Before I decided to participate in the Auxiliares de Conversación Program, I was so curious to see how people lived in Spain. Everyone wants to know how big, dramatic life changes affect the way in which you live. I’m no different! Before heading to Spain, I devoured different blogs from people who participated in the […]
Spain
Liebster Award
I am so happy (and surprised – in the best way) to have been nominated for a Liebster Award from one of my fellow bloggers! Hilary at Oregonian Overseas, a fellow auxiliar here in Madrid, nominated me for the award that is given to bloggers by fellow bloggers to recognize their work. Thank you, Hilary! […]
Madrid, Spain: My First Impressions
I officially began my 10 month journey in Spain about six seeks ago. If you don’t already know, I’m teaching English in Spain through the Auxiliares de Conversación Program. I’ll be stationed in the city of Madrid until June 30th (or longer if I decide to renew my teaching contract for another year or so). […]
Applying for your TIE in Madrid
Congratulations! You made it to Spain! You have successfully applied to the Auxiliares de Conversación program. You’ve overcome the hurdle of applying for your visa! You booked a plane ride over the Atlantic and into the land of tapas, vino, flamenco, and bullfighting! ¡Olé! You may be asking yourself, “What comes next?” You should probably begin […]
Preparing for Spain: What to Do Before You Leave
So you think you’re ready for Spain, do ya? Well good, I hope you are! Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind before you decide to hop the Atlantic and head overseas. Make sure you’ve saved enough money! This program has a bit of notoriety regarding payment issues. Some regions have reported not getting […]
My Visa Application Nightmare: aka How I Came to Understand Murphy’s Law
When I initially wrote the post about Applying for Your Visa, I thought everything would be sunshine and roses. All the people who complain about what a pain it is just don’t do their research, I thought. That, for the most part, is true. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen the […]
Quitting My Job to Travel
I don’t get it… You love your job, why would you quit?” – Everyone I understand why I’ve been asked this question countless times. I’m one of the lucky ones. I went to college and graduated debt-free. I had an internship that I loved and it rolled into a career that I loved. Make no […]
2 Months to Go: Self Doubt & Second Thoughts
It’s July. My departure to Spain is just two months away. Two short months. And yet, I haven’t begun preparing much of anything. I don’t have my visa (late carta de nombramiento from Madrid). I don’t have my plane ticket. I haven’t mentioned anything to my work about leaving… I’ve only told a select few people […]
Auxiliares de Conversación: FAQs
I debated titling this post: “Auxiliares: Why Patience is a Virtue” but ultimately, it will be a source where I attempt to answer the most frequently asked questions about the program. Why is patience a virtue, you might ask? Well then, you clearly haven’t applied to the program! There is a lot of waiting, waiting, […]
The Auxiliares Timeline
If you’re anything like me, you’re wondering about when you can start expecting things. I’ve never been the most patient person in the world (haha) so I’m here to help calm your nerves! I am always wondering if I have done things correctly… Am I alone waiting in the dark? Have other people begun getting […]