4 Things I Wish I Did Whilst Living Abroad in Spain; Regrets, Reflections and Resilience

While I can say that my first year living in Madrid felt like a dream and has without a doubt been one of the best experiences and adventures of my life... I do have some regrets. There are a few things that I felt I should have done at the start of my experience, which could have made it even better!

1) Less Worrying, More Tinto de Verano

I have always been someone who would find things to worry and stress about, and that did not really change when I moved to Spain! There were valid things to be concerned about, like making friends, settling into my new home and feeling comfortable with my new housemates, scheduling and attending immigration and VISA appointments in a language I barely understood... the list can easily go on. However, I wish I had the mindset that things will work out, I can figure things out, I will be able to make the right friends and have meaningful relationships in due time. I wish I had more confidence and faith in myself to believe that there was no need to stress about these things, take things day by day, and simply come up with a very fluid, short-term plan to overcome ‘challenges’ as they arise.

2) More Intentionality + Travel

My second regret is not making a concrete bucket list of the exact things I wanted to do, achieve, and places to check out during my first few weeks of being here. Time flies very quickly, and it is easy for one week to roll into the next. Before you know it, it’s Christmas, then Easter, then summer! I wanted to try a salsa class, a samba class, more tapas dishes, specific restaurants and rooftop spots... but I ran out of time! On the otherhand, I'm glad that I was able to step out of my comfort zone and develop new hobbies such as DJing and - albeit VERY recently - modelling. 

My advice here is to study Google and TikTok, write a list of places or things you’d like to try or explore, and plan specific times to do them! When it comes to picking up hobbies, I'm going to need you to abolish your fear of looking stupid right NOW! At the end of the day, you're in a completely new country with completely new people around you, there is no better time and place to be your most authentic self and step outside of what is 'ordinary' to you.....who cares!?

When it comes to travel, I was able to visit several beautiful cities in Spain, however I wish I had been more organized so that I could have visited more! I spent a lot of time waiting for other people to be available or did not follow through with my ‘travel plans,’ when in reality I could have done many solo trips! However, I was not too keen on traveling alone because I felt it would be more fun to explore with a trusted friend. Secondly (and more importantly), I was concerned: If I am by myself, then who will take my pictures and get the right angles? Nevertheless, I believe I would have had a great time exploring even more places by myself, and I’m pretty sure I would have come across other solo travellers and made more friends along the way!

3) Speak More Spanish!

One of my core goals was to learn Spanish and speak it fluently, and while my Spanish has improved immensely, there are still many moments where I do not have the confidence to start a conversation or hold it, despite understanding the other person! I feel this is because I did not make as much of an effort to do so consistently, or attend many language exchanges, out of fear of embarrassing myself and sounding stupid. Don’t get me wrong, there were many moments where I’d speak Spanish to a Spaniard and they’d respond back to me in English, clearly unimpressed with my accent (sigh). However, I wish I had the resilience to continue to try and speak in Spanish more, overcoming that fear and pushing myself regardless of the inner turmoil, pain, shame, and embarrassment. Gosh.

4) More Gallivanting Around Madrid!

My final regret is not taking more time to get my steps in and making more of a concerted effort to explore every inch of Madrid! While I was familiar with the key spots (Sol and Plaza Mayor) as well as areas such as Lavapiés (a must-go neighborhood if you love food with true spice and seasoning), I wish I had dedicated several days to explore the northern and western areas of Madrid! Madrid, although very walkable, is actually very large if you include the whole ‘Community of Madrid’ area, and I’m very aware that each area has its own unique flair, style, and characteristics. I think it would have been lovely to explore even more spots, and I hope that this is something you do should you move to Madrid!

Final thoughts and a gentle goodbye 

Living in Madrid was an incredible journey, full of unforgettable moments and learning experiences. Sure, there were a few bumps along the way, but those just made the adventure more memorable (or maybe I'm being delusional, who knows actually). If you're considering a move to Madrid, please take my advice and make the most of every single day. Explore, laugh, and, most importantly, chill out!

This is my last post on CIEE for now, however if you'd like to find out how I began modelling, DJing and learning manyyyy new things whilst teaching in Madrid, feel free to catch me on IG and Tiktok! 

My username for both platforms is theklonde :)

Stay safe, worry less, live for you <3