Oh no! I'm one of THOSE people now!

A blog. I have a blog. I'm a blogger. First off, I really don't like the words "blog" and "blogger". They sound gross and boring--like a combination of the words "blah" and...well, something you might find in your nose. It's really just a shortened word for Web Log, but I can't help but wish they invented a more interesting name. But I digress, and I haven't even really started blogging yet. Hee!

Aside from the random introduction, I do think starting a blog for this trip is a good idea. One, several people have asked me to start one. Two, I like to write. Three, I can tell everyone what I've been doing at the same time. Four, I fail miserably at traditional diary-keeping, and if I don't write it down, sooner or later I'll forget what I've been doing. And I certainly want a record of my thoughts, actions, and experiences in Spain!

Since I'm not exactly sure who all will be reading this, let me start with an introduction. I'm 23 and have an older sister (she's been a big help in starting this blog, so let's all give her a round of applause. Yay Amanda! :-)) and two younger brothers, both in or almost in college. I was homeschooled (along with my siblings) and officially started learning Spanish through a video series by A Becka Academy--learning through a recorded classroom. I loved it. After high school, I went to UC: Raymond Walters College, studying Liberal Arts (I loved it) with the purpose of transferring to NKU to major in Spanish. I graduated from NKU in 2009 with a degree in Spanish and a minor in Latin American Studies (I loved it). I also studied abroad in Mexico for a month in 2008 (I loved it). Post-graduation, I went on a church missions trip to Texas, ministering to the Hispanic/Latino families and children through VBS as well as helping one of our missionary couples (I loved it). I've volunteered for various Spanish-related projects in 2009 and 2010 (translating, etc.), but no official career has surfaced. I worked at Target for almost a year, which I enjoyed (okay, I like the work but love the co-workers), but I still had a passion to 1) use Spanish, 2) work with children, 3) help people beyond showing them where to find mattress covers and light bulbs, 4) travel, and 5) remain somewhat connected to the academic world. 

I found out about this opportunity through an e-mail from NKU. The Spanish Ministry of Education sends out a bunch of grants to native English speakers to live in Spain and assist teaching English for basically a school year. I applied what now seems like forever ago and really wasn't even sure I wanted to do it. But when the official e-mail came that I received a placement and had five days to decide, I just knew it was what God wanted me to do. With approval from my family and getting advice from others, I accepted! 

That was just the first step. Little did I truly know how extensive and time-consuming the process was! I had to gather medical certificates, police clearance reports, and all sorts of documents to apply for a visa. Annoying but doable, right? Well, I had to apply for the visa in person at the Spanish Consulate in...Chicago! This led to TWO Chicago trips (dropping off the application and then picking up the visa), which was rather inconvenient at first but ended up being two fantastic trips to a really neat city! Dad and I went the first time, and Mom joined us on round 2. Both trips were great!

Hmm...this is a long introduction! I'll stop here and give more specifics about my placement later. Thanks for reading!