Monday, September 23, 2013

'Tis hot in Madrid. Thank goodness there are no mosquitoes so windows can be left open. And thank goodness there is no humidity- here's to a good hair day everyday! :)

As some of you may already know, as I usually complain through various avenues of technology and social media, my flight last week was delayed 24 hours. That meant sleeping on a tiny cot next to old men and crying babies in the airport and wondering if time has ever moved slower. But, after 24 hours of feeling like Tom Hanks in The Terminal, and also bonding with everyone else on the flight, I said goodbye to my 'airport family' and hello to mi novio en el aeropuerto Barajas de Madrid.

This past week has been packed. Staying in La Casa Casal has been magical (literally- Nacho and I joke that the lunch and dinner placed before us every day and the laundry cleaned/ironed/folded on our beds every night is magic). But really, it is the generosity and hard work of Aurora, Nacho's mother, and Candido, his father. They have welcomed me to this country and to their home with open arms, and I am so thankful to feel loved so far from home.

I am staying in Majadahona, a beautiful suburb about 20 minutes from Madrid. With a population of about 70,000, it is not a small town. It is filled with restaurants, parks, malls, and many families young and old. This past week, the town was celebrating its annual Festivals de Majadahonda, so the streets were full with markets and fairs by day and concerts and parties by night. My favorite- the tapas contest! Fifty four of the restaurants in town entered a tapa to be considered, and those who taste, vote. We tried an amazing tapa called la robo de torro (the tail of the bull). YUM! The festivals ended last night with a firework show, and it was back to normal life today.

Luck has definitely been on my side thus far. On my first day here I had a job interview, which they offered to me on the spot! It is a place called Apple Tree Club in Majadahonda, and in the evenings on Mondays and Wednesdays as well as Saturday mornings I will be helping young children learn English. Even before I start, I know my favorite activity will be "Messy-Time," which is an art class with 2-4 year olds, a chance for them to play with paint or shaving cream, etc.- to get messy. It's going to be a lot of fun! And just today I was offered a third job at an academy in Madrid, (after a late night freaking out over giving a mock-lesson).

Tomorrow we are looking at apartments in Embajadores (the cutest part of Madrid in my opinion!). Cobblestone streets, little markets, and balconies were on my wish-list.

I will keep you all updated. Love to you all!


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