As I write this post I am beginning my 3rd week here in Madrid. I think now is when my experience will start to feel a little more like a normal everyday routine and less like a vacation. Having been here already for almost 2 weeks with 1 full week of work I have really started to settle into a regular lifestyle. The feeling of being and exploring a new place has kinda gone away and I am becoming very comfortable and used to all my surroundings. The feeling that I am on vacation isn’t really with me anymore. That being said, the past 2ish weeks have been a blast and I am still very excited for what’s to come.
I think one of the main factors contributing to me settling in has been starting a normal work schedule. Having something routine to do for a large portion of the day everyday is an experience similar to something I’d have in the United States. Secondly, most of the tourist things I have already done and most of the time when I get home now I am content with just resting with my host family and getting ready for the next day.
Specifically focusing on work though, I am very happy with my placement and the projects and tasks I have been given. My company is quite small and all the workers are really nice. As it is such a small company too, all the workers are very friendly with each other and the environment that is created is very welcoming and warm. Along with that, the president, who is my supervisor, is a really nice guy who always makes sure I have something to do and makes me feel like a valued member of the company. The project I am currently working on is a survey of different organizations across Spain and how they influence and improve the teaching of civic responsibilities and citizen competencies within the country. I am looking at the different things they do and evaluating them across different areas such as their reach, effectiveness, and focus of teachings. This is a joint project with 5 other companies in the UK, Montenegro, Slovakia, Portugal, and the Czech Republic. While I am focused on Spain specifically, at the end of the project all 6 companies get together to present their findings from their own specific countries. It is really cool and interesting to be able to work on something that ties all of Europe together.
In terms of time management, I don’t think I have had any problems yet with managing my tasks and timeliness. For one, the company is not very strict on timeliness as a whole. Most days I am the first one to show up in the morning as the president kind of does not care when people come in to start. Similarly, the emphasis they put on completing tasks quickly is quite low so no one is ever in a rush to get something done. In terms of me specifically, I haven’t had any problem with my time management. I often have a couple different tasks each day each with different importance which structures my day and what I have to do. Some of these tasks are also multi-day things which really take any pressure of completing them on time off as I usually have plenty of time. I have been able to get all my tasks done on time and oftentimes have to ask for something else to do. Getting more tasks too helps me feel useful and valued at the company which is nice. In terms of time management outside of work and how every day is, it has been an adjustment. My family usually eats dinner at like 10 or 10:30 which has been pretty awful. I usually eat dinner at like 6 and then try to go to sleep at like 11 so needing to stay up to wait for dinner has not been fun at all. Similarly, the work day is quite long and odd. By getting a large lunch break it pushed back the end of the day so I am at the office for a long time each day. Once I get home it is already like 7 so most of my day is spent at work. Both of these things I should get used to though as I stay here longer, there will just be an adjustment period.
Overall the first couple of weeks here have been very enjoyable and I have already learned and gained so much experience. I am excited to continue with this program and continue gaining valuable skills.