The Girl Who Goes

independent, intentional travel

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Side Trip: Madrid to Zaragoza, Spain

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Plan your own trip from Madrid to Zaragoza and you’ll be rewarded with this view.

Since I didn’t go home to the U.S. for the holidays this year, I was lucky enough to spend Christmas in Sardinia and have visitors in Spain for New Years! One of my best friends from college, Carson, and his wife Natalie came to spend a few days with me in Madrid on their European holiday vacation. After starting their trip in Paris, they took a bus to Madrid, before continuing on to Barcelona by train. Along the way, they decided to go from Madrid to Zaragoza, which is about halfway to Barcelona.

Since I’d never been to Zaragoza before, I went along with them for a day trip. I’m so glad I did! Here’s everything you’ll need to know if you want to plan your own trip from Madrid to Zaragoza. [Read more…]

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Why Christmas Lasts Longer in Spain

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Part of the Cabalgata de Reyes parade

My first Christmas after moving to Spain, back in winter 2018/2019. I noticed something odd. Through the first days of January, Christmas music was still blasting in all the shops and restaurants I visited — whether it was English classics like Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Last Christmas, and The Little Drummer Boy or Spanish favorites like El Burrito Sabanero. (Which I had only just managed to get out of my head after listening to my third-grade class practice it for weeks before school let out for Christmas break).

And it turned out it wasn’t a case of the shops being too lazy to change their playlists. I was pretty confused at first — for Americans, Christmas ended at 12:00 a.m. on December 26. But in Spain, and some other countries in Europe, Christmas lasts almost two weeks longer. [Read more…]

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7 Things I’ve Learned from Living in Madrid for 10 Weeks

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Sunset in my Madrid neighborhood, Prosperidad

It’s hard to believe, but I’ve been in Europe for almost three months now. After 10 days in Spain, I wrote “7 Things I’ve Learned from Living in Madrid for 10 Days.” Well, now I’m here to tell you about 7 things I’ve learned from living here for 10 weeks. (Technically I moved here 11 weeks ago, but I was in Italy for one of those weeks. 🙂 )

I think it’s interesting how much more subtle some of these things are — they probably aren’t things that I would have ever noticed without living here. So, without further ado…

[Read more…]

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Day Trip: Madrid to Toledo, Spain

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Madrid to Toledo: One of the easiest day trips from the Spanish capital

While Madrid has plenty to keep you busy, sometimes it’s nice to get out of the city. By taking a short train or bus ride, you can be transported to a different town that will allow you to experience Spanish life in another way. And the best part: You can leave Madrid in the morning or early afternoon and still make it back to your hostel/hotel/home in Madrid by the end of the day.

Toledo is one of the most popular day trips from Madrid, due to its proximity and ease of access. Learn everything you need to know to plan your own trip!
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Top 5 Things To Do in Retiro Park, Madrid

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A classic view of Retiro Park

Parque del Buen Retiro — or just “El Retiro” — is Madrid’s version of Central Park. Located in the southeast of the city center, this 350-acre park is one of Madrid’s must-sees. No matter what time of day you visit, you’ll see families, couples, friends, and individuals enjoying a retreat (in Spanish: retiro) from the city hustle in Retiro Park.

During two years living in Madrid, Retiro Park is one of the places I went back to again and again. Maybe it’s because the greenery felt like an oasis in the big city, or maybe it’s because I loved trying to get lost wandering down new paths.  Either way, there’s no shortage things to do, and it’s worth a visit for anyone who passes through Madrid. [Read more…]

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How to Get a Low Inscrita Number for the Auxiliares de Conversacion Program (Spain)

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Hola! I wrote this post quite a while ago, when it was all still fresh in my head from the application process. However, I decided not to share until now, because I wasn’t ready for everyone to know I was moving to Spain. 🙂
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For the Love of Language

I’ve been in Europe for two weeks now, and I have just under two weeks until I start working. Because as much fun as it’s been, living life in Madrid without any responsibilities other than feeding myself, work is the real reason I’m here. The reason I’m able to be here. Someone’s gotta teach the Spanish children some English. [Read more…]

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7 Things I’ve Learned from Living in Madrid for 10 Days

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View from my apartment terrace.

It’s hard to believe I’ve already been in Spain for 10 days! Thankfully, the existential “what-am-I-doing-why-did-I-think-this-was-a-good-idea” phase seems to have passed for the time being, and I’m really enjoying life right now. Whether it’s café con leche every morning (or when I wake up, which uhhh, isn’t always the morning) and shopping for things I need to feel at home, it’s exciting to have a fresh start in a new place. And while I’ve visited Spain as a tourist before, living here is totally different. Here are some of the things I’ve learned in my first 10 days living in Madrid. [Read more…]

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The Struggle of Eating While Abroad

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I arrived in Madrid almost two days ago, my new home for the next year. I feel like I’ve already accomplished a lot; I’ve visited some of my favorite spots, navigated the Metro, and even procured an apartment in record time (hallelujah). There is, however, one thing I’m definitely not succeeding at – feeding myself. Why is it so hard to eat while abroad?

Now, my family and friends probably aren’t surprised by this (since in the past few months especially I became increasingly reliant on others to feed me, out of pure laziness for the most part). But let’s put that aside for a minute. I actually realized this during my trip to Asia last year, and to Mexico a few months ago. Feeding yourself while abroad is surprisingly difficult, especially when you’re traveling solo. [Read more…]