Monday, December 19, 2011

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

This past week the Christmas season has come out full force! All of my students are learning English songs, such as Santa Clause is Coming to Town and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, for their Christmas performance this week. They are all in awe that I already know all the words to the songs they are learning haha.

When I got to school this past week the place was all decked out in decorations- tinsel strewn, Christmas trees scattered throughout and a huge nativity scene, or belén, in the front entrance. As soon as I walked into the Winter Wonderland, one of the teachers asked me if I knew how to ice skate. Next thing I know I am on a bus with forty 7 year olds chanting my name on the way to the ice rink. As we were walking into the rink one of the guys that work there said Hola to me, and without any hesitation one of my students,Antonio, screams in Spanish "SHE'S AMERICAN AND DOESN'T UNDERSTAND YOU!" Thanks Antonio....

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to prove that Antonio was wrong about my Spanish because instead of telling the man "No tengo guantes" (I don't have gloves), I told him "No tengo guisantes" (I don't have peas). As he looked at me in confusion I continued to tell him that since I don't have any peas, my hands are cold. Eventually, he figured out what I was getting at and gave me his gloves to wear.

After strapping all the squirming kids into their ice skates, it was time to hit the ice. As I saw them slipping and falling all over the place I quickly wondered what I got myself into and hoped that I would come out of this with all my bones in tact. As soon as I stepped onto the ice they all swarmed to me like a bunch of excited puppies. Juan, the little boy who had claimed me as his wife, insisted on holding my hand while we skate. Having seen him fall numerous times I was a little worried that I would end up being pulled down with him the next time he fell. But luckily I made it out without any spills or injuries!

Last night Maggie, Justin and I went to Plaza Cibeles for a Christmas light show. It was one of the coolest Christmas shows I have ever seen. They had the lights perfectly lined up with the building so that it looked like it as moving, as if it were a toy! Then at the end they had a Christmas tree displayed on the building and fireworks began spouting out of the top. Here are some pictures to try and give you a better idea of what it was like:



I cannot believe that Christmas is this week! I would be lying if I said that it isn't hard being away from home this time of year. I wish more than anything that I was with my family in California, sitting by the fireplace and baking all day. But I have wonderful friends here in Spain to celebrate the holidays with, which I am so greatful for!!

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!!!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

España is where the heart is

This past week Justin, Maggie and I took our first international trip since being in Spain! We wanted to go somewhere Christmas-y, so after doing some research we decided to go to Belgium! After taking a cab, train, plane and various buses we finally made it to the beautiful city of Brugges. This city is so pictureseque and cozy!! We spent our time walking around the little town, visiting the Christmas market, ice skating and sipping on mulled wine to keep ourselves warm. The weather was shockingly cold for me- we definitely weren't in California!!





One night at the Christmas market we met a group of Belgians who insisted on showing us the Brugge nightlife. Luckily, they all spoke English very well because prior to meeting them we were constantly be talked at in French and Flemish and in a constant state of confusion. What seemed to be a quiet little town ended up being a lot of fun! At the bar we went to, someone spilled their drink on me so I went to go get a napkin. I went up to someone at the bar and asked for a napkin when I realized he had no idea what I was saying, so I had to resort to charades. He then told me that he was Italian so I asked if he spoke Spanish, but he did not. For whatever reason I thought it was a good idea to just continue speaking Spanish to him, in turn he responded in Italian and we were actually able to communicate!! I ended up talking to him for a while, so ever since then I find any moment to bring up to Maggie and Justin that I speak Italian. Although they seem to think otherwise...





On our last day in Belgium we made our way to the capital, Brussels. After being in perfect and idyllic Brugges, Brussels quickly became a disappointment. It is very dirty and not a whole lot to do. And to make matters worse, we had a whole day and night to spend here without a place to stay. Since our flight back to Madrid was so early in the morning we thought it would be best to stay out all night in order to save a buck. Once 2 a.m. rolled around we took a cab to the train station to get our luggage out of the lockers and to catch the bus to the airport. Meanwhile, as we were driving through the streets that resembled Compton, some man jumps out of his car and starts fighting with a group of men on the side of the street. Needless to say, I was greatful to be leaving Brussels. Once we got to the train station we walked up to the door to see that the woman who previously told us they were open all night long was very wrong. I saw two security guards through the window and tried to tell them we needed our stuff but they just shook their heads and told us that they open at 4 a.m., which is when our bus was supposed to leave. So for the next hour and a half the three of us tried to take cover from the freezing cold and creepy people. Just then two boys wiggled one of the doors open to the train station. I asked them if we could go in with them which resulted in them giving me a weird look and saying something in French. We decided that following potential robbers and risking arrest in a foreign country would be best to avoid. As the time ticked we got more and more nervous about missing our bus and flight. Maggie had convinced the bus driver to hold the bus for 4 minutes so that we could run and get our luggage once they opened at four. So Justin and I watched the clock tick as we prepared to sprint into the train station. Well, 4 a.m. struck and the doors still had not opened. Desperate times call for desperate measures so we wiggled our way into the loose door and made a sprint to our luggage. I am glad to announce that we made it on the bus and avoided any type of arrest haha.

Although our trip to Belgium was wonderful, I was very glad to be coming back to Madrid. Last night we went to our local bar to watch El Clasico, which is the big soccer match between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Being immersed back into the Spanish culture after being away only showed me even more how happy I am here! And after having ten days off from work, I must say that I am looking forward to seeing all my cute students!

Monday, December 5, 2011

la jota

Wow, I can't believe it is already December! The city is all decked out in lights and Christmas is in the air! This past Friday my school had our Christmas dinner and it just revalidated that I am so lucky to be working at this school. Everyone I work with is so nice and fun! We had a great meal consisting of jamón y queso, croquetas, steak, flan and ofcourse plenty of wine. At one point in the night the teachers began hitting the table with their hands and chanting 'Que habla Jaime!' (they took turns filling in the name of the 4 English assistants) Once our name was the one being chanted we had to stand up and make a toast. Having to stand up in front of 25 natives and speak Spanish is quite intimidating but I survived with only a few errors. We all talked and laughed at the restaurant until 1 am and then the teachers decided it was time to go dancing. So we all made our way out to various bars and clubs, dancing into the early morning.

Teaching is still going wonderfully and I am always so happy to be at school! This past week one of the teachers, Alberto, has began staying after school on Tuesdays to help me with my Spanish. One aspect I need the most work on is pronunciation and the accent. Here in Spain they speak Castellano which is a bit different from what we hear from Mexican and South American speakers. For example, they pronounce their c´s and z´s as th. So Barcelona is pronounced Barthelona. Or cerveca is pronounced thervetha. In addition they pronounce their j´s and g´s using their throat (think of German speakers). I personally have the most trouble with the 'jota' sound and feel like I am coughing something up everytime I try to say jamón or Sergio. I feel bad for any of my students with a j or g in their name because I never call on them.
Last week a group of 3rd grade girls came up to me in class and said 'Jaime, do this...' then they began making the throaty jota sound. Alberto had told the 3rd graders that English speakers, like Jaime, have a hard time pronouncing the jota. So now their favorite thing to do is try to teach me how to do it.

The way I described their accents and pronunciation made it seem that their language is ugly, but it is really very pretty. I actually prefer it to Mexican and South American Spanish. It only begins to sound butchered when an English speaker, like me, is trying to learn it. Hopefully in time I will get it down. :) Here is a short interview of Alejandro Sanz, a singer from Madrid. You can hear him speak Castellano. I personally could listen to him speak alllll day long! Hope you enjoy!


This week I have off of work due to the country's Constitution Day and some other holiday that I am not sure about. Maggie, Justin and I are taking advantage of all the free time and heading to Belgium on Wednesday! We will be spending 2 nights in Brugge and a day in Brussels. Belgium is the chocolate capital of the world, and for those of you who know how much I love chocolate know that this could be a bad combination. I may come back 15 pounds heavier! Hope everyone back home in the U.S. are doing great and getting into the Christmas spirit! Wishing I could be there with you all!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

In just a weeks time I went from being single to having two husbands! My second graders have a new found love for me and are constantly screaming "Te quiero, Jaime!!!" It all started this past week when I had to take them out of the class in groups to practice English. I was asking them various questions and then came up to "What is your favorite animal?" They were all going around with the different animals when José screamed "My favorite animal is Jaime!!!" The kids thought this was so great and couldn't stop laughing, which in turn made laugh too. The next day him and Noé showed me pictures that they had each drawn of me marrying the two of them. It was titled at the top with "José (or Noé) ♥ Yeimi".

This past Friday the school also celebrated Chestnut Day. It's not an actual holiday, just a tradition the school has. For the last part of the day the mothers came to school dressed in what they call 18th century period clothing, but in my opinion they looked like a bunch of gypsies who escaped from Granada. They roasted chestnuts out on the playground and the kids came out and sang songs in return for the chestnuts. It was cute to see the kids get so excited over the chestnuts. Then once school was let out, the teachers went to the local cafetería and had a few drinks to welcome the weekend.

Maggie went to Paris this weekend to meet up with her uncles, and she was missed dearly! The weather has been a bit dreary and cold these past few days but we were still able to get a little stroll in today while admiring the beauty of the city.


I hope everyone has safe travels this week and enjoys Thanksgiving! Be sure to have extra turkey and mashed potatoes for me! :)

Sunday, November 13, 2011

El mundo es un pañuelo

This past week has been full of success and fun! First, I got more tutoring jobs. During my breaks at school I will be teaching English to one of the pre-school teacher´s husband. And on Mondays and Wednesdays I will be tutoring a 9 year old boy and a 7 year old girl in the evenings.
And it looks like my Spanish will be making progress at a quicker pace very soon!! One of the teachers at my school has volunteered to stay after school once a week to help me with Spanish.

On Friday night I finally got to meet up with my friend, Eric from college! He is also from Sacramento but we met in the dorms freshman year of college. Then senior year of college, he ended up living across the street from us in Pacific Beach. And now we are in the same city in Spain! So crazy! (the title of this entry literally translates to "The world is a tissue." But here in Spain it has the same meaning as "It´s a small world") He has been here for a few months interning at a company and we hadn´t been able to meet up. It was nice to see a little piece of home in Madrid. Maggie, Justin and I met up at his apartment with his roommates. It was quite an international group. There were people from America, Australia, Sweden, Iceland and France! We all went to a club to see a DJ from Belgium perform. There was a huge line outside the club and a 12€ cover to get in. But the next thing I know, we are all inside the club without paying and we even received free drink coupons. Apparently the Australian guy went to the bouncer and told him that we were all from an Australian magazine and we wanted to write an article on the place. And the story worked! haha


On Saturday we met up with our friend Justin (he is also from San Diego! We were at a café one morning and he heard us speaking English so he came up to as and asked where we were from. Turns out the world is smaller than we think and we have probably crossed paths before in San Diego. We have all been good friends since then!) and one of our Spanish friends. He took us to one of his friend´s rugby matches. Although he tried to explain to me what was going on, I am still clueless to it all. But, that pretty much explains my life in Spain-constantly confused. Luckily, the Spanish people I have met have been very patient.




Last week I mentioned that one of the waiters at our local bar approached us about practicing eachothers languages with one another. It started off a bit intimidating. He had called me earlier this week and for those of you who have tried learning another language, I am sure you know that speaking on the phone is one of the hardest things to do. There is no context or nonverbals to go off of. Then combine that with someone who speaks lightning fast and you are set up for disaster. Needless to say, everytime I saw him calling I about had a panic attack and had to always text him after to debrief the conversation. But tonight Maggie and I met with him and it went really well. We ended up talking with him for over 3 hours! Luckily he is very nice and jovial which made speaking to him easier. But he speaks close to no English, therefore Maggie and I are really forced to use our Spanish. So hopefully he will help Maggie and I get closer to fluency!

I will leave you all with a song that I hear everytime I am out in Madrid. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Monday, November 7, 2011

Blame it on Portugese....

Today marks exactly 7 weeks since I left California and embarked on my new adventure in Madrid! I can´t believe how much time has passed but I am still enjoying Madrid more than I could have ever imagined.

School is still going really well. The kids at the school keep me smiling and laughing everyday. Everytime I enter a classroom I am flooded with love. The other day I had about eight first grade girls lined up to give me hugs before class. One little girl would not let go so I asked her¨"How are you?" and she replied "My name is Rocio." I repeated the question slower and she answered slower "My...name...is...Rocio." Looks like I have some work cut out for me! ha

One of my favorite classes is the third grade. They are all so sweet and obedient. Going to this class is so enjoyable! The kids were all sharing their experiences from Halloween and telling the teacher about the haunted house we put on at the school. The teacher asked little Andrea who was in the haunted house and she excitedly answered "Bitch was in the haunted house!!!" What she meant was Mitch, the other language assistant. But me being the mature person I am burst out laughing. Poor Andrea has no idea why and I obviously couldn´t explain.

This past weekend we went on a walking tour of the city. We figured that it would be good to know some history of the city before any visitors come! It was a great tour telling us about all the different monuments that we walk by everyday but never knew the history behind them. It is so crazy being in Europe and thinking about how much has happened here. There is a story to be told about almost everywhere in this city!

We also took part in more of the Madrid nightlife this past weekend. It is always lots of fun but is something that will take some adapting to. In America I would consider getting home at 3:00am a late night, but here that is when the night is just beginning! The Spaniards that we have been hanging out with think that we are crazy for going home at 6:00am! All of the Spaniards we have been meeting have all been so wonderful and nice. They continue to invite us into their homes and make an effort to ensure we feel welcomed. While we were at one of their homes this weekend a song came on and they all began singing along and stood up to do some type of dance. Well, Maggie and I instantly fell in love with the song so I thought I should share it with all of you overseas! Maybe it will become popular in America! Also, as a heads up it´s in Portugese. At first Maggie, Justin and I panicked because we had no idea what the singer was saying but soon were relieved when we found out it was not in Spanish.



On that note, we are speaking more and more Spanish. On Saturday morning Maggie and I went to a local bar across from our apartment to get a café. One of the waiters came up to us and asked us if we knew of anyone who could help him with English in return for Spanish. I answered that we could! He then proceeded to ramble something in very fast Spanish which resulted in Maggie and I looking like a deer in the headlights. Maggie swears that he had to be speaking Portugese haha. Luckily, we got things all figured out and we now have a new person to practice Spanish with!

Maggie, Justin and I also booked tickets to Belgium for the first week of December. We will be visiting Brussels and Bruge. We are very excited and look forward to visiting their big Christmas Market!

Hope that everyone at home is doing wonderfully! Miss you all tons!!!

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Halloween in Spain

This past week has been full of festivities! First the week started off with going to a Real Madrid basketball game. Maggie's school gave her tickets to the game and luckily they had extras for Justin and I. It kind of felt like a little taste of America- even the half time show felt like America, with a Thriller dance put on by the cheerleaders. They played against a team from Milan and ended up winning! It was a lot of fun! Next, we need to go to a Real Madrid futbol game... And then Cristiano Ronaldo can propose to me.


As you all know, this week is also Halloween. This holiday isn't really celebrated in Spain but since I work at a bilingual school the English assistants were responsible for putting on Halloween. We had the classes take turns doing a craft of making trick or treat bags, going into a haunted house that we made and then dancing to halloween songs.Then we went around to each class and let them get a taste of trick-or-treating. We would just go to a classroom and they would have to line up and say trick or treat to get candies or stickers. They were like little ducks the way they all flocked to me waiting for goodies! At the end of the day we had a Halloween parade on the black top and we awarded one person from each class for the best costume. Which kind of backfired because the 1st grade girls kept coming up to me and asking why they didn't win. For the rest of the afternoon they played music and we just danced and played with them. The cha-cha song came on so I decided to dance along to what it says (slide to the left, slide to the right, hop 3 times, etc...) Next thing I know, several of the girls are lined up next to me dancing along with me. They were all so impressed that I knew the dance but I never told them that the lyrics told you what to do haha.


Here is a picture of the haunted house with two of my amazing co-workers! (Also English Language Assistants) Unfortunately, I can't post pictures of my students but you can just trust me that they are adorable! :)

Later that evening, we went to a Halloween party at the Vice Principal's house. Our principal and some other teachers were there. They taught us some Spanish drinking games and then we taught them some American ones! It was a fun night and I keep feeling more and more fortunate to be working at such a great school!

I hope that everyone is having a great Halloween weekend!! I love seeing everyones pictures of dressing up and I wish I could celebrate with you all!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Picture Update! :)

Our Apartment:





I will have to get used to this:

Retiro Park:




Roommates at Plaza Mayor:

The City:




Friday, October 21, 2011

Fall has fallen!

The weather is finally cooling down and it's starting to feel like fall in Madrid! I'm really looking forward to the season change but I think that this will be the coldest winter I've experienced!

Life in Madrid continues to be wonderful! The people are so hospitable and great. My co-workers have taken me in and make me feel right at home. Even when they are speaking Spanish lightening fast at lunch, they still take a moment to keep me in the loop.
A teacher at Maggie's school was so sweet to write out a list of places for me to go to for gluten free food. She even called one of the bakeries and told them to expect an American girl coming in. Spaniards do not walk the streets with big grins on their faces and making small talk with strangers, like Americans. But once you are let into a Spaniard's circle of friends, they treat you like family and you see that they are some of the most caring and sincere people you will ever meet.

After a month of being in Spain, life is getting easier and more comfortable. But one thing I am still struggling with is communication. Since I speak English all day at work, I really have to make an effort after school to practice my Spanish. So unfortunately, my Spanish is weaker than I would like at the moment but with time hopefully it will get better - poco a poco, as the Spaniards say. (little by little) Not only is it hard to speak Spanish but also English. According to the teachers, my English is very difficult to understand due to my accent. Who knew I had an accent?! haha So I need to work on speaking slower and not using certain phrases. Some phrases that we use all the time are very difficult for foreigners, for example:

"How are you doing?" -- the verb doing seems to throw them off and makes them answer as if the question is "What are you doing?"

"How come?" -- they often get confused and think that the question is how we are coming

It's interesting to see things from a different perspective, especially things that have always come so natural to me such as the English language.

The kids at school are still keeping me entertained- there is never a dull moment! But I must say, I have never seen so much nose picking in one day- it's like a sport for them!
I spend most of my time with the 3rd grade class and they are starting to catch on to me knowing Spanish. THey have begun testing me to see if I answer their questions that they ask in Spanish. So looks like I will have to be more careful and play dumb! On the other hand, one of the 2nd grade boys today thought it was imporant to try and teach me some Spanish.
Since we are in Europe, the English that these kids are learning is British English. So there have been some differences in grammar and vocabulary such as rubbish for garbage. But my favorite vocab change is that they call erasers, rubbers. So in 1st grade today we had to sing a song that said "We have 3 rubbers so we are ready for school!" And I will never get used to hearing a child ask for a rubber...

Today after school, two of my co-workers, my roommates and I went to my school's neighboring town, Alcalá de Henares. It is a cute, little town that is exactly what you would think of when you think of Spain. It is also the birth place of Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote so there were lots of monuments dedicated to him. It was nice to walk around, enjoy some drinks and tapas and to soak up the relaxed Spanish atmosphere that can sometimes be lost in a bigger city.

Well, I'm off to start my weekend! Until next time...

Monday, October 17, 2011

A week of immersion

This past week Maggie, Justin and I have tried immersing ourselves in the culture as much as we could.

Last Wednesday was a holiday, Día del Virgen Pilar, so we had the day off from school. That morning there was a huge parade through the city. It consisted of soldiers, army tanks, fighter planes and men parachuting with the Spanish flag. The parade came to a close with the King driving through and waving to everyone. THe best part experiencing a tradition of the Spanish culture and seeing the immense amount of partiotism the citizens had as they walked around with Spanish flags draped over their backs.

Last Thursday I had my first side job. The 3rd grade teacher, Miriam, who I work with a lot asked me to work with her son. Angél Luis is only 2 years old so all I do is play with him and speak to him in English. He is so cute and it amazes me that at only 2 years old he is already spouting out Spanish AND English words!

On Saturday, I went out to see one od my co-worker´s band perform at a bar in the neighborhood, Malasaña. It was really fun to be involved in the Spanish atmosphere and to listen to live Spanish music. They were really good! After the performance we all went out to other bars and ended the night at a salsa bar. It was so fun and I am now determined to learn how to salsa!

I am still really enjoying being in Spain and I am so happy! One of the teachers even told me that she can tell that I am very happy to be here. But there isn´t a day that goes by where something makes me think of of my friends and family. Miss you all so much!!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Back to school!

I´ve completed my first week of teaching and could not have asked for a better situation! I absolutely love the students and teachers at my school-they have all made me feel so welcome! I have been assigned to teach English and Science to grades 1-6. And I actually get to prepare my own lessons, not just assist!

The first day of school I walked into the classroom and all the children just stared at me and then started asking ´Quien eres?!´ (who are you!?)
I then felt a tapping on the back of my leg and I look down to see a little 6 year old boy with big eyes looking up at me ánd ask who I was. And before I knew it there were several first graders swarming me like a bunch of excited little puppies.
The kids then had the chance to ask me questions and I got a lot of ´What is your favorite food/color?´, ´Do you have a boyfriend?´, but my favorite was ´Do you have any babies?´I can tell already that these kids will keep me very entertained.
The way that the school is having us teach English is by having us speak only English with them, regardless of their level. The kids were told that we don´t know any Spanish. Often times the kids will speak to me in Spanish but I will answer them in English. It´s like magic because they never catch on that I understood their Spanish.
The kids that I work with are sooo cute and affectionate. They will just come up to me in class and hug on me or hold my hand when walking from one class to another.

In addition to working with the students, I have been assigned to work with the teachers once a week. But we get to conduct these classes at the local bar because they said their English is much better after a few drinks. Sounds like a good deal to me! The teachers I work with are great also! They have gone out of their way to make me feel included and I have already gone out with them after school. It´s nice to get to know native Madrileños who can help you out.

Maggie and I have begun doing intercambios (intercambios are a language exchange where we meet with a native and for the first half of the meeting speak in English then switch to speaking in Spanish). Our Spanish is very weak and rusty right now but hopefully with practice we will be speaking great real soon! But it has been nice to have someone correct our Spanish and show us around the city.

I feel so content to be in Madrid. It is such a beautiful city, full of life and culture. I look forward to what the future holds!

(Pictures coming soon-- still waiting for internet)

Monday, October 3, 2011

I made it!

I am in Madrid and finally almost settled in completely! These past two weeks have been great but definitely not easy.

Once Maggie, Justin and I reunited in the Madrid airport, we set off to our hostel which is what we called home for our first few days. Due to teh large amound of baggage and small room, we were forced to push our beds together to even be able to fit. Needless to say, we kept our time in the hostel limited.

The next day we started our apartment search. Appointment after appointment with the idea of soon being homeless looming over our heads, we finally found our dream piso. We are now happy residents in the Goya neighborhood of Madrid. The area is cute and trendy, with only a short walk to the wonderful Parque del Buen Retiro.

Once we found a home, it then became time to think about work. So last Friday Maggie and I ventured out to my future school. When I got to the school´s secretary she gave me a puzzled look as she called me Jimmy and told me how difficult my name is. She then had Maggie and I sit in a room for 20 minutes, occasionally peeking back in looking more confused each time. Finally, a man came in and spoke to us which is when we realized that we were at the wrong school!
After two hours of searching for my school, accidentally walking along a freeway and having people exclaim ´joder!´ (the Spanish equivalence to the F word) when we told them where we had to wealk to, we finally gave in and flagged down a taxi.
The principal of my school, Consuelo, is wonderful! She showed me around the school and introduced me to the staff. Many of the teachers donñt know any English, so hopefully my Spanish will improve! Once our meeting was over, Consuelo had someone excort us to the bus station so we wouldn´t get lost again :)

Living abroad had been glamourized in my head before I got here- but it is a lot of hard work! it is difficult trying to negotiate in another language, find your way around in a huge foreign city and acclamate to a culture different from your own. But at the same time, those little frustrations are what keep life exciting, makes for good stories and turns you into a stronger person. Plus, it is all worth is to be in Spain!

I apologize to everyone at home who I have been unable to keep in good contact with. Our apartment is still without internet and as our landlord told us, ´Spain doesn´t move fast´.´So hopefully I will be able to catch up with you all very soon!

Miss you all more than you even know! Hasta luego!

Friday, September 16, 2011

Dorothy had it right ...

The summer has dwindled away and I cannot believe that it is only 3 days until the big move! I have had such a wonderful summer and I could not have thought of a better way to spend my last months in America! From Modern Family marathons with Kayla; quality time with the family; watching creepy baby videos with Alex at Republic; to adventures in Tahoe with Erin, Christina and Kelsey; Granada reunions in Boston; and of course days packed full of fun with my favorites in San Diego. I feel so fortunate to have so many beautiful, fun and genuine people in my life!!! I will truly miss you all more than you know! But, I know that once we are all reunited again it will be like we were never apart.
... there's no place like home.


Monday, August 29, 2011

3 weeks!

Exactly 3 weeks from today I will start my new life in the beautiful Madrid, Spain. For the next 9 months I will be teaching English to children between the ages of 4 and 12. I'm sure that these kids will provide me with plenty of entertaining stories to share! :)
I am so excited to embark on this new adventure but also hesitant to leave my amazing family and friends. Luckily, I won't be alone these upcoming months! I will be living with two of my great friends, Maggie and Justin. The three of us met while studying abroad in Granada, Spain and knew that we had to get back as soon as we could! So, only 21 days until we do just that...