Anyway, I began this rant because in February, we had a 4-day puente (meaning 5 days for people like me who don’t work Fridays) for Día de Andalucía, which we used to explore an oft-forgotten region of Spain, Extremadura. With a population only just above one million in the entire comunidad autónoma (state, basically) and far less international acclaim than Spain’s more popular destinations like Barcelona, Madrid, or Andalucía, Extremadura, the region north-west of Andalucía, is a bit of a hidden gem, and a gem it is indeed.

Our Spanish friend Javi kindly offered to drive, so off we went on our Extremadura road trip! Our first stop was Cáceres, a beautiful city that dates back to prehistoric times. By night, we explored the old part of the city, distinctly medieval. I was instantly charmed by it and felt like I had been transported directly back into medieval times. The first night in Cáceres brought that feeling of giddiness and awe, almost like love, that I’ve experienced on my favorite trips.

Sara, me, and Linnaea overlooking Cáceres' Plaza Mayor

The following morning, we departed for another part of Extremadura: the tiny town of Guadalupe., which my friend Javi had heard was a must-see destination. We soon realized it was must-see mostly for hardcore Catholics, but it was still quite an adorable town. It’s known for its monastery, built in the 1300s after the Virgin Mary appeared to a shepherd telling him to dig, and there they discovered the Vírgen de Guadalupe statue that the monastery is built around. To be honest, as a non-Spaniard and non-Catholic, I can’t really wrap my mind around the Spanish fascination with virgins (e.g. the giant rivalry in Sevilla between the Vírgenes of Triana and Macarena), but, you know, to each his own.

We began with a tour of the monastery, as it’s the town’s main attraction. Impressive, definitely, although after seeing a million of Europe’s religious constructions, you’ve kind of seen them all. I somehow refrained from kissing the virgin that people come from all over on pilgramages to kiss. We had a delicious lunch in the town center, trying some local tapas, and then wandered around the small, hilly streets, following a suggested tourist route. Though Guadalupe was nothing remarkable, it was certainly beautiful, and I always love aimlessly wandering around small towns.

Overlooking Guadalupe

Next stop: another small town in Extremadura, Trujillo. Upon arriving, we realized there was a bike race going throughout the entire town. which inconveniently meant the main attraction we wanted to see in Trujillo, the castle, was closed. However, we were still able to walk around it, once again being transported back to medieval times, getting some great views over the Extremaduran countryside, and watching a beautiful sunset from the castle walls. One of Trujillo’s main claims to fame is that Francisco Pizarro, who conquered Peru, was born there. We passed by his house, which was kind of neat since I was in Peru last summer.

Trujillo's Castle

We returned to stay the night outside of Cáceres in “bungalows” in the countryside. Long story short, there was a mix-up with our reservation, and we ended up upgrading to a giant cabin that could have fit about ten people. We were pretty psyched about our lodging and spent the evening there.

The next morning, we returned to the center of Cáceres to see it by day. It’s a small town, so we saw it quickly, went in a few museums, and enjoyed an ice cream in the Plaza Mayor before continuing on to Mérida. Mérida is the capital of Extremadura and known for its well-preserved Roman ruins. We arrived by night, walked along the beautiful river, visited the giant Roman bridge, and exploring the town center a bit. One thing that particularly struck me was how fresh the air was. It’s not that Sevilla’s dirty or anything, but I was kind of obsessed with Mérida’s air quality. Is that weird? After a long and exhausting hunt for an open and decently-priced restaurant (everything was closed because it was Sunday night), we ended the evening with some great, cheap tapas.

Me at the Puente Romano, which dates back to the 1st century AD

The next day involved exploring all the Roman ruins Mérida has to offer, crawling over stones and through tunnels, marveling at just how old these constructions really are. A highlight was the Roman Theatre, built in the 1st century BC, which I recognized well from photographs, although all of the sights were pretty darn impressive. Dang, Romans, you had mad skills. By the end of the day we were exhausted but content and headed back to Sevilla.

The impressive Roman Theatre

As I’ve said, Extremadura is often overlooked by tourists, but if you get a chance to go, do! See more of my photos from Extremadura on Facebook.

1. Brush up on your Spanish
   Whether you’re going to Spain fluent in Spanish or barely remembering how to say, “Thank you,” it’s a great idea to brush up on your Spanish before heading over. And a simple way to do that right from home is through media. Download podcasts in Spanish! My personal favorite is the free Notes in Spanish, which will help your comprehension as well as introduce you to fascinating cultural facts about Spain. Also check out PeliculasYonkis and SeriesYonkis for free (illegal) streaming movies and TV shows dubbed or subtitled in Spanish. Or simply turn on your local Spanish station, such as Telemundo or Univisión, which won’t help with the Castellano accent but will still improve your listening skills.
   

   Everyone's favorite guilty pleasure Spanish show, Física o Química

2. Meet Spanish penpals
   Why not start making friends in Spain before you arrive? Check out sites like Conversation Exchange to meet native speakers to practice Spanish via email, Skype, or instant messenger. Maybe you’ll even end up living in the same city as them or will get a chance to visit them during your time abroad!

3. Start planning all your fabulous trips around Europe
   Pull out a map and start dreaming of all the amazing places you’ll be able to visit easily and inexpensively while living in Spain. Pick up a guide book and start reading about the innumerable fantastic cities Europe has to offer. Fantasize away, and when you arrive in Spain, you’ll have a great bucket list to start ticking off.
   

   Oh, the places you'll go!

4. Keep up-to-date on Spanish current events
   Spain may be thousands of miles away now, but start becoming better politically and culturally informed now! Read Spanish newspapers online, like El País or El Mundo. If you’re not comfortable with your reading skills yet, El País also offers an English version of their newspaper.

5. Commiserate with other future auxiliares
   At least you’re not alone in your placement anxiety. Tons of other auxiliares are in the same boat as you, actively discussing their prospects on Facebook groups and forums. We all seem to be getting worked up into a frenzy on there, but it’s also somewhat therapeutic, right?

6. Discover your favorite auxiliar/expat blogs
   Reading about past and current auxiliares’ experiences is a great way to get psyched about the year ahead of you, so start reading what others have to say about their time in Spain. Check out my “Favorite Travel Blogs” list to the right for my personal favorite auxiliar/expat blogs. Keep them in one easy-to-read place with Google Reader.

7. Become a Spanish history buff
   Spain is magnificent, but it’s even more magnificent when you understand the long, momentous, fascinating history it’s endured. Pick up a book on Spanish history at your local library or simply start browsing Wikipedia. No matter where you’re placed or where you travel, there will be tons of history there, and knowing a place’s past will make it all the more exciting to see.
   

   Who wouldn't want to learn about hotties like Carlos III?

8. Practice Spanish with fellow enthusiasts at home
   Before heading off to Spain in the fall, meet up with other Spanish speakers in your area to practice your conversation skills. Your university may offer conversational groups, or check out Meetup.com.

9. Start speaking like a local
   You may be able to recite conjugation tables backwards and forwards, but you won’t sound like a real Spanish speaker until you get to know the country’s slang. Learn some of Spain’s favorite colloquial phrases on pages like this one or this one to arrive in Spain armed with a superguay lexicon.

10. Launch your blog
    One of the best ways to keep in touch with friends and family back home and record memories from your time abroad is to blog about your Spanish adventures. Your journey may not have begun yet, but your record of it can! WordPress, Blogspot, and Tumblr are a few free, popular blogging platforms. Be sure to comment here with a link to your blog so I can check it out!
    

    If a cat can do it, so can you.

11. Follow Spain/auxiliar-related Twitter accounts
    Twitter has an abundance of awesome Spain and auxiliar-related feeds. For news, follow @el_pais or @elmundo. Find the Twitter accounts of your favorite bloggers. For some great auxiliar humor, follow @guiribullshit or @spainproblems.

12. Obsessively check your email and Profex
    It may not be doing any good, but, come on, I know you’re doing it anyway.

13. Enjoy the rest of your time at home
    Your mind may be stubbornly stuck in your imagined Spanish life of the future, but don’t forget to appreciate every moment before you leave for your auxiliar adventure. Spend time with your loved ones, because, as excited as you are about Spain, I promise you’ll miss them when you’re gone. Eat all your favorite local foods. If you’re finishing college, savor every moment of the last few weeks, because they only come once a lifetime. It’s way easier said than done, but live in the moment!
    

How are you managing to pass the time while anxiously awaiting your placement? Where are you hoping to get placed?

In December, blessed with a week-long puente (Tuesday and Thursday were holidays, meaning we also got Monday and Friday off, and my school was kind enough to let me take Wednesday off as well), I took off for 5 fabulous days in Morocco, led by DiscoverSevilla. I had been to Morocco two years prior and absolutely loved it, so I was psyched to go back.

We took a bus from Sevilla to Tarifa, then a ferry from Tarifa to Tangiers, then a bus from there to Rabat, the capital of Morocco, where we had lunch (oh man, Moroccan food is amazing), walked around the beach, and explored the town a bit. First stop was the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and Hassan Tower, featuring some beautiful Moroccan architecture. Next, we headed into the old medina of Rabat. With its blue-washed buildings lining tiny, winding streets, Rabat’s old medina reminded me of Chefchaouen, my favorite town from my 2009 visit to Morocco, although this led out to a view of the city lights twinkling over the sea accompanied by the tunes of street musicians.

The beach in Rabat

A friend and I in front of the Hassan Tower

Rabat's old medina

We continued onto Fes, where we stayed the night before heading on a long journey south to the Sahara Desert. Along the way, we made a stop to play with monkeys, who we were able to get right up to and feed. Driving through the Atlas Mountains, we encountered patches of snow, a thrilling sight for a native of sunny Southern California.

If you give a monkey a peanut...

We eventually reached Erhoud, where we piled into 4x4s, driven by Moroccan guides that spoke no English, and left on a wild journey, flying over bumps and pot-holes and into the dark desert. Just like the Indiana Jones Ride at Disneyland! Except, you know, authentic. We got out and transferred to our next form of transportation: camels! Here’s where it really hit me that I was in Morocco, in the Sahara Desert, looking up at the billions of stars surrounding us and around at the endless expanses of desert. If that’s not a memory I’ll carry with me for life, I don’t know what is.

What the Sahara Desert looks like at night from on top of a camel: dark.

We reached the camp, left our belongings in our tents, then joined a group of Berbers playing music around a campfire. After yet another delicious meal, we returned to the musical campfire, played with sparklers, and then attempted, in vain, to get a good night sleep. It may have been the coldest sleep of my life, and the majority of the trip-goers may have gotten sick, but who cares? We were sleeping in the Sahara!

Berber musicians

Early the next morning, we woke up to begin quite the challenge: climbing a massive sand dune to watch the sun rise over the Sahara. If you’ve ever walked on the beach, you know how difficult it can be to walk on sand, and when you’re climbing up a steep dune, for every step up you take, you seem to slide down two. It was insanely exhausting, but I was determined to make it to the top before sunrise, and eventually I did! The views were stunning from there. Totally worth it.

Victory! Rocking my pajama pants.

Our tent, back down in the camp

Needless to say, the climb back down was significantly easier. We packed up camp, hopped on camels, and rode them to a hotel, where we ate, showered, and were ridiculously pleased to use plumbing. Later in the day, we walked to the tiny nearby town, where we got a glimpse of small-town Moroccan life and visited a series of shops. Next, we traveled to that night’s hotel, which was beautiful and luxurious and featured the coolest-looking hotel room I’ve ever stayed in. We enjoyed walking around the hotel grounds and watching the camels that roamed around them before having yet another delicious buffet of Moroccan food.

Back on those camels! My new preferred method of transportation.

Rugs for sale! Anyone got a couple hundred euros?

Our fabulous hotel room

We spent most of the next day on the bus, heading back north to Fes. The main source of excitement that day was when our bus got stopped by a big political protest. Fortunately, rather than tipping our bus or throwing rocks at us, as some of the group feared, they let us continue. Pretty exciting.

After arriving in Fes at night, we hoped to venture into the city a bit on our own, but we were quickly told that it was dangerous for girls to walk around by themselves. Sigh, to be a guy when it comes to travel. But no worries, because the next day we got a fantastic tour of Fes, weaving through the tiny, hectic streets and alleys, filled with shops, locals, and donkeys. To me, this is the real Morocco, and I adore it. We also stopped in a spice shop and a leather tannery, had our last delicious Moroccan meal of the trip, and did some quick shopping.

Leather tannery

None of my photos really capture the true essence of Fes, so here’s a video instead. It’s a bit shaky, but just think of it as an action movie?

Sadly, my time in Morocco had to come to an end, so after our tour of Fes, we returned by bus and ferry to Sevilla. The highlight of that trip was the Moroccan kids who hitched a ride on the back of our bus on the way to the Tarifa port, Marty McFly style (minus the skateboard). Beslama, Morocco. You were nothing short of amazing.

Morocco is definitely one of the greatest places I’ve ever been, and I’m grateful to have now been there twice. If you ever get a chance to, seriously, go to Morocco. Sometimes it gets a bad reputation for being dangerous or dirty, but it’s beautiful and fascinating and unlike anything you’ll ever see in the standard North American or European tourist destinations. Ryanair often has cheap flights between Madrid and Marrakesh, so if things work out and I teach in Madrid next year, I definitely hope to make a third Morocco trip! There’s nothing like it.

Last week was one of the most important celebrations in Spain, particularly in Sevilla, Semana Santa, or Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter. While I took off to Istanbul for the majority of the holiday (more on that fabulous trip later!), I still got to partake in my fair share of both Semana Santa and Easter celebrations, embracing the two very different traditions.

Excited to celebrate Semana Santa on my trip to Sevilla in 2010

One of my favorite tasks as an auxiliar de conversación this year has been preparing PowerPoint presentations for each major holiday, explaining to my students how Americans celebrate, with lots of previously-taken-for-granted details and “¡Ooh qué chulo!”-inducing photos. I’m a huge fan of holidays and being festive, plus it’s always great reminiscing about happy holiday times back home and sharing my culture with students. So I was excited to present American Easter to my students, as well as to engage my private classes in Easter activities and distribute Easter stickers (thanks Mom!) to my little ones.

Some of my 5-year-old students proudly displaying their Easter stickers

I couldn’t help but laugh at the difference in elementary school Easter decorations adorning the walls in America and Spain: cute, colorful, little bunnies, chicks, eggs, and flowers there, cute Ku Klux Klan men and mini Jesuses here. Okay, here I should stop to explain that an important part of Spanish Semana Santa are the nazarenos, the hooded procession marchers. Catholics have been using the outfits in their Holy Week celebrations for who knows how many hundreds of years before the KKK adopted them, but, as aware as I am of the outfit’s meaning, I still can’t but instinctively react to the nazarenos’ appearance.

Nazarenos in Sevilla in 2010. Just a little bit creepy.

Upon returning from Istanbul, Semana Santa was in full bloom in Sevilla, somewhat annoyingly, since it meant heaving to circumvent crowds and barriers just to get home. But that night was the renowned Madrugá, the processions on the dawn of Good Friday. Lucky me, they were going right by my house. Nazarenos and brass bands marched past, followed by big floats depicting a religious scene or a virgin. One of those was La Vírgen de la Macarena, a statue that Sevillanos worship hardcore, keeping her picture in their wallet, going crazy seeing her during Semana Santa, etc. Spain’s reverence of virgin statues is one thing I’ll never quite understand, but she was quite beautiful, surrounded by hundreds of candles.

Nazarenos at La Madrugá

La Macarena. Oooh ahhhh.

After watching La Madrugá, Semana Santa went back to being mostly an annoyance to me, with giant crowds blocking me from grocery store runs or meetings with friends, and ear-shattering bands waking me up at 6am on Sunday. It is quite an awe-inspiring event, although I had seen it in Sevilla before two years ago, and one night of seeing it this year was sufficient.

On Easter Sunday, my friends (three Americans and one Spaniard) and I celebrated Easter the American way, donning our Easter best, having an Easter brunch, decorating one friend’s apartment, and then dying three dozen Easter eggs. Easter’s never been one of my favorite holidays, but I do love all holidays, so I had a great time.

Javi, Sara, Allie, me, and Jimmy celebrating Easter the American way

If you celebrate, how was your Easter or Semana Santa? What are your favorite traditions? Hope you all had a great holiday!

Temperatures are perfect in the 70s. The sun stays out until past 9pm. Students sip sangría on the riverbank. And, best of all, the spectacularly sweet scent of azahar (orange blossom), perhaps my favorite smell in the world, floods the air for a few weeks.

Azahar and the Torre del Oro

In three days, Semana Santa (Holy Week) festivities kick off. Semana Santa is one of the most important events in Sevilla, and Sevilla has some of the most renowned Semana Santa celebrations in the world. As tourism ads around the city ask, “¿Hay una semana más apasionante?” “Is there a week that’s more enthralling?” I’d argue yes, as just a few weeks later begins Feria de Abril, Sevilla’s spring fair, complete with parades, bullfights, flamenco dresses, Sevillanas-dancing crowds, tapas, endless bottles of manzanilla wine, and parties that last all night long.

Loving every moment of Sevilla's Feria in 2010. Can't wait to wear my trajes de flamenca this year.

Today, workers around Spain declared a Huelga General (General Strike). As the bus to the town of my school only ran once today, in the evening, I was “forced” to take the day off, meaning I’m officially on spring break! And in just two short days, I head to Istanbul, Turkey! Sadly, I’ll have to leave the perfect climate of Sevilla for chilly Istanbul, but I have no doubt it will be an amazing trip. I can’t wait to see all that Turkey has to offer!

Happy spring!

• I continue to love my job, my school, and my students. Sure, the kids can be a bit rowdy at times, and I’m still getting used to the world of teaching, but, really, this is the life.
• I’m anxiously awaiting my regional placement for next year. I should be placed in Madrid because I listed it as my first choice and have priority as a renewal, but I won’t assume anything until I have an actual email from the Spanish Ministry of Education.  I’m also dying to know where my friends will be placed. Gah, impatience! And no fixed dates!
• A few weeks ago, three of my friends and I took advantage of our 5-day weekend and road tripped to Extremadura, visiting the cities of Cáceres, Guadalupe, Trujillo, and Mérida. A fantastic time was had by all.

Hanging out by a 2000-year-old Roman bridge in Mérida, Extremadura

• My mom and sister visited at the beginning of the month! We were also joined by my mom’s college friend and her son, with whom we took a daytrip to Gibraltar, and later in the week I got to see my aunt and uncle, who came down from Madrid for a day, before we all headed up to Madrid for a fantastic weekend of eating, drinking, and relaxing in — I’ve resisted picking a favorite Spanish city for so long because it’s like choosing a favorite child, but I’m prepared to say it — my favorite city in Spain.
• This past weekend, a few friends and I flew to Galicia, in the northwest of Spain, and hit up La Coruña and Santiago de Compostela. The weather may have been rather blah, but it was great seeing a new part of Spain.
• Spring break is about a week and a half away! And I’m going to Istanbul!
• The weather in Sevilla lately is lovely. Springtime in Andalucía is the best.

More updates soon!

A Mardi Gras celebration elsewhere in the world

Spain loves Carnival as well, and one of the most popular places in Spain to celebrate the holiday  is Cádiz, a beach city about an hour and a half south of Sevilla. So, like any good guiri would, last Saturday, I dressed, as my co-teacher explained, as a mamarracho (basically, a disastrous mess), boarded a bus bound for Carnaval de Cádiz, and got ready to party the night away.

According to Wikipedia, “It is a widely-held opinion that the city of Cádiz is blessed with the wittiest people in Spain [citation needed],” and though I’m not sure of the veracity of that citation-less assertion, I will say that Carnaval de Cádiz is a pretty silly event. In contrast to the elaborate costumes and dancing in places like Rio, young people fill Cádiz’s streets with €10 costumes bought at their local chino store, tacky makeup, and, of course, lots and lots of booze.

Another important aspect of Carnaval de Cádiz are the competing musical groups that perform around the festival, particularly the comedic, satirical chirigotas. Unfortunately, due to our timing in Cádiz, we missed these, although I have seen a few groups around Sevilla in the past week that seem to be chirigotas performing especially for Carnaval season.

DiscoverSevilla organizes bus transportation to and from Cádiz every year during Carnaval, so a big group of my friends joined them to partake in the celebrations. My auxiliar friends Allie and Linnaea and I purchased some cheap accessories, threw them over our warm coats, put on way too much makeup, and called that our costumes. For anyone who asked, we were drag queens.

My fabulous friends on the bus to Cádiz

Rocking the drag queen mamarracho look

Upon arriving we found, well, basically a giant, crowded botellón (the highly popular Spanish tradition of drinking in public, open-air places) with lots of costumes. I’d love to say I had a mind-blowing experience with another culture, learning all about the important traditions of Cádiz, but instead I spent the night standing around talking with friends and occasional strangers and getting pushed around by drunk people. I had a good time, definitely, but it wasn’t anything particularly special. I enjoyed spending time with my friends (as always), it was pretty neat to see the sheer number of people packed into one plaza, and it’s always fun to check out other people’s costumes, although, I have to say, the costumes at the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval are way more clever/elaborate/interesting. If I were to do Carnaval all over again, I’d go earlier in the day and try to watch some of the parades and concerts.

This picture doesn't do justice to just how many people were there

The other perk to Carnaval? My preschool students celebrating all week long with “costumes,” a.k.a. backwards clothes on Monday, band-aids on their foreheads Tuesday, and painted noses yesterday. Today, they wore full-on costumes, but, sadly, Thursdays are the one day I don’t have class with them. Still, it made my afternoon to walk behind a mini Zorro on the way to my bus stop.

Happy Carnaval!

From what I’ve seen, Spain doesn’t go quite as crazy over Valentine’s Day as we Americans do. Just as we call it a Hallmark Holiday, Spaniards refer to it as a “Día de El Corte Inglés” (El Corte Inglés being Spain’s major department store), but perhaps El Corte Inglés hasn’t succeeded at taking over everyone’s lives quite as much as Hallmark has. Some stores in Spain have Valentine’s Day decorations, but far fewer than in the U.S. Kids celebrate the holiday in school, but full-blown Valentine’s Day parties, complete with tons of cards, cookies, candies, and crafts, are replaced by a few educational activities. The Spanish fast-food pizza chain Telepizza does sell heart-shaped pizzas today, at least. If only Telepizza’s pizza were edible.

You'd think it would be hard to go wrong with pizza, but you'd be wrong. Meet Telepizza.

Even still, I’ve done my best to bring my 3rd favorite holiday (after Christmas and my birthday — what? My birthday isn’t a holiday?) to life. I kicked off my celebrations by attending a Galentine’s Day brunch on Sunday with fellow auxiliares. I brought red bell peppers, red strawberries, red juice mix, and pink strawberry milk,  and friends brought treats such as heart-shaped toast with bruschetta and heart-shaped cookies and muffins. Adorable.

Decked out in the little red I brought to Spain and displaying my festive food offerings. Thanks Allie for the picture.

Yesterday, I filled my extra after-school classes with Valentine’s Day activities, including a crossword puzzle, story, and game where students guessed each other’s Valentines (after describing them in English). Not surprisingly, with the fifth graders, that rapidly devolved into intensive grilling about my love life, and, more surprisingly, some highly inappropriate questions. Kids these days…

Today, I did a presentation on Valentine’s Day in the U.S. for the older students (I think they may be under the impression that America is a scary dictatorship after I told them that we were required to give all of our classmates Valentine’s cards in elementary school) and made cards with the younger students.

When I instructed them to make cards, I swear it wasn't even my intention to receive them as awesome gifts.

And I can’t forget to mention the highlight of my morning, an adorable stray dog following me from the bus stop to my school. I declared him my official Valentine. Later in the day, I also got to pet 1-month-old puppies that belong to the lady I tutor. So it was definitely a very canine-ly satisfying day.

It was pretty sad to have to say goodbye to this guapo guy when I arrived at work.

In the evening, I treated myself to a heavenly kebab and delicious strawberry-filled chocolate while watching terrible television and chatting with some wonderful friends back home (thanks, technology!). So, despite the obnoxious remnants of a terrible cold/flu/fever/whatever it was, it was a great day. This Valentine’s Day (and every day), no matter your relationship status, don’t forget, in the immortal words of Parks & Recreation, to TREAT YO’ SELF.

I hope you all are having an equally wonderful day! ¡Feliz Día de San Valentín! ¡Os quiero!

I’m pretty impressed, really. Wish I could take all the credit.

The North American Language and Culture Assistants/Auxiliares de Conversación program allows, and even encourages, participants to renew their positions for a second year. As renewals, we get priority placement and a much simpler application process. Considering how much I’m loving life right now, why not continue, right?

My travel group in Granada, on my first visit to Spain in 2006. Who knew I'd end up spending so much time in Spain? I guess I kind of had a feeling. It was love at first sight.

When I finished my year abroad in Madrid, I knew that I had the option to return to Spain after college, but when I finish this program, I likely will only be back in Spain for short vacations, and, right now, I can’t imagine having to say goodbye to Spain for good in June. I haven’t had enough! I miss the people back home, of course, as well as certain aspects of American life, but I plan to spend most of my life in the U.S., so why rush back now?

Submitting a renewal application is an obvious choice — it’s easy, free, and non-binding — but the less obvious decision is which comunidad autónoma (region) to apply for. Renewals can choose to either stay at the same school, stay in the same comunidad, or switch comunidades. I adore my school, my co-teachers, and my students, and I’m incredibly happy there, and Sevilla is an amazing city, but I’m pretty sure I’ll switch to Madrid next year. Why?

• I love Madrid, obviously. When I re-visited in October, I couldn’t stop thinking that I had to return to live there again some day.
• Yes, I already spent 10 months in Madrid, but, as it’s a big city, there’s still so much more to explore! I’m in love with Sevilla, and there is a lot to do here, but it’s smaller than Madrid, and, therefore, I feel like I already know most of it pretty well.
• Though I love working at my current school, I think I’d learn a lot more by working in a different environment. Changes of pace are always good.
• I could choose to stay in Andalucía and switch schools/cities, but I wouldn’t get much of a say in what city I’d be placed in, and I fear being placed in some remote, dull location. Same goes for other comunidades, and none of them interest me all that much. However, if I’m placed in the comunidad of Madrid, no matter where I’m placed, the comunidad is small enough that I could live in the city and commute.
• I have some dear friends who will most likely be in Madrid next year as well. Hanging out with them in Europe would be an utter blast.
• Madrid is much easier to travel from — many more low-cost flights fly out of the Madrid-Barajas airport. This is especially great since my sister will likely be studying in London in the fall!
• Auxiliares in Madrid get paid €1000/month instead of €700 (but also work 16 hours/week instead of 12), which is helpful since the cost of living is higher there (though not €300/month higher).
• Madrid’s metro is the greatest metro in the entire world, which is honestly one of the primary reasons I want to live there again.

My friend Connie and me at Madrid's iconic El Oso y El Madroño statue in 2010. Never mind the fact that we were still wearing our winter coats in May. Weather is one advantage Andalucía has over Madrid, but I can deal with it.

I guess I’m writing this post mainly to get my thoughts out and ask for your opinions on this issue. I hope to submit my application soon, but, before I do, I want to make sure I’ve made the right decision. Do you think doing a second year as an auxiliar but moving to Madrid is a good idea? Are there any pros/cons I haven’t thought about? Thanks!