I think that this is a question a lot of us spend most of our lives trying to figure out. Well, I’m only 24 and I seem to ask myself this question far too many times a week. Maybe one of the better ways of thinking about this question is by thinking about who we are not.
I can start by saying, Hi, my name is Caroline. Caroline is the name I use when I’m at work, but my parents, friends, and boyfriend all call me Carly, Carls, Carl, or any variation of the sort. I’m 24 and I live in Madrid, Spain. I was born on Long Island an hour outside of New York City, and had a pretty ordinary upbringing. I danced, played sports, played instruments, and went to a four-year-university. But aside from that, I like to consider myself anything but ordinary.
I was fortunate enough to have parents who took me and my brother on lovely vacations across the US, Canada, and the Caribbean, but I didn’t travel without my family until I was a freshman in college. That summer, I did a 12-day marine biology and geology course in Bermuda. I quickly learned that this was the best way to get rid of a Gen-Ed science credit, however, science was the least interesting thing about the trip. I was more interested in the food, cultural sights, and the people. Ok snorkeling in Bermuda was still by far the best snorkeling I have done in my life, but science was not the career path for me–even if this science included animals, which are one of my favorite things. I’m not a person who would be happy in a lab, even if it was surrounded by turquoise waters, palm trees, and pink sand.
While Bermuda left me with a B- in science credit, it left me with an ever-growing itch for discovering more places, preferably across the pond. So, two years later, I ended up spending six weeks in Rome studying media in the Mediterranean and Drawing. This confirmed my inclination towards the humanities, as well as my newfound love of traveling.
After graduating college, I thought I had it all planned out. I was going to live at home, commute to NYC, and work at a prestigious magazine or media company. That all changed when my parents took me on a post-grad trip to Spain. Stepping off the plane in Europe made something feel “right,” as much of a cliche it may be. Those two weeks were life-changing. I realized that I’m not a person who can be constrained to the 9-5 rise and grind of New York. I’m not a person who can deal with the hustle-and-bustle, fast-paced, let life pass-you-by commute for my entire working career. I’m not a person who wants to feel stuck in the Tri-State Area when there’s an entire world waiting to be discovered.
That summer of 2017, I made a decision to move to Madrid and teach English. It sure wasn’t easy and it sure wasn’t conventional, but it was worth it. I may not have a large savings, a 401K, or a prestigious resume, but I have visited 13 European countries in 2 years on a budget, which is a feat in and of itself.
So, I guess for now, you can say that I’m a 24-year-old chick who has found a passion for teaching, European lifestyle, and is waiting to see where the world takes her next.
Catching Up with Carls 