My Expectations of Life in Spain

When I picture what my life is about to be in just 3 short weeks, it’s difficult to imagine anything except for perfection as my firsthand thought. It’s going to be amazing – I’m going to meet so many new people, work with angelic first graders, live in one of the biggest and most unique cities in the world, all while being able to travel throughout Europe every weekend. I can eat churros with chocolate, drink wine, learn how to make paella and take a casual trip to Iceland. I’ll have a cute apartment right in the heart of the city, in walking distance to all of the best bars and restaurants in Madrid.

            When I think more realistically about it (and remember how my luck tends to give me the worst case scenario), the nerves set in. It is unlikely that I will find the perfect apartment, for starters. After reading the countless blog posts about the struggle of finding an apartment in Madrid, this is absolutely confirmed. I will have to sacrifice location for cleanliness, or cleanliness for price. It is almost certain that this part will not turn out perfectly. One of my roommates will likely not be as clean as I would prefer, and my neighbors may be loud when I am trying to sleep. However, I have high hopes that the charm of the apartment and the city itself will make up for any downfalls.

            The primary reason that I will even be in Spain, which is to teach, will likely also not be such a fairytale. Spanish first graders and students in vocational school (I have two placements) seem fascinating. First graders are adorable, which I know from babysitting and working in After-School for years. What I also know is that kids can sometimes be a nightmare – especially when they are not comfortable with someone. It is likely that some of the days will be trying on my nerves. Spending 2+ hours on public transport each day may get frustrating, and I may run out of activities to do with the class. This is something that I must be realistic about, but knowing my personality, it will only make me appreciate my time with my classes even more. My time in the classroom is one of the things I am most excited about. Instead of a study abroad experience, where students dread their time in school, I look forward to being excited to attend my classes each day.

            I expect my time in Spain to simultaneously be one of the most difficult and fantastic experiences of my entire life. Yes, I will probably indulge on churros with chocolate, paella and wine. I will probably meet some of my best friends. But, I will probably also spend plenty of nights crying from being homesick, longing for movie nights with my friends at home or weekends eating pie and lounging around with my parents. For the first few weeks, I will miss the comfort of my home, my bed, and my dog (truly, I think I am going to miss him the absolute most). The culture will be an adjustment, too. I will surely have trouble with the language and the social norms, such as the lack of desire to be on time and the relaxed mood – especially since I have a Type A personality.

            At the end of the day, I think all of the adversity that comes with these feelings will be worth the wonderful weekends spent hiking in the Alps, drinking $3 beers in Prague, or exploring the beautiful beaches of Portugal. These feelings will be worth it for the moments in the classroom where a light bulb goes off in a first grader’s head and he finally understands the lesson we’ve been going over. And finally, it will all be worth it for the opportunity to come out of my comfort zone by starting my life over in not only a brand new city, but a brand new country.