How to Teach when You’re Not a Teacher

Teaching English abroad? Let me guess – you’ve never taught a classroom full of rambunctious teenagers before. Scared yet? Don’t be! When I began my assignment as a Language and Culture Assistant in Córdoba, Spain, I had virtually no teaching experience. The first few months were tough, but with some patience, humor, and the endless online…

That Damn Rusty Lock: A Story of Personal Growth

This is the door that leads to the rooftop of my old apartment building. See that rusty lock there? It was the bane of my existence. It’s safe to say that I was incapable of opening this door. No matter how many times I tried, I couldn’t get it. I would yell, kick the door, and…

A Letter to my School upon my Departure

Dear IES Profesor Tierno Galván, My departure has gotten me all emotional and reflective and I thought it was appropriate for me to write you a letter. So here goes. There are a million things that I could say about this school, but the one that seems the most important is: thank you. Thank you…

How to Live in Spain…and only work 12 hours a week.

Maybe you’ve been reading my blog and thinking, huh, that looks like fun. Well I’m here to tell you: You could do it too! I am currently living and working in Spain thanks to the Language and Culture Assistants Program, also known as Auxiliares de Conversación norteamericanos. This is a program sponsored by the Ministry of…

¿Truco o trato?

If there’s one thing us Americans know how to do, it’s Halloween. This holiday (yes, we can definitely call it that) has always been a big tradition in my family. As for me, I was that girl who continued to trick or treat until she was a senior in high school. We got quite a…

Clouds on the Ground

Let’s just get one thing straight—my job is not what I’d call easy. While it’s not all olé olé caracoles, let us all cut out paper dolls holding hands and paint American flags while singing authentic folk songs; it’s not exactly brain surgery either, but it is most definitely not simple. Now, before you roll…