Category: Spain

After the first month, I stopped doing a weekly day-by-day post. In part because I got busier once school started, and in part because things became a bit less blog-worthy. There was less "firsts" and more getting acclimated to a new place and new way of life. Now that it's the beginning of December, I… Continue reading Reflections on the First Two Months

I've been having a lot of mental health ups and downs and really struggling. Getting through it has felt quite impossible and each day is more of a struggle than the last. Yesterday, this cup of coffee was the only thing that sparked some joy. It was one of those low days, a lower than… Continue reading Gratitude

Today, I attempted to go to Vigo, which is a nearby city about 40 minutes by bus. I had not attempted this venture yet mostly because of anxiety around public transit and a new city, and then new COVID restrictions essentially squashed a reason for me to go there anyways. I had planned on taking… Continue reading Trip to Vigo

I wanted to go back and review what I went through and some tips for the visa process to get me to Spain. While this happened over the summer, it's still pretty fresh in my mind. With my city currently in a shut-down, I had plenty of time to go back through all my materials… Continue reading The Visa Process

Today, I moved from my Air BNB in Poio across the bridge and into downtown Pontevedra city. This is a month-to-month rental, but I'll likely be staying here until the end of my auxiliar term. My Air BNB roommate, Ben, drove me this morning to my new apartment, which is in a large building on… Continue reading Moving Weekend

Now that I've been settled into my school for three weeks, I've have had opportunities for observation, conversation, and reading written policies around COVID-19 and its implications for school. Here are 23 that I selected to highlight. This should not be taken as any type of formal guidance for education centers. For accurate and up-to-date… Continue reading TEFL Meets COVID-19: 23 Changes in My School

Monday, October 5 On Monday, I spent a lot of time talking with my school coordinator about necessary next steps. There's a lot of confusion on both sides, primarily due to limited communication from the Xunta. This is my first-year as an aux, and this is the first time they've hosted an aux. It seemed… Continue reading Spain: Week 2 Recap

Thursday, September 24 My first full day in Spain and recovering from an exhausting time getting the 3000 miles over here, I slept until around 5 PM. So much for adjusting to the new schedule as soon as possible. I certainly needed the sleep. Waking up and looking out the window during the day time,… Continue reading Spain: Week 1 Recap

Tuesday, September 22, 2020, is the day! After months of preparation, a lengthy visa process, moving and packing, and spending time with family and friends, it was time to go to Spain. This was one of the rare times that I had a late flight, so I slept until late morning and then worked on… Continue reading From Maine to Spain