I can’t believe that I’ve only been in Madrid for one month! I feel like a lot has happened since then, and since I first walked through the doors to our new apartment. Which, by the way, I was so shocked by the size of it, I didn’t even know what to say!
January has proven to be a very big “transition” month for me. I’m trying to navigate through being a full-time business owner, being my own boss, and adapting to my new home. During the first week, if you’re following me on Instagram, I got a little stir-crazy. I felt super lonely, which was caused by my anxiety to leave the house and walk somewhere. Every time I got ready to leave the house, I was extremely nervous and then talked myself out of it. Yikes – I don’t know what happened!
Here’s a recap of what life in Spain currently looks like and FINALLY, a home tour! I’m excited to show you all the space and how the boyfriend and I have decorated it!
Finding Community in Madrid
Before I moved to Madrid, I knew finding a community or creating relationships would be one of my MAIN priorities. I didn’t want my experience to be like the last time I lived in Spain; very lonely. I wanted to find a group of people that I clicked with, could learn and grow from, and can build real connections. I started reaching out to people months before I knew I moved!
Clearly, patience is not one of my greatest virtues, because as soon as I arrived, I thought I’d have people to immediately hang out with! WRONG. Moving during the holiday season means most of the people that I do know here are celebrating with their families or back in their home countries. So the two weeks after the holidays, I didn’t have much to do. I spent most of the time cleaning and organizing the house, finding clients, and working on my own editorial calendar! FINALLY, people came back from break and I started to post more in Facebook groups, find networking events, and have virtual coffee chats with people.
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I’m slowly meeting more entrepreneurs and creatives, connecting with interesting people online, and putting myself out there. It’s actually quite terrifying because I’m doing this in Spanish and the vergüenza (or embarrassment) is so real. It definitely gives me a challenge to work towards every single day, but I have to purposefully push myself to be the first to speak up. Whether I’m introducing myself, pitching a service, or networking, all in Spanish – my mind is really thinking:
- “Oh shit, oh shit, how do you say this again?”
- “Let’s repeat that phrase in Spanish one more time…”
- “Do I have enough time to text the boyfriend and double-check with him on my Spanish grammar/conjugations?”
Making Friends
Besides finding a community in Madrid, one thing my boyfriend and I talked about was making friends. We’re both in this new city together, adapting to our home, and transitioning jobs and our lifestyle! Making friends is hard, y’all. Is there a guidebook or some sort to making friends when you’re an adult, because I think that’s when it’s actually harder. My boyfriend and I don’t know too many people, but I guess that’s what’s exciting about the city, because he has his coworkers and I’ve got my… networkers?
Although we don’t have “friends”, we’re definitely on the right track to making more! Since being here, we’ve been invited to dinner with his coworkers, a birthday party, and a few more small social gatherings!! DO YOU KNOW HOW BIG OF A DEAL THIS IS?! Most of the people are bilingual (or even trilingual) so many of our conversations come out in a mix of Spanish and English. I don’t mind, because it gives my brain a bit of a break, and it’s nice to switch back and forth.
I’m excited to really start having friends we can invite over, have barbecues with, or go on camping trips together! Slow and steady, as people always say, and building friendships or any type of relationship, takes time. So, I need to be patient.
Welcome to our little home! (actually)
And finally, I’m super excited to give you all a home tour! (: We’ve been working on the house non-stop since we moved here. Those first few weeks we’d drive out to AlCampo, Carrefour, Leroy Merlin, and so many other stores to buy things like: rugs, lamps, lightbulbs, trashcans, a mini oven, utensils, bed sheets, duvet cover, and SO MUCH MORE. When we first moved in, I thought the house looked like a large storage room. There were cardboard boxes everywhere, random pieces of wood for construction, hangers, and ALL OF MY CLOTHES AND SHOES spread around the house. We did not have space for it all!
Thank goodness it’s come together quite nicely, now! We’ve found a spot for everything, storage space to keep (or hide) our suitcases and things we don’t use, and small decorations to make our apartment feel like home. Although it’s small, it’s comfortable. Watch the home tour down below and don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube Channel for monthly videos!
What do you think of the house? Share with me in the comments below!
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