This story starts about 30 years ago, back when my mom was a junior in college. Her cousin decided to elope, and my Grandma McCrae, furious for not being invited to the wedding, told my mother that she could choose anywhere in the world to study abroad for a semester. She chose Rome and ate gelato on the Spanish Steps while studying fashion and pasta for an academic semester.
When I graduated from high school and was preparing to study journalism at the University of Iowa, my mom told me the same thing (just no eloped cousins in this part of the story). Spain escaped my lips faster than I could let her words fully process in my head. It was settled – I would go to the land of toros, tapas and sunshine to study Spanish and the art of the siesta.
In front of Spain’s most visited attraction, the Alhambra palace of Granada.
I chose Valladolid as my destination of choice – a former capital once inhabited by Cervantes and Columbus – and spent the summer of 2005 with a host family, attending language classes at the Universidad de Valladolid.
With my host family in 2008 on a weekend visit: Lucia, Aurora and Aurora.
While I was there, I learned enough Spanish and enough about the siesta to want to go back. As my mom embraced me a few weeks later at O’Hare Airport, I simply announced, “I am moving back to Europe.”
And there it was. I found a job teaching English in Sevilla and haven’t looked back since, moving there in September 2007.
Teaching proved to be more than babysitting, even if it wasn’t my intended career path.
I began teaching at a rural high school, where I found that I actually liked teaching, and that I was good at it.
With two of my favorite students at IES HEliche’s Living Language Village. May 2010.
I used my weekends and long breaks to travel to places I’d been longing to travel since I was a kid – Ireland, China, Germany and every corner of Spain, racking up 28 country stamps in my passport.
Clockwise: The Apfelman in Berlin, Beijing’s Forbidden City, watching Spain win the 2010 World Cup in Galicia, sampling a Guinness at the St. James Storehouse in Dublin.
In the meantime, between tapas and siestas, I met my boyfriend, Enrique (or Puppy, because we’re just weird together).
Kike and I at the Feria de Abril dancing sevillanas.
One year in Spain turned into two and three, and as my teaching program expired, I had to make a choice: Fight bureaucracy and stay in Spain, or chalk it up to a great experience and go back to Chicago?
It’s trite, but Chicago really is my kind of town.
I fought the law, which is hard on Americans wanting to live and work in Spain, and the law handed me a loophole.
Five years, four jobs and what is apparently a marriage later, I’m finding olive oil to be an appropriate substitute for butter, that teaching is my thing, and that Spain might just be my final destination.
If you’d like to read my story from the very beginning, visit the archives page for easy navigation by month – all the way back from July 207!
I’d love to hear from you about anything Spain related – teaching, settling in, traveling. Send me an email at sunshineandsiestas@gmail.com
Hi Cat, what program did you go through to teach abroad? and other random questions like how much are you getting paid per month and is it enough?? I’m trying to decide what I want to do next fall, and teaching in spain is definitely on my list- you can email me at beauhollow@hotmail.com
Thanks!
I just realized that was a stupid question “is it enough?” well, it probably is seeing as you’ve been there for years…I think I mean more along the lines of insurance, rent, traveling, yada yada..I don’t want to be asking my parents for grocery money haha
Hey Corey, and anyone else, I did three years in Sevilla with the Auxiliares Norteamericanos program (http://www.educacion.gob.es/sgci/usa/es/programas/auxiliares_us/aux_us.shtml). This consisted of working in a local and public high school for 12 hours a week, assisting English teachers plan and implement bilingual curriculum. Yes, the pay seems like next to nothing, but you have to realize that the cost of living, even in a city like Seville, it far lower than in the US. I paid 240 euros a month for rent and utilities, about 100 for groceries, 25 for transportation, etc. I also made up to 500 euros a month just for tutoring, which is both legal and widespread in Spain.
For anything else, email me! catherinegaa@gmail.com. Thanks for reading!
Hi Catherine,
I tried that link you provided, but it says “404 error, page not found — all in Spanish)
My name is Colin. I’m an American and speak fairly proficient spanish (little rusty). I am interested in Teaching English in Spain, but I hear for an American it’s nearly impossible. And to get a visa, you need a job… and to get a job, you need a visa. So it’s frustrating. I read your blog online, and was curious if you could offer any information.
I have a masters in Education, 16 months teaching experience in South Korea (ESL), and am a licensed teacher in the state of Washington in the USA.
I would really appreciate any help or advice.
Thanks so much,
Colin Culbreth
Masters in Education
cculbret@gmail.com
Congratulations! And keep up the blogs!
http://ourhouseinquercy.blogspot.com/2012/02/feel-love-passing-on-liebster.html
I’m enjoying your blog. I made the same choice you did 28 years ago, and my Sevillana friends from that period are still among my closest, most intimate friends. It was a life changing experience. Now, I go back periodically to Seville to live with Spanish gypsy friends I made along the way. I’m a writer. My debut novel is scheduled for release in October, 2012. It’s set in Seville. (www.scentofsorrow.wordpress.com) Happy blogging. I’ll be tuning in.
Likewise! Let me know when it’s out – I’m going to be promoting a few freidns’s books, and would love to read yours, too! Thanks for stopping by, S!
I hope to have advanced reading copies available in June. I’ll send you an arc. Do you read ebooks?
I do! Thought I would hate them, but now can’t live without my Kindle! Feria starts tonight…missing it?
Absolutely missing it. La feria is where I learNed to appreciate fino! and I agree about the kindle. Loving it! I ‘ll send you a copy as soon as I have the arcs. Enjoy La Feria. I’ll have a cup of La Gitana to remember.
Just tagged you in a “getting to know you” blogging series, should you want to participate. I hope you’re having a wonderful time at feria, can’t wait to read posts about it! Ciao guapa!
http://iheartmondegreens.com/2012/04/28/getting-to-know-you/
Just read yours! Thanks for the tag, and look for it after Feria, chiki!
Hello there!
My name is Malte Zeeck, and I am with InterNations.org. I really enjoyed reading your fantastic blog! I think expats in Spain and around the world could really gain some great insights [and have a few good laughs] on this page. The quality of the blog in general is very convincing, which is why I would love to feature you and your writing on the Recommended Blog on Spain section on InterNations.org
Not only do we feature and link to your blog prominently; we also would like to hear from you directly in our questionnaire! We have also designed a link badge for your blog.
If you are interested, please feel free to contact me via email: maltezeeck@internations.org
Best,
Malte Zeeck
Love, love, love your blog and everything spain! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Jules! Please email me uf you ever need Spain related advice!
Hey Cat,
I’ve nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award – congratulations! Follow this link to see the post and learn more about the rules for this award: http://wiesagtman.wordpress.com/2012/12/05/very-inspiring-blogger-award/
Thank you for inspiring me!
Sam
Sam recently posted..Very Inspiring Blogger Award
Hi Catherine
Recently found your blog and enjoying it very much – entertaining, interesting and enlightening!
M & S
M recently posted..Things we miss about Órgiva
Why, thank you! When you live a life like mine in Spain (one in which I walk into station objects and am constantly confused), it makes for good material! Thanks for reading, Marks and Spencer! Had to.
Or..S & M…um! There’s a reason we aren’t giving our names quite yet…but in two months’ time…
Thanks
M recently posted..Things we miss about Órgiva
Oooh, looking forward to it! Stay in touch!