One week in to living my madrileña life, and so far there have been so many ups and downs—new friends, delicious tapas, and lots of fun excursions—but also navigating being sick in a foreign country.
My first day was a total blur! My flight landed early Wednesday morning, and I immediately felt like I had bit off more than I could chew here. I spent about 15 minutes looking for my Uber; thankfully, he waited for me and I rang the doorbell for the wrong apartment and was met with a very grumpy and confused Spanish lady. But, as soon as I found my host family’s apartment, and my home for the next few months, I knew everything was going to be ok! I was welcomed by my host mom and her partner (he’s French), two of the kindest people ever. My host mom is also gluten and dairy free, so her understanding of my dietary needs and kind nature immediately calmed me. I can’t lie though, with my jetlagged brain and my less than perfect Spanish, the first day was completely overwhelming, but also so much fun. We went on a walk around our neighborhood park (my host mom gave me a hat so I could appear authentically madrileña), took a trip to the grocery store, and got to know each other. Here are some pictures of my first day and Parque Quinta de los Molinos!
Thursday was our first day of orientation, and after a rocky start navigating the public transport system, I made it safe and sound. It was so fun meeting the other people in my program, and it was reassuring that this experience was equally overwhelming for them. We enjoyed a tapas lunch together, and my friends and I went off to explore the city and go to some shops. Our little group immediately clicked, and we were already making plans for later that day and dreaming about all the fun adventures we would have this summer. When I came home, I told my host mom all about my day and the fun I had—talking to her in Spanish started to become a little more comfortable and catching up at the end of our days quickly became something that I looked forward to!
Friday was another orientation day, which concluded with a walking tour of the old city of Madrid, or Madrid de los Austrias. I was completely in awe of this beautiful city. We walked through old cobblestone streets with incredible architecture, saw the outside of El Palacio Real, and walked through the Plaza San Miguel and Plaza Mayor. It was unbearably hot, especially in the midday heat, and everyone in the city sought out shady spots, took advantage of the clean water spouts on the street, and fanned themselves to generate some kind of breeze. Afterwards, my friends and I went to get some delicious tapas at La Concha (pictured below). I took a solo adventure to my public transit appointment to get my personal transportation card. It was definitely a challenge and the metro system definitely came with a learning curve, but now I can use the amazing metro and bus system as much as I want.
At the risk of sounding American, one of the highlights of this trip has been the Spanish McDonald’s. Where else can you get a gluten-free burger and fries for less than 5 euros!? Nowhere in the US, that’s for sure. There are so many gluten-free options around the city of Madrid that I am excited to try!
I was quickly learning that the heat would be an inescapable part of my Madrid summer, with temperatures in the 90s this entire week. I finally understood the value of the midday siesta to escape the heat of the streets and rest up before later plans. However, in the early morning or the evening, the weather is refreshing and beautiful, the perfect time to walk around the streets or dine at a terraza.
Unfortunately, my Madrid fun came to a screeching halt on Saturday, when I woke up sick. I spent the day making phone calls and figuring out how to navigate the healthcare system here. I found myself in an urgent care clinic and a Spanish pharmacy on just my 4th day in the country. Unfortunately, I am still sick and resting, so there is not too much more to tell about my adventures and my internship (updates to come in future posts)
For my internship, I will be working in an immigration law firm, helping with their accounting and fiscal operations. In this internship, I must be very detail-oriented, organized, and comfortable with numbers and math. Additionally, as in any business sector, communication is highly important between my supervisor and me, and between the other employees about clients’ files, invoices, and more.
I think the biggest adjustment is working in their file system and accounting software, which looks a little different from what I am used to. Additionally, it is all in Spanish, which is a whole other learning curve. I think that the value of communication and networking is the biggest difference between working here and in the US, where there is more emphasis on individuality in the workplace.
I’m sure that I will have a lot more to say once I am feeling better and am able to get started with my internship. But for now, that’s all from me!
Un abrazo,
Rachel 💌