Settling in.

I’ve been a bit out of touch with the world, so this post will serve as a general update of what I’ve been up to since arriving in Spain.

On September 18 I embarked on the long, tiring journey across the ocean and landed the next morning in Madrid where I had booked a hotel for a night so I could stay and do some sightseeing before heading down to Cadiz. I absolutely love the city, so despite battling jetlag and culture shock I made the most of the 2 days I had in the city before catching the night train to Cadiz:

La Puerta del Sol
Drinking coffee ::  Don Quixote

Once I made it back to Cadiz, I have to admit the first week was a bit rough. I think the shock of leaving friends/family/home combined with the sudden and complete independence that was thrust upon me is to blame for my overly stressed and emotional mental state the first week. However, life goes on and certain things had to be accomplished.

Task # 1: Find a place to live. The search for a "flat" took longer than it would have if I'd had any of the following: a phone, reliable internet, easy transportation, friends, an umbrella....(Fortunately in the end I was lent the umbrella!). However, after a long rainy tiring week of searching, a fellow Language Assistant and I stumbled upon the perfect place that we both were content with: It has a great view (her priority), and plenty of space (my priority) and is right on the beach:

Google maps street view of our place (top left corner)

 Bonus: The kitchen is superbly furnished (a step up from last years' accommodation)!

          Arguably the best feature is the patio and bedroom views.

Eating lunch on the patio

View from my BEDROOM window

"Task" # 2: Relaxation weekend  

After finding a place to live, I went on a small weekend vacation to Zahara de los Atunes, which is a small beautiful beachside village that is located on cliffs overlooking the ocean. The vacation was great timing, and I was able to rest a lot and try to mentally prepare to start work. 

On the balcony of the house I stayed at in Zahara

Task # 3: Start classes. Oh yeah, this is supposedly the whole reason I'm here... This year I teach in San Fernando, a small town that is a 20 minute bus ride from Cadiz. Thankfully I was able to arrange all my classes (including my private classes) to be Monday-Thursday so every week is a 3 day weekend! This year I teach a wide range, from 4-5 years old to 11-15 years. The classes can pretty much be summed up as so:

4-5 years: *Incessant adorable Spanish chattering* and multiple repeats of 'Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes' 

11-13 years: "Teacher, who is your favorite pop star? Teacher, do you have a boyfriend? Teacher, do you like Katy Perry?"

14-15 years: still awkward yet too-cool-for-school adolescent age...enough said.

These days my biggest annoyance is warding off the super pushy Spanish women who don't understand why I don't want to spend my every spare moment teaching English to the entire town. Everybody has a coworker who has a friend who has a sister who wants to learn English- all for a low price (it's for a FRIEND after all, and Spain is in a crisis). Its difficult to explain why I'm not currently looking for more work...

Sorry, I'm too busy taking long walks along the beach that is my front yard.