25 AND OVER CLUB! The Older Auxiliares of 2012-2013

[jimbob]

Sure, it snows in the city of Madrid, but if you're a New Yorker you'd probably laugh and call it a flurry. They still cancel school with 3 inches of snow on the ground. Don't forget that Madrid is more than just the central city though -- a lot of the Comunidad is in the mountains and you can get pretty decent snowfalls there.

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[ILS]

Hehe well, I guess I'll learn to deal with it. I know Madrid gets pretty cold, but it's not as bad as some northern European countries. I was initially thinking of moving to England, but then realized that the gloomy-ness would be depressing. So I guess it's more of a relative thing.

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[jimbob]

Up until late January before the cold spell hit all of Europe, Madrid was in the middle of one of the warmest and sunniest winters in decades. It's also only rained here probably 4 or 5 days in the last 3 months (just going from memory), which is kind of a bad thing though.

But anyway, Madrid winters are usually pretty easy to bear compared to anywhere in central or northern Europe and seem pretty short to me. There's a total lack of humidity here which helps and it's usually dry, so you can go outside no problem.

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[Brandón]

I have friends that are currently auxilliares and apparently it snowed there a couple of weeks ago, but barely.

Btw, I'm 26 and will be turning 27 just before the program starts. I took spanish in college, but didn't minor in it, because I basically felt that I had learned all that I could possibly learn in the classroom and that for the only way for me to become fluent would be to live in a spanish speaking country. Since graduating, my spanish has been rapidly deteriorating so I need to travel soon if I ever hope to be fluent, thus my reason for applying to this program. I've been to Spain before and even though I was only there for a week, my Spanish improved drastically, so I'm confident that I'd be after living there for 9+ months.

I just started a really nice job a month ago, so I'm sort of hesitant to have to leave it just to go to Spain. Also, I'll have to break my lease in my apartment or find a subletter so that's another drawback. I would hate to go to Spain, come back and and be unemployed again. 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.

Also, since when is 25 older? Isn't the median age only 22?

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[Oh2bBeBe]

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!

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[beachp]

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!

Thankfully you won't find the humidity (at least not in Sevilla or away from the coast) that you get in Miami.

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[breezy]

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 

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[hawaiinspain]

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!

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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[rosnjust]

The lady I live with keeps the heat on very low. I hate it so much...but my Spanish friend told me a secret to get passed that. She took me to Corte Ingles and I purchased a small heater. Love that thing! Not sure what the electric bill will look like but I can't stand being in my room with fingers that feel like ice. It's crazy! No wonder the people here are sick all the time! The energy/propane is expensive but I rather pay the price than freeze to death! lol!
I bought some rugs for my room and it's nice to get out of bed without touching the floor. I really like it here but can't wait for the warm weather. About Madrid, it's more like flurries.

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[Brandón]

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 

I thought I would be the only philosophy major going, so it's great to know that there are others out there! Also, going to Spain can't make us any more unemployable, if anything I feel like it will bolster our career opportunities when we return.

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[Future Diplomat]

Also, since when is 25 older? Isn't the median age only 22?

Well, 25 seemed to fit because of the age difference (it really can be a big leap between 22, just graduated from college and 25, working person, lol). Also, the maximum age for the program is set at 35 -- so that designation seemed to fit pretty well.

Also, when I was 25 I felt kinda old, haha

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[beachp]

In addition to a space heater in your bedroom, it's very common for apartments in the south of spain to have a brasero, a space heater under the dining table covered with a tablecloth where one would sit to stay warm.

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[Future Diplomat]

The brasero sounds pretty awesome. In Japan it's called a kotatsu, and me and my sister did it every evening during the winter months  

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[Danny]

Hello! I'm not the only one! phew. I'll be turning 29 just before arriving in Spain. I started teaching abroad after I graduated from university  and went to Italy to be a language assistant in a high school near Milan. After Italy I discovered that I wanted to be a teacher.  I went to teachers college in Toronto, Canada for high school geography and politics.  Not having much luck getting a permanent job in Toronto i decided to get my TESL certificate and try my luck abroad.  I completed an internship at a private international school in Izmir Turkey, and last year I taught Ontario Curriculum ESL at a high school in Hong Kong.  When i returned home (Toronto) from Hong Kong, I quickly realized that permanent teaching jobs in the public system are pretty much impossible to get.  Right now I'm teaching at an adult ESL school downtown Toronto. I like the job, but I need a change of scenery.

The itch to travel has taken over again.  I spent last summer vacationing in Spain with my sister and a friend who is from Madrid.  While in Spain I was lucky to get tickets to see Real Madrid play Barcelona at the Bernabéu....wow!! Long story short, i fell in love with Spain.

While in Spain I hope to improve my Spanish, meet new people, and explore.  Oh and eat a lot of Manchego cheese, yum! 

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[Oh2bBeBe]

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.

Haha! Well that sucks! Thanks for the advice! I think the universe heard you and wanted to prepare me...so a a week or so back when the temps here dropped to like 30-40 F, my heat broke in my house and my car (Grrr) and trust me...I felt it!!! (I live in an older home with all wood floors and poor insulation) So thanks for the heads up...I'll be getting that North Face soon!

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