Author Archive

The Weekend Files: Where to Day Trip from Madrid

Happy Friday (and bank holiday Friday to my auxiliares) everyone! I’m back with another edition of The Weekend Files with some great ideas of places to visit on a short day trip or weekend trip from Madrid. I hope you decide to hit the road this weekend!

A Literary Tour of Madrid

If you haven’t noticed already, I’m a complete nerd. I’m obsessed with history and reading, and I often fantasize about living in eras that I think are way more glamorous and artistic than our current one (um, hello 1920s!). Before I moved to Europe, all I could think about...

Where to Eat in Madrid

The fastest way for me to get to know a city is through my stomach. Yea, I know. Weird sentence. Basically what I mean is that I love to learn about a city through the food I can find there. Learning about Madrid has been…well…interesting. I have mixed feelings...

Reflections on visiting home for the first time after moving abroad

First, I must apologize for the lapse in posting. After arriving to Madrid from the US, I was hit with a heavy case of jet lag that left me disoriented and always looking for the next moment when I could sleep. Then I contracted some sort of stomach bug...

How to survive a long-haul flight

Let me preface this post by saying that I know this is a first-world problem. If you’re getting on a long-haul flight, you’re probably going somewhere really exciting, but that doesn’t change the fact that these flights can be terrible if you aren’t prepared. I define a long-haul flight...

The Best Hotels of 2013

I know tons of bloggers are doing their “best of 2013” lists and I said I wouldn’t…but I just can’t resist. I love hotels. I’m a complete sucker for everything from stately, historic grande dame hotels to sleek and stylish boutique properties.  I am admittedly not a backpacker. If...

Yourlandmyland’s Carta para Los Reyes Magos

So I’ve decided to do something different this year. In Spain, most families do not exchange gifts on Christmas, preferring to wait until Dia de Los Reyes, or Three Kings Day. This Christian holiday falls on January 6 and is also referred to as “Epiphany“, or the day when...

Merry Christmas from Louisiana!

AMERICAAAAAAA! Man, clearly you have to leave this country to really appreciate. I flew literally halfway across the world just to make it back to my grandparent’s house for Christmas in a tiny town in Louisiana and I could not be happier!

How to apply for the Auxiliares de Conversación program in Spain

Well guys, it’s about that time. The application period for the 2014-2015 Auxiliares de Conversación program will open next month on January 9, and I can practically feel your anxiety and anticipation from here! This program is basically a dream and I understand why any American would want to...

A Winter Getaway to Madrid

Man oh man can some cities whip out the charm during the holiday season…New York; Washington, DC; Ludwisberg, Germany (I’ve heard); and now Madrid! Most people think that a trip to Spain should only take place in the spring or summer and of course, I’m here to prove them...