{life} hashtag: i'm definitely not in madrid anymore

As I take the first sip of my iced coffee to go, I smile. I'm definitely not in Madrid anymore.

An unobstructed sunset glowing behind the tall, swaying palm trees. The quiet, empty streets of suburbia, broken up only by the laugh of a child or the low hum of a lawn mower. The pool in my backyard. I'm definitely not in Madrid anymore.

The conversations with friendly strangers. "How are you doing today?" "What are your weekend plans?" "This drink is free because it took way too long to come out." "Oh, excuse me. Sorry!" "You have a wonderful day, honey/sweetie/darling/my love!" I'm definitely not in Madrid anymore.

The five minute drive to the grocery store? A 20 minute walk. The twenty minute drive to a restaurant? A 60 minute walk. I'm definitely not in Madrid anymore.

The abundance of cultures and cuisines. A twenty mile radius on Yelp showing great Vietnamese! Korean! Colombian! Peruvian! Mexican! Lebanese! Italian! Cuban! and finally American! restaurants. I'm definitely not in Madrid anymore.

The hours spent sitting in a car. But on the other hand, that glorious, glorious one stop shopping. (Hello Target. Hello Publix.) I'm definitely not in Madrid anymore.

Slowing your car to allow a deer to cross the road. Waving hello to an alligator in the pond. Stopping and patiently waiting as an owl decides whether it wants to stay chilling in the middle of the road or fly away to the nearest tree. Seeing unidentifiable animal prints in the backyard. Was it a fox? Or a raccoon? I'm definitely not in Madrid anymore.

The extremely predictable afternoon thunderstorms and the extremely high humidity. Blegh. I'm definitely not in Madrid anymore.

It's the slight withdrawals from plaza life and 2 euro glasses of wine. From tapas and jamon, rooftop drinks just because, and the Spanish language. But making up for it with happy hours with friends and $5 craft beers (helllo my pretties). With delicious sub sandwiches and smoothies, rooftop drinks just because (somethings never change), and being asked on your first day back, "Hablas espanol?"

Here's to you, America. You're pretty darn cool.

xx, Jen

{life} a goodbye letter to madrid

Do you know what is really hard?

Trying to find adequate words to describe how much my time living in Madrid has meant, and will continue to mean to me. I spent my entire last day wandering around my old barrio, Malasana, smiling one moment, and tearing up the next. 

Smiling at the memories those streets hold. 

The afternoons spent drinking tinto de veranos and the late nights that followed, always with a slice of pizza and liter and a half of water in hand. The days spent window shopping; not for clothes, but for the next restaurant or bar to add to our list of places to try. The quiet, peaceful mornings and the loud, chaotic nights. The summer afternoons spent meeting for ice cream and iced coffee. The winter nights spent dodging into the first warm place we came across for a plate of queso and a glass of red wine. I must have walked these streets a thousand times over the last year and half, but there was always something new to see; something to marvel at or write down to check out later. 

Tearing up over the thought of separation from my Spain family.

As I passed my favorite coffee shop, a ton of memories started flying through my head. The first time Breanne and I walked through the doors we were immediately in love. We set out to make it "our place" in the huge foreign city we now called home. Little did I know at the time what that little cafe was going to end up meaning to me. It was where a coworker turned into a friend. Where goodbye parties were held and new friends were made. Where hangovers were created, and then cured. Where trips were planned and politics were discussed. Where we talked about overcoming homesickness and our falling in love with our new home away from home. When I sat down later to really think about all of these memories, one thing kept coming back to me. It wasn't that this little coffee shop was any better than others in my neighborhood. It was the people I experienced the coffee shop with that made it what it is to me. Beautiful, wonderful people who made my life in Madrid more than just an empty shell of my life at home. Friends who filled my heart and brought me joy. Friends who turned into family. 

My Madrid.

It's a realization that Spain is so much more than we could ever imagine it to be in the USA. It isn't just sunshine, siestas, bullfighting, flamenco, and sangria. It's the old man bars and napkins on the floor. It's begrudgingly adjusting your schedule to match the siesta schedule, but secretly loving the lull in the middle of the day. It's becoming a jamon, croquetta, tortilla de patatas, and huevos rotos nut job. It's secretly pretending to love Real Madrid soccer. It's the maddening yet comforting sound of the trashmen banging down your street at three in the morning. It's the four floor walkups never getting easier - but hey, at least no gym membership was necessary this year! It's struggling with Spanish, but missing it fiercely the second it is gone. It's coming to Spain with no language ability to go to a bank, fruit shop, or restaurant without freaking out, and leaving with those topics mastered. It's referring to American currency as euros, and realizing how awesome one euro coins are. It's days spent picnicking in the park and drinking on the streets. It's visiting the same museums over and over again, just to see your favorite paintings in person again. It's getting out of the city and hiking on Saturdays, and then going for tapas all day on Sundays. It's a deep love for the Spanish people, but a disdain for the Spanish government. It's getting to know the people at the stalls at your favorite market. It's terrazas and plazas. It's exchanging Swedish, Spanish, and American recipes with the cutest roommates on earth. It's olives and Manchego, churros and chocolate, and toast and tomato. It's mojitos and gin and tonics, Rioja o Ribera, and cana o doble. It's cafe con leches, cortados, and espressos. It's a late breakfast and a slow lunch. It's socializing over a tiny beer with no time limit in sight. It's meeting people from all over the world and learning about their cultures through food, debates, and more. It's taking enough pictures a year and a half after moving here that could convince anyone around you that you are a complete tourist. It's finding your passion for your future career. It's the people you meet and the memories you share. It's going as far out of your comfort zone as you could ever imagine, and coming back home a more complete and mature person. It's falling head over heels in love with a city like you could never imagine possible.

It's knowing that Madrid will always occupy a huge place in my heart; no matter the distance, no matter the time.

Because Madrid in reality is nothing special. It doesn't have a great river. Nor does it have many skyscrapers. Nor canals or lakes. Nor glorious ruins. Nor the sea. Madrid lacks lots of things. But it has people in the streets. The unexpected street corners. The variety. The contrast. Constant busyness. And it has customs. It is worth getting up early, just once, to live the Madrid life.

Hasta pronto, Madrid. Te amo.

xx, Jen

{food} madrid tapas, taverns, and history

If there's one thing you should know about me it is that I adore food. Obvious right? I also am extremely curious. I love to try new things and new restaurants, and love learning the history behind, well, everything! This is why I have so much fun going on food tours! Although I have lived in Madrid for over a year and half, I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of the culinary delights that await at every corner. Did you know that Madrid has the second highest number of bars per inhabitant in Europe (just behind Cyprus)? Did you also know that each bar serves food as well as drinks? So how do you know which restaurants and bars are the good, local joints and which ones are run solely for tourists? This is where Madrid Food Tour comes in. Run by an American expat turned Spanish entrepreneur, Lauren, Madrid Food Tour offers guests with an unrivaled local experience. Not only do I read their blog regularly for restaurant suggestions and tips on Spanish cuisine, but I also have been working as a social media intern for them! I have been so lucky this year to be able get a behind the scenes look at a company filled with people passionate about exposing the best of what Madrid's culinary scene has to offer. 

Today I'm going to chat about a tour I recently went on with James, a Kiwi expat turned "The Spain Guy," who seems to know just about all there is to know about Madrid's history and the restaurants and bars that make it the incredible city it is today. Get ready to go all in with some tapas, taverns, AND history.

{travel} a romantic getaway to granada, spain

{the view from our airbnb flat}

Granada, you captured my heart so effortlessly and quickly last year that I didn't even see it coming. You were rainy, cold, and filled with people and Easter procesiones, but it didn't matter. I fell completely in love from the very first moment I laid eyes on the majestic Alhambra. I wandered through the gardens of the Generalife Palace in complete wonder and drank in the intricate carvings inscribed in all of the walls of the Nasrid Palace for what seemed like hours. I took photo after photo, each time exclaiming how disappointing it was that my camera couldn't fully capture the beauty of what I was seeing with my own two eyes. Our two days in Granada in 2013 went by all too quickly, and I vowed to come back again before my time in Spain was up. So when Alex and I were planning his spring break trip to come see me I knew that we had to sacrifice a few days in Madrid to get to know Granada's more romantic side together.

{sitting on the wall at the Mirador de San Nicolas}

I went to Granada in 2013 with three of my girlfriends during our spring break from work. We spent a lot of our time in the area directly around the cathedral and Plaza Nueva, only venturing up into the Albayzin for a view of the Alhambra from the Mirador de San Nicolas and a flamenco show. I knew that I wanted to get to know the barrio with a gypsy soul much better my second time around, so Alex & I booked an airbnb apartment in the area. Best. Decision. Ever. We absolutely loved our stay at the EcoConscious Moorish House & totally recommend it for anyone planning on traveling to Granada. The top picture in this post shows the view we had from our building's terrace. Enough said.

I'm going to try something new and break this post up into three sections - sights, eats, & ambiance. Let me know if you like the new format. Five years of blogging and still trying to get it right. ;)

{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.

{food} my favorite restaurants in madrid

Charcuterie platter at Taberna Almeria.

It's no secret that I love to eat. Not only do I love to eat, but I love to explore. Trying new food and new restaurants is always top on my list not just when I travel, but also on the weekends I stay in Madrid. I pinch pennies in other aspects of my life (*cough*i miss shopping*cough*), but really... it's totally worth it in this city filled to the brim with such a great culinary culture! This list is certainly not exhaustive or meant to portray 'the best restaurants in Madrid', but simply a collection of some of the most memorable meals I've had around the city.

{recipe} lentejas con chorizo

You guys... I have the winter blues. I know, I know. I can't really talk to you northerners and midwesterners about my #spainproblems considering the whole Polar Vortex thing has been dumping way too much snow on you this winter, but I really do. If it isn't raining, it is cloudy. If it isn't freezing cold, then it's windy. If there is sun, well... that's a miracle and you will definitely find me outside. Winter in Madrid is certainly not the coldest, wettest, or snowiest place to be, but it certainly gets old after a while.

The Spanish dish that is absolutely my number one comfort food during the winter months is lentejas con chorizo (lentil soup with chorizo). There's nothing quite like curling up in a window seat in a warm restaurant with a glass of Rioja and a huge bowl of lentejas. I have attempted Spanish lentils before and failed miserably. But this recipe? This one tastes exactly like my favorite restaurant's soup.

Ps. Do you want to know a secret about comfort food? It never photographs well. Get past the beany texture in the photo and make it for yourself. You won't be disappointed, scout's honor.

{travel} madrid literary quarter walk

The best part about living in a big city is that you never have the opportunity to get bored. There is always a new neighborhood, street, and cafe to see! Although it caaaaan sometimes feel overwhelming when you try to decide on which part of the city you would like to explore that day. Rather than wandering around completely aimlessly, (although we all know that this is a favorite past time of mine as well) you can utilize a great app, called City Guide, to give you ideas for attractions, restaurants, and shopping around you.  The app even uses your GPS to tell you how far away you are from each location. The best part is that you don't need data or wifi for it to work! And in true TripAdvisor fashion, you can read reviews to help you narrow down your options. I feel like I should definitely add a little disclaimer right now - I am not at all being paid for this blog post by the TripAdvisor peeps. I just genuinely love this app and use it all the time. As you can see in the picture below, 31 cities in Europe currently have a City Guide, as well as 26 cities in North America. I always check to see if my next travel destination has one so that I can download the guide while I have wifi.

On top of being able to read reviews on the restaurants and attractions closest to you at the moment, you can also go on free walking tours. When you tap on the Suggested Itineraries  tab, it will take you to a screen with tons of awesome walking tours, options for "on a low budget," "Free Madrid," and "Madrid with family." Although I have utilized the City Guide walking tours in other cities before, I had yet to do one in Madrid so I decided to go on the "Literary Quarter Walk" after work the other day. It was a really great walk!

{travel} ávila, españa

I am taking a break with our current regularly scheduled posts on my road trip through the lowcountry in December to talk about a wonderfully sleepy little town an 1 1/2 hours train ride from Madrid. The guidebooks will tell you that the only things worthy of seeing in the small city in the Castile y León region of Spain is the old city wall, the cathedral, and the Convent of Santa Teresa., but Avila is so much more than these three sites.

Spend hours walking the old wall and take in the views of the gorgeous red tile roofs, the imposing cathedral-fortress, the windy streets, the locals drinking in squares, the serene Spanish countryside, and the snow-capped mountains.

{life} according to instagram

Happy, happy new year my friends. I'm 8 days late, but better than never right?!

My life has been a little crazy as of late. I flew home to Florida on December 4th and got my wisdom teeth out on December 5th. Then it was off to my brother's wedding a week later, and Christmas a week after that. The day after Christmas I got back into my traveling groove by going on the best road trip evaaa with my sweet boyfriend. Then it was NYE with friends & back to Madrid on the 3rd. EEK!

You think it would slow down a bit once I got back to my current home base, right? Except I had moved out of my apartment at the beginning of December so I wouldn't have to pay December rent while I was in America, so I had to apartment hunt right away. Luckily, I found the perfect apartment the day after I arrived. My life has been consumed with unpacking and decorating and food shopping and oh yeah, starting work again.

So now you know why my little blog has been very neglected. I have so much catching up to do. I haven't even blogged about my trip to Prague in November yet.... I suck.

Enjoy some beautiful photos of my new barrio (neighborhood) and other scenes from life lately.

Saying goodbye-

{life} ten things i've learned while living in madrid

1. The social rules for personal space are veddddy different. You will often be the freaked out American constantly taking a few steps back from the person talking to you, because they will be allll up in your grill. Truth.

2. Also. If you are on the metro or bus, you will probably be smashed into a corner because Spaniards love to stand right in front of you. I suppose this goes with the personal space thing. Give me room to breatheeeee.

3. Learning Spanish is really hard (for me). There’s a reason why I hated my Spanish classes in high school and college. I thought that moving here meant I would magically be able to speak it by being surrounded by it at all times. Ha. Wrong! It doesn’t help that I’m lazy and would rather choose my bed than meeting for an intercambio every night. Oops.

4. Anytime you ask for a tapa or dish “sin carne” (without meat), you will more than likely get tuna and eggs. A “vegetarian” sandwich or salad? So boring. To be fair, tuna and eggs are typical vegetarian fare, but in general, Spaniards just do not understand vegetarians.

5. If you are living in Madrid for more than a month, chances are that you will be directly affected by a protest or a strike. Metro strikes are terrible, but street cleaning strikes are the worst. Spanish government, get your crap together and help out your citizens a bit more!

6. Spaniards love to mix Fanta limon into their drinks, and now so do I. Sangria? Totally a touristy thing. Sometimes you’ll see Spaniards order it if they are feeling fancy, but more than likely they will order “tinto de verano,” red table wine mixed with Fanta limon and poured over ice. They also really love shandy. Most tables will have a mix of normal cerveza and claritas (half beer, half Fanta limon).

7. Spanish bread is ADDICTING. I could easily go through an entire loaf in one day, but I have learned how to practice self-control. AKA… avoid the bakeries at all costs.

8. While we all know that waiter service in restaurants is very different in Spain than it is in the States, there is something else worth noting about the differences between the two cultures.  When a restaurant says that lunch hours close at 4, it means that they close at like… 3:45. I have been heartbroken so many times upon getting to a restaurant at 3:45 and being all excited for FOODZOMG like, “Somos tres,” and then being looked at blankly and being told that the kitchen is closed until dinner. I guess it is the American way to want to squeeze every last penny out of as many customers as they can, but I know you can walk into a restaurant AT CLOSING and you will still be served. Lesigh.

9. On the other hand, I actually quite enjoy the nonchalant serving attitude here. You need another drink? You want the bill? Flag down the waiter when necessary, and enjoy your uninterrupted conversation. The first “reverse culture shock” I had was at a restaurant over the summer while I was home. It seemed like the waiter came up to our table every 10 minutes! Sheesh

10. Riding the train is the best thing everrrr. If you catch the RENFE (Spanish national train service) on a good day, you can get first class and business class tickets for just a little bit more money than the general seats. Not only is there a crazy amount of leg room, a normal sized bathroom to use, and the ability to get up and walk around as much as you want, but you also get free, unlimited wine, beer, liquor, and other beverages, as well as a meal! Like a bo$$.

Do you live in Spain? Have you experienced any of these? 

xx, Jen

{travel} salamanca, spain

Walking through the empty streets was so relaxing.

One of the obvious goals I really want to accomplish during my year abroad is to travel as much as possible. Visiting new countries is such a thrill. I love stepping into new cultures, learning the history of each city and famous monument, trying local cuisines cooked by the people who know how best, and hearing all of the beautiful languages and accents. This goal has only been partially met during my first 10 months living in Europe, but that doesn't mean I haven't been traveling. While I know I need to step up my EU game and visit more countries than just England, Holland, and Spain in my last 7 months or so (although I'll be checking the Czech Republic off of my list soon - see ya this weekend, Prague!!), I feel totally at peace. ¿Por que?

Because I have been traveling the heck out of beaaautiful Spain. Salamanca is the 13th Spanish city I have visited this year. Something that continues to surprise me is how different each city is. While there is, of course, a constant theme of Spanish culture with all of the jamon, tapas & pinchos, siestas, and a million and one cathedrals, each city has its own unique flair unlike anywhere else in Spain. It is a country that I am so proud to call my other home.

{travel} tapas in barrio conde duque, madrid

You know it is going to be a GREAT weekend when the only plans you have involve eating lots and lots of tapas and drinking lots and lots of wine. Amen.

We followed una Ruta de Tapas called Exquisitapas in the barrio Conde Duque. Conde Duque is right next to our neighborhood, but my roommate and I had never really explored the area at all. I'm so sad that we explored it so late into the year. We found some really awesome places that I definitely have to tell yall about, for your... you know... eventual trip out to visit me?! :)

Oh. Did I mention that each tapa cost 2 euros and each glass of wine or glass of beer cost 1 euro on the route? Um. Yes. Magical.

We got stamps at all of the restaurants we went to so that we could be entered into a drawing for a "gastronomical trip for two." That sounds like the perfect trip. I hope we win! Also - that beer is one of the craft beers brewed here in Madrid. Craft beer for a euro.... Conde Duque does it right!

The dish above is from a super awesome place called Gabriel  on Calle del Conde Duque, 10 that we absolutely loved. I mean... look at that presentation. It's not too common in Madrid for a dish to come out that pretty, unless you're spending some big bucks on lunch or dinner. Gabriel does a 14 euro menu del dia for lunch Monday - Friday, which includes a starter, a main dish, dessert, and wine or beer. Rooms and I will definitely be back for that some day soon.

{life} goodbye October

How is this year flying by so quickly?!!! I can't believe it is already November, which means that I've been living in Spain for 10 months already! Wowza.

October is probably my favorite month of the entire year. I absolutely love seeing the leaves change, feeling the weather cool down, watching football, and starting the holiday season celebrations. Even though I'm far, far away from home, I have still been enjoying most of my favorite fall things (except for pumpkin flavored everythinggggg... so sad). From starting work at my new secondary school, to watching FSU football games at 2:30 AM (number 3 in the nation babyyy), to spending as much time tapas crawling and drinking outdoors as possible during this perfect weather, roasting butternut squash, and dressing up for Halloween, I've been taking advantage of everything this wonderful season has to offer.

Here's a little recap of my October!

Tapas crawling in Malasana & Chueca.

Enjoying the rooftop terraces while they are still open.

Day tripping in San Lorenzo de El Escorial on a beautiful Autumn day.

The gardens of the Monastery.

Weekend necessities: good friends, tapas, cervezas, and prime patio tables.

Sharing tapas with new friends!

Geocaching: treasure hunting around Madrid.

Found a Geocache in our favorite "secret" garden in La Latina!

Beautiful Madrid.

Roomz found a Geocache!

Our favorite food in Spain.

The best season.

So happy we spent a day in Retiro before all the leaves fell!

Tranquil.

El Palacio de Cristal right in the middle of Retiro Park!

Wednesday Addams in the house y'all!

Can we take a moment to let that #2 BCS spot sink in please?

Little teaching highlights from my month:

• Getting to know my new adorable estudiantes. I especially love my Primero ESO classes this year (first years, 12-13 year olds), one of my Segundo ESO classes (second years, 13-14 year olds), and my Ampliacion classes (optional English class focusing on speaking skills with the oldest students, 16-18 year olds).
• Giving a creative writing assignment to my Ampliacion class for our Halloween themed lesson and watching them work past the bell. And then, reading the completed stories and being blown away!
• Giving a gap-fill assignment to my Segundos with the lyrics to Monster Mash on them, and listening to the kids sing it together in the hallway after class.
• Watching my Primeros trying so hard in class, even though their English levels are really low. Feeding off of their excitement during our little "Who Am I" Halloween activity. "Are you a mummy Profe??"

Here's to hoping November will be as wonderful as October! 

PS. GO NOLES, and thank goodness for Jameis Winston.

xx, Jen

Madrid on Dwellable