Here we go!
Phase 1: Fear
When I arrived in Spainm I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I had studied in Madrid, Spain two years ago, but, now I live on the other side of the country. I felt nervous about not finding my way, and I got scared. I had to find an apartment, get a SIM card for my phone, start a bank account, and fill out paperwork for the Spanish government within the first week. I was terrified.
Phase 2: Doubt
As I began to get things done and settle in the first week, I started to doubt myself. All of a sudden I thought I no longer knew how to speak Spanish (which was not the case) and that everyone immediately looked at me and thought, "She has no idea what she's doing." So, I did not talk much during my first week of work; I kept to myself and had a co-teacher help me with any problems that I had. Any time I needed her help, she was the one that spoke in Spanish, and I just stood there. It was like I was frozen. My brain was thinking in Spanish, but my mouth wouldn't say a word.
Phase 3: Testing the waters
