The day that I registered for my TEFL course was the day that I knew that I would be participating in an incredible, life-changing experience. I was, of course feeling scared, confused, and terrified of leaving my mom, with whom I am very close. Despite these feelings, I knew that I needed to try something different...to break away from a life of work behind a desk. The Europe TEFL course in Barcelona seemed like the perfect way to do this, so sent in my application and prepared for Spain.

The course was intimidating at first. We were required to attend a few classes in a different language (ours was Czech! this was so we could to see what our students feel like when learning English), prepare student lessons, learn English grammar points that I haven't practiced since 7th grade, and teach real classes. The course was tough, but manageable. I made some very good friends during the course and found plenty of time to get to know the city, relax, go to the beach, and have fun with my classmates, despite the workload.

After completing the course I was confident about finding a job and a nice piso (apartment) to rent. I spent about 2 weeks creating my CV (resume) and sending it to companies in the city. I also traveled to some of these companies and was offered interviews on the spot. I was offered jobs from a few different schools, but I chose the one that best fit my style of teaching. And yes, you do realize that you have a teaching style of teaching after only 4 weeks of the course.

Now that I have been living in Barcelona for a few months, I have become well-adjusted to the lifestyle of the city and its people. I live in my favorite part of town with three roommates: they are from France, England, and Mexico. I have three-day weekends with the job that I chose and I travel often. It's easy to plan 3-day vacations in the countries surrounding Spain. I also planned a road trip with 4 friends who I met through the course. We traveled through Spain in August and spent time in the following cities: Burgos, Zaragoza, Salamanca, Segovia, Toledo, Madrid, Bunol, and Valencia. We went to the Tomatina (the world's largest food fight), Madrid (Spain's capital city), saw a bullfight, and spent time on the beautiful beaches of Valencia.

This experience has changed me in so many ways. I am a more confident, courageous person, and I have never had more faith in myself and the things that I am capable of. I have experienced other cultures and truly know what it is like to live and work in a different culture, surrounded by a different language. I realize that I don't have to work behind a desk every day from 9 to 5. There is a world of possibilities in terms of my future.

I originally planned to live in Spain for one year so that I could return to Philly and start my time in the "Real World". I realize now that the life I'm living in Barcelona is more real than any internship or part-time job I've ever had. I also realize that this might not simply be a year-long adventure; it may be a complete change of direction in terms of my career. I never want to stop exploring new places and meeting new people.

By this time next year I will be doing one of the following things: Living in Japan or China as an English teacher, living in the south of Spain to continue to practice Spanish, attending grad school in Canada, or spending time with my family in Philadelphia while I save up for my next big adventure. I plan to teach at the language school where I am currently employed until the end of June. At that time I will take two weeks in July to travel through Spain and then head to the Pyrenees Mountains where I will be working at a summer camp until the end of the month. In August I will teach at summer camps in Italy, France, or Spain. I plan to spend the following weeks backpacking through Italy while I decide which country to move to next.

Through my TEFL course I have made all of my dreams come true, and I couldn't be happier with my decision!