received our health insurance cards, filled out paperwork, and discussed our weekly schedules.  Since there are four of us it was decided that two have Mondays off and the others Fridays.  It worked out quite nicely because two wanted specific days off and myself and the final wanted specific grade levels (luckily the opposite ones!).

source

As I was sent off to my first classes I saw how different the spectrum of teaching can be.  Day one, a teacher of mine was what I would call 'a little bit rough around the edges'.  She was very, well, vocal in the class and it took me back a little because I'm not used to a teaching style like that.  In fact, I left the first day completely overwhelmed and unsure if I had made the right decision moving all the way here...

But I'm glad I brushed the thought off and came into school the next day with an open mind and a positive attitude.  Over the rest of the week I talked with the three different teachers I will be working with for the year about the plans they have for the class and it was then that I could fully see what dedicated, hard-working, and caring teachers I get to work with.  They do have very different teaching styles, but they all put so much personality and effort into their students and their lessons.  Especially clear in the constant celebration of the little victories: from when a student knows what day comes tomorrow, to asking if they should use a light or dark blue crayon, or to knowing what a cake is and that it starts with a "C".  'Good jobs' and high-fives all around!  So far it's been such a rewarding experience!

And on this note, I vow to carry the 'little victories' over into my own life for this year.  Maybe I'm still not a social butterfly, maybe I can't follow the news programs on tv, and maybe I still cannot have a heated debate in Spanish.  But I can run all the errands on my own, I can use public transportation without getting lost, and I can hold my own in a conversation.  Not bad for my first week of working abroad.

Exhibit A of the little victories:  Good wine and cheese

How has your first week been?  Has it been a good experience so far?