Five Things I’m Looking Forward to about Living and Working in Spain

With me moving to Spain slowly nearing, it’s about time I wrote another post related to it. I basically just been sitting around waiting for the end of October. I have decided to talk about a few of the parts I’m looking forward to about living and working in Spain.

1. Culture Changes

Not only is this something that is terrifying, it’s also very refreshing. I don’t know a lot about Spain, and the Spanish. My only encounters with the country and people are a school trip back in Year 10, a beach holiday to the Spanish island of Majorca, and the Spanish people I made friends with in Dusseldorf. With that, none of these experiences were bad ones, and the Spanish people I made friends with during my time at Heinrich Heine University were very loveable characters! 

After some research and word-of-mouth I have learnt that Spain is a country that is a lot more relaxed than England. I’m one of those people who other think things and worries more than they needs to, therefore I’m hoping the nine months I have living in Spain and working in the bustling city of Barcelona may help me calm myself. I remember how I felt when I came back from living in Germany for four months, even though I was terrified and it took a month or so to adjust I finally did and then it was incredible. Maybe this will give me even more time to enjoy living in Spain after the struggle of the first couple of months.

2. The Spanish language

I have studied English Language, and through doing so it has opened my eyes a lot to the power we have as native speakers of English. English is such a dominant language throughout the world, and sometimes I don’t think we understand just how lucky we are to just be born in England. We are also extremely lazy with regards to just how useful English is, and how much we can get by in countries other than our own. One thing I regret the most about living in Germany, is not taking the opportunity to learn German as much as I could. I want to really immerse myself in the Spanish language and come back not only being able to understand it just slightly, but enough to really converse with people. It is such a great asset to be able to speak more than one language. I am already using the app Duolingo to gain a basic understanding of the language that I will soon be able to put into practice when I’m actually living there. 

There is both the use of Spanish and Catalan in Catalonia. I think this is going to be confusing, but fun nonetheless. I learnt a little about Catalan during a lecture at Winchester so it will be interesting to see it in use.

3. Living with a host family

Currently, the thought of living with a family other than my own is a daunting one; however I am looking forward to the bigger picture. I am looking forward to when I overcome the initial anxiety of it, when I settle in and prove to myself that I am able to put myself in an uncomfortable and unfamiliar situation. 

Many people probably don’t know that this is one of the aspects of the program I am going to be a part of. I will live with around three different families over the duration of my time in Spain, around one per school term. It is obligatory that I am hugely involved with the family, helping around the house, eating with them and getting involved in their way of life. I am living there for free, I do not have to pay anything and this is a huge advantage for my time away, as we all know how expensive accommodation can be. I feel that I can be very shy in new situations, and around new people, so I think I will benefit from this a great deal.

I haven’t found out my host family yet, but I will be sure to find out over the next few weeks. At the moment I don’t feel there is anything more I can do in respects to preparing to go to Spain. I just hope the Spanish idiom ‘mi casa es su casa’, really does apply. I remember when one of my Spanish friends in Dusseldorf was amazed I knew this Spanish.

4. Full-time work in a school

Since leaving university a few months ago my head, along with a lot of people has been a whirlwind of ideas and fantasies. Since I was very young there has been a recurring dream of being a teacher. I used to play teacher all the time as a kid, teaching my imaginary class in my bedroom, holding up books and writing on the chalkboard I had. I am very keen on working with children, even more since I volunteered at the Epping Forest Field Centre. I just think I need to do it for a longer period of time to see if it is truly a career path I wish to make my way down. I am even more excited to be using my degree in the work place. The school I will be working with range from Infants all the way to college students. I’m not sure which age group I will be specifically working with yet, or whether I will move around. I hope this will be a great foundation for me to work with when I get back to England at the end of June. 

If I’m honest I just can’t wait to experience full-time work, and get into a routine again. I have been putting off getting a job for too long now.

5. LIVING in SPAIN

There is not only five things I’m looking forward to, but many more! It’s Spain, how could I not be excited? I’m looking forward to the weather, the food, the architecture, the music scene and the sheer beauty of it all. I have been told countless times how breath-taking Barcelona is, and I can’t wait to find out for myself. I still cannot believe my luck that I am going to be working in the heart of such a magnificent city. I have always been a girl that likes the vibes and atmosphere of city life. I have visited more cities, than I have relaxing beach holidays. I love exploring; I love learning and being inspired by things. I can’t wait to be inspired and have new things to write about.  

These are just a few of the things that I am excited about, but obviously there are a tonne more that I haven’t mentioned. I guess I’m just using this miserable English weathered day to day-dream about living in Spain.