Un dia en mi vida

7:54 am: First alarm. Typically I'm awake before this but this one gets me going. I eat, change, and make SURE I have a cinnamon latte before I head out the door, usually listening to either The NYT's "The Daily" or El Pais's "Hoy en El Pais" podcasts, both cover domestic and international current events.

8:45 am: Out the door! It's time to show the Spaniards what it means to speed walk, wear gloves no matter the temperature #Raynauds, and pretend the city streets are my runway.

9:00 am: File into school and classrooms! My schedule is different every day but throughout the week I'm with students anywhere between 3-12 years old.

9:01am - 12:00pm

Every hour (sometimes 30 minutes) I am scheduled in various classrooms ranging from infantil (separate classes of 3, 4, and 5-year-olds) to grades 1-6. With Infantil students we practice simplified lessons on topics like colors, parts of the body, things/rooms in the house, family members, and lots of activities coinciding with the seasons or relevant holidays. My time in the classroom includes lecturing based on the course curriculum which includes a Class Book, an Activity Book, and a notebook. Co-teaching the younger ones (3-9) helps us keep their attention while splitting the class in half and teaching solo with older students (10-12) helps to minimize behavior issues. Solo teaching has sometimes made me feel completely underqualified and isolated while other times I feel completely competent and confident. While it's all been a steep learning curve, the two-month mark is when I started to feel my groove. Overall, I enjoy teaching, love my students deeply, and have been truly grateful for the challenges and successes I'm having at my school.

12-00 pm-12:30 pm: Recreo

Break time is when all the kiddos play on the "patio" and the teachers prep in their classes or spend time together in the teacher's lounge enjoying snacks, coffee, and each other's company. I pushed myself from the first week to sit in the lounge so I could pick up on their Spanish and get to know the staff. We've shared some memorable recreos from celebrating holidays, staff birthdays, and random events over chorizo, chestnuts, regional desserts, and sometimes there's even a little wine-- so Spanish! The break at noon is a substantial snack (usually sandwiches) then the Spanish lunch is eaten when you get home from school after 2 pm.

12:30-2:00: Final Classes, these can be a challenge because the kid's energy after the break is off. the. walls. honestly shocking and wish I had energy like that.

2:00-2:30 pm: Walk home, runway pt.2.

2:30-12:00....ish pm:

Every afternoon looks different but I've tried to establish a few routines so I know what I can look forward to after school!

Monday: On my walk home I usually grocery shop (s/o Mercadona!) since stores are closed on Sunday's, this becomes my "errand" day. I get home and meal prep lunches for the rest of the week and relax by reading, "napping" (never works), trip planning, and calling friends/family. Fulbright generously pays for one semester of Spanish so from 6-7 pm I have a class with six others in my cohort at an academy about a 10-minute walk from my apartment. From 7-8 pm, I transition to my water polo mode and am in a village 10 minutes south of ours, Villamediana, for practice from 8-10 pm. In my late evenings, I usually watch a show and catch up with my roommates, call friends/family, and read a bit before heading to bed.

Tuesday: I love my Tuesday afternoons because they are the only ones I keep open for either spontaneity or just quiet me-time. It's a great day for me to work on critical personal projects such as laundry. I also usually can find time to meet with one of my Spanish friends who has given me the chance to practice my Spanish in conversation. One is from Southern Spain, another from the West, and the other is from Logrono. We usually get a coffee, take a walk, or stumble upon an event in the city and our conversations have most impacted my language skills. In the later evening, my roommates and friends usually come over to watch a movie or an episode of a show (we're currently watching Casa de Papel and Cuerpo en Llamas) to get in some Spanish media.

(Next semester my Spanish cooking class will be on Tuesday evenings!)

Wednesday: On Wednesdays, I swing by an adorable bakery close to our apartment for fresh bread- sometimes it's still warm!! The bakery is "ecological, sustainable, and organic" so the price is high for Spain but still half the price of comparable bakery bread in the US. The bakery mills their flour and is run by a sweet couple who really cater to a local crowd (most people order their loaves and pick them up weekly). Shopping here makes me feel like a deeper part of the community and I've loved having it be part of my routine. Otherwise, Wednesday is another lunch --> rest --> spanish class --> waterpolo day!

Thursday: Every Thursday after school, my friend and I try a new tortilla (Spanish omelet). So far we've tried the whole range of consistencies, including one named the best Tortilla in Spain from 2021 at Bar Tizona, although our current favorite is at Serenella. On Thursdays, as part of my community project, I've been accompanying an elderly woman for a while in the evenings through the Red Cross. She's an 86-year-old widow who has lived a fascinating yet difficult life and I'm always in awe of her strength, humor, and heart. I hope to have more updates soon but the project has only just started. Thursday is also the big night to go out here for the university students. On Thursdays, considered "Pintxo Pote," bars have a pinxto and drink offer and the people flood in from all over town to be together, much like a Thursday in San Luis Obispo <3. This is either a reason to avoid going out or to go out, seems like we haven't decided which one yet. Some Thursdays I've begun weekend travel since I have Fridays off work. Other Thursdays we go out, find city events, see a movie or play, try a new restaurant, or celebrate the influx in fall birthdays! There's also a new water polo practice that I haven't yet been able to go to but in the future, I hope to be there!

Friday: Our Spanish school offers a class on Friday mornings which I've attended and loved as they center on current and historical Spanish topics like culture and politics. Many weekends though, Fridays have been a travel day, a day to catch up with friends, or get all work done to fully enjoy the weekend to come full which has consistently been full of hiking, wineries, pueblos, and travels from Barcelona to Asturias! I've found the time in between commitments to get back into lost habits I love like journaling, watercolor, and reading, and am grateful for the life I've built here the past few months- xoxo

Annie

Teacher's Lounge- (particularly on a holiday).

Walking along the Rio Ebro at sunset.

Apparently, me.

My bakery>>

Kiddos wearing Turkey hats for Thanksgiving!

A really darn good tortilla.