I Almost Quit Teaching This Day – Until This Happened

I was ready to walk out of the classroom, throw in the towel, and buy a plane ticket out of Colombia.

Picture this: Villavicencio, Colombia. 85 degrees, 100% humidity, and a classroom with no windows that’s the size of a closet.

While I don’t have photos of said classroom, I do have photos of Villavicencio as a reference.

Continue reading “I Almost Quit Teaching This Day – Until This Happened”

6 Years Ago, I Moved to Spain. You Won’t Believe What’s Happened. [Part 9/9 – Year 6 and Onward: There’s No Going Back Now]

[Click here to read Part 1Part 2Part 3Part 4Part 5Part 6, Part 7, and Part 8]

On August 16th, I returned to my beloved Spain after two weeks of being in my birth country. As soon as the airport-city shuttle bus spun into motion, I felt like I’d jumped into the arms of a long-lost lover.

I was home.

Continue reading “6 Years Ago, I Moved to Spain. You Won’t Believe What’s Happened. [Part 9/9 – Year 6 and Onward: There’s No Going Back Now]”

6 Years Ago, I Moved to Spain. You Won’t Believe What’s Happened. [Part 8/9 – Return to Michigan]

[Click here to read Part 1Part 2Part 3Part 4Part 5, Part 6, and Part 7]

A plethora of American accents buzzed through my ears while I was still in the Barcelona airport. I guess that’s what happens when you fly on American Airlines.

I came back to the United States after being awake for nearly 24 hours.

I saw my mom for the first time in two years. I saw my brothers for the first time in five years. I met my nephews for the first time, one of which was my godson. I wondered what they’d thought of me—this aunt they had heard about and seen in photos, who didn’t live in America, was finally in front of them.

Continue reading “6 Years Ago, I Moved to Spain. You Won’t Believe What’s Happened. [Part 8/9 – Return to Michigan]”

6 Years Ago, I Moved to Spain. You Won’t Believe What’s Happened. [Part 6/9 – Year Four: Sink or Swim]

[Click here to read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5]

Since I renewed my teaching assignment at my school, I didn’t have to reintroduce myself. My teaching environment would be the same since I arrived in Spain three years before.

And this time, I wasn’t alone.

My school received another language assistant from Australia. It was her fourth year in Spain, like me, and also her second year in Gran Canaria, like me.

Continue reading “6 Years Ago, I Moved to Spain. You Won’t Believe What’s Happened. [Part 6/9 – Year Four: Sink or Swim]”