Teaching English In Spain: Auxiliares de Conversación December Update
Hola! If you are new to my blog, bienvenido! You’ve stumbled upon my monthly Auxiliares de Conversación update, where I share all about my experiences teaching English and living in Spain. If you are interested in teaching abroad, are curious about life as an auxiliar, or simply enjoy keeping up with my Miss Adventures, then you are in the right place!
This month, I’ll be sharing all about the whirlwind month that was December!
December: Also Known As The Month I Worked 10 Days
“How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?”-Dr. Seuss
Is it just me or does December always seem to fly by? One minute you are celebrating Thanksgiving and waving goodbye to November, the next minute the holidays are over and it is suddenly New Year’s Eve.
As with all Decembers, this one seemed to go particularly quickly! Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that we had a puente (literally a bridge, a long weekend), or perhaps it was the fact that our last day of classes for the term was December 22.
That’s right, this December I only had to work a total of 10…I repeat 10…days. It’s a rough life.
Though there are fewer school days in December, the countdown to Christmas break was a very real thing! The kids were getting restless, the teachers in need of a break, and even I was ready for some time off (despite the fact that us auxiliares typically only work 12-16 hours a week!).
As far as everyone was concerned, the holidays couldn’t come soon enough, and the last few weeks of December were filled with a flurry of activities-reviewing the material taught during the trimester, preparing for exams, squeezing in final lessons, and, of course, getting in the mood for Christmas!
My favorite part of teaching in December was watching the kids get more and more excited for Navidad, all the while adding fuel to the (very adorable) fire by teaching festive vocabulary, planning holiday-themed activities, and playing Christmas carols in as many classes as possible.
Sometimes it can be difficult getting into the Christmas spirit when so far from home, but the holiday cheer at school was infectious!
Also, Sevilla does a phenomenal job at decorating for Christmas, so exploring the city’s Christmas markets and enjoying the festive decor definitely got into in the holiday spirit!
Before I knew it, December, and frankly the past three months in Spain had flown by, and it was time for me to return home for the holidays!
Travels
The Best of Belgium: Brussels, Ghent, and Bruges
I typically try to head on at least 2 trips per month (one weekend trip, one day trip), but December was such a short month that I only really had time to travel during the long weekend. Determined to head somewhere beautiful that would put me in the Christmas mindset, I hopped on a flight to Belgium.
During my visit, I consumed more fries and waffles than any one person should, went on an epic beer and chocolate tour in Brussels, fell in love with Ghent (and befriended fellow auxiliares from Madrid at my hostel!), and was completely charmed by historic Bruges. Oh, I also enjoyed lots of Glühwein (my favorite festive drink) and hit up all of the Christmas markets I could find! It was a solo trip for the books-I met so many cool people and saw so much incredible art and architecture that I came back simply raving about the weekend. (Thank goodness, because I totally overpaid for my flight! Shocking, I know, but national holidays are a bad time to book! 😉 )
Home Sweet Home
As much as I would have loved to have had my family join me in Europe for the holidays, it was not in the cards for me this year! Instead, the day after school ended, I made the trek from Sevilla to Madrid just in time to make it home for the holidays.
It was so nice being able to spend some quality time with my family and to catch up with some of my best friends from back home. As with most visits home, it was over in the blink of an eye.
Adios 2017!
As one year closes and another year begins, I find myself reflecting on the year I’ve had. It’s crazy to think that 1 year ago, I had just left my tour guide job in Italy and moved back to the US. At that point, I had barely even thought about teaching English! Now, here I am, living and working in Spain!
While much of this year was spent saving up and prepping for the move, I managed to squeeze in quite a few adventures! In 2017, I traveled to a total of 6 countries (3 of which I’d never been to), relocated to Spain, began my new job teaching English, and crossed off some major bucket list items! You can read more about my favorite adventures of 2017 in this post!
Budget
Learn more about this month’s budget and all of my earning and spending as an auxiliar here!
New Year, New Adventures
I am so excited to see what new opportunities 2018 will hold. As of right now, I already have trips to Copenhagen, Barcelona, and Poland on the calendar! As always, I look forward to keeping my blog up to date with my latest experiences teaching English, as well as my travels in Spain and beyond!
Feliz año nuevo, see you in 2018! Read my January update here!
Interested in learning more about life as an Auxiliar de Conversación? Then be sure to check out these posts:
- Teaching English In Spain: Auxiliares de Conversación November Update
- My First Day Teaching English In Spain As An Auxiliar de Conversación
- Auxiliar de Conversación Budget: Exactly How Much I Make (And Spend) Each Month In Spain
- 10 Essential Tips For Your First Day Teaching English In Spain
- My First Month Teaching English In Spain As An Auxiliar de Conversación
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