hi everyone? i?m just coming on here i guess looking for support, maybe friends. i?m recently arrived from the US. i moved to spain because i?m an EU citizen and even tho i was raised in the US, i couldn?t get papers squared out there, so i packed up and moved out here with a friend. my friend?s only staying 4 months and returning to California? I got my TEFL earlier this year in preparation for the move to help with work, but things are so bleak. i just arrived this last weekend and i think i?m in shock. i can?t stop crying, and i keep wondering if i made a mistake. i think i?m really stressing out my friend? and i don?t really know what to do, where to go, or where to look for support? my family at home can?t call me because i don?t have a spanish cell phone number set up yet and the international rates are too expensive with the cell I brought from home. I just wanna hear my family?s voices and get some support. I?m totally lost, and i?m starting to regret everything. Our roommates aren?t really friendly, and I?m getting horribly homesick and lonely. Can anyone offer some words of comfort or advice?
First of all it’s important to remember that these feelings too shall pass. They’re very normal and while things might seem bleak at the moment, it sounds like you’re safe and not in danger. It’s definitely okay to want to go home or want to just hear from your family. The job market isn’t so good right now, you’re right. It might be a good idea to continue to focus on getting your EU passport. This might mean heading back to the US. Your friend will probably be okay with that, are you? You can always try to make another go of it once you’re in a better position to do so.
As for calling your family, ask around or try to find a locutorio. These places will allow you to make long distance calls for rates of about 20c per minute or much less. It’s definitely worth it!
I’m not in Spain yet so I can’t offer you any in-country advice yet, but I was wondering if you had your own computer. If you did and it has a camera an a mic you can download a program called Skype onto your machine and it allows you to talk and see your family. That is what I use to keep up with my family when I first moved. I understand how alone you could feel being away from them and since Skype is free if you both have it loaded onto your computers it is an excellent way to keep in touch.
I hope this helped, this is my first reply here, I’m a bit shaky.
I’m not in Spain yet so I can’t offer you any in-country advice yet, but I was wondering if you had your own computer. If you did and it has a camera an a mic you can download a program called Skype onto your machine and it allows you to talk and see your family. That is what I use to keep up with my family when I first moved. I understand how alone you could feel being away from them and since Skype is free if you both have it loaded onto your computers it is an excellent way to keep in touch.
I hope this helped, this is my first reply here, I’m a bit shaky.
hello WB =) thanks for your advice. i do actually have skype. my friend also told me i should use it. i’m not sure how to check if my computer has a microphone, so i guess i just gotta try it to see if it works! but anyway, thanks a lot for taking the time. and welcome to the forum. i’m also new =) nice to meet u
Hello! and I’m glad you have Skype, if you have a laptop then you defiantly have a microphone. Another way to check to see if your computer has a mic is to find the ‘sound recorder’ if you can find it and record yourself, you have a microphone 😊
I wish you all the best with getting in touch with your family.
I feel your pain, recently came out here for work and I get very lonely too. Im lucky though in that i do get to go home every 2 weeks for the weekend. Im in Alcala de Henares about 25km outside of Madrid. Hope things improve for you. I think if you found yourself some work it would definitely helo you. Even if you offer to work for free for a bit or something to get out there and get your foot in the door at least you will be out there meeting people and start to feel a bit less like an outsider.
