The Beginning of my Madrid Adventure

Hello, my name is Zoe. Welcome to my first blog post! 

My passion has always been traveling. I have always dreamed of a life where I could explore the world and learn about different cultures. However, supporting those dreams is difficult when life gets in the way. Now, my dreams have become my reality. 

A little about me: I am 22 years old. I am originally from Connecticut but have been living in North Carolina for the past 10 years. I went to Appalachian State University and graduated with a Digital Marketing degree in May 2023. During my junior year, I studied abroad in Florence, Italy. I loved my time in Florence and it motivated me to want to do more international travels. While in my last semester of college, I was torn as to what I wanted to do. I had a fulfilling, comfortable life in North Carolina, but I wanted to do something unique. I wanted this next chapter of my life to be incredible and something out of my comfort zone. I have always been fascinated by other cultures, so when I discovered I could move abroad and teach through CIEE I was very intrigued. 

I am always looking for a new adventure and new experiences. I chose to teach abroad for many reasons, but I mainly wanted to do it for personal growth. Moving halfway across the world is a big leap to take. I wanted to push myself and seek a new exciting chapter of my life I will never forget. 

The moment I arrived in Madrid my new life started. I've lived here for 4 months now and I absolutely love it. I've been exploring the city, eating lots of churros, enjoying siestas, and drinking lots of €2 coffees. I've also had the opportunity to travel around Spain and other parts of Europe. So far, I have been to Barcelona, Valencia, Cádiz, Poland, and Ireland. 

I could have never imagined that I would be able to have this amazing opportunity to learn about a different culture while also having such a rewarding job. I adore the children and I look forward to going to work every day. They are excited to learn English and are eager to practice their English with me. I have seen so much improvement in them over the last couple of months, and I can't wait to continue to see them grow. They say time flies when you're having fun, and it sure has! With that, I better soak up the rest of my time here in Madrid!