Hey Reader!

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Having discussed how easy (or difficult) it is to live abroad in my last email, I wanted to share with you my experience of living in Madrid as an English teacher for a year.

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Several years ago I landed an English teaching job in the Spanish capital purely by chance. Although the pay wasn’t great and I was working very long hours, I was given free accommodation and was living in one of the most vibrant capital cities in Europe.

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Read my blog post: Is Madrid Worth Visiting? Top 23 Reasons Why You Should Visit​

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I should explain that I lived in Madrid before Brexit became official, when working in Spain as a Brit was a much more straightforward process than it is today. Nowadays a work permit is required, as well as a visa, and it’s a much more complicated task overall.

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However, teaching English is still a popular choice for British emigrants living abroad. Here’s what I learned about living in Madrid for a year:

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It’s cheaper than living in the UK: Although rent prices in Madrid have skyrocketed in recent years, the Spanish capital is still relatively affordable compared to the likes of London.

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Learn the lingo: I found it really hard socialising with my Spanish friends as my level of Spanish was quite basic - having a good level of the native language is so important when living abroad.

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Different working culture: it took me a while to get used to working hours in Spain, where they enjoy a longer lunch break (typically 2 hours or more) and finish at 7pm or later in split shift patterns - which was very tiring!

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If you could live abroad, where would you move to and why? Hit reply and let me know - I’d love to hear from you!

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Mark

PS. Check out more of my blog posts about Spain here.
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