In general, there seems to be a more lenient attitude toward the level of “background noise” in the classroom while the teacher is talking or while activities are being performed. I am very grateful to the Commission for giving me the opportunity to be here in Spain and for helping orient me in this new place by forewarning me to these cultural differences.
What the Fulbright Commission could not do for me, though, was find me an apartment, teach the classes at my school for me, find me Spanish friends, or adjust me to a more adult life. Those things I had to do myself, albeit with the suggestions and guidance of the Fullbright Commission. Since I just graduated from the University of Notre Dame in May 2018, this is my first real experience and my first real full-time job out in the adult world. For me, this has meant a transition that included, in addition to moving a couple thousand miles away, learning to cook and live on my own for the first time and learning to make friends outside of school. I was able to find an apartment that I have really liked, and I live with one Spanish guy. We talk exclusively in Spanish and get along pretty well. Learning to cook was a bit of a struggle (practice really does make perfect), but at this point, I think it is safe to say that I have mastered the very complicated (just kidding) pasta, fried egg, and chicken dishes that I often make. I have also tried cooking Spanish tortilla, which is a potato-filled, fluffy omelette, two times, both without much success. But one of these times, I will get it perfect!
