Transcription

• Speaker #0

  guess what i'm moving country again i don't know maybe a year maybe more where's home home's everywhere i'm an Expat hi it's pauline from et Expats and today i am with selena selena is from the US and moved to Madrid eight years ago. So she's going to talk us through this whole process about moving to a country when you've never been there, if I recall, building a community, also just settling in and life in Madrid. Hi, Selena. How are you?

• Speaker #1

  Hey, thank you so much for having me, Pauline. I'm great. How are you today?

• Speaker #0

  Good. Good to finally meet you. I mean, it's been a couple of years since we've been in touch. Yes,

• Speaker #1

  we've been connected over Instagram for several years, but we've never spoken.

• Speaker #0

  Excited to hear a lot more about your background and your life in Madrid. I'll let you introduce yourself quickly, and then we'll go back to how you moved.

• Speaker #1

  Okay, absolutely. Hi, everyone. I'm Selena. I moved to Madrid first when I was 24 years old. So it's been a minute. It's been about eight years. And a little bit about me. I'm originally from Texas. I graduated from the University of Arkansas. I studied science. I have a bachelor's of science. And I really after I graduated, I did not know what I wanted to do with my life. I decided not to go to graduate school in the U.S. Graduate school is very expensive. In order to continue with my degree and specialize, it did require me going to five more years of school. And at that time in my life, it was something that I was... It's not motivated to do. It's also very expensive. And I just didn't have that drive anymore. So what I did right before I graduated was I went on a backpacking trip to Europe with my best friend who was about to begin medical school. And we decided to do six weeks in Europe. Neither of us had ever been. We were 22, just really excited for a new adventure and to see another part of the world. And we spent six weeks in Europe, visited 11 countries. And I think like a lot. Yeah, it was a lot. It was too much. It was a very fast trip. I don't think I would ever do that again. It was too much. But you're 22, you're young, you're broke as well. Yeah,

• Speaker #0

  you can roll with it.

• Speaker #1

  You can just go with it. Yeah. And we had such a wonderful time. I really saw just a different side of life. Of course, being a tourist is very different than living in a place for an extended time. But I really was like, wow, maybe I could try something in Europe since I... don't really want to continue with a higher education in the States. Maybe this could be a good option. So we had a fantastic trip for six weeks in Europe. And then I had one more semester and I had friends at university who were going to teach English in Korea and China, Thailand and other places. And I found it really inspiring. And I thought, wow, can I, can I do that somewhere in Europe? That would be really cool. And so I did some research. And I really enjoyed Spain. I had never been, you were correct, I had never been to Madrid before I moved. The only place I had been to in Spain was Barcelona and the Costa Brava. But I had never been to Madrid before I moved here. So that was a very big leap of faith. Yeah, I can imagine. Yeah.

• Speaker #0

  Just going back to the trip, you say, oh, I really enjoyed Europe. So it was very different. Was there anything that hit you traveling, especially around the age of 22? of, oh, this is something I think I enjoy or what in the lifestyle did you see as different and that you wanted to try as a real life?

• Speaker #1

  Yeah, I definitely noticed it was more, it was so much more community oriented. Like in the US, it's, of course, being in the US encourages a lot of things like being an entrepreneur, working really hard at your job. And of course, you can make a lot of money in the US. But it's very individualistic as well. It's twofold. You have this benefit, but then also it is very individualistic. You're very much sucked into the job that you do. Your job is also your life in the US, very much so. And just kind of going around Europe and we went to Spain and Italy and France and the Netherlands and England and Ireland, all these places, it seems so much more warm in the sense of the community orientation. People would be outside. on a Wednesday at midnight, just enjoying each other's presence, having a glass of wine, dancing in the streets. That was a really nice experience that I had never had before. Seeing that, being a part of that and feeling that energy was something like, wow, this is very different and this is very enjoyable. I want to see if I could be a part of this or see if I can explore this, even for a little bit of time, not just visiting as a tourist. So that was one of the biggest um That was one of the biggest drives for me to be like, let's give this a try.

• Speaker #0

  All right. Okay. So you did your research, Spain, you had enjoyed, you'd been to Barcelona. How did you make it happen?

• Speaker #1

  Yes. So after I, yes, after I graduated, I moved back home to Texas with my parents for a year because I could not save money and pay rent in order to move. So I moved back home to not pay rent. And then basically what I did was during that time, I... was doing all of these odd jobs to save money. So I was dog walking, house sitting, any little thing like that to make a little bit of money. And that was super helpful. And also during that time when I was home, I got my TEFL certification, teaching English as a foreign language through an academy that was based out of Chicago. So I did their part-time TEFL course. And I completed that within, you know, three months. So it was like from January to April of 2018. And then I just continued to save money. And I also got a job teaching English online before I moved to Spain. So I had the tough hole before I moved to Spain, plus three to six months of experience teaching online before I moved to Spain, before I moved to Madrid, specifically in September of 2018. Okay.

• Speaker #0

  So yeah, the job part was sort of taken care of. What about moving, settling in?

• Speaker #1

  Yes, that was, that was. That was crazy. And also the reason that I ended up choosing Madrid, like I really enjoyed Barcelona. It's great in many, many ways. But one of the main reasons that I did choose Madrid was because the company that I did my TEFL with, they had a partnership with a Spanish language academy based in Madrid. They did not have a partnership with one in Barcelona, just Madrid. And so in my mind, I was 24 at the time trying to move to a country by myself that I did not speak the language. I had only ever visited. a different city and I never visited Madrid. So I thought to myself, you know what, I need all the help I can get. And that partnership with that Spanish language Academy, um, it wasn't just Spanish language classes that you took while you arrived. The, they helped you find a job. They connected you to the right people. They would help you with resources. Like for example, if you needed help with paperwork to find appointments and things like that. So they, they helped you do all of these things. Plus on top of having a language Academy. student visa. So I was like, you know what, this is so complicated. I need all the help I can get. That was, that was a huge driving factor for me to move to Madrid. Plus I had also done some research and I saw that the job market for English teachers was very, very much thriving. And so I thought, okay, well now I have help here. I have some online teaching experience. If I find something in person, that would be fantastic. And thankfully quickly, because I had that help. I was able to find like three different jobs. Very, very cool. Oh, wow. So, yeah. So that was very, very helpful. I'm really glad I did that. And yeah, that was the main motivator and the driver to move to Madrid. And also I wanted to feel like I was like really like in Spain learning Spanish. Spanish was my minor in university, but I didn't really feel like I learned very much. I only have ever had throughout my whole university career. I only had one teacher who was ever from Spain. Everyone else was like... American and they spoke Spanish very well, but it didn't, it wasn't like, yeah, it's different. It wasn't the authentic experience. I only had ever, only ever had one teacher from Spain throughout my university career studying Spanish. And I wanted to, to kind of like, I just wanted to be embedded in it. That's how you learn a new language and learning Spanish.

• Speaker #0

  And the culture also.

• Speaker #1

  And the culture. Yeah. And so I really wanted to improve those language skills and I felt like awesome aside, side part of it.

• Speaker #0

  for Madrid was just like oh like I can do this like in Madrid this will be like I am in Spain all right um let's move to the community piece so you mentioned a little bit more that earlier on that Spain is there is this sense of community people hang out a lot I've seen it also traveling there solo I just felt like if you're traveling solo you feel a little bit left out in a way because there's... they're always in groups. Even the restaurants I feel are catered for groups with the tabas piece rather than to just individuals because they're sharing plates. So how did you create that, your circle, build your tribe and integrate into the community there?

• Speaker #1

  Yes. So I remember, I don't know why I just remember this so vividly. It was within my first two weeks of arriving. I had to finish some paperwork to complete the TEFL certificate. just the first two weeks I arrived in Madrid. And I remember I walked into, we have like a, there was a printing room in this like academy that we were based in and I needed to print some documents. And behind me, there was two women talking to each other and I was eavesdropping. I'm not going to lie. I was eavesdropping. You know, like you're a bit nervous at first. You're in a new place. You're in a new, you're in just such a new environment. And you're like, oh, like if I, if I introduced myself a bit, like, is that okay? And so you're just a bit like nervous and hesitant at first. And so I was eavesdropping on their conversation. And one of the girls mentioned that she was playing. football, like soccer, like on the weekends and for this, just in this group and it's organized on WhatsApp. And so I was like, oh, like I've played soccer most of my life. That would be really great to find like an athletic community just to at least at a minimum, just to get some exercise and meet some people. So I was eavesdropping on her conversation because she was telling another girl about the community. And I just remember feeling nervous at first. And then there was like a switch that went off in my head that was like, no, Selena, put yourself out there, introduce yourself. There was no harm in introducing yourself. Just turn around and say hello and say, hey, I'd really love to know more information. So I put the papers down that I was printing. And I remember I turned around and I said, hi, I'm so sorry. Like, I'm Selena. I was eavesdropping on your conversation. Would you mind sharing the information about this community that you're a part of and you play soccer? And she was so friendly and so lovely. That's great. And she immediately added me to the WhatsApp group. And there was a WhatsApp group full of over 300 people at the time. And now it's over 500 people. And it was just really nice to be a part of that. And I started playing, you know, twice, two to three times a week and met amazing people. There was people from everywhere. It wasn't just Spanish people, people from Venezuela, Colombia, US, Canada, Ireland, the UK, massive community. And it was co-ed. So there was a lot of women there as well with like we had men and women playing together, just really enjoying, you know, the community aspect of like meeting new people. Hey, we're all in this like, you know, foreigner journey together. And we just want to, you know, exercise, play the great game of the great game of soccer and then go have a beer afterwards. And yeah, I'm still friends like eight, almost eight years later. I'm still friends with several of those people. And that was such a big moment that I remember so distinctly. And the fact that I'm still friends with several of these people even today is like is so amazing. So just kind of... I really learned like, yeah, like putting yourself out there, even if it feels slightly uncomfortable, you never know what it can, what it can bring you out of it. Yeah. You never know what comes out of it. And it's, yeah. And it's just really, really great to connect in that way. So that was, that was definitely the moment where I was like, Oh wow. Like now I feel like, I feel like I have found a big part of the, yeah, a big part of this community. Um, and that was,

• Speaker #0

  I think definitely having the hobby piece and activity just helps create those bonds a lot more Yeah. oh, we went out for drinks. And after a while, it's just harder to get the conversation going. Unless you've really clicked with the people. But the hobby just sort of sets a time and day that's always there. And you're actually doing something experiencing. It does help a lot more to build the friendships. Yeah,

• Speaker #1

  absolutely. It was great. And then yeah, that was like the first community I really felt like I was part of. And then since then, it's been you know, little things, little things like here and there. I've met some amazing people, either through... teaching, jobs, the football community. And also now, as of earlier this year in 2026, there's this really amazing all-female community and it's full of freelancers, entrepreneurs, and female founders. And it's just a really great space to talk about creativity or your business goals. And everyone is just so lovely. And it's really nice to be in a community of women who are really trying to create something, make money, and be just very entrepreneurial. So I'm really, yeah, I really enjoy that group now as well.

• Speaker #0

  Great. Anything else regarding just life in Madrid and settling in and just figuring out how things work?

• Speaker #1

  Yes. A big, a big part of it is like, there is no way to get around this whatsoever. You have to learn the language. I will never understand. I will never understand people who like, even nowadays, like. people who say, Oh, you like, you don't, you don't really need to know the language. Like so many people speak English and it's like, that's not true. I'm sorry. Like it. And it's like, it's one, it makes your life easier, but two, you feel more integrated in the culture if you learn and three, your life is easier in this country. If you learn, uh, whether, whether, yeah, whether you're talking about bureaucracy, uh, you know, finding, finding property, whether you're buying or renting. It makes your life so much easier, but also it is, I do think it is a sign of respect and also like this will help you integrate. So it is very important to, to learn, you know, I'm not, I'm not talking, you need to be fluent in a year or anything like that. I'm still not fluent. Eight years later, I, I still practice every day and I, I still have to, you know, really get the mental mindset of like, think about it. Yeah. I'm like, okay, oh, now we're, now we're in Spanish, now we're in English. And so, you know, it takes, it takes time of course, but, uh, but it is very important. So learning the language there is no way around it no matter what city you live in even if you live in barcelona which is of course a lot of people do speak uh speak english because it's so tourist heavy but it is still very still yeah i think barcelona has that additional

• Speaker #0

  challenge that it's Catalan.

• Speaker #1

  Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. A lot of people would appreciate if you're in Catalonia, if you spoke a little bit of Catalan as well. So that, yeah, that's another additional challenge that that region has for sure. And yeah, like that just made integration so much more helpful. The more open-minded you were, the more that you studied and that you practice, it will make your life easier, but also it's, it's just, it's just so important to integrate in that aspect. You cannot get by with just English. I'm sorry. Uh, it's not what people want to hear, but it is, it is the truth, I think. And, um, that was a very, very big, uh, part of, of integrating. I took Spanish classes for two years. I took an intensive course for the first year when I was with that Spanish language academy that was attached to my TEFL and it was very helpful. And then I also ended up getting a job, uh, at a Spanish company six months in to being in Madrid and I, yes. And I, I did work with a lot of English speakers, but the boss, the assistant, the secretary and the vendors that we had to work with. all Spanish. So a lot of my learning was on the job as well. I would drive from Madrid. I can imagine. Yeah. Yeah. Driving from Madrid to Asturias or Madrid to the Pyrenees, you know, you're at the gas station, you're talking to vendors, you're talking to people in hotels. And a lot of it was learning on the job, which was stressful, but also very helpful. So, but yeah, just a, you know, crazy experience. And that was something that, yeah, it was, it was a bit overwhelming at first. sell. So I was very, you know, quite young and just really adapting to a whole new life. And then trying to do that, my brain was like, what? But it was incredibly helpful to just like dive right in, get right to it. And also don't be afraid to practice. Spanish people are very warm and very lovely. Even if you barely speak Spanish, they'll, they'll greet you with a smile. And you know, if you're, if you're insistent about practicing, they will speak back to you as well. And they're, they're very, yeah, they're very, very patient with you. So yeah, definitely never be, never be afraid to, to practice.

• Speaker #0

  because you'll be greeted very very warmly and you'll make progress yes exactly exactly um like Madrid is the big city a lot of people work there um can you talk us a little bit about the differences between Madrid and other regions of Spain yeah

• Speaker #1

  so yeah Madrid very metropolitan very very much you know concrete jungle honestly the best comparison like if you're talking to about the US, like Madrid is New York. And then, for example, Barcelona is like San Diego or Los Angeles. That's like the closest comparison I could I could think of. And yeah, very much metropolitan. It's the concrete jungle. Work is like people come here to work even from the outskirts of the region of Madrid. They'll come into Madrid to work. And it's so different than, you know, you just drive four hours north or take the train to, for example, Asturias or Cantabria. And it's just so much slower. It's much more calm. And the difference is drastic, not just in like landscape, but also people's personalities as well. The weather is different. And it's just, yeah, like Madrid is such a the central hub of Spain geographically and literally. Yeah, it's it's really, really different than than the rest of Spain. And even if you go to other regions like Galicia is very, very lovely. And it's a bit, you know, it's a bit rainier. But it's also really popular in its own way. It's not really popular for work reasons. It's popular because the Camino de Santiago finishes there. So Galicia and Santiago, you see a lot of tourists in this region because they're trying to complete the Camino de Santiago. So that's a whole different experience and, you know, a different reason why that region is popular versus why Madrid is popular mostly for work and, you know, city life and metropolitan style. Great international food scene as well in Madrid. Like you can find. any type of food that you want, Japanese, Peruvian, Colombian, Venezuelan, um, and other regions of Spain, you know, if they're smaller as well, um, the variety is not as big in Madrid, but in Madrid and of course, Barcelona is where you can find the same type of diversity, um, as opposed to maybe other, other smaller regions. And yeah, of course the landscape is so, the landscape is so different as well, the South from the North and, um, it's so much dry. It's like a lot drier well if you're if you're not like uh so close to the coast. It's a little bit drier. So like Sevilla is scorching hot. And, but then like, for example, a town in Asturias called Aviles, it's very mild and like maybe 25 Celsius in the summertime, beautiful beach town. That's so nice and calm. And it's just, it's an amazing experience to live in a country with such diversity. And like, it's, it's incredible. Madrid is such a, very hot, such a central hot.

• Speaker #0

  metropolitan hub of summers are wild but a bit like Sevilla also everyone leaves

• Speaker #1

  July August I think yeah yeah yeah people try to leave in July and August to go to any coastal town just to get some just to get some nature just to get some cool air fresh fresh breeze and to cool off because yeah Madrid is scorching at the end of July and August it's even quite hot right now already and it's only mid-June. yeah yeah but it's great okay was there something else on your side um yeah so i have lessons i've learned and a few recs recommendations in the city let's start with the lessons learned then yes i've learned a lot um definitely something that i really had to adjust to was like in the in the u.s like things move a bit faster uh whether that's you know like you're just like hustling from one place to another or. Typically, bureaucracy works depending on what the process is. Certain bureaucratic processes are just a bit quicker. The pace of life is a lot faster. Hustle culture is very, very big in the US. Coming here, patience is a virtue here in Spain regarding everything. That is across the board, whether you're dealing with paperwork, people, traffic. No matter what you're dealing with, patience is a virtue. And in Spain, yeah, it's no pasa nada, no pasa nada, always. And so, yeah, definitely developed a great sense of patience in that aspect. And also, yeah, just, you know, gaining even more patience from being a teacher.

• Speaker #0

  I not only taught when I was a teacher.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah, when I was a teacher, I was a teacher for about four years. So I taught kids and I did teach adults as well. So, yeah, yeah, definitely teaching Spanish kids is you gain a lot of patience. with them. But no, ultimately, they're so sweet and they want to learn from you and you learn things from them as well. But yeah, patience is a virtue for sure. And then the other thing I would say as well is kind of going hand in hand with patients. It's just to be open-minded and to be open to new experiences and new foods. I think especially people in the US, you have a very specific like you know way of like, whether it's thinking plan in mind and coming, you know, coming to Spain where things are more relaxed, things are, you know, just a bit like, okay, great. Like we don't have to rush from point A to point B and be here. You can, you know, really, you can take your time at the dinner table and have a sobre mesa for, you know, another, another hour or two, even after you're done eating and no one's, no one's going to rush you out the door. So it's just kind of really being open-minded and really thinking about. slowing down because I feel like in the US, a lot of people are just like, go, We have to be productive. You have to hustle in every aspect of your life. But here it's like, no, take time. Take your time. Enjoy. No one is in a rush to go anywhere else after dinner. We want to be here and enjoy each other's presence and time together. So that is also really nice. Just be open-minded and to be just open to new experiences and new foods as well. And then the other thing, there's one more thing that... that I've definitely learned is to always keep in mind that your plan A, whatever it is, there is a big chance that it might not work out. So I have found it very helpful over the years to have a plan B, C, and sometimes even plan D in whatever, especially when it comes to just like bureaucracy, also in other things as well. But you know, Spain not only like moves a bit slower, But you never, you just never know something could happen that does not go in your, that goes in your favor. So just kind of like mentally preparing for plan A not to work out, have a plan B and a plan C in place that you will also be happy with in whatever context, whatever aspect it is. It will, you know, it'll minimize feeling the stress and frustration that you might feel. So I have found that to be really helpful. Like, oh, like, well, if, for example, oh, well, if I can't apply for the student visa next year. what are my other options or, or, Oh, if I want to travel here, but, Oh, that actually might not work out. What else could I do? Just kind of like having a, you know, a plan B and C mitigating the risks of having some options because there will be many times where plan A does not work out. So

• Speaker #0

  I think especially you talked about the visas, but yeah, it is something as soon as you're an immigrant or an Expat or whichever, there's paperwork and... You rely on administration to be able to stay in the country and you can't put all of your eggs in the same basket, which is you never know.

• Speaker #1

  Exactly.

• Speaker #0

  Rules change and it's really like your full life.

• Speaker #1

  Yes.

• Speaker #0

  As it is that. is going to be questioned. So you're going to need a plan B at some point, just in case.

• Speaker #1

  Exactly. Exactly. And it's also, it's always so helpful. Like I've had a lot of people in the past, like tell me as well, like, Oh, I don't want to pay for a lawyer to help me with this. I can do this by someone by myself in regarding visa processes. And in my, in my mind, I'm like the only visa that I would do by myself because I did it so many times was the student visa, anything else where it was such a, it had such a big weight attached to it. you know, it was like so dependent. It really like it was make or break your situation here. Like I know a lawyer is so worth it, at least at a minimum, do a consult. But if you can get, if you can, if you have the help, if you're able to get that help, have a lawyer do it for you. It is just to make sure that all the boxes are checked, all the T's are crossed and all the I's are dotted because Spanish bureaucracy is quite complicated. So if you are able to, you know, pay for a lawyer to help with processes. it will make your life so much easier and it will go much better for you. So yeah, that was something that I've had several people who haven't used lawyers. Their processes have gone a little bit wrong. Some have had success, but then people who use lawyers, they feel a bit less stressed. The lawyer advocates for you. Obviously, if there is a discrepancy, it's just, it brings you a little bit more peace of mind. So that is another lesson I've learned is using a lawyer definitely minimizes the stress of the risk. The risk, yeah. Yeah.

• Speaker #0

  You talked about having plan A, B, C, and maybe D. When you moved initially, was the plan for you to stay this long?

• Speaker #1

  So the plan was I wanted to try one year because my student visa was one year long. And I just told myself, see how this goes, because it could go really well. It could go really bad. So I just gave myself one year. to Yeah, I left it. I left it very open because it was so new. You know, I really you don't I wish I could have seen the future. But, you know, I I was like, let me have one year. You know, I worked so hard to get this visa and let me stay the year and see how it goes. If I if I enjoyed it, if I like it, we can extend the student visa for another year. And so, yeah, six months into it, I really found my groove the first year. And that was when I got that job at that Spanish company and I was able to travel Spain. And it was so lovely. I had a really good experience. At the time, I was paid well as well to live a good life in Madrid and got to meet great people and also practice Spanish a lot because we were working with all these vendors. So, yeah, I was like, you know what, let me renew and I'm having a good experience. So then I just renewed my student visa to study Spanish again. And I did the Spanish language visa for three years. And then, yeah, it still went well. And then I decided to apply for a master's program. So I was at that year as well. I was a master's student and I switched over to the auxiliar de conversacion visa, which is like you're placed in like a public school and you teach your assistant English teacher for about 16 to 25 hours a week at a public school, usually. And so, yeah, so I was a master's student at the same time I was doing that. And then... Yeah, it just kept, it kept going like well. And I was, yeah, it just kept running. And I was, and I was happy and I was learning a lot and made incredible friends and connections. And after that master's program, I thought I actually had to leave Spain because I was applying for jobs and nothing was happening. So I did eventually find a job where if I passed the probationary period of three months, they would sponsor my visa, my work, my visa. So I started working, I worked for them. And, um, I did apply for the work visa, funny enough, but two months later, because work visas take a while to process in Spain as well. So, uh, a few months later, after I passed the probationary period, um, I actually, I actually stopped working for them because I had gotten a new job offer from an international company. It was a tech company and I couldn't say no. It, um, it was, uh, double the salary and fully remote. And so I was like, absolutely, this is great. But that work visa was still in process. So I had to let the work visa expire once it gave me an answer. But I was able to apply for Spain's digital nomad visa with the new job I had. So that is the visa that I'm on now, actually. Yeah. So it's been a journey, yeah, from student visas, master's program, and then changed to the digital nomad residency visa. Yeah, so it's been an interesting journey.

• Speaker #0

  Okay. let's move on to your recommendations so what would be your top bar or cafe restaurant and

• Speaker #1

  place of choice like carte blanche yes this this one was so hard to decide because i have so many recommendations yeah this was so this was really hard to to pin down some spanish restaurants i really love that have like traditional spanish food um the first one is la confusa it's a restaurant it's in the uh neighborhood of delicia they have an amazing cheesecake as well but it's a traditional spanish tapas and also like yes yeah amazing cheesecake it's very very good And then another one that is in, I believe it's in Malasaña and it's called Taberna de la Copla. Very Spanish. You can get a, just like a nice vermouth and just really enjoy like the tapas that you think of when you think of Spain. And then the other two, one is kind of a more, it's like, it's got like a nice twist on Spanish food, but it's called Cantina Singular. It's next to Metro Bilbao in Chambery. Amazing. Very small. I think it's like run by this family. Amazing food. And then the fourth one is Casa de Alberto. That's also, if you go on a food tour or just any type of tour in Madrid, you'll likely walk past this place because it is in the center. It's in the historic literary quarter where like Cervantes used to live. And it's called Casa Alberto and they still make a vermouth and house. And it's just a really nice, really, really nice restaurant as well. And then, yeah. And then like tapas bars specifically where you can just like go and pick out. I'm not going to go in there. nibbles and like nice drinks uh lamiak uh l-a-m-i-a-k they have two locations great tapas bar um they have just an amazing menu of wine uh staff is super friendly as well and amazing just like plates that are just easily this size and you just pick and share with your friends and then the other the other three tapas bars uh one is called la berlona bar which is um near the literary quarter, but it's off of line one. Really, really nice. More upscale. It's a little bit more expensive, but very like chic interior. It's a little bit like higher quality as well. So that's like why it's a little bit more expensive, but it's very classy. Great to bring, you know, if you're trying to impress someone, go on a date or bring your parents. It's fantastic. And then Hermanos Vinagre is a chain, super Spanish. It's got red interior. Great to just like on a Thursday, you say, hey, friends, like let's go to Hermanos Vinagre. Yeah, get a bottle of wine. Very casual, very fun. And then another great tapas bar that just reopened after 25 years of being under construction. It first opened in 1907 or 1908, but it just reopened. It was under construction for a while. It's called Los Gabrieles and very, very amazing. It has like an amazing interior with all this amazing paintings and tile work. Really, really nice. It's also near the literary border. Cafes. I love the cafe scene in Madrid. It's endless and it's so nice. So this one was really hard to pick just four because my list is like 105. Maybe just two? Yeah, two. Yeah, I have three, but I'll give you two. Number, the first one, it's in Arganzuela neighborhood. It's in the south of the, and it's called Maria Peperina Cantina. Really, really nice. They have big windows, great coffee. And the other one that I do like as well is called Casa Victoria. It's in the center. Very nice, super fun vibe. And they have a brunch and just great coffee. And it's a really, really nice atmosphere. So those are some of my favorites. The list could go on, but I won't go on.

• Speaker #0

  I am sure. Well, stop at that. But they'll be noted all in the footnotes. And I'm sure people can reach out to you if they're traveling then.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah, absolutely.

• Speaker #0

  Last is what is your Expat song or your Spanish song?

• Speaker #1

  Oh, that would have to be. Oh, my gosh. I don't know why, but. For some reason, the Marc Anthony Vivir la Vida is coming to my mind. Okay. I don't know why. Yeah, it's just a great, it's a really, really nice, yeah, it's just a really nice vibe. Very, you know, the salsa rhythm is just so fun. Yeah. Yeah, it's great. It's great.

• Speaker #0

  Great. Well, thank you so much for sharing, Selena, and sharing, well, yeah, tips about Spain and how you moved there, what you learned also. um guys if you enjoyed the episode you can put a rating on apple podcast or spotify and follow all the updates on tiktok and instagram and youtube