Free to Flow

(Somehow) just two weeks ago I landed in Madrid. That day I wore my wide-brimmed hat in a lame attempt to dupe people from realizing I had a rough(ly) 20-minute nap on my 11.5-hour flight. Today, on the other side of the jet lag I can report the baggage has settled (my eyes and suitcases). I couldn’t have imagined the fortune I'd have so quickly upon arriving in Spain: I met my current roommates and got to explore all of Madrid with them, enjoying an incredible pre-orientation vacation full of tinto de verano, tapas, and city sights. Our time in Madrid now exists a montage of beautiful moments in my mind: meeting my new roommates (mis tias), sipping cafe con leche at our neighborhood cafe, ducking into a churro cafe in the pouring rain, traversing the tight streets of Toledo, admiring stunning miradors, lying in Retiro’s cool grass, ogling over tinto de verano y tapas, and reminiscing in the beauty of el arte in the Prado y La Reina Sofia. As the feelings fade (mostly soreness from adjusting to 20k steps a day) the memories are already surfacing. Details can be found below - xoxo

The lively city of Madrid offered us endless treasures from food/clothing markets and stunning landmarks to the kindest Orange employee (gracias Lourdes, me salvas guapa)! Our AirBnB in Madrid was nestled in between Retiro Park and the Reina Sofia with two Fulbrighters with the same placement of La Rioja for the 2023-24 school year (now mis companeras!) On our first day, we accidentally did a complete walking tour of Madrid. We hit the streets around 11 after desayunamos at Matilda, an adorable cafe less than 100ft from our AirBnB which we promised ourselves we’d go to every day (we fulfilled). We set out with only a mission to see Gran Vía, Madrid’s main shopping drag. On our way, we stumbled into the royal palace, royal cathedral, temple de obode, gran via (woohoo orientation slacks for Claire secured), Chueca (morimos por la tortilla de "Pez"), Retiro: Palacio Cristal, the Prado, and ended with delicious tapas! On our second day, we decided to pop over to Toledo, a popular day trip where one can admire a rich history of Arabs, Jews, and Christians within a dense city. The rich history intrigued us, but we would recommend you stay for that pan de mantequilla y chocolate! We hiked all over the small ancient city in awe, marveling at its Alcazar, Cathedral, Mosque, and Monastery - a true attestation to the coexistence of many diverse peoples on the Iberian peninsula. We even got to experience a manchego museum and enjoy a hole-in-the-wall tapas bar we found by literally following our noses (Google Maps can only get you so far). After these two long days, we took the weekend much more chill- we ran errands around Madrid, tried more tapas, spent time in Retiro, met more Fulbrighters who’d recently trickled into the city, and began to gear up for orientation in Alcalá De Henares!

After Madrid, we headed to Fulbright orientation: a gathering of 220 type-A humans with such grounded souls and high spirits! Our orientation was honorably held at various locations owned by the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, comprised of classrooms inside immaculately restored buildings. We enjoyed meeting the Fulbright Commission staff and attended various break-out sessions on grant responsibilities, TESOL pedagogy, cultural adaptation, and student-specific teaching strategies. I reveled in the sea of lovely intelligent people who were gathered together for a great week. Set in the beautiful scenery of Alcalá, it was such a pleasure to get to know so many Fulbrighters and have the chance to talk to the President about the time he’s spent in my hometown (area) of San Francisco! By the end of the week, we were anxious to see our host city, and nearly an entire day of travel later we arrived!

Now I am finishing this blog from the dining table in my new apartment! And as fall back into my bed, my new home for the next 9 months, I feel surreal. I hear the music of San Mateo (more info to come), I taste the sweet Spanish air (It's such a thing I promise), and I sense tears become free to flow as I bubble over with incredible gratitude for every moment here, ready for the best and hardest days of my life to come.

Un abrazo fuerte!

Annie