After a 2 month vacation of travels around the NW and Alaska, I´m finally back to work at two temporary jobs for my university and it´s a great distraction from thinking about Spain and everything I need to do before I leave los Estados Unidos.
Sitting at my desk today, I couldn´t stop thinking about what is driving me to leave America for the next few years and whether I had even thought much into the negatives of the situation? Being the list-maker I am, I started writing the whys and why nots of this whole endeavor. Of course there were only about three reasons to stay: actually finishing my degree on campus, being closer to my family and friends (and not miss the million weddings in the next two years, though I am bummed I might miss my bestie´s...), and well, saving money.
But then I started making a list of why I am actually going, and was ready to hop on a plane before I even got through the second bullet point.
- Another new adventure, pretty much self explanatory. I have trouble with routine and doing the same old thing for very long. I can´t wait to spice things up again.
- Language Benefits. I think everyone should experience what it is like to be in an environment where most people don´t speak your native language. It has changed my whole outlook on communicating, and I´ve gained the advantage of being nearly bilingual. Another year in Spain and I will be! Plus, living in Europe there are so many opportunities to pick up other languages with a little effort.
- Spain´s lifestyle. I could go on for a long time about this one. The social-ness, the walking rather than driving, tapas y cerveza, mañana attitude, late lunch, different foods, amazing night life, siesta, etc., etc.
- My teaching job! Working in a bilingual high school in Southern Spain is surely going to be interesting- especially since I´ll be working with math and technology classes taught completely in English to Spanish teens. I´m very excited to see how the job goes and to meet all my co-workers and students.
- Good weather, living near the beach. Why not? I used to get S.A.D. pretty bad in Alaska, and year round light and plenty of sunshine are definitely a good way to avoid that.
- Meeting more and more people, and probably some very interesting characters. And getting to spend more time with my great friends in Sevilla. I have missed them very much this past year.
And oh the list went on and on.
I cannot wait to see what Huelva has in store for me. ¡Hasta pronto, España!
