wherein Liz's sister is moving to Spain! (for a year)

[edenfalling]

A while ago, Vicky (my little sister) applied to a program that sends native English speakers to Spain to assist in teaching English as a foreign language. She found out on Thursday that she's been accepted.

Her term starts in, I believe, late September or early October. She will be somewhere in Andalusia -- we do not yet know where in Andalusia, let alone what town, but some knowledge is better than no knowledge. Also, she's been in Andalusia before, when she spent a month in Ronda on a summer exchange program of some sort.

When the lease on her current D.C. apartment is up, she will either sublet someplace for a couple months or live out of a suitcase and either friends' apartments or possibly my aunt's house. (She wants to stay at her current job until a few days into September, to keep her health insurance until the teaching program's insurance kicks in at the start of October.) Then she will, you know, move to Spain. And begin assistant teaching. :-)

What this means for the rest of my family is that Vicky will not be around for Thanksgiving (*sadface*), and also that my parents and I will most likely be going to Spain for Christmas. To which my response is, roughly, "Cool! I've always wanted to see the Alhambra, and maybe we can!" followed a second later by, "Oh, PM is going to just love what that'll do to the schedule. Argh."

But mostly this is something Vicky is very excited about, and since she's been getting quietly dissatisfied with her current job over the past year, I am very happy for her.

Comments

[rurounitriv.livejournal.com]

I don't remember a whole lot about Spain (I lived in Rota for 3 years, but that was back in elementary school, which means it was... well, too long ago for my taste sometimes) but I do remember the food was good, the scenery beautiful and the people friendly to a little blond girl with only a tiny ability to speak Spanish. :)

[edenfalling]

Vicky really enjoyed her time in Ronda, and she does speak Spanish, so hopefully things will go well!

[romyra]

I can relate. Finding out that I had been accepted on the JET programme was the changing point of my life so I can imagine how your sister feels. I had also gotten really unsatisfied with my job back home and now I also teach English as an assistant teacher in Japan. I also signed on for another year 6 months into my current contract as I love it so much.

I hope your sister has fun with her new job and can adjust accordingly.

I wish her the best of luck.

[edenfalling]

She kind of fell into her current job by accident -- she was an intern there during college, and they liked her so much they offered to hire her as a full employee, which she accepted because it simplified various things for her -- but she'd been getting restless for a while. And she loves traveling and cultural immersion, so I think she will be fine.

I will pass your good wishes on!

[autumnia]

I spent a week in Spain last year landing in Madrid, going as far south as Grenada and then back up to Barcelona. It was fabulous (except for the I-can't-speak-Spanish part)!

Seville would be great, if she ends up there. That was one of my favorite cities. And the Alhambra is spectacular: my group went early in the morning and looking out over Grenada after the sun's just come up is a spectacular sight.

[edenfalling]

I have seen Vicky's pictures from her previous time in Spain, and they are indeed gorgeous. She tells me she'll be happy with a city, a suburb, or a little village in the back end of nowhere, and I am inclined to believe her... at least for a year. For anything longer, I think she'd prefer a city or a close suburb of a city. :-)

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

yay for Vicki going to Andalusia (or ah-dah-loo-THee-uh as they say:)

[edenfalling]

I will pass your good wishes on to her!