Tuesday, March 11, 2014

{life} my unfiltered life abroad


If you were to take a look at my Instagram or Facebook you would think that I lived an incredibly charmed life filled with every day adventure, endless fun, and European glamour. While I know I am incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to live and work abroad, there are some moments when I severely miss my easy American life. This post is not meant to be filled with complaints, but I feel like it is good to let the "real" side of living abroad out. You will rarely meet an ex-pat who is not momentarily filled with homesickness, or completely exasperated with the new country he/she calls home. It's not all sunshine and rainbows over here in Europe, folks. Let's get to it.

Kitchen Space


My kitchen is cute. It's Euro. But it is freaking SMALL. Meet my kitchen table. AKA my cutting board station. AKA holder of random things. And everything in between. Did I mention that this table is smaller than a card table? If people are sitting at the table eating, you cannot open the fridge or the pantry. How I long for the days when I thought my college apartment's kitchen was small & not very well equipped. Puhleaasse. I dream of crock pots and blenders and food processors. But mainly I dream of space.


Public Transportation 


Ohhhh Metro. How can I love you and hate you so equally? The metro system in Madrid is said to be one of the best in all of Europe, and I definitely can agree. The city is very well connected, and the metro is very easy to navigate even for a first timer. But with public transportation comes crowds. And in the summer? Lots of smelly, sweaty crowds. Ick. There's nothing I hate more than being stuffed like a sardine in a metro car with 1209103 other people. Not only is it just plain uncomfortable to be all up on a stranger for 10 minutes, but you also have to be super aware of your things because... pickpockets. Ugh. 

Auxiliares de Conversacion


I sincerely love the school I'm working at this year. The teachers are relaxed and the kids are (mainly) nice. I often feel like a celebrity while walking through the hallways, as "Hola Profe" and "Hello Teacher" are said a million times in a row. But sometimes I sit in class and observe a teacher just straight reading from a book for the entire hour while the kids have personal conversations, text openly, and fall asleep. Other times when I am teaching the full class, I am with a teacher who doesn't have much control of said class on their own. So I end up standing up there like an idiot, attempting to get through to kids who don't care to pay attention enough to understand me, and who know that my disciplinary threats mean nothing since I am just a measly assistant teacher. I also sit around.... a lot. #braindrain 

Bathrooms in Madrid


Sorry for the graphic photograph of a toilet. But this is a big deal. Restrooms in Madrid rarely have the three essentials all at once - toilet paper, toilet seats, and hand soap. ICK. I literally come prepared with tissues and hand sanitizer in even the tiniest of clutches everywhere I go. I thought that a bathroom lacking those three essential things were only found in grimy bars in college towns, but even restaurants in one of the most metropolitan cities in the world can't properly keep theirs stocked. Lesigh.

Street & Metro Musicians 


Okay, to be fair - the mariachi band above was actually pretty awesome. That's the reason why I took a picture of them in the first place! I never take pictures of the bad 'musicians' because I don't want to get caught and be guilted into giving them money. Being stuck on the metro with a terrible musician is the worst. I already have a terrible headache from my teenage students, but thank you for adding loud, screeching noises to my life on my commute home as well. 

The Beer


Unless you are at a fancy bar or Irish Pub, you will always order beer not by type, but by size. Would you like a cana (small) or doble (large)? Don't bother asking which beers they have on draft. It will either be Mahou OR Cruzcampo (note, that is not an and) - although if a bar is feeling fancy you might get lucky and be able to drink Amstel. Thank goodness for bars like Fabrica Maravillas in Malasana who are trying to bring the craft beer craze to Spain. I miss you, World of Beer.

Guilt Filled Lazy Days


I don't actually have any photos of me at my laziest - not exactly selfie material, but these days happen way more often than you might think. I live in one of the most exciting cities in the world but you might be surprised as to how often you will be able to find me in my room wearing PJs. And I always feel guilty. When I was in college it was totally normal to lounge around for hours at a time and to leave the house looking like a grease ball to go run errands. But in Madrid? Leaving the house in leggings and tennis shoes is definitely looked down upon. Sometimes I don't want to look cute to go outside! And then I stay in my pajamas. Fail.

The Goodbyes & serious FOMO from Spain


I dread nothing more than the moment I have to say goodbye to my family, friends, and boyfriend. It never gets easier, and tears are always shed. I am incredibly lucky to have a wonderful group of friends and two awesome roommates in Madrid who have become my Spain family, but nothing hurts more than missing holidays, birthdays, dinners, baby showers, reunions, and engagement celebrations while living abroad. I know that saying goodbye to my adopted country when it is finally time to go home is going to be insanely difficult, and I will miss Spain forever when that time comes, but sometimes it is hard to get past the homesickness. Ya feel me?

These are just a few of the things that show what real life as an expat is like. I love Madrid more than words can say, and still walk around like a starstruck tourist, but my life is a lot more boring and "normal" than you might expect.

Fellow expat bloggers - let's hear it in the comment section. What else would you add to my list?

xx, Jen

18 comments:

  1. Do they put ice in your drinks in Spain? That is pretty much the only thing I always hated about all the European countries I've been to. Drinks are always served barely chilled or at room temperature and with no ice. And if you ask for ice they give you like one cube. Spoiled Americans :)

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    1. Spaniards actually really love ice! Huuuge ice cubes in your liquor drinks and sodas. The thing that bothers me about drinks in Madrid is the fact that you alwayssss have to ask for water, and if you don't specify that you want tap water, they'll give bottled water you have to pay for. Sometimes they claim that they don't have tap water. LIES!

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  2. I had to laugh at the toilet spotlight! When I have visitors, the first thing I do is outfit them with a "Madrid survival kit" which includes--drumroll please--hand sanitizer and a nifty pack of tissue paper.

    I enjoyed your candid highlight of the not-so-shiny side of living abroad. There are countless pros, but also several cons; instead of focusing on one or the other, I find it much easier to relate to the mixed bag that is life abroad!

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    1. hahah that is so great. That is definitely my daily Madrid survival kit. I get so anxious when I use the last tissue in my pack.

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  3. This is such a great post! But what would I add?

    …the people that stand outside metro stations with clipboards. You know, the ones trying to get you to register your bank account to donate money for various causes.. UGH! But I've discovered that if I smile and say "Solo hablo poco Español" in the worst American accent I can do, they leave you alone. It's terrible, I know, but it works!

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    1. hahaha omg yes I hate those people! I'm always scared that they are going to just switch to English and trap me, so I just try to avoid eye contact and awkwardly smile like eehhhhh NO!

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  4. This makes me no less jealous of your life, but nice to read its not all roses!!!

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    1. haha well you live in one of my favorite cities in the entire world! I always love visiting my family in LA :)

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  5. Just... AMEN to all of this. You put it into words so perfectly. Especially the part about the bathrooms - last time I checked, this isn't a third world country. Get it together, Spain! Although I love living here and have plenty of moments when I'm completely infatuated with Madrid, we're definitely not living in Disneyland.

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  6. I am in love with this post! Especially the lazy days, I have those all the time and feel so guilty afterwards....

    I would definitely add the grocery store aspect. I am not sure how it is for you, but I am used to being able to get a large load of groceries back home and not worry about it. Here, you only buy the amount that you are willing to carry home, or to carry to the nearest metro stop if you are lucky enough to have a close one! (Warsaw has ONE metro line for the entire city. You see my struggle). I will say I am starting to get some pretty nice arm muscles though!

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    1. OMG yes! I have the same issues! I used to live a lot closer to a grocery store and different fruterias, but now I live in a more commercial area of Madrid. It is so rough when I need to buy milk, OJ, cans of tomatoes, and wine all at the same time.... -___- I also have to climb 5 flights of stairs to get to my flat! Good ol' European living.

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  7. I feel you with the beer. I just found out there is a craft beer operation in my husband's hometown of Segovia. I can't wait to get there and try it out!

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    1. Awesome! I should start checking places like that out when I go on my day trips from Madrid. When I went to Segovia last time I hit up all of the touristy spots. If I should find myself there again I would love to go to a craft brewery!

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  8. The guilt-filled lazy days part totally resonates with me. I always feel like a huge a-hole when the sun is shining and I close the persianas and spend the day in a top-chef/reality tv stupor. And I recently discovered Just Eat so ordering in food has been added to the mix. Flojísima!! Oh well, as long as the adventures outweigh the laziness I suppose it's alright every now and then.

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    1. haha yes - my guilty pleasures are New Girl, Mindy Project, Castle, & Modern Family. eeeek. But seriously - even adventure queens need a break every now and then... amiright?!

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  9. Haha, so true, you never order beer by type, just size! It´s all going to taste the same anyway. But gotta love the tapas that come with them! And it´s a pleasant surprise when you find the hidden IPA bars in Madrid

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    1. Right?! I definitely can't tell the difference between Mahou, Cruzcampo, or Estrella.

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  10. I still think it's funny how much beer Spaniards drink yet they have no selection or beer culture whatsoever.

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