Podcast
Questions and Answers
What was the author's experience in the British school in Madrid similar to?
What was the author's experience in the British school in Madrid similar to?
What was the outcome of the author's father's three-month trip to Portugal?
What was the outcome of the author's father's three-month trip to Portugal?
What was the significance of the author's friendship with the girl from the neighbouring flat?
What was the significance of the author's friendship with the girl from the neighbouring flat?
Why did the author's parents decide to settle in Madrid?
Why did the author's parents decide to settle in Madrid?
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How old is the author at the time of writing?
How old is the author at the time of writing?
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Study Notes
Childhood Experience
- The writer's father was a businessman who frequently moved to different countries for work, resulting in the writer attending multiple schools and living in various homes.
- The writer didn't mind the constant changes at first, enjoying the new experiences, people, and places.
- However, by the age of eight, the writer began to feel the negative effects of constantly moving, including starting at school with no friends and often leaving without forming close relationships.
Struggle with Identity
- The writer struggled with their sense of identity, questioning where they were from and what they could call home.
- Despite being born to Irish parents, the writer only spent about one year in Ireland during their childhood and didn't feel a strong connection to the country.
- The writer felt like an outsider, never truly feeling happy or settled in one place.
Turning Point in Madrid
- At the age of fourteen, the writer's family moved to Madrid, Spain, where they enrolled in a British school.
- The writer formed a close friendship with a classmate who lived in the neighboring flat, and soon developed a group of friends in the neighborhood.
- This was the first time the writer had a sense of belonging and a group of friends they could call their own.
Stability and Belonging
- The writer's parents realized the negative impact of constant moving on their child's life and decided to make Madrid their permanent home.
- The writer's father stopped traveling for work, and the family settled in Madrid, providing the writer with a sense of stability and belonging.
- Today, the writer is twenty-nine and still living in Madrid, which they proudly call their home.
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Description
A personal account of starting at a new school, dealing with curious classmates, and the emotional adaptability required. Reflecting on the experience and its familiarity.
