Advice I have frequently heard from language-learners is to read in the target language. When I saw that my host mom had the entire Hunger Games series in Spanish, I became very eager to heed that advice. I scoured different places to visit and settled on a donut shop that was about a 25 minute walk from the apartment. As I ventured out, I appreciated the open pathways and live music I passed. Once I reached the café, I ordered a lavender donut and masala chai before hiding in a corner to cool down and read. This relaxed atmosphere gave me time to reflect on my typical pace of life. On campus, I’m always rushing. From classes to clubs to meetings, I always find my pace on the sidewalk hurried, even when I leave well ahead of time. As I took in my surroundings, I realized that my pace of life over these past two weeks had gradually been adjusting to match that of Spain. The long lunches, late dinners, and relaxed atmosphere have granted me a newfound appreciation for taking things slow.
Absorbed in what I was reading, I hardly noticed the hour creep towards 3pm. I slid my book into my bag and thanked the woman at the counter for the food as I prepared to enter the hot air and crowded streets once again. A few minutes walk away from me was El Rastro, an open-air market that is only open on Sunday from 9am to 3pm. In the 20 minutes that I was there, I took in the variety of bags, hats, jewelry, and clothing on display. I found myself stopping at one stall with beautiful dresses and pants. I love how common long and vibrant clothing is here. Looking at what people wear often has me think back to orientation, where we were told that people in Spain typically dress for the season, not the weather. I found that to be a stark contrast from campus, where the fluctuations in weather from day-to-day lead to equally fluctuating wardrobes. After making my purchase from the stall, I glanced at the different earrings I passed on my way out, trying to remember which stalls to visit next week.
I have officially completed my first week of work, and while the unhurried atmosphere took some adjustment, I have started to enjoy it. Since I work as part of a small nonprofit team (there are usually only 5 people in the office), tasks tend to have a lot of variety depending on what takes priority at the moment. Sometimes this has meant helping clean and set up the office for an important meeting, and other times it has involved reading through recently approved projects to gain a better understanding of what current work is being done. There will be one other intern working with me until the end of June, so I have also been trying to learn as much as I can from her before her departure.
One project that I started this week was reviewing different invoice receipts to ensure they contained a set of required information. A large portion of these receipts come from India and have corresponding translations for the materials purchased. Looking through these has shown me the amount of coordination required when working across different continents and in different languages. It has also served as a small introduction to the legal area of nonprofit organizations, which is not an area I have had experience with before. In addition to this, I have been updating and drafting materials for a fundraising bazaar that will take place in early August. Although this will unfortunately be after my departure from Madrid, I am happy that my work will have an impact even after I’m gone. This also means that all the materials I prepare will need to be well organized to ensure there are no delays in accessing those documents.
From navigation to the language, I have found myself becoming increasingly comfortable in Madrid every day. I am happy to report that I have memorized my route to and from work. Hearing people speak Spanish has also become my new normal, and now I’m more surprised to hear English as I walk down the street! This coming week, I want to work more on expanding my travels to other areas. I have a growing list of restaurants, museums, and markets marked all across my map. I also had a lot of fun watching the flamenco performance on Thursday and hope to see at least one more this summer. Although my list of places to visit is large, I keep reminding myself that I have six full weeks of exploring left, and I want to take advantage of every moment. ¡Hasta luego!
