Hoping, Waiting, Wishing

i just spoke with my contact for the working abroad/ teaching english in Spain program. they have received all my information, everything is in order, and the branch in Spain is on the hunt for my new family. i have my ticket, my plans, but so far no family. i'm still not worried...just going a little crazy. i need all the prayers i can get, for my sanity if nothing else :)

My Family

i have to thank my family. without them my trip to spain would be impossible. for about a year my parents helped me with rent, tuition, my car payment, and whatever else i needed.

my sisters all have supported me by always helping when i needed it. One let me use her frequent flyer miles so that my ticket was less than half what it would be otherwise. one has dropped my rent payment so i can save more money. they have given me gifts that will ease my preparations, and my stay in spain. they have been as excited as i am about my trip. they have given me constant encouragement.

i love you mom, dad, olivia, candida, camilla, sylvia, ivan, odessa, nina, adam, chad, and jake! thank you so much for being what i needed when i needed you!

no matter where i go in the world my family will always be my anchor.

My Inspiration

even though i've had the desire to visit europe for years now, it was really just over a year ago that the desire became an obsession. i could not stop thinking about spain. i tried a few different approaches...friends of friends, family of friends, i looked into study abroad. nothing was working out. after a month i just gave up. it seemed to difficult and to expensive to worry about.

i have a favorite professor; she has been my world civ, greek history, and scientific thought professor. i love her. the best way to describe her is that i am her reincarnated. i am utterly confused at having been born again when i have yet to die. strange. one day during greek class, she went on a spill about how in europe juniors in college take a year off and travel. they do not darken the doorways of their campuses. she said if we think we are too poor now, it is even more expensive when you are not a student. students get fat discounts all over the place.

i knew it was time. when i told her how i longed to go to spain she said "ew. i hate the iberian peninsula" that was awesome. now that i am seriously going she has offered priceless advice and plans to spend time with me while we are both in london. her love of europe, travel, and just experiencing has inspired me to live my dreams.

the time is now to live the life i want.

Why Spain?

since highschool i have wanted to be the foreigner. now ten years later i am going Spain. for at least three months i will be working and living in Madrid, Spain. i am teaching in english through an exchange program called interexchange. i will be teaching english for twenty hours a week in exchange for my room and board. weekends will be mine to explore!

why Spain? i really do not know. but if i was forced to give a reason, i would say i chose Spain because of my desire to speak spanish and travel to Europe all in one trip. i did not want to go to Spain in a study abroad program. true, i could get college credit but i would not get the real experience. i refuse to be surrounded by american students doing all that tourist blah blah. i still needed a secure environment though. i do not speak spanish yet; there was no way i was going to drop in and say "howdy y'all!" i searched for a program that would provide a safe, secure environment and still be able to learn spanish and meet people.

everyday that passes the more excited i become!