Greetings from cold, rainy Spain. Sadly, the weather here is terrible. It's rained non-stop since last week and the temperatures have plummeted. I've always been a firm believer in layering clothes, so thankfully I had a few cardigans and a jacket in my suitcase. Today was the first day in awhile that the sun was out for the majority of the day and it was warmer compared to this past week. Fingers crossed it stays this way!
I have been busy with work and social things. Work is finally starting to pick up. On Wednesday I will be working from our new offices in the center of town. Looking forward to being in an actual work environment. On Saturday I had a First Communion to attend. It was of a former student and I am close to his family. I felt honored to have been invited, as only close friends and family members were there. I'd hate to think how many pounds I gained in one day. We had a huge meal at a restaurant; full of spanish meats and cheeses and other appetizers, followed by a delicious meal of sirloin, roasted peppers, and potatoes, not to mention dessert and drinks. If that wasn't enough, after the restaurant we all went back to the parents house and sat around and had MORE drinks and MORE food, plus ice cream! I had to roll myself right out of the house! I also ate some baby snails. Last year in Paris I had escargot for the first time, so this year I took it a step further and ate them straight. Sucked it right out of the shell. I must admit, it was tasty! As with all Spanish celebrations, the "party" lasted 12 hours. I left my house at 11:30 and didn't get dropped off until midnight! It was great to see familiar faces again and to also meet new people.
I am also taking a Spanish class this summer. A friend has opened up her own language academy, so she is offering several different levels of classes that focus on grammar. I am taking advanced level classes, hoping it will expand my knowledge of the language even further. It is great practice and I am learning many new vocabulary words and phrases as well! I think I have finally found a family to give English lessons to. I'm still looking for more as well! I have things I want to buy :) and also need to save up for when Dietrich comes to visit in July. I can't have the poor boy pay for everything!!!!
Hasta luego!
Monday, May 20, 2013
Thursday, May 16, 2013
I'm baaaaacccccckkkkkkk!!!!
The title of today's blog can refer to one of two things. The first being that after a long hiatus, I am back to blogging. But the reason I'm back to blogging is because I'm BACK IN SPAIN!!!! I arrived a week ago, and am here through the end of July. I'm interning with the American Club of Madrid and also spending my free time by taking Spanish classes and hanging out with my friends. I'm in heaven. Of course, I miss my family and the best boyfriend in the world, but am so thankful to have such supportive people around me.
On one hand, it feels as though I never left Madrid. I am back with my friends, partaking in regular activities such as Friday lunches (although, we can no longer go to the Italian restaurant we went to on a weekly basis, because it, along with hundreds of other businesses in Spain, closed due to the recession and crisis), spending Sundays in the park taking in the sun, and going to the San Isidro (the patron saint of Madrid) festival in La Pradera. On the other hand, I can tell that a year has gone by. The first day or two, my Spanish was a little rusty, my students have grown tremendously, and many local stores and restaurants that I frequented have closed. Kind of the same observations I made anytime I returned to Louisville over the past three years.
I returned to a warm welcome (referring to both the weather and my reception) here, but the weather has changed drastically. It has been cold and rainy and I am finding myself running out of warm things to wear. Funny, this is the same type of weather I experienced the first time I came to Madrid in 2008. It was the middle of May and everyone kept commenting on how cold it was. Same city, same story, different year.
I hope I can do a much better job of keeping up with my blog over the summer. It's always nice to share my experiences with others. And this is a nice way for me to keep track of my own experiences. More to come!
Sarah
On one hand, it feels as though I never left Madrid. I am back with my friends, partaking in regular activities such as Friday lunches (although, we can no longer go to the Italian restaurant we went to on a weekly basis, because it, along with hundreds of other businesses in Spain, closed due to the recession and crisis), spending Sundays in the park taking in the sun, and going to the San Isidro (the patron saint of Madrid) festival in La Pradera. On the other hand, I can tell that a year has gone by. The first day or two, my Spanish was a little rusty, my students have grown tremendously, and many local stores and restaurants that I frequented have closed. Kind of the same observations I made anytime I returned to Louisville over the past three years.
I returned to a warm welcome (referring to both the weather and my reception) here, but the weather has changed drastically. It has been cold and rainy and I am finding myself running out of warm things to wear. Funny, this is the same type of weather I experienced the first time I came to Madrid in 2008. It was the middle of May and everyone kept commenting on how cold it was. Same city, same story, different year.
I hope I can do a much better job of keeping up with my blog over the summer. It's always nice to share my experiences with others. And this is a nice way for me to keep track of my own experiences. More to come!
Sarah
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
The Future
As many of you know, I have spent what seems like the past year in prayer, asking for clarity and wisdom in making a decision. At the same time, I solicited advice from various people whose opinions I valued and trusted. But most importantly, I always asked God to show me his will and I always reminded myself that my purpose on Earth is not to make a name for myself, but to do things in His name. What you may not know is how I ended up here for a second time back in 2010 - it was only by the grace of God. He worked everything out in his time (which as it turned out was six weeks!) and I found myself with a job, a place to live, and a buyer for my car within four days! I had been praying that God would make it that easy for me this go round and that's just what happened today!
There's the saying, be careful what you wish for, because it might come true. Well, this can also be applied to prayer. I had been praying and praying, especially over these last two weeks for God to reveal his plan to me for the future. And did he ever!!!! He hit me with a knockout punch this morning at 9:30. It was not at all what I expected, but I got my answer....
I left Louisville leaning towards the ideal of returning at the end of the summer. Over the break, I talked to my parents about my financial situation and the student loans I've been racking up over here over the past two years, not to even mention the fact that I'm still trying to pay off my trip from 2008 when I was here for the first time. I know many of you joke around and say I'm over here living it up, but if you only knew!!!! I'm definitely not here for the money! In fact, the reason why I have to teach ten private English lessons throughout the week is so I can have spending money! But I wouldn't trade this for anything!!!! Anyways, I decided that it would be in my best interest to return to the states to start getting my life together financially and professionally! I came to the harsh realization that realistically I would not be able to support myself financially by living over here after you factor in loan payments, rent, plane tickets, and food. In Louisville I have the option of living with my parents until I get back on my feet and finding a job that pays a lot more. I know you teachers over there complain about your salary - first year teachers make roughly 44% more than teachers here!
Of course, that all changed as soon as I arrived back to Madrid and got around my co-workers, my students, and friends. I've said it a million times, I have the best job anyone could ask for and feel beyond blessed to have it. Last year, my boss told me that they wanted me to stay and we looked into the process of getting my Spanish certification to be an English Teacher and what steps we needed to take to get me on an indefinite work permit, since I'm currently in the country on a student visa. Right before Christmas break, we contacted an attorney-like person who specializes in helping foreigners obtain work permits. Today we called him and he gave us the sad news that it would be virtually impossible for me to get a work permit. Spain has an unemployment rate of 22% and the government would have to approve my work contract. Chances of that happening are less than slim, because there are Spaniards who can teach English and job preference is given to them. My bosses at work are desperately trying to figure something out, but I know this is the final answer I was waiting on.
I am extremely sad and upset about this - Madrid has been my home for almost two years. I've made lasting relationships with amazing people and I hate to leave them all behind. I've really evolved into a different person since being here - a change even I myself didn't see coming. I'm even more upset because this is not the answer I wanted to receive and it's hit me hard. I've already shed countless tears in the past 24 hours and there will be plenty more in the coming months. (Cue the waterworks.) However, through all of this I am constantly reminding myself at how blessed I am to have had an opportunity like this! I mean, how many people can say they followed their dreams and lived their life to the fullest for two amazing years? Not many. On top of that, I did it in ANOTHER COUNTRY. I will be walking away from this experience with incredible memories. At the same time, I have a fear that I will never have another experience like this again. That, along with not knowing exactly what the future holds for me is a bit scary. The good news is I have been in contact with various people and think there are several job opportunities for me in Louisville. The problem is they're all in different fields and vary from education, to politics, to the corporate world. Soon it will be time to make another decision!
I'm not sure when I'll be leaving - it all depends on when my residency card expires. My family is coming over in May for my long-awaited graduation. They'll be bringing extra suitcases to help me move things back. I can send winter clothes and books with them, along with any other thing I find. (I've realized that I've accumulated lots of things!) I also plan on doing some traveling before I leave. Next month I'm going to Brussels with my European Union politics class from school. I'd like to travel during Holy Week, which is the first week in April. My best friend from 1st grade just arrived in London today for an internship, so maybe I can squeeze a trip there to see her too! I am in the beginning stages of planning trips for July and August, but I won't have a lot of information until at least next week, so I'm not going to mention those.
Throughout all of this, I'm trying my best to stay positive. Please continue to think of me and pray. This is going to be a hard transition for not only me, but for my family, especially my parents. Living with them after being gone for two years is going to be....Although this isn't what I was planning on, I understand this is what I'm supposed to be doing.
Thank you all for everything!
Sarah
There's the saying, be careful what you wish for, because it might come true. Well, this can also be applied to prayer. I had been praying and praying, especially over these last two weeks for God to reveal his plan to me for the future. And did he ever!!!! He hit me with a knockout punch this morning at 9:30. It was not at all what I expected, but I got my answer....
I left Louisville leaning towards the ideal of returning at the end of the summer. Over the break, I talked to my parents about my financial situation and the student loans I've been racking up over here over the past two years, not to even mention the fact that I'm still trying to pay off my trip from 2008 when I was here for the first time. I know many of you joke around and say I'm over here living it up, but if you only knew!!!! I'm definitely not here for the money! In fact, the reason why I have to teach ten private English lessons throughout the week is so I can have spending money! But I wouldn't trade this for anything!!!! Anyways, I decided that it would be in my best interest to return to the states to start getting my life together financially and professionally! I came to the harsh realization that realistically I would not be able to support myself financially by living over here after you factor in loan payments, rent, plane tickets, and food. In Louisville I have the option of living with my parents until I get back on my feet and finding a job that pays a lot more. I know you teachers over there complain about your salary - first year teachers make roughly 44% more than teachers here!
Of course, that all changed as soon as I arrived back to Madrid and got around my co-workers, my students, and friends. I've said it a million times, I have the best job anyone could ask for and feel beyond blessed to have it. Last year, my boss told me that they wanted me to stay and we looked into the process of getting my Spanish certification to be an English Teacher and what steps we needed to take to get me on an indefinite work permit, since I'm currently in the country on a student visa. Right before Christmas break, we contacted an attorney-like person who specializes in helping foreigners obtain work permits. Today we called him and he gave us the sad news that it would be virtually impossible for me to get a work permit. Spain has an unemployment rate of 22% and the government would have to approve my work contract. Chances of that happening are less than slim, because there are Spaniards who can teach English and job preference is given to them. My bosses at work are desperately trying to figure something out, but I know this is the final answer I was waiting on.
I am extremely sad and upset about this - Madrid has been my home for almost two years. I've made lasting relationships with amazing people and I hate to leave them all behind. I've really evolved into a different person since being here - a change even I myself didn't see coming. I'm even more upset because this is not the answer I wanted to receive and it's hit me hard. I've already shed countless tears in the past 24 hours and there will be plenty more in the coming months. (Cue the waterworks.) However, through all of this I am constantly reminding myself at how blessed I am to have had an opportunity like this! I mean, how many people can say they followed their dreams and lived their life to the fullest for two amazing years? Not many. On top of that, I did it in ANOTHER COUNTRY. I will be walking away from this experience with incredible memories. At the same time, I have a fear that I will never have another experience like this again. That, along with not knowing exactly what the future holds for me is a bit scary. The good news is I have been in contact with various people and think there are several job opportunities for me in Louisville. The problem is they're all in different fields and vary from education, to politics, to the corporate world. Soon it will be time to make another decision!
I'm not sure when I'll be leaving - it all depends on when my residency card expires. My family is coming over in May for my long-awaited graduation. They'll be bringing extra suitcases to help me move things back. I can send winter clothes and books with them, along with any other thing I find. (I've realized that I've accumulated lots of things!) I also plan on doing some traveling before I leave. Next month I'm going to Brussels with my European Union politics class from school. I'd like to travel during Holy Week, which is the first week in April. My best friend from 1st grade just arrived in London today for an internship, so maybe I can squeeze a trip there to see her too! I am in the beginning stages of planning trips for July and August, but I won't have a lot of information until at least next week, so I'm not going to mention those.
Throughout all of this, I'm trying my best to stay positive. Please continue to think of me and pray. This is going to be a hard transition for not only me, but for my family, especially my parents. Living with them after being gone for two years is going to be....Although this isn't what I was planning on, I understand this is what I'm supposed to be doing.
Thank you all for everything!
Sarah
Friday, January 13, 2012
Back in the city
Christmas vacation went by extremely too fast. I had a great time being with my family and took the time to rejuvenate myself. I had such a tough semester, I was ready to do absolutely nothing for two weeks. Last semester ended well for me - to be honest, it was my best semester since middle school! I ended up with a 3.8 for the semester. God is good!
I arrived back to Madrid on Monday morning around 7 am. I dropped my suitcase off at work and went straight to work. Thankfully, classes at school didn't start until Wednesday, so I had two half-days to re-acclimate myself to the time change, although after almost a week, my body is still struggling to wake up when my alarm goes off at 7:30 am. Two weeks of sleeping in is a hard thing to break! I think I'm going to really like my classes this semester. I am taking Methods of Political Science, International Relations Theory and Practice, Politics of the European Union, Hispanic Literature in the US, and a Theology course about Jerusalem and how it's a city of three different faiths. (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.) They're going to make for a challenging, yet fun semester! The highlight of this semester (minus graduation, of course!) is going to be my trip to Brussels. I'll be leaving in about six weeks and am really getting excited about the trip!
I'm currently deciding if I'm going to stay another year in Madrid or return to the US. This is the hardest decision I've had to date and it's literally breaking my heart. But I have complete faith that I will make the right decision. See my previous blog on how you can help by praying for me!
That's all for now. I'm finally turning it. It's been a long, tiring week!
Ciao,
Sarah
I arrived back to Madrid on Monday morning around 7 am. I dropped my suitcase off at work and went straight to work. Thankfully, classes at school didn't start until Wednesday, so I had two half-days to re-acclimate myself to the time change, although after almost a week, my body is still struggling to wake up when my alarm goes off at 7:30 am. Two weeks of sleeping in is a hard thing to break! I think I'm going to really like my classes this semester. I am taking Methods of Political Science, International Relations Theory and Practice, Politics of the European Union, Hispanic Literature in the US, and a Theology course about Jerusalem and how it's a city of three different faiths. (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.) They're going to make for a challenging, yet fun semester! The highlight of this semester (minus graduation, of course!) is going to be my trip to Brussels. I'll be leaving in about six weeks and am really getting excited about the trip!
I'm currently deciding if I'm going to stay another year in Madrid or return to the US. This is the hardest decision I've had to date and it's literally breaking my heart. But I have complete faith that I will make the right decision. See my previous blog on how you can help by praying for me!
That's all for now. I'm finally turning it. It's been a long, tiring week!
Ciao,
Sarah
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Prayer
Dear Friends,
I'm finding myself at a crossroad and I am in the midst of praying that God will show me the way. As most of you know, I have been living in Madrid, Spain for almost two years now. I'll be graduating in May from Saint Louis University Madrid with degrees in Political Science/International Relations and Spanish. I'm now faced with the task of deciding where God wants me to be next. I've been anticipating this decision for a year now. I know there is power in prayer - do you mind taking a moment to pray that God will reveal himself to me and also pray that I will use wisdom in making my decision?
Love,
Sarah
I'm finding myself at a crossroad and I am in the midst of praying that God will show me the way. As most of you know, I have been living in Madrid, Spain for almost two years now. I'll be graduating in May from Saint Louis University Madrid with degrees in Political Science/International Relations and Spanish. I'm now faced with the task of deciding where God wants me to be next. I've been anticipating this decision for a year now. I know there is power in prayer - do you mind taking a moment to pray that God will reveal himself to me and also pray that I will use wisdom in making my decision?
Love,
Sarah
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Older and Wiser
I'm cringing because I haven't written any entry in over two months and so much has happened. So, I guess I'll just start with the most recent....
Monday was by 26th birthday. I keep asking myself where did the time go? It just seems like yesterday that I was a little girl with round glasses, sitting in Kindergarten. And now here I am, teaching five year olds English! It's amazing. But I also am in constant awe of how blessed I've been and how many opportunities I've been given. This year's birthday was also a time for me to realize how much I'm loved. Over this past year, I've lost relationships with lots of people, including former close friends. It really hit me when I didn't hear from a few of them on my birthday. But this year I had new(er) friends who were there and made me feel special on my day! I have great co-workers and friends from the university that helped me celebrate my birthday. I've come to a point in my life where I only surround myself with people who want to be around me. And the end result is that I have a great support system! It was one of the best ones that I can remember in years! My students also made my day - especially when my little first graders sand Happy Birthday to me in English! This past year has been full of learning experiences and everything has definitely made me wiser. (And a little older!)
It's been a rough semester. Part of the reason why I haven't blogged is because I've had to extra time this semester. I took two Spanish literature classes and they killed me. Last weekend was the first weekend that I really didn't have homework, and I didn't know what to do with myself. All I've been doing this semester is reading, reading, and reading. A week and a half ago I had to turn in four papers within a week's time, so that was definitely challenging for me. But I survived! And here we are - I'll be in Louisville in just two short weeks and I cannot wait!
Right after I wrote my last entry, a co-worker passed away. She had lung cancer and no one really knew how bad off she was. It hit the entire school hard. Even though I only worked with her for a year, I took her death hard, because she was my first friend at the school last year and really made me feel welcome. It was even harder to deal with because the adults had to hold it together in front of the kids. We had a beautiful prayer ceremony in the patio with the entire school.
At the end of October, I had a training for work. It was the first New Teacher training for all of the Teresiana schools in Spain. Some of you are thinking that I'm really not a new teacher, but the schools want us to go during our second year, after we've spent a year in the school. I met people from all over the country and learned lots of things about Saint Teresa and San Enrique de Osso, who founded the Teresiana schools. Next year we'll have another training that will be a follow-up to this year's training.
A few weeks ago I had Thanksgiving. Since it's not celebrated here, I had to have it on a Saturday. I fixed a turkey and all the fixings and it was a big hit! It was another moment in which I realized how lucky I am to have such great friends on this side of the world.
Monday was by 26th birthday. I keep asking myself where did the time go? It just seems like yesterday that I was a little girl with round glasses, sitting in Kindergarten. And now here I am, teaching five year olds English! It's amazing. But I also am in constant awe of how blessed I've been and how many opportunities I've been given. This year's birthday was also a time for me to realize how much I'm loved. Over this past year, I've lost relationships with lots of people, including former close friends. It really hit me when I didn't hear from a few of them on my birthday. But this year I had new(er) friends who were there and made me feel special on my day! I have great co-workers and friends from the university that helped me celebrate my birthday. I've come to a point in my life where I only surround myself with people who want to be around me. And the end result is that I have a great support system! It was one of the best ones that I can remember in years! My students also made my day - especially when my little first graders sand Happy Birthday to me in English! This past year has been full of learning experiences and everything has definitely made me wiser. (And a little older!)
It's been a rough semester. Part of the reason why I haven't blogged is because I've had to extra time this semester. I took two Spanish literature classes and they killed me. Last weekend was the first weekend that I really didn't have homework, and I didn't know what to do with myself. All I've been doing this semester is reading, reading, and reading. A week and a half ago I had to turn in four papers within a week's time, so that was definitely challenging for me. But I survived! And here we are - I'll be in Louisville in just two short weeks and I cannot wait!
Right after I wrote my last entry, a co-worker passed away. She had lung cancer and no one really knew how bad off she was. It hit the entire school hard. Even though I only worked with her for a year, I took her death hard, because she was my first friend at the school last year and really made me feel welcome. It was even harder to deal with because the adults had to hold it together in front of the kids. We had a beautiful prayer ceremony in the patio with the entire school.
At the end of October, I had a training for work. It was the first New Teacher training for all of the Teresiana schools in Spain. Some of you are thinking that I'm really not a new teacher, but the schools want us to go during our second year, after we've spent a year in the school. I met people from all over the country and learned lots of things about Saint Teresa and San Enrique de Osso, who founded the Teresiana schools. Next year we'll have another training that will be a follow-up to this year's training.
A few weeks ago I had Thanksgiving. Since it's not celebrated here, I had to have it on a Saturday. I fixed a turkey and all the fixings and it was a big hit! It was another moment in which I realized how lucky I am to have such great friends on this side of the world.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
A Pro-American Spaniard....say it isn´t so!!!!
One of my roommate´s just arrived back about an hour ago after spending the past week and a half at her parent´s home. Her father drove her here, so I was able to meet him. We all had an interesting conversation in the kitchen about America and Europe. Her father was the first person in Europe I´ve met that was so pro-American. At first he was talking about the Spanish way of life and said that Europe and Spain are very antiquated and aging. He pointed out that Spain is a "country" with autonomous communities, yet no one is united. He referenced the fact that if you visit America, everyone has a high sense of patriotism and nationalism, which I´ve never disagreed with. He used the example that if you pull out a Spanish flag in the northeastern community of Catalunya (Barcelona), people would get rid of it or even burn it. He pointed out that this lack of unity in Spain has hindered it from growing over the years. He went on to say that America is going to pull the world out of this financial crisis and that we´ve always been the one constant country over the past two hundred years.
It took me aback to hear a European, and especially a Spaniard speak so highly of the USA.
It took me aback to hear a European, and especially a Spaniard speak so highly of the USA.
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