What inspired you to travel abroad?
I applied to about 10 schools in Massachusetts as a Spanish major. The schools which had abroad programs reached out to me. I received an email regarding the Suffolk Spain Campus that interested me. At that time I’m at a point in life where it’s like, well what else am I gonna do? I didn’t know what I wanted. I replied to the email, got an interview, and showed up.
I ended up in Madrid. A semester turned into five years, Suffolk Madrid turned into Saint Louis Madrid, and you know what? It was the happiest little coincidence that’s ever happened to me. My point is, nothing inspired me. A chain of events called life is what lead me here. So throw the plan out the window, why not come to Madrid? Why not take your chance?
TED Madrid
Why did you choose TEFL Madrid Academy?
I chose to do the TEFL certification because I had always been interested in being a teacher and they offer a great support system for being able to stay in Spain. I’ve been here on a student visa for almost five years now, and in order to keep that, I need to be enrolled in some- thing. The TEFL certification offered that to me. It also offered me accreditation, experience, a path in life; killed about 5 birds with one stone honestly.
It really offers everything an aspiring teacher abroad may need. Support, organised lists of everything you have to do and how to do it so you don’t get lost in the sauce, a certificate that lets you work pretty much anywhere in- ternationally, a visa to stay in a really cool country. It’s just a really great, well rounded service and totally worth the money. I also figured that if I really didn’t like it, the course itself was only a month long, and after that no one is forcing you to do anything. After that you’ve got a life long certification that’s recognised world wide, a visa that allows you to stay legally in the country, some new friends that you made during the course, and all the freedom to choose what you want to do.
What was your favorite part about Spain?
I know it’s so lame but the honest to gosh truth is I don’t think I have a favorite part about Spain. Any place is great if you’ve got the right people and the right set up, and yes, I have that here, thanks to the academy and thanks to my ever-developing social skills. So what I can say is so great about Madrid is the life template it gives you. You know those brainstorm tem- plates with the bubbles and you fill it in any way you want? That’s Madrid. It’s the perfect place to get that perfect set up. It’s clean, it’s safe, it’s so fun, there are things to do every day of the week, at all hours of the day.. It’s so diverse that you can explore new corners of the city or country and always find something new. I’ve been here five years and I still see some- thing new everyday.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
What made my experience abroad extraordinary is the people that I have met and the things I’ve learned about myself. By meeting people from new places and being put into a different culture, I gained a whole new perspective. My world opened up in ways it never would have if I'd stayed in Massachusetts. I’ve met some of my best friends here and every day continue to meet people with stories and experiences different from my own. I have found a situation in which I feel comfortable to be myself, live my life, and feel supported. The city is safe, clean, and a perfect template to create your dream life. What’s more, it's incredibly diverse and people are constantly coming and going. It’s a very cosmopolitan city, making it easy to meet new and different people.
How did the local TEFL Madrid Academy staff support you throughout your program?
The local staff helped me with absolutely everything throughout my program. I had already been in Spain for a number of years, so a lot of my things were already sorted out regarding hous- ing, visa, bank card, etc. Even so, there are always little tweaks and kinks in the road that you can’t really foresee, and the program was there to back me up literally every time. Every little question I had about my visa, even though I was already going through the process for the fifth time, they were there to help. All of my questions about what to do when I was unsure of certain things that were going wrong with my bank account, or even the right questions to ask when renting an apartment even though I had already done it, they helped me out. Everything from serious paper- work right down to little pieces of advice, the staff in my program were there to help me.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
How could I have done anything differently? If I did I wouldn’t be where I am. Every day is a new opportunity to do something new. If I don’t like what I did yesterday, I will do some- thing different today, and all is well. Could I have made better choices? Maybe. But I wouldn’t have any exciting memories that way. Could I have not dated that one person considering it was a waste of time and emotional energy? Sure, but I wouldn’t have learned anything, and I wouldn’t be as aware of where to put my energy now. Could I have said ‘no’ in certain situations when I said ‘yes’, or vice versa? Probably. But what does it matter? Life is cyclical. If you mess up once, it’s fine. If you don’t like last year, you can change this year. The key is letting go. And that’s one thing I’ve learned to do here. I mean look at Madrid. Look at this beautiful template that I have, totally open to make life what I want it to be. I have this awesome giant playground to hang out in. I have the privilege of looking at life in a certain way; not everyone is able to do that and it has to be appreciated. I’m excited about life, and about doing new things, and about seeing what tomorrow will bring. If I did anything differently I wouldn’t be here, and honestly, doing things differently doesn’t matter to me, because it’s over, and I exist right now. T
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
A typical day in my life depends on my obligations for the day, of course. Many things are consistent, for example: I wake up, drink 750ml of lemon water, eat something, and head to the gym. When I get home I take a shower and eat more, and that’s where things really get exciting. It used to be that from there I would either have to sleep, go to class, or start getting ready because I worked all night and studied all day. I don’t work at night anymore, I hated not sleeping. I don’t study anymore either, I graduated. But going to work and being a part of the Madrid nightlife, or going to school and hanging with people from all over the world, made even the things I would have dreaded most seem like fun to me. Now, on my way to work every day, I pass beautiful parks and even some landmarks that most people only see on Google. Going to the grocery store, I get awesome food for really cheap. Cooking in my kitchen, I can open up the window and wave across the way to my neighbour, or I can shut the window because their music is too loud; the choices are endless. But all jokes aside, a typical day in my life abroad is fun. I’m in an environment different from the one I grew up in, so,
everything is an adventure.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
During my free time I like to take walks, go to parks, sit at a terraza and have a drink or something to eat, hang out with friends, anything really. This city, this world, is a giant play- ground, and I’m still a kid. My favorite park in the city is Parque Santander. It’s got a track and an outdoor gym, which is kinda my jam, but it also has benches and is very pretty for those of you looking for something more relaxed.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
I live in my apartment. Nothing to do with the academy, I’m just a big girl and needed a place to sleep these last few years, both pre and post TEFL. I’ve actually just recently moved for the fifth or sixth time since I’ve been here, I don’t really remember, but all of my living situations have been great. One thing that has helped me find places that suit me is prioritising. I’m not an abroad student here for a few months. I live here. I care about my apartment being comfortable because I won’t be out all day exploring and for me it’s not temporary. So I don’t mind living a bit further from the centre so as to pay less for a nicer place. For others, they may prefer a central location. Totally depends on the individual. I like my apartment. It’s a good size for my partner and I, it’s renovated, it’s bright orange, and it’s smack dab in the middle of a predominantly latino neigh- borhood. It’s perfect for us. It always smells like good food and there’s always music playing.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
It’s awesome. You’re gonna have so much fun, honestly. I went in being all like, “ooooh I wanna teach English, I’m passionate about teaching so I’m going to get certified and follow protocol”. But you’ll come out with so much more than that. Not only did I leave my program with a handful of new friends, I also learned so much within the course, beyond grammar, and lesson planning, and resume organisa- tion. I learned about perspectives, and different people, and how to relax, and that everything is relative. I learned to fake it til I make it which, yes, is both important and legitimate. I learned that teachers are regular people too, just like students.
Let Me explain that one. I remember being in high school and seeing my language teachers for example, and these people who were not native to the language at hand. And I used to think, wow, they’ve really got it all under control, they speak the language perfectly, they know exactly how to control the class, etc. Being up there in front of a class, I realised all the ways a teacher can mess up, and all the ways it doesn’t matter. Because my students will probably be sitting there thinking the same thing I used to think in high school. They don’t know what the deal is, they know what you tell them. It’s okay to mess up sometimes, it’s okay to be nervous, and it’s okay to be human.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
The biggest benefit of traveling abroad is probably getting out of your comfort zone. Yeah okay you learn a lot of things and meet a lot of new people, we covered that. But really the biggest part of it, I think, is being humbled. You’re no longer in your territory. You’re no longer the strongest player on the field and you may not be able to put on your strong suit. Imagine you don’t speak Spanish and you live in Madrid. Maybe you’re really smart, and maybe no one will know that because you can’t even express it. Maybe the culture is different from yours, and suddenly you’re the odd one out. Now hold on, I’m not saying going abroad is going to be miserable and everyone is going to hate you, but it’ll surely be different.
There’ll surely be situations in which you feel a bit out of place, or at least in which you can’t express yourself to the fullest. It won’t be scary, don’t worry, but it will make you see things from another perspective.
I think the best part about going to another country is being in someone else’s playing field. Seeing how they do things. Realising that maybe you aren’t the smartest person in the world, and maybe there are more ways to do things besides your own way.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel means travel that has impacted you or the world around you. I think all travel is meaningful. All travel sparks a change in your life, be it good or bad, and influences you in one way or another, and that is meaningful. Every step you take towards your future self is meaningful, and everything has an impact, even if it is small. So I guess what I’m trying to say is that to me meaningful travel means travel. Almost like that’s the actual phrase but the meaningful is silent since it’s a given.
