Holy moly. Time, can you please pass more slowly? It’s been a few weeks since my last post, so here are a few takeaways/observations I have made throughout my first month to keep you updated.

1. I have been overthinking my Spanish. Not the best note to start on, I know, but I have to be honest. It has been way too easy to default to English when I don’t know a certain word and I’m hanging out with fellow Fulbrighters. However, I do have some solutions. One thing I have already started doing is watching Spain Netflix to learn vocabulary and improve my listening skills (Elite, anyone?). Additionally, going forward, I plan to hold myself more accountable when around other Fulbrighters, specifically those who have agreed that they want to speak Spanish when we are together. I am also going to visit a language exchange bar in the coming weeks. Finally, I signed up for a high intermediate/advanced-level castellano (Spanish) language class. The university I am teaching at is offering them for free! I think out of all of my action items, the language class is what I am most looking forward to. On a related note, I am trying to give myself some grace throughout this language transition process. If I get mad at myself for making a dumb mistake, I’m going to continue being scared to speak, which is the opposite of what I want!

2. Living in a seven-person piso is less chaotic than expected. Okay, so there was one night where four or five of us were trying to cook dinner at the same time and the kitchen was a little squished. But other than that, everyone knows how to clean up after themselves and I genuinely enjoy talking to each and every one of them! How long I am able to sustain a conversation with the five fluent speakers (three are from Spain, two are from France) will be a good indicator of my Spanish language progress over these months.

3. I need to go outside at least once per day. I feel like this should have been a discovery I made during quarantine, but alas, I continued to spend multiple days indoors in a row throughout the last year and a half. As cheesy as it sounds, I definitely think it has to do with living in Madrid. The sun feels amazing, there is so much to explore, and the streets are clean. A day without going outside is a day wasted. Wow, I’m really not sounding like a future software engineer right now.

4. I look forward to my commute. Is it weird that my commute is one of my favorite parts of my day? Who doesn’t love dedicated time to sit back and relax?! The fact that the bus I take leaves from the Intercambiador de Moncloa fairly regularly definitely helps alleviate some timing stress. Plus, it is similar in format to a coach bus, so it is very comfortable. I usually listen to Spanish language music, but I am thinking of starting a Spanish news podcast.

5. People do not drink as much water as I do. I try to drink around 100 ounces (2,84 litros) of water per day. Meanwhile, I rarely see anyone carrying a water bottle or sitting with a glass of water at restaurants. While I am not going to change my water-drinking habits, I do stick out like a sore thumb with respect to my restroom habits, even compared to the United States. Speaking of restrooms…

6. I have yet to pay to use the restroom. Yes, I probably just jinxed myself by saying this. Yes, COVID protocols might have something to do with it. Nevertheless, I have been pleasantly surprised by the lack of restrooms you have to pay for. Much different than my last experience in Europe.

7. Healthy food is so affordable. I have been eating multiple fruits and vegetables every day! And I have found some vegetables that are super easy to cut and toss into a pan (I’m not looking at you, carrots). I am beginning to really prefer the frequency with which people go grocery shopping here. It’s an excuse to go outside, and you know that your quality of food is incredibly high.

8. The smell of smoke is omnipresent. Every time I think about how great it would be to live in Madrid forever, I am hit with a puff of smoke that instantly brings me back to reality. I personally react very poorly to this smell, so when I go for a walk, I usually head towards a park or a wide street where I can avoid smokers.

9. Dogs are almost too well-behaved. This has been probably one of the biggest small differences I have noticed between the United States and Madrid. Here, dogs just focus on themselves; they ignore people and most other dogs. And vice versa. In the United States, I feel like dogs get excited when they see new humans and people are constantly asking if they can pet a dog they pass in the streets. It has been so hard to resist the urge to pet! I know I will break down very soon. (Peep cute little Tico in the post image!)

I will forever be in awe of people who can write about their experiences so eloquently. However, I think there is also a benefit to writing concisely, especially in today’s society where everyone is functioning at one thousand miles per hour. I hope you do not consider this quick peek inside of my brain as a waste of time. Let me know in the comments below if there is a specific kind of post you want me to make in the future! I have many ideas but I am open to being swayed in a certain direction.

Note: views are my own and do not reflect those of The Fulbright Program or La Comisión Fulbright de España.