After a grueling 2 day long journey by nearly every mode of transportation imaginable – planes, trains, buses, taxis, foot – I made it to my home base: the endless strip of sandy beaches, bustling ports, busy Avenues, beautiful architecture and a labyrinth of cobblestone streets and hidden plazas that make up the city of Cádiz on the Atlantic coast of Spain. It’s impossible not to love this city and I couldn’t have been luckier to be placed in two primary schools here this year.
Although the weather is fantastic (80 degrees and sunny in October?!) and the city is amazing, the first few weeks were surprisingly not so easy this year. In the first 2 weeks alone, I hadn’t even unpacked when I took off to Ubrique for the feria, then visited a friend in the cozy, quiet, hippie beach town of los Caños de Meca, then began the stressful hunt for a piso to get settled before the first day of school, all the while feeling strangely homesick – or rather, feeling like I was missing something consistent in my life. It was, to say the least, an extremely chaotic, emotional, and overwhelming start to the year. I think the hardest part was that coming back to Spain, I was yearning for all that I had left behind back in June. But I’ve since realized that although Ubrique, and the people and my experiences there will be forever engraved in my heart, this year I am forced to start over, from square one, living somewhere different, working somewhere else and meeting new people all over again. That can be exciting, yes, but it is also incredibly exhausting. Some things have carried over from last year – I have contacts here if I ever need something, I somehow wound up living with Ubriqueños in Cádiz, my Spanish is a million times better than last year (not to mention I’ve caught on to the local accent and slang) and I already know how to deal with being a foreigner in this place. On the other hand, many things are different – I don’t (yet) have the camaraderie of my coworkers, I’m working with children much younger this year, I don’t have the companionship of my closest girlfriends nor the Spanish friends and families that had embraced me as one of their own. I should have known this, but it was like a slap in the face when I arrived here and realized I was all alone in a bigger city where people don’t even look twice at a guiri, contrary to my previous small town experience. It took me awhile to get over that, to realize that I hadn’t come back to all the goodness I had left behind, and that to find peace and happiness and comfort here I would have to work hard and be patient. It took me awhile, but now the inner optimist in me is returning and I feel ready to take on this year and to take on Cádiz with full force.
I’m slowly getting settled, poquito a poco. Ironically, I’ve decided to remain in the piso I’ve been staying in while looking for other pisos. I’m living with two guys, Ale and Diego, who are from Ubrique but have lived in Cádiz for awhile. The flat is pretty big, as clean as can be for a house full of boys, and in a pretty good location for me. Big perk: I ended up with the biggest room in the house with a great closet and my own bathroom. Even bigger perk: The guys are wonderful, they take care of me like a little sister… or sometimes like a pet guiri, or a shiny new toy but the point is I feel comfortable here and they are so helpful and kind to me. Like every Ubriqueño I’ve ever met, I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to show my appreciation. I had seen many other tempting, cozy pisos with views on the beach but why go looking for something better when you already have something good? So for now, this is home.
School has also started. Yesterday I went into both of my schools to meet the teachers and learn my way around. I will be working with kid as young as 4 and 5 years old which will be a challenge but they are so precious and I can’t wait to get started! I love kids. Adorable Spanish speaking kids are even better. Adorable Spanish speaking kids that give me hugs on day one and already think I’m super cool, well I’m just in heaven. I have also already been bombarded by teachers asking for private English lessons for themselves or their children or someone that they know. Even amidst the terrible economic crisis in this country, people are aching to learn English now more than ever, so being a native speaker, I’m fortunate that I can always find enough work to survive off of. I don’t have much, but all I need is all I’ve got. And what I’ve got is surely a blessing.
I’ve also started to meet people. My roommates are busy dudes so they’re in and out of the piso a lot but when we’re home together it’s a blast. I’ve met some of the other American assistants and a Scottish girl as well. We’re all still getting to know each other but at least I know I have some fellow guiris to turn to, especially those that have also repeated the program or been here for awhile. Although our experiences are all unique, we share a lot of the same worries and troubles so it’s good to have someone to relate to in tough times. Many of the teachers seem very friendly as well, so I’m comforted to be surrounded by good people.
SO… here’s to a new beginning in a place I’ve already come to love. I’ve got new goals and high hopes for this year, including fully immersing myself in this fascinating culture, hopefully learning to cook, maybe continuing to dance, and perhaps even taking on the challenge of learning to drive automatic and park like a badass the way Europeans do. For now, I’m just living my life here, teaching and learning and sharing something new every day. Welcome back to the buena vida.
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