Finally updated :)

Oh my god. Really. I feel terrible about not having written. Sometimes it's hard to believe people actually have been reading (my two posts...). But anyway, as I was so kindly reminded by a friend, it is absolutely time that I updated this.

Since I last wrote, my life here has definitely changed. Arriving in Alcalá, staying in a hostel, I felt a like a tourist, like I was on vacation. The move just didn't seem real; it felt like a dream. However, since moving to and living in my apartment, getting into the groove of going to work every day, I can say that I finally feel like my life has finally returned to some form of normalcy.

Starting a new job is always pretty stressful, at least in my opinion. You don't know who any of your colleagues are yet, where anything is, etc. I found it particularly stressful to be starting a job that I basically knew nothing about. I am by no means a teacher. But after a month or so of getting into the routine of this teaching gig, I feel like I finally have a handle on it. The first few weeks were insane. Chaos. I've never seen anything like it in my life. It is true what they say about Spanish kids; they're out of control. But their genuine excitement over meeting the new American assistants was kind of heartwarming. I was getting hugs and "I love you's" on the first day.

One thing I can say is that they are much more affectionate than American students. Despite their chaotic nature and defiance, they really are adorable. I have students who are in primero, which is first grade. Most of them are 5 or 6 years old. I also work with cuarto (fourth grade) and quinto (fifth grade). They all range in age from 9-12 years old. The first graders are irresistibly cute, but know very little English. I find it a little more challenging than working with the older kids. But I can't help but have a huge smile on my face when I walk into the classroom and they act as if their favorite fútbol player just showed up. Pure excitement. Or seeing them in the hallways, they love yelling out "Hello, Teacher." But keep in mind when they say teacher, it sounds like tee-chair. So cute.

Fourth and fifth graders are great. I love getting to know them and just talking with them. What amazes me is some of the students' willingness to talk and really practice their English. It makes me wish that I had learned Spanish at such a young age. They're willing to make mistakes and aren't embarrassed to do so. I remember feeling like I didn't want to raise my hand in Spanish class because I was afraid of speaking incorrectly. I think bilingual schooling is a really great tool for young people in Spain.

Life here in Alcalá is lovely and so normal. It seems strange that my life is "normal" anywhere else but home. Although the true giddiness and excitement over living in Spain has kind of worn off, I know there are many more things to come, things to see and adventures to be had!

I hope this satisfies! I am going to write separately about my travels here in Europe so I have more things to post about soon. I promise it will be soon!