I'm back and soon to embark on Spain Trip #2! (Well, technically it'll be my third time in Spain...during winter break I couldn't stay away and ended up going back to Granada for a rainy but delightful week). This time I'll be there longer than ever (September 23rd til probably sometime in June of next year!) But I'm in fact leaving for Europe tonight to spend twelve days in Scotland before migrating southwards to Spain. I finally finished stuffing all I could fit into my bags last night, although I haven't actually dared to zip them up yet...we'll see how that goes.
I'm a little anxious, but if I were heading straight to Spain, I'd be unbelievably, incredibly, and overwhelmingly nervous (I probably wouldn't be writing this right now because my shaking fingers would make it impossible). After all, this time I'm not heading back to Granada for another carefree study abroad adventure of sangria-sipping and beach-hopping. I'm destined for Extremadura (even the name is terrifying!) to be una auxiliar de conversación (a conversation assistant). I basically signed up to teach kids English in Spain, and the Spanish government assigned me two schools that are an hour away from each other by car in remote towns in Extremadura. I'll hopefully be able to live in Cáceres, a beautiful Roman city in Extremadura with palaces galore, and I'll probably be able to carpool with teachers to the two schools. It would be a long commute but worth it to live in a pretty city rather than tiny towns. However, I'm not 100% sure this will be possible since those in charge of the program don't seem too interested in communicating with the auxiliares about anything. I'm also not even sure what age students I'll be teaching, or what types of classes I'll have, or really much of anything, for that matter. You'd think this type of information might have been relayed to me by now, as it's already September...but auxiliares from previous years say the Spanish government likes to delay everything as much as they possibly can and that I'll find out what exactly I'm doing the day I need to do it. In the meantime, I'll try and be zen about everything and not worry too much about the fact that I'll arrive there homeless, without a Spanish bank account, and with just a vague sense of purpose.
The weird thing is tonight I'll be leaving the country for 8+ months, which is nerve-wracking, but before all the craziness starts, I'll get to have a little vacation in Edinburgh, which is not so nerve-wracking. Plus, I think I'll fit right in in Scotland since I've recently been in the habit of calling everyone "lads" and "lasses." So it's hard to know if I should be nervous about the looming Extremadura experience or excited for my holiday in the UK. But in the meantime I'll go eat some French toast since I don't know when I'll get the chance to again!
I'm a little anxious, but if I were heading straight to Spain, I'd be unbelievably, incredibly, and overwhelmingly nervous (I probably wouldn't be writing this right now because my shaking fingers would make it impossible). After all, this time I'm not heading back to Granada for another carefree study abroad adventure of sangria-sipping and beach-hopping. I'm destined for Extremadura (even the name is terrifying!) to be una auxiliar de conversación (a conversation assistant). I basically signed up to teach kids English in Spain, and the Spanish government assigned me two schools that are an hour away from each other by car in remote towns in Extremadura. I'll hopefully be able to live in Cáceres, a beautiful Roman city in Extremadura with palaces galore, and I'll probably be able to carpool with teachers to the two schools. It would be a long commute but worth it to live in a pretty city rather than tiny towns. However, I'm not 100% sure this will be possible since those in charge of the program don't seem too interested in communicating with the auxiliares about anything. I'm also not even sure what age students I'll be teaching, or what types of classes I'll have, or really much of anything, for that matter. You'd think this type of information might have been relayed to me by now, as it's already September...but auxiliares from previous years say the Spanish government likes to delay everything as much as they possibly can and that I'll find out what exactly I'm doing the day I need to do it. In the meantime, I'll try and be zen about everything and not worry too much about the fact that I'll arrive there homeless, without a Spanish bank account, and with just a vague sense of purpose.
The weird thing is tonight I'll be leaving the country for 8+ months, which is nerve-wracking, but before all the craziness starts, I'll get to have a little vacation in Edinburgh, which is not so nerve-wracking. Plus, I think I'll fit right in in Scotland since I've recently been in the habit of calling everyone "lads" and "lasses." So it's hard to know if I should be nervous about the looming Extremadura experience or excited for my holiday in the UK. But in the meantime I'll go eat some French toast since I don't know when I'll get the chance to again!
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