The Run Down:
-This is my first blog.
- I will be an assisting English teacher for 1st graders .

- The process to get my visa was much more complicated than I expected.

-I found a family to live with in Madrid before I move to Ourense.

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            And so it begins… Welcome to my blog!  Who wants to make a bet on how long I can actually keep this up?... There are a few reasons I decided to write a blog. One, it’s a good way for me to organize my pictures. Two, I was going to have to write emails home to Mom anyway. And three, it can capture that “young, wild, and free” stage of my life that I may never have again (according to nearly everyone that actually has a full time job). Finally, it provides a way for my family and friends to know what I'm doing on the otherside of the world.That being said, as much as I WANT to like reading, I don't. Because of this, I will provide a "run down" at the beginning of each blog incase you are intersted in my life but not enough to spend half a day reading about it. But, for those of you who sit around all day waiting on the edge of your seat to hear about what I'm doing in immense detail (mom), the extended version as been provided below.

 

            Beings my first blog, I really don’t know what my expectations are. Mostly, I want tot record my experience here in Spain. Afterwards, I am not sure. Maybe I will continue it with a different subject. Maybe I will realize I have no free time when I become a responsible adult, who knows.  Let’s take it one thing at a time.

             As many of you know, I have been accepted to teach English in an elementary school here in Spain. The Spanish government pays for the program to have native English speakers assist the English teachers for 12 hours a week. The pay is very reasonable considering 25% of the population is unemployed here. Many of the students participating in the program teach private English lessons on the side to make extra spending money. As is the Spanish culture, I have not been filled in much more than that. After being sent an acceptance email, I was given less-than-helpful information on obtaining my visa and the contact information for the teacher that I will be working with in my school (who hasn’t been dishing out a lot of info  either).

             I found out that I was accepted when I was traveling in New Zealand. Within five minutes I had logged on to my online account and accepted the offer. That’s when reality began to set it…”shit, I don’t speak Spanish!” Of course, I had said  I was “intermediate” on my application… I am “beginner” at best. I quickly downloaded some apps on my iPhone (which were actually quite helpful, and I will post a blog about helpful apps for learning Spanish a little later).

              I bought my flight to Spain and when I returned from New Zealand I began my visa application process. Which turned out to be more of a headache than expected. When I opened up the first page to the not-so-helpful info packet, the first thing I read was “DO NOT BUY YOUR TICKET UNTIL YOU HAVE RECEIVED YOUR VISA”…whoops. There were many documents needed (finger prints,  FBI background check, doctors notes, etc.) and more notarizations needed than I even knew existed.  I ran around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to get everything processed as quick as possible. After getting everything I needed I had to drive to Chicago last minute to apply for my application in person. I asked how long it would take (as my flight was already booked for September 6th). The man told me “you should give it one month”…that was on August 6th! I was terrified. In the visa process you have to give them your passport so they can put the visa in it. If I did not get my passport in time I would have to cancel my trip and pay a bunch for another ticket. Luckily it came sooner than expected and everything work out in the end.

            (In the meantime,)With my Spanish at the level that it is, I thought it would be best to find someone in Spain who could help me for my first few weeks there. I registered on a website that is designed to give food and accommodation to travelers in exchange for anything from farm work to teaching English. I found a family that was looking for the latter. The mother had studied in London and could speak English fairly well, but the family was wanting their two daughters to be exposed to more English by a native speaker. In exchange, the family would pick me up from the airport, help me with getting a phone and exploring Madrid, feed me, house me, and take me to the station when I moved to Ourense (the city I will be living in while I teach).  I was, of course, a little nervous, as I couldn’t be completely sure these people were who they said they were, what kind of place I ‘d be living in, would I be safe, etc. But, it worked out so much better than I could have ever imagined! I will fill you in more in my next blog when I describe my first week in Spain. Chao for now!