This last week has been very relaxed compared to past work weeks. I decided this week was going to be a recovery week from my trip to Barcelona this last weekend. I took a lot of time this week to relax, read in the park, and enjoy the city. Even at work this was a transitional week for me giving me a chance step back a little bit.

Because this is my last weekend in Madrid I decided to use it to explore a part of the city I had not been to before. So I went on google maps and found an area a little further from the city center than I usually go with a cute coffee shop. I rode the metro to the last stop and found a really cute little area of Madrid that felt much more local than I was used to and a lot less touristy. I enjoyed exploring this area and of course went to the coffee shop for a latte. One of the advantages of living in a city as opposed to just traveling for a few days is you get to experience what everyday life is like in said city. However I think one of the greatest disadvantages is that you can get stuck in your daily routine and only see the parts of the city you always see as opposed to the everyday, all day exploring of someone only staying for a week. This was the reason I decided I really wanted to get out of my normal exploring and it was a great decision. I not only for that cute coffee shop but after my coffee I decided to wander from there into the city center down the river. During my walk a found a beautiful rose garden and the perfect spot to stop and read my book. The spot was beautiful on the ledge of a small fountain shaded by a large tree and it overlooked the garden, however the view was not the best part. The best part was the cool air coming off the fountain and slight mist coming from the fountain in the breeze. I sat there for probably an hour in complete bliss before I decided to move on with my walk. From there I continued down the river and walked through the gardens next to the palace before heading back into the city near the opera house into territory I had already explored. I then got back on a metro and headed home for a shower but not before I bumped into a friend of mine from high school who is also currently studying abroad in Spain which was a crazy coincidence. That was not even the end of my day either as I headed back into the city to check out the Pride events happening around 9. There were multiple live performances all over the city and they shut down Gran Via, a major street in Madrid, for the festivities. I finally made it back to my apartment around 1 am making it a very long day. I don’t think my feet have ever hurt more.

This week at work my boss traveled to New York City to film the videos we have been working on for the last 6 weeks. This meant that other than the last minute touches on Monday there was not a lot for me to do this last week. As well my boss is now currently in another time zone so communication between the two of us has become more complicated. As well this also means that I have been alone in the office which presents its own challenges. When I am on my own in the office it is slightly harder to stay on task especially when the work load has been a lot lower, however i have been happy with my focus and I continue to stay on task. This is a skill I was not expecting to work on a lot this summer as a professional skill but it it probably the thing I have improved the most. This has a lot to do with the type of work I do which is very academically as opposed to professional. Because I do not have a lot of work experience of this type in the US it is really hard for me to say what aspects are different. I think something that may be different is the more laid back approach to assignments. Usually I am not given a deadline and assignments should just be done in a efficient way. As well I think aspects of the coworker relationships are also different. Usually the first half-hour to hour of work is spent saying hello to everyone in the office and having a quick chat as opposed to getting straight to work. I think both of these things will be useful for me in the future as an employee and as a boss. As being more laid back in assigning gives that person the confidence that you trust them to do their work correctly and efficiently and because I have learned how to do work in this way I can handle loose deadlines and directions in the future. As well learning to be personable with coworkers makes the entire experience more enjoyable.

Also this is my last weekend in Madrid because next weekend I am going to Bilbao which I am very excited about!