Hello Hello + Finding Courage through the Chaos

This is it. This. Is. It. 

These are the words I repeated to myself as I tried to settle the butterflies in my stomach, sitting in tense silence as I read and re-read the words “Congratulations on your acceptance to Teach in Spain Basics!” displayed in the pop-up tab on my email. After I convinced myself that this was real, the giddiness that I had suppressed since submitting my application just a few weeks prior spread warmly throughout my body, and a goofy smile took over my face. I instantly Facetimed my college roommates to share the news, and, that night, they surprised me with a “Sushi in Spain” fusion dinner to take advantage of our new sushi rollers and congratulate me on this exciting life chapter with some homemade sangria— I know, they're the best. 

Before I get too far ahead of myself, let me make some introductions! My name is Kira, and I will be leaving my California bubble in T minus 53 days, in late September, to teach English in the Leganés region of Madrid for the next nine months. I am a 21-year-old graduate from the University of California-Santa Barbara, with my BA in Technology, Art, Film, Media, and Spanish. After this year in Spain, I aspire to embark on a career in architecture with an emphasis in biomimetic design. During my time at UCSB, I was lucky enough to study abroad in Spain at Complutense Universidad de Madrid, where I fell in love with the vibrant city and promised myself I would return. This feeling of enchantment threw me for a loop, and I altered my plans for grad school because I knew I had to take a chance and apply for CIEE! I could not be happier to now be fulfilling this dream, and I can’t wait to document my adventures with you all as I learn further about Spanish culture and navigate my cross-continental place in the world. 

I am inspired to return to Madrid because when I studied there, I had to fly home just as I was getting the hang of speaking Spanish and starting to make deeper connections with the people around me. This time around, I aim to overcome my nerves and throw myself into speaking the language to ensure that I make leaps and bounds forward in my Spanish fluency. I also cannot wait to reconnect with my old friends and host family, as well as meet many new ones. In addition to my work with CIEE, I hope to teach English privately on the side to my past host sister and her elementary-school-aged friends, not to mention create multimedia art and take dance, yoga, cooking, and workout classes to be fully immersed in the community. I am imagining the nostalgia that will wash over me as I return to the places that made my previous studies so memorable, and I am in awe that I get the opportunity to build upon those memories by discovering and documenting new niches of this dynamic, colorful city. 

Though the preparations for this journey have made me feel slightly overwhelmed as I balance multiple Summer jobs with the big move, I know in the end that this is 100% worth all the chaos! I find that being proactive in aspects like my medical clearance, apostille certification, visa application, and Spanish practice have all helped ease my mind, and I will dive into the details of the process in future blog posts. For now, I have decided to lead with grit and by repeating the saying “we can choose courage or comfort, but we can’t have both” (Brene Brown). This is real, and it’s time to choose courage and uncomfortability for the sake of growth— I cannot wait for the journey to begin! Until next time <3