Hey, hey!

So now that you all know I’m going to Spain for the better part of a year, I thought I would answer some questions that you may have.  Or maybe you could care less, who knows?  Not I.  If you DO have any questions, please, please, please send them my way.  I will be using this Blog as a place to follow my travels, including HOW I am traveling.  So…ask away 🙂

How are you going to Spain for a year?

I’m going to Spain through a program called CIEE.  I found them online when I started researching ways to work abroad.  Once I get to Spain, I will be working under the Spanish government.

What will you be doing in Spain?

I will be “an auxiliar” or “Language and Culture assistant”, meaning I will be an English-language assistant in a school.  I just received my school placement, so I know I will be working with kids 12-18 years old.  This is great news because it’s exactly what I requested!  I much rather be with older humans than younger ones.  Anyway, I will be working with a teacher in a classroom to assist with English lessons, which I will do by giving lessons on various topics, such as American culture, history, math, reading, etc.  I’ll know more about what I’ll be doing in the coming months.

Where will you be living?

I know I’ll be living in Madrid, but I don’t know where or with whom!  I have to find an apartment when I get there.  Speaking of which, I should start doing some research on finding a piso (apartment) before I get there!

Is this volunteer or paid?

I have to initially pay CIEE, as they basically act is a middle man for placing me in Spain.  I also have to pay for all of my flights, but once I arrive, I will earn ~1000 euro/ month, which will cover living expenses and fun.  I also plan to teach private English lessons to earn some extra money.  I hear that’s fairly popular and common.

I heard you can apply directly through the Spanish Government.  Why did you choose to use CIEE?

There were a number of reasons, with the number one reason being that I applied late.  When you apply through the gov., it is first come, first serve on placement.  I was afraid of being placed in the boonies of Spain, which I read can significantly hinder your experience.  CIEE guaranteed a placement in Madrid.  I also liked that CIEE is here as a support system of sorts, to answer questions, help navigate the visa process, help with housing once we arrive, and offer 24 hour support.  I have read horror stories about working directly with the government and being left in the dark, and while it is obviously possible to do it that way, I like the added safety net.  While I do have to pay for CIEE’s services, the amount that I will be paid is a little bit more than the gov. pays, and therefore, will pretty much even out in the end.

When do you leave and come back?

I will be leaving September 12th, and coming back sometime around May.

Was it difficult to set everything up?  Do you need a visa?

I could be wrong, but I feel that CIEE probably accepts all “suitable” applicants-meaning that they accept any applicant that meets their requirements.  So applying was not difficult, although I had to write a couple short essays and get a couple letters of recommendations.  I do need a visa to travel to Spain, since I will be staying for longer than 90 days.  The visa was somewhat of a pain in the a$$ to get, but once you learn how to navigate everything, it’s not complicated.  I will be writing a detailed post with exactly what is needed, how much everything cost, and how I applied for all of the necessary documents.  I hope it will be helpful for anyone looking to travel to Spain in the future!

Do you need to speak Spanish?

If working with CIEE, they do require that you have an intermediate level of Spanish.  If you don’t, it’s not a problem.  You can apply for their Spanish Language Immersion program, which means you go to Spain a little early (either 2 or 4 weeks early) and take a Spanish course.  I was not interested in doing that, so I enrolled for a 20 week (1x a week) Spanish class in Philadelphia that I LOVE.  It’s at the Spanish Language School and it’s great.  When I enrolled, they wrote a letter confirming my enrollment, which was sufficient in proving that I would have an intermediate level understanding of Spanish before arriving in Spain.

Can I come visit?

YES.  Come visit me.  Except for the spam trolls that I know read my site. YOU are not invited.  Everyone else, bienvenidos 🙂