Another few weeks have passed here in Chicago without much change. The holidays have come and gone as usual. I have just passed the one-year mark since my departure to Spain and it is such a bittersweet feeling. I remember being so fearful of leaving the US and now I cannot wait to leave again. I also had such high expectations of what my life would be after college. Needless to say, I have come nowhere near those expectations which saddens me more and more everyday.
I must say that I have been good about keeping on target with my goals for getting abroad and even added some interesting twists. But let's start where I left off...
I've been applying and researching for more grants in Spain. I just finished 2 cover letters in Spanish (a difficult task because I rarely use my Spanish since graduating); I have completed everything for the major grant that Dani found for me and all that is left is to mail it in and wait for a response.
I took a trip to the English Consulate downtown this past week in order to get my dual citizenship rolling. It was pretty much a wasted trip because they told me that everything, even my birth declaration has to go through Washington DC. I was hoping to avoid this time strain but there's is nothing I can do about it. So I have to put this on hold for a bit because I have finally realized that my eyes and my heart are too big for my wallet, and with the final of my student loans beginning this month, I have very little money to spare. But hopefully a better job is waiting for me around to bend so I can finally put all my hard work into action.
I am slowly starting my other TEFL courses. I get to do them on my own time which is a blessing and a curse all in one. With work being slow these next few weeks, hopefully I can motivate myself to get a jump start on them.
Probably the biggest twist and main reason for this post is a decision I made after careful consideration a few weeks ago. I have been so hell-bent on returning to Spain (which has not changed, however...) I never even considered teaching anyplace else in the world. So after much research, I have decided to leave the States a few months ahead of schedule and teach in Asia.... South Korea to be more specific (no they are not the ones that are anti-American). I'm going just for the summer, but the pay is amazing, all accomadations are included, as well as roundtrip airfare. But I have a method to my madness... with the outrageous prices of airfare right now, schools in S. Korea with pay for both flights to and from Korea. Therefore, I figured that I will have my school in Korea simply pay for my flight to Spain. Save myself almost $1000 while gaining teaching experience and learning about a brand new culture. Plus, I figure that the culture shock will be so incredibly massive in Korea, that by the time summer ends, Spain will be the closest thing to America and my adjustment back into the Spanish way of life will be easy. A few people that were in my TEFL courses earlier will already be in Korea by this summer, so I am confident that my transition will not be terrible. I have contacted my advisor from my TEFL course, and he is helping me prepare my resume and getting ready for some interviews with Korean schools. He says that by mid to late February, I should know where and when I will be arriving in S. Korea.
This was actually the easiest part of my journey so far. If I wasn't so smitten by Spain, I may have chosen to remain in Asia for more than just a summer. But with my dream in arm's reach, I am not slowing down. I know what I want and I'm no longer afraid to fight for it. All I have to do is be patient and wait out the winter which already seems never-ending.
Until next time,
<3 Brittany
08 January 2009
15 December 2008
Reconnecting to an Unknown Past...
It's been an eventful few weeks to say the least. Especially on my journey to get abroad...
Starting off, I finally finished the main portion of my TEFL Certification. I completed my 60-hour course and have my actual certificate to teach ESL. I can't tell you how emotional I was; not only because I finally realized that teaching may be my calling but the irony that comes with getting my teaching certificate before my actual college diploma! However, I've decided to take 2 specializations to go along with my certificate: one being Advanced English Grammar and the second being Business English. These will hopefully increase my marketablitly to Spanish institutions but also open more doors to private tutoring (a very lucrative way to make extra cash in Europe). So within the next 3 months, I will hopefully have both specializations completed and job offers rolling in... but let's not get ahead of myself here.
Probably the biggest decision I have made was based on some heavy setbacks when it came to looking for positions and grants within Spain. It seems a pesky little thing called the European Union (EU) has a problem giving jobs to anyone not a citizen to a country within... the European Union. For anyone that is confused, the United States is not a part of the EU. Therefore, I decided to take on the task of getting my dual citizenship with England. My ancestors including my father were raised in England. I never knew much about my family's life prior to their move to America in the 80s but with my new interest in the European way of life, I figured it was a good idea to look into my past. So I started my search on how to regain a part of my life I never knew about. I did the research online and found that luckily the male side of the family can be linked easily and leagally for citizenship. Any person that has a maternal father or grandfather from a foreign land in the EU can claim citizenship due to birth right. In recent years, a mother's lineage and adoption records can also be used. I was finally on the right track.
The only set back I came across was a lack of documentation on my parent's part. It seems that when my parents first married, they should have filed their marriage with the English government and thereafter, my birth. Because, needless to say, they didn't, I have to do so myself... 23 years after the fact. This is not only time consuming but pricey. All the paper work has to be done to the T and after this is sent in and accepted by the English consulate, I can finally begin my bid for dual citizenship. This should take hopefully 6 weeks. However, I do run the risk of being excluded from many of the benefits of being an EU citizen. One of which is the free labor clause that allows all EU citizens to work in any country that is apart of the European Union (including Spain) Here lies the dilemma. I'm spending so much time and money to get my dual citizenship with England in order to get my EU passport that will allow me to work in SPain freely. However, because I was not actually born in England, the UK government can decide to revoke my EU benefits after a personal interview with me. But it is a risk I am willing and must take.
In the mean time, I am still preparing to take this one last test that will finally give me my Bachelors that I have been longing for. I am also applying for some teaching positions with the hope of having an EU passport shortly. Luckily, Dani, my dearest friend from Spain, found me a possible position that gives student visas to Americans for a short time to teach English. This is the best hope I have if my dual citizenship doesn't work out. The pay is not great, but at least it is a start. The only problem is that I do not get to choose where I get to teach in Spain. I know the phrase that 'beggars cannot be choosers' but I feel that being close to Dani and Toledo is the only chance i have at keeping my sanity on such a life changing journey.
Personally, I am struggling on all fronts. My desire to return to the 'exotic' European life is overwhelming. But my fears and love for comfort are definately wearing me down. As time passes, I feel that I am losing myself again and returning to the careless and naive ways of my past. I find it harder and harder to remember some things that made my time abroad to magical. And I doubt myself and my abilities as Spain becomes a distant memory and even a dream that was too good to be true. All I can do now is trust myself to remember the reason why I started off on this journey to return abroad and to realize that I only have one life that cannot be wasted in conformity and constant protection. Time will only tell...
Starting off, I finally finished the main portion of my TEFL Certification. I completed my 60-hour course and have my actual certificate to teach ESL. I can't tell you how emotional I was; not only because I finally realized that teaching may be my calling but the irony that comes with getting my teaching certificate before my actual college diploma! However, I've decided to take 2 specializations to go along with my certificate: one being Advanced English Grammar and the second being Business English. These will hopefully increase my marketablitly to Spanish institutions but also open more doors to private tutoring (a very lucrative way to make extra cash in Europe). So within the next 3 months, I will hopefully have both specializations completed and job offers rolling in... but let's not get ahead of myself here.
Probably the biggest decision I have made was based on some heavy setbacks when it came to looking for positions and grants within Spain. It seems a pesky little thing called the European Union (EU) has a problem giving jobs to anyone not a citizen to a country within... the European Union. For anyone that is confused, the United States is not a part of the EU. Therefore, I decided to take on the task of getting my dual citizenship with England. My ancestors including my father were raised in England. I never knew much about my family's life prior to their move to America in the 80s but with my new interest in the European way of life, I figured it was a good idea to look into my past. So I started my search on how to regain a part of my life I never knew about. I did the research online and found that luckily the male side of the family can be linked easily and leagally for citizenship. Any person that has a maternal father or grandfather from a foreign land in the EU can claim citizenship due to birth right. In recent years, a mother's lineage and adoption records can also be used. I was finally on the right track.
The only set back I came across was a lack of documentation on my parent's part. It seems that when my parents first married, they should have filed their marriage with the English government and thereafter, my birth. Because, needless to say, they didn't, I have to do so myself... 23 years after the fact. This is not only time consuming but pricey. All the paper work has to be done to the T and after this is sent in and accepted by the English consulate, I can finally begin my bid for dual citizenship. This should take hopefully 6 weeks. However, I do run the risk of being excluded from many of the benefits of being an EU citizen. One of which is the free labor clause that allows all EU citizens to work in any country that is apart of the European Union (including Spain) Here lies the dilemma. I'm spending so much time and money to get my dual citizenship with England in order to get my EU passport that will allow me to work in SPain freely. However, because I was not actually born in England, the UK government can decide to revoke my EU benefits after a personal interview with me. But it is a risk I am willing and must take.
In the mean time, I am still preparing to take this one last test that will finally give me my Bachelors that I have been longing for. I am also applying for some teaching positions with the hope of having an EU passport shortly. Luckily, Dani, my dearest friend from Spain, found me a possible position that gives student visas to Americans for a short time to teach English. This is the best hope I have if my dual citizenship doesn't work out. The pay is not great, but at least it is a start. The only problem is that I do not get to choose where I get to teach in Spain. I know the phrase that 'beggars cannot be choosers' but I feel that being close to Dani and Toledo is the only chance i have at keeping my sanity on such a life changing journey.
Personally, I am struggling on all fronts. My desire to return to the 'exotic' European life is overwhelming. But my fears and love for comfort are definately wearing me down. As time passes, I feel that I am losing myself again and returning to the careless and naive ways of my past. I find it harder and harder to remember some things that made my time abroad to magical. And I doubt myself and my abilities as Spain becomes a distant memory and even a dream that was too good to be true. All I can do now is trust myself to remember the reason why I started off on this journey to return abroad and to realize that I only have one life that cannot be wasted in conformity and constant protection. Time will only tell...
19 November 2008
So it begins...
I've never been much into blogging, but lately, with all my plans heading me overseas, I figured I might as well start. So here we go...
Currently I'm 22 and graduated this past June from Ohio University. With one silly test keeping me from my diploma, I'm stalling on finding a true career. Not because I'm incapable or scared, but because I have no idea what I want to do with my life. My degree (will be) in Spanish and Business Administration. However, ever since my short stint with Teach for America this past year, I'm definately leaning more towards a career in education. Therefore, for the past several weekends, I've been taking classes towards a certificate in TEFL: teaching english as a foreign language. It was by far the best decision I've made in my adult life.
With a few classes left, I'll be able to start looking for teaching jobs. Of course, my first choice and really only desired destination is Spain. I spent my quarter abroad studying in Toledo from January to mid March of 2008. At the time, I was dragging through the days only wanting to go back to the US and finish my senior year of college with my friends. Once I returned home, I realized what a drastic impact Europe really made on my life. I find myself seemingly disgusted with some American practices and yearning for the good ole' days of strolling through ancient cities, exploring new cultures, and seeing the US as the rest of the world does. Now more than ever, I realize that Europe is where I want to spend the next segment of my life.
So hopefully with this blog, I will take you through my journey on moving to Europe, my life abroad, and all the worldly adventures I have yet to face!
"Let your mind start a journey thru a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you want to go... close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar, and you'll live as if you've never lived before."
-Erich Fromm
Besos-
Brittany
Currently I'm 22 and graduated this past June from Ohio University. With one silly test keeping me from my diploma, I'm stalling on finding a true career. Not because I'm incapable or scared, but because I have no idea what I want to do with my life. My degree (will be) in Spanish and Business Administration. However, ever since my short stint with Teach for America this past year, I'm definately leaning more towards a career in education. Therefore, for the past several weekends, I've been taking classes towards a certificate in TEFL: teaching english as a foreign language. It was by far the best decision I've made in my adult life.
With a few classes left, I'll be able to start looking for teaching jobs. Of course, my first choice and really only desired destination is Spain. I spent my quarter abroad studying in Toledo from January to mid March of 2008. At the time, I was dragging through the days only wanting to go back to the US and finish my senior year of college with my friends. Once I returned home, I realized what a drastic impact Europe really made on my life. I find myself seemingly disgusted with some American practices and yearning for the good ole' days of strolling through ancient cities, exploring new cultures, and seeing the US as the rest of the world does. Now more than ever, I realize that Europe is where I want to spend the next segment of my life.
So hopefully with this blog, I will take you through my journey on moving to Europe, my life abroad, and all the worldly adventures I have yet to face!
"Let your mind start a journey thru a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you want to go... close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar, and you'll live as if you've never lived before."
-Erich Fromm
Besos-
Brittany
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