Some people may think us language assistants are over here in Spain reliving our study abroad days without a worry in mind, but I assure you, that is not the case. While both studying abroad in Spain and teaching abroad in Spain are fantastic and enjoyable opportunities, there are vast differences between the two experiences. It can most be easily summarized by telling you “in one experience I studied, and the other I worked” but I feel as if that explanation does the difference an injustice and doesn’t accurately paint the reality of what it is like to live and work in a foreign country. Working in Europe sounds glamorous, but it also trivializes the reality of working. So, in an effort to illuminate the differences, here are the top six reasons studying in Spain is different than teaching in Spain:
Month: October 2014
An Endorsement for Bla Bla Car
This weekend I went to Valencia, Spain with my German friend Sophie to go visit her boyfriend who is interning there. We got there via a ride sharing company Bla Bla Car and it was such a great experience. It was so easy and cheap! It is still relatively new so I want to spread the word on this little secret, it’s good for those of us traveling on a budget and it will help the ride sharing grow! I got to Valencia and back for just 35 euro, and for a 3.5 hour car ride each way, that is essentially the cheapest I could possibly get there anyways.
All you have to do is look up rides planning to go to the city of your choice and you see the availabilities with departure time and price per seat. It shows the profile of the person and you can see reviews about them, reviews on their car, and their preferences for music, talking, smoking, pets, etc. It is standard for regular cars to only accept three extra riders so there is no risk of being squished with too many people in the back. Once you reserve your place, they provide the phone numbers of the driver and rider so you two can arrange the meeting spot. There are usually “standard” meet up spots, where we got picked up from a gas station in Atocha there was a line of other people waiting to get picked up too. The rider has to pay the money upfront via the Bla Bla Car website, and then they have to give the driver the code for the money to make sure neither party tries to get away without paying or picking up their passenger. Bla Bla Car is similar to Couchsurfing in that it has mutually beneficial elements and that it is built on trust in the system, but it certainly ends out working great! The guy we went to Valencia with said he did Bla Bla Car every weekend and that he has always liked it, it has always been easy, and there has never been a problem. On the way back we wanted to stop for a potty break, and the girl driving was more than happy to break. It was seriously so easy! Before going on my trip I probably would have been too sketched out to try it, but now that I have gone with Bla Bla Car I wouldn’t travel within Spain any other way! For more information, here is the youtube video about how it works!
What do you think? Would you give it a try? Has anyone else had good or bad experiences with Bla Bla Car? Please, share below!
When Me and My Friends Run to Catch the Last Metro at 1:30 On Nights Out
When ANOTHER International Friend Says They Love Practicing Their English With Me Because It’s The Only Chance They Get
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No Spanish practice for me 😦
When I Switch Too Fast Between Spanish and English And Only Gibberish Comes Out
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When My Roommates Start Yelling In A Foreign Language Over Skype
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When I Correctly Use Subjunctive In Casual Conversation
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How Drivers Respond When It Rains In Madrid
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When My Roommates Complain That My Income Is Bigger Than Their Erasmus Grant
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Living in a Tri-Cultural Apartment
Here in Madrid, I am living in the epitome of a multicultural apartment. We have me from the United States, Adelina from Romania, and Lara from Brazil. So a North American, a South American, and an Eastern European all living together in a tiny Western European apartment. It sounds like it could be the premise of a reality TV show, I’m thinking An Idiot Abroad crossed with The Real World perhaps? And although it is all very reminiscent of the famous French movie L’Auberge Espagnole, which is about a French masters student doing an Erasmus year abroad in Barcelona and the cultural hilarity that ensues (it’s a great movie I highly recommend it!), my one month living in a cultural melting pot has just deepened my belief that culture aside, no matter how seemingly different, people are just people, and that most people are good.
Vivacious Voyager 
