No one in Lugo had ever had pumpkin bread before, so Cindy brought some for all the teachers around Thanksgiving. This is Teresa (the teacher she assisted) and Cindy at the coffee shop next to the school.
Why did you want to teach in Spain?
I had vacationed, studied, and interned there before and still couldn’t get enough of the Spanish lifestyle!
What was the most unusual experience you had while teaching abroad?
The contrasting way of life in the region of Galicia: horse and buggies in the big city, 3rd century Roman walls surrounding the downtown area, and seeing farmers tending to their gardens on my walk to work in the city. Galica (especially my city, Lugo) is such a beautiful mix of traditional and modern Spain.
What was a normal day like teaching in Spain?
I was an assistant to the full-time English teacher. Each morning, we met at a café inside the Roman city walls and walked about half an hour to our elementary school. We had a coffee at the café next door to the school with other teachers, and then we started the school day. Each hour, a different class (grades kindergarten to fifth) would come into our classroom for either English language or English-immersion art class. Every day, I ate a three-course meal (they were serious about school lunches!) with the principal and other teachers. After lunch, I taught English classes to the pre-school students and also taught private lessons.
What were housing arrangements like abroad?
For the first couple of weeks, I stayed with an elderly lady who was a friend of the English teacher I was working with. Through new friends in Lugo, I found a perfect three bedroom apartment near the city center that was only €300/month! It was recently remodeled, furnished with a mix of Ikea furniture and Spanish antiques, and had a beautiful view of the Miño River valley.
My boyfriend from the States joined me in Spain after a few months, and even with two people the apartment was too big. I got very lucky with such a spacious and inexpensive place so close to el centro (downtown). I wish I could take that apartment with me to every place I move!
What lessons or things did you learn while interacting with the locals?
Galicians love food. Every encounter with friends involved food and drinks in some way. I attended a wine festival, a chestnut festival, and even an octopus festival (the typical Galician dish). The town of Lugo is also one of the last cities in Spain that still gives free tapas with every drink you order, and every bar or restaurant has their own delicious specialties.
If you could change one thing about your program, what would it be?
I would make the application process much more streamlined and easy to understand. The online system of applying was very confusing, but luckily I did everything right and got accepted!
What is the next place you hope to visit and what do you want to do there?
Since nearly all of my travel, study, and work experience abroad has been in Spanish-speaking countries, I want to switch it up next time. I’d love to teach English in Thailand and travel around Asia!