Live and work in Madrid & earn €1000/month teaching in Spain

Coming into this experience, I thought I had a fair idea of what to expect living in Madrid. I had studied abroad in the same city two years prior and was thrilled to be returning. I was looking forward to seeing my Spanish host mom again, going for a run in my favorite city park and most importantly, eating authentic Spanish tortilla whenever my heart desired. These were the experiences at the forefront of my mind when I boarded my flight for Madrid in September. Moving to a new city in a new country is scary. It's different. There are many cultural differences that caught me by surprise. I felt homesick. I got strep throat. These were not the experiences I had idealized in my head when I made the decision to move to Madrid. However, choosing to go through CIEE for my teach abroad experience was the best decision I could have made. There are many unexpected challenges you face when you make the decision to move across the world. CIEE did not shy away from these potential obstacles and topics, but rather approached them head-on. During our orientation they provided us with information on the best international hospitals, mental health centers and even Spanish tutors if we needed them during our stay. Each student at the orientation received a laminated card with contact information in case of emergencies, illness or any other specific need we may have during our time in Madrid. They also provided detailed lists of the information we needed to collect when it came to applying for our visas to leave the United States. While it is easy to idealize a living abroad experience from a travel blog or Instagram page, I appreciated that CIEE helped us with all of the non-glamorous, pragmatic details that come along with living in a foreign country. I would highly recommend this program to all of those who are thinking about teaching abroad. I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to live in the breathtaking city that is Madrid.

I love my time here in Spain! I enjoy being in a new culture and trying new food all the time. I like traveling around Europe and seeing other parts of Spain, not only Madrid. The picture below was taken in Toledo.

I felt more secure in my moving abroad because I was going through a professional company not just on my own. I had a bilingual resource to help me through the visa process and with preparations for moving with things like webinars and a website full of information. This helped me feel more secure during my preparations. I also like that the employees with CIEE have teaching or living abroad experience and are able to share their personal stories with participants. It makes the program feel more personal.Having an orientation and the intensive study option also helped me feel more ready to move out on my own. Living for three weeks in a new country while learning about living there - taking baby steps toward acclimation - as opposed to just diving in immediately, made me feel more prepared as well.