The Girl Who Goes

independent, intentional travel

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The 5 Best Places for Scenic Views of Madrid

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One of the best views of Madrid.

I’m always looking for scenic views. Not only do they make great pics for Instagram, but there’s just something about seeing a place from a different perspective. Especially in a big city like Madrid, it’s hard to fully appreciate the sheer size of the city when you’re simply walking the streets. So, if you like good views like I do — and assuming you’re not afraid of heights — I’ve put together a list of the 5 best places for scenic views of Madrid. [Read more…]

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A Day in the Life of an Auxiliar de Conversacion – Spain

Yes, my school is far AF from Madrid… but how could I not love it with views like this?

It’s November, so you know what that means – the application to become an Auxiliar de Conversación for 2020-2021 is less than two months from opening! If you’re dreaming of moving to Spain for a year, this might be your best chance. And I highly recommend it. 🙂

I’m almost two months into my second year as an aux here in the Comunidad de Madrid. Since I got here, I’ve had a great experience at my school, so I decided to come back for a second year. Also, I’ve been really fortunate as far as my school’s expectations for me as a language assistant – which unfortunately isn’t always the case. [Read more…]

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Day Trip: Bilbao to San Sebastián, Spain

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One of San Sebastián’s islands

When I visited Bilbao for the first time in November 2019, it wasn’t the only place I went. At the suggestion of friends — and the fact that I always want to visit more places in Spain — I decided to spend a day in San Sebastián. Though this city is relatively small, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to visit a coastal city in the north. And it’s only 15 miles from the French border! I was curious if/how that would factor into the city’s culture.

I arrived in San Sebastián in the evening and spent the night so I’d have all of the next day there. But if you have a little less time, I think you could arrive early in the morning and leave late at night and still have a good experience. Anyway, if you want to go from Bilbao to San Sebastián, here’s what you need to know!

[Read more…]

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Auxiliares de Conversacion Guide – Madrid 2019 (Part III)

Hi all! We’re t-minus 6 days away from the start of the auxiliar school year now… and I’ll be arriving back in Madrid on Monday! First, I’m going to a wedding in New Hampshire this weekend, which is going to be a great reunion with a bunch of friends I don’t get to see enough. And I’ll head straight to Madrid (via London) from Boston, and straight to work the next day 😉

I’ve had an amazing couple of months at home, but part of me is itching to get back to my constant jet-setting life and the stability of my daily life. Also, I’ve missed the kids A TON. I can’t wait to see how much they’ve grown! [Read more…]

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Auxiliares de Conversacion Guide – Madrid 2019 (Part I)

spain flag

I’m about halfway into my “summer break” here in the U.S., but the start of the school year in Spain is fast approaching. It’s crazy to think: one year ago at this time, I was a week away from the big move to Madrid. With nowhere to live and no idea what I was really getting myself into, I couldn’t be happier with how my first year turned out.

But it got me thinking about the newest round of auxiliares who are starting to arrive in Spain right about now. Especially in the big cities, it’s crucial to get a head start on the apartment hunt before the droves of university students start moving in. So I thought I could put together a little “survival guide” for new auxiliares. [Read more…]

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7 Best Things To See in Madrid, Spain

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Puerta del Sol at puesta de sol (sunset)

In the first nine months that I lived in Madrid, I had my fair share of visitors. First was Carson and Natalie, then Matt, then Morgan, then Matt again! After all that, I felt like I had a formula down when it came to knowing all the best things to see in Madrid. I knew exactly where to take my tourists so that they had the opportunity to really experience the city.

So I put it all together into a list. Some of these are “duh” items; some of them are just my personal opinion of things that make Madrid special and interesting. This list also is great for anyone planning a visit to Madrid, even if you’re not showing tourists around!

Here are the seven best things to see in Madrid.
[Read more…]

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5 Things to Know Before Visiting Palma de Mallorca

Passeig del Born / Paseo del Borne

After almost 8 months of living in Spain, I’ve finally taken my first trip off the mainland. (Yes — in case you didn’t know, Spain has lots of islands!) During Semana Santa, or Holy Week, my friend Morgan came to visit and we went to Valencia and Palma de Mallorca. Palma is the largest city on Spain’s largest island, Mallorca, also known as “Majorca” in English.

We spent about two full days there, and even though I’ve visited 10+ other cities in Spain, Palma was very different than anywhere else I’ve been. Here are some important things to know if you’re planning a visit yourself! [Read more…]

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Berlin Underground: Berliner Unterwelten Bunker Tours

berlin underground tour office

My last day in Berlin called for rain. Since I’d been to the city before, six years before, I’d already done a lot of the indoor tourist sights like museums and the Reichstag building. But as I browsed through the results of my Google search — “things to do in berlin indoors” — one particular thing caught my eye. “Berliner Unterwelten,” or Berlin underground bunker tours.

All of the reviews were positive, so I thought I’d give it a shot. [Read more…]

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Trip Review: Wrocław, Poland

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View in Wrocław at Market Square

I had an ulterior motive when it came to visiting Poland for the first time. Way back in 2012, after spending a Christmas in the far northeast of Germany with my boyfriend’s family, we’d driven across the border to Szczecin just to say we’d stepped foot there. (And I think we ate pizza.) But since I didn’t spend much time there, I never really felt that I could say I’d *been* to Poland.

In order to alleviate this traveler’s cognitive dissonance, I kept an eye on flights to Poland in 2019, during my first year living in Spain. And finally, a cheap flight to a city called Wrocław aligned with a puente (long weekend) from school. [Read more…]

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ALSA Bus Review: My Trip from Madrid to Granada, Spain

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For better or for worse, Spain’s ALSA buses are a topic I’m all-too familiar with. Every Tuesday and Thursday at 1:15pm, I would board a big green ALSA bus from Buitrago del Lozoya, where I worked, to get back to Madrid, where I lived. Occasionally I had to catch the 6:45am bus to work — but I don’t like to think about that because it was truly the stuff of nightmares.

Anyway, I don’t know what ALSA stands for, but I do know that it’s the largest Spanish bus company for more long-haul trips. So when I went to Granada for the weekend with my friends, that’s what we used. Here’s how the experience stacked up. [Read more…]