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While in Spain, I hope to meet some "old souls" no matter their chronological age. Hopefully I'll meet some great fellow assistants who like to spend a couple hours a night or two sipping wine and talking politics and film.
Hi Everyone! I'm Marisa, and I'll be turning 27 while in Spain. I actually am glad I'm not doing this program straight out of college. I think I got the 'expat party phase' out of my system the first year I was here in Korea, but now 3 years later I have a better idea of how I want to spend my time abroad. I much prefer hanging out with some close friends with wine and food (Cheese! I'm so looking forward to eating too much Manchego) and then wake up early to go on a long, long hike or bike ride. So I hope to be in a region with lots of nature to do some hiking, rock climbing, and biking I don't think any of us have any reason to be worried about age! There are so many teachers in Korea in their mid or late 30s who still act like children. So it's really about following your own passions and not thinking that we have to commit ourselves to a 9-5 in order to be adults. Times are a-changin'!
THE CHEESE. Oh, the cheese. And the wine. After this year in Korea I will consuming wine and cheese multiple times daily to make up for the time spent here not consuming those two things The expats in Korea are like no other expats I've met. And not in a good way...
Most of the expats I met during my time in Korea were amazing people, many of whom have remained my close friends. Maybe you only were around not-so-great people?
I'm also doing the Camino de Santiago and possibly spending a month in Ibiza. Soy soltera...
I'm also planning to do el Camino, if I can get my visa soon enough, the month before the program starts. Should be fun.
So, why be an auxiliar? How did you find out about the program? Why now? What do you plan to do while in Spain? Are you coming with a partner?I've always wanted to live abroad. I really want to live in a different country every year. I'm currently teaching English in Korea, my dream come true. I'm 27 (29 Korean, sadly). I studied in France for 4 months last year. I visited Spain, Italy and England on spring break. But in France we drank wine on Monday, lol (not a lot but enough) and in Korea I can't find anyone to drink with me on Monday nights in my small town. Since I certainly didn't get into ESL for the money I'm talking myself into leaving Korea after 1 year although the pay here is much better. I'm applying because I loved Spain, and because it's my father's dream to visit Spain and he's old and I hope me living there will make his visit possible and easier. In Spain I hope to find beaches, see the Reina Sofia museum again, and find some Monday drinkers. I can't remember how I found out about this program but I wanted to do it last year and never applied.
I did part of the camino this past May from Santiago to Finisterre. If you don't have a lot of time to do the camino I would definitely recommend this route. Its about 90 km and you can still get a certificate at the end (usually you need to do 100 km to do get a certificate). Its a beautiful route and you end up at the farthest west point of Spain (fin + tierra = finisterre) I'm definitely going to try and do a different route when I get back to Spain!
I'll drink with you on Mondays via Skype if yu like. lol I thought about teaching in Korea, but the winters are just like Chicago's...I've had enough! I may go back to Japan, but to teach this time instead of hanging out at the punk clubs.
Right now I participate in a relatively-infrequent Spanish Meetup but don't have that many other opportunities to practice (unless I make myself swallow my spanish-shyness and go on lenguajero). I'm hoping to push myself out of my comfort zone and gain the fluency I've always wanted. That, and I've never been off the continent before - so much I need to see in Europe!
haha dont worry you wont be attacked by an ax-wielding maniac! we spent the majority of it on our own but would pass people fairly often. everyone pretty much wakes up at 6:00 am to beat the heat but because everyone goes at a different pace, you eventually end up on your own. we went late may which was perfect so by the time we would finish each day (around 3:00) it still was never too hot. and then once you're done for the day you just hang out at the bar of the town you're in until around 8:00 when you go to sleep and then wake up at 6:00 the next dayhere are some pictures from the finisterre route:http://gospain.about.com/od/caminodesantiago/ig/Camino-de-Finisterre/its beautiful!
Oh where do I start? For starters, I'm 27, and will be 28 when I start the program (pending my acceptance, speak words into action)I'm currently in my third year of my very first job out of graduate school--and I HATE it--and due to the economy can't get out. In summer 2010 I spent two weeks in Spain, one of which was with my cousin, who lived in Andalucia for 6 years (Air Force) and I got a bit of the local experience, and I LOVED it. I love it so much, that 10 months later (Sprin 2011), I went back to Spain with said cousin for the Feria in Jerez, and of course enjoyed my time there. Each time I cam back to the states and my job, I literally felt like I had hit a brick wall, and more than anything, my time in Spain solidified my desire to spend at least a year or two of my life living in another country. I also desperately want to speak another language. So when I came home and blogged about my love of Spain, one of my readers emailed me about this program, and so I've finally registered my application (#873, yikes!) and I'm not working on getting my documents together. For now, my immediate goal is learn the language, and broaden my professional experiences via teaching. I don't have a very clear view of where I want Spain to take me (other than AWAY from my job) but I'm of the firm believe that you don't always need a clear plan, and when the opporutnity to live and enjoy my life presents itself, it's my duty to take it. So good luck to all my 25 and ups!
Thanks for responding! I feel like our motivations are a little similar. Because of the economy, I spent 2.4 years woking in Japan and although I loved my family and friends there, I hated the "grind" of it all. I came back, but the grind is the same here in the US. I feel I have a pretty solid idea of what I want to do with my life -- and Spain seems to fit pretty well into my 10-year plan May I ask what your previous job entailed?? Also, you mentioned a blog -- can I have the link?!! ETA: Nevemind, found your blog!! Mind if I add it to the blog links??
Hi, My current job is in public health promotion, in tobacco control/prevention. I work for the state of Maryland, and I think it's WHERE I work more than What I do that I hate. And I know hate is a strong word, but 3 years will do that. What do you do specifically? And by all means, add my blog to the links. I haven't mentioned the program on my blog yet, because I'm still working on my supporting documents. But I plan to get it all in in the next two weeks.Hit me up sometime!
Hey everyone!I'm so glad you posted this, I feel better about being older than most people that are applying for this program - I'll be 31 when the program starts. I've been wanting to live abroad - really anywhere - for a few years now, for no particular reason besides a gut feeling that it would be really good for me and my love of travel. I picked Europe because of the culture, and Spain because I live in LA and have become a wimp about cold weather! Also, I felt that somehow I will like the culture from what I know about it. I just took a two week trip there to be sure I want to do this, and it was a great success and convinced me that yes, I love the culture, the country, and the language. So I'm applying for auxiliares, ciee, and bridge. I was very much drawn to Madrid, so if I don't get it through auxiliares, I'll probably do one of the other two. I'll be leaving an engineering job of 7 years, which I've gotten tired of and been wanting to change careers anyway. It's a scary change, but I think this will be a good way to rip the umbilical cord of the comfy job, shake things up...a lot, and start over in something else. (The Spanish needs A LOT of work, but it'll be there by the time I go.)
Hey there - I think your plans sounds AWESOME! Your'e taking a chance on life and going for what you really want. Props to you I say..it really is now or never. My desires and reasons for applying are very similiar to you'rs, although I am not a teacher. I'm actually going to be 30 in Spain...yikes! I work in marketing / PR and I'm hoping to get into travel writing while I'm there. I want to make sure that I'm using the time to benefit my career, not just a career break. Which regions did you choose? My first choice is Andalucia!
For one, Spain IS, after all, pretty far south as far as Europe is concerned. Also, it's still pretty warm compared to many places in the U.S.
I was just in Madrid this weekend and it was colder there than it was in Wisconsin-below freezing. It gets bitter cold there, and even in the South, a lot of apartments don't have heat, so it's freezing at night!
yeah, i was gonna add that if you picked Madrid, it is not the warmest place Spain has to offer. It snows in Madrid!
I chose Andalucia for my first choice...and I've been tracking their weather this winter to get an idea...luckily, they seem to have identical weather to Atlanta in winter, which is where I already live and summers like Miami, which is where I'm from...so there won't be too much adjustment needed in that department!
As a double major in philosophy and art, I'm pretty much unemployable, so I'm lucky that I have the job that I have now. But, it's a lot easier for me to travel now and than it will be for me to travel later so even if I'll be unemployed when I return, it'll be worth it.
I'm a philosophy major too with a great job that's going to be tough to leave, but I completely agree... The earlier we go off and adventure the better. It'll be worth it, I'm sure! And hopefully by the time we decide to return the economy will have changed for the better and we philosophers won't be so unemployable
Also, since when is 25 older? Isn't the median age only 22?
I'm in Andalucia. Fuengirola to be more precise; it's part of the Costa del Sol in the province of Malaga right on the Mediterranean. Granada can get pretty damn cold, as well as many other cities and towns in this autonomous community. The Spanish were more concerned about hot summers than they were coldness period! Every house/apartment has tile floors, so regardless of typical sunny weather down here, the chill always creeps from your feet up. It's annoying. But whatever. And in many apartments, either there is no heat, or the electricity to run the heating is expensive. So make sure to bring a North Face jacket Also, I recommend a pair of thermals and gloves. Everyone here wears scarves as well. Along the coast, I don't believethe weather has yet dropped below 40 degrees Fahrenheit in all my time here thus far, but believe me, the tile floors and lack of heat in the house makes up for it.
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Topic: 25 AND OVER CLUB! The Older Auxiliares of 2012-2013 (Read 2945 times)
