Being an Au Pair in Spain.

18 Feb 2014 Leave a comment

by Yari in Uncategorized Tags: , , ,

I cannot even tell you how many emails and comments I’ve gotten asking me about this topic. So I figured a post would be an easy way for people to find the information they want quickly and in one place. So here goes:

1. How did you find your family?

My family actually found me. I had made a profile on aupairworld.net and they messaged me through there.

2. How did you decide which family to live with?

This was actually a much harder decision than I thought it would be. Originally, my school was in Alcalá  de Henares so I was looking for families there. I had found a great one and was whatsapping constantly with the mom when I got the news that I had been switched to a school in Majadahonda (the complete opposite side of Madrid). I obviously had to inform the family that due to the circumstances, I could no longer commit to them. So my search began all over again. Some families didn’t pan out because they wanted someone who could take the kids to school and pick them up in the evenings, and that just wasn’t a possibility with my work schedule. I ended up being torn between two families, one of which had been the one to initiate contact with me. I decided to skype with both families in order to help me make a better informed decision. This was definitely the best thing I could have done because the decision became very clear to me after speaking with the families. I chose the one that had contacted me first and it was the greatest decision I’ve ever made.

3. How should I decide which family is best for me?

The biggest thing I could tell you regarding choosing your family is to make sure that you are all clear about what your responsibilities with them entail. If you don’t want to work on Friday evenings and the weekends, make that clear from the beginning. If you want to be able to travel during holiday breaks and long weekends, make it known. Ask if they would be okay with you having friends from back home visit and stay with you. Ask what they expect you to do with the children. Do they just want you to speak and play with them in English or do they want you to give them formal lessons? Also, make sure you inform them about our BEDA classes. Mine were in the afternoons on Fridays so I always made sure to give my Spain mom a heads up that I would be arriving later those days.

The next thing is asking about accommodation. Is your room next to everyone else’s or in another part of the house? Do you have your own bathroom or do you share? Are you expected to buy your own groceries or eat with the family? I loved that my room was in the basement so I felt like I really had my own space. I also had my own bathroom, which was a definite bonus. I always ate dinner with the family, and I loved it because I truly felt like I was another member of the family.

I’m also not big on going out or meeting friends for dinner or drinks during the week, so that was never an issue with me. My Spain family never said that I was expected to go home directly after work, but I always did. If once in awhile you’d like to take an evening to have dinner with your friends, make sure to tell your family that. I really don’t see too many people have an issue with that request.

To reiterate, the MAIN thing when choosing your family is that you both have clear ideas of what your responsibilities will be.

4. Is being an au pair really worth it?

The greatest decision I made regarding my Spain life was living with my Spain family. So yes, for me it was most definitely worth it. First, I became a part of a family. I gained 3 little brothers and 1 little sister. I gained two awesome parents. And I know that I will consider these people my family forever. I’m also the type of person that seriously loves kids, so I really liked being with and playing with the kids. Second, I was able to travel so much more and the way I wanted (i.e. staying in hotels rather than hostels) because I was able to save more money because I didn’t have to pay for rent or groceries.

5. Did you truly, really, honestly enjoy your au pair experience?

YES. People always seem to think that I’m not being truthful. But being an au pair was one of the greatest things I have ever done. No doubts. No regrets. I love my Spain family and it’s nice to know that I’ve made a bond with these people that will last the rest of my life.

 

If you have any other questions, please leave it below in a comment 🙂

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Update.

04 Aug 2013 1 Comment

by Yari in Uncategorized

Hello everyone!

Just wanted to write a really quick update on here to let you all know that I’ve been super behind in replying to emails and comments. I’ll be getting to the emails tomorrow so if you’ve emailed me and I haven’t responded, you should be getting a reply at some point this week.

It’s been so nice being home. I was only in Maryland for 6 days before I left for Puerto Rico, so I’ve been enjoying the old line state a lot more now that I’m back from PR. I’ll be writing a post about my vacation there later this week. And the day after I got back from Puerto Rico I went into DC to celebrate my friend’s bachelor(ette) party. It was SO much fun and it was the first time I was seeing my closest friends in a year!

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That’s pretty much it for now. I just wanted to write this to let you all know that I’ll be writing an actual post soon 🙂

¡Hablamos pronto!

Looking Back.

19 Jun 2013 7 Comments

by Yari in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , ,

I’m sitting here on my bed, looking around at what has been my room for the past 9.5 months and I can’t believe that I’ll be heading home for the summer come tomorrow (by the time this publishes, I’ll be on a plane making my way to Charlotte, NC, where I catch my flight home to MD). This past year has been such an amazing learning and growing experience for me. I needed something that would push me out of my shell and this did exactly that. I think it’s so funny that when I tell the people I’ve met here in Spain that I’m shy, they all disagree with me and say that I’m not shy at all. That is, by far, my greatest accomplishment this past year.

Then there’s the fact that I always thought that I worked best with primary school aged children and I’ve learned here that I really enjoy and prefer working with secondary aged students. I’ve had such an amazing year with my students and will truly miss them over the summer. It was great to see their English improve over the year and feel like I was truly making a difference in their English education. I know that I’ll be really excited to be reunited with them come September. I have also been incredibly lucky in that I have bonded a great deal with the faculty at my school. I love that we are much more like a family than coworkers. It’s so nice to have that homey environment at work and it’s something that I value greatly. The teachers have me laughing constantly in the teacher’s lounge and during our merienda break and have been the best part of my experience at my school. I was sad when I said goodbye to them for the summer yesterday.

ProtagsAnd what would this year have been like without my amazing new friends? I can’t thank Diana, Sean, and Dan enough for the great memories and laughs they’ve given me this past year. It’s imperative to have quality friends anywhere, but especially when you’re living abroad and are away from your family and friends from home. So to have been lucky enough to find 3 people who I think the world of is pretty damn awesome.

Of course, travelling has also been a major theme this past year. Besides the obvious travel to Spain, I have also been able to visit a few other European countries that were on my bucket list. I never thought I would actually get to see the Eiffel Tower in person or visit King’s Cross station and see Platform 9 3/4. I never thought I would spend nearly 2 weeks visting Italy during Holy Week. Travelling has been an amazing advantage of living in Europe and I look forward to travelling some more when I return. That being said, I do want to travel a lot within Spain next year because I want to get to know that country I’m living in more. And Spain has so many beautiful places to see, it’d be a shame to live here and not visit them.

I must say, though, that the greatest thing that has happened to me this past year has been gaining another family here in Spain. My Spain family completely took me in and treated me like one of their own. The move here would have been a thousand times more difficult without them. I have loved every single second of being a big sister to the kids! My summer will feel too quiet without them. I’ll constantly be expecting to hear a knock at my door and a kid saying, “Yarelis, can I play with your phone?” or “Yarelis, juega conmigo.” And my Spain parents are the best! Anyone who watches telenovelas knows that when you find another person who watches them and loves the same ones you do, it’s like finding a kindred spirit…and I’ve found just that in my Spain mom 🙂 We also share a profound love of cheesecake. And I think I’ve mentioned on here before that my Spain mom is one of the best cooks ever…and if I haven’t mentioned it before, well, I’m saying it now: She is one of the best cooks ever! I never had a meal that she made that I did not enjoy. And my Spain dad is awesome. Super funny and he always has interesting stories and topics to tell/discuss with me. It’s been so great to live with a family that I not only love, but really admire and look up to.

While I am excited to see my family/friends and spend my summer with them, it feels great to know that when I return to Spain in September I’ll be welcomed by great friends and my other family. It’s always nice to know that you have a “home away from home.”

¡Nos vemos en dos meses y medio, Madrid!

Ciao Amici!

29 Mar 2013 Leave a comment

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I know I’ve been super MIA, but I’m in Italia for semana santa. I spent my first few days in Florence and I’m currently in Rome. I’m loving Italy so far! I’ll have lots to write when I return to Spain on Monday! ¡Hablamos pronto!

Image by Yari

My Life as an Auxiliar in Spain

12 Mar 2013 16 Comments

by Yari in auxiliares de conversación, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , ,

I get a lot of emails that inquire about my life in Spain. Most people ask if I’m friends with other auxiliares, what I do in my free time, and what I do at my colegio.

So here’s a little glimpse into my auxiliar life here.

I work at an awesome school located in Alcorcón. Mondays are my busiest day because I teach 6 classes. Mondays and Wednesdays I finish at 3:30, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2:30, and Fridays at 1:35. The earliest I have to be at my school is 9:25 and that’s on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. You may think that since I go in at that time it means I don’t have to get up so early…well, you’re wrong. I live in the outskirts of Madrid, so the commute to my school takes 1.5 hours. So on the days I have to go in at 9:25, I wake up at 6:30, and am on the bus that takes me to the metro by 7:40. Since I have a decent commute, I’ll normally pass the time listening to music, or reading on my kindle, and sending whatsapps to my fellow language assistants since everyone else back home is asleep.

Most of the time, I get to the school around 9:10 so that gives me a good amount of time to get myself together for my first class. I have class from 9:25-11:15 (That’s two class periods). Then I have a merienda break until 11:45. During this time, I go to a nearby cafe with my fellow teachers and have some coffee along with a tostada con mermelada.

[Side note 1: I have been extremely lucky in that I get along spectacularly with the faculty at my school. They have invited me to meet up with them many times during the weekend to go shopping together or out to eat. I can definitely say that they constantly keep me laughing. They’re always joking with me saying that I’m going to tell everyone back home that the teachers in Spain are all insane. What I will be telling people is that if all the faculty in Spain is like the one at my school, then it’s the best faculty in the world.]

Due to the fact that we spend the vast majority of our break talking, we always end up rushing to get back in time for the next class. Then it’s full force ahead from 11:45-2:30 or 3:30 depending on the day. Tuesdays are nice because I don’t start until 11:45 and Fridays are spectacular because I only teach one class at 12:40 and then I’m done for the day. Granted, Fridays are the days that I have BEDA class, but since those aren’t that often, I normally get to do some shopping or go to my all-time favorite pastry shop in Las Rozas (Pan Coffee). The woman who works there, Vicki, knows me by name and will normally start cutting the slice of cheesecake I always order as soon as I walk through the door. I love that about Spain. How you can have such a nice relationship with the people who work at the locations that you frequent the most often. A few weeks ago, my friend Diana and I were at LUSH buying a birthday gift for a friend of ours, and the LUSH employee recognized me because I go there so often. Granted, this was the same employee who witnessed me spill about half of a container of lotion that they had on display down my jacket, jeans, and boots sooo I guess that would be somewhat memorable.

[Side note 2: I don’t really want to bore you with the details of what I do with each class. I will tell you that the coordinator always meets me with me once a week and tells me what I’ll be doing with my ESO classes during the following week. This week, for example, my ESO classes have to pick a song, print about 5 copies of the lyrics with blanks, and lead the class in a listening activity using the song. I made my 2 ESO students translate it as well because they have a higher English level than the 1 ESO students. With my Bach students I am required to do the listening and speaking sections of their textbook to the corresponding unit they’re on and then another activity of my choosing. If you would like more details regarding what I do with my classes, let me know. I’d be happy to write up a post about it. Or if you’d like me to tell you in an email, that works too.]

The weekend is when I’ll try to make it into Madrid to see my friends. Sometimes we’ll go shopping and others we’ll go get something to eat. [Side note 3: One of my good friends here has a blog which you can see here.] A few weeks ago we celebrated Sean’s birthday by having brunch and then walking around Madrid. I’ll leave you with the pictures from the occasion at the end of this post. I will try to update again soon. Feel free to ask me any other questions you may have about auxiliar life here in España, I’m more than happy to help. Como siempre…¡hablamos luego!

Here are some pics as promised (Click on the image to enlarge it):

My Top 5 European Travel Destinations.

02 Mar 2013 15 Comments

by Yari in Travel, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , ,

Remember how in my resolutions post I mentioned wanting to travel more? I’ve made a list of the places I’d like to go to in order to help me organize myself. These are my top 5 travel destinations in Europe (I had to limit myself to Europe because if I didn’t, instead of a top 5, it would be a top 20):

1. Italy

I’m actually going to be checking this one off my list during semana santa! I will be spending all of semana santa exploring Pisa, Florence, and Rome! I’ll be travelling with one of my friends who is also a language assistant, which marks my first non-solo trip. I’ll also be meeting up with a friend from MD in Rome! It’ll be so nice to see a familiar face again. My wanting to go to Italy is a surprise to no one that knows me. I love food. I love Italian cuisine. My friend and I were joking about how we’re more excited about all the things we’re going to eat than the sights we’re going to see. That being said, I am insanely excited to see the Duomo, Colosseo, and Fontana di Trevi! I have a feeling this trip is going to be of epic proportions!

2. France

I know, I’ve been to France before…but that trip was not enough! I was in Paris for three days when I went in November and it was not enough to satiate me. My plan is return to Paris again during the long weekend in May. I LOVED Paris! I could honestly spend an entire month there and never be satisfied enough to want to leave. So for now, my goal is to have more time in Paris. However, there are several other cities in France that I’d love to explore in the future!

3. Ireland

I don’t know what it is about Ireland that appeals to me so much, but I am dying to see if it is as magical as I picture it to be. I think a lot of Ireland’s appeal for me is that I love medieval history and Ireland is full of gorgeous medieval castles like this one:

Another thing I really want to do in Ireland is kiss the famous Blarney Stone. And, alright, I totally want to go to the Guinness Storehouse.

4. Germany

I mentioned above how Ireland holds a lot of appeal to me because of the castles…well, Germany is like the holy grail of gorgeous castles! I think I would need at least a month to see all of the castles I want to visit in Germany. I’ll leave this link to a wikipedia page with the castles here. Aside from the castles, I would also like to visit some of the concentration camps. I remember going to the Holocaust museum in DC when I was a sophomore in high school and I can say with all certainty that it really changed me. I’ll never forget walking through the room that had the shoes of victims from a concentration camp, breaking down in tears (I mean, I lost it when I saw the baby shoes) and being comforted by my religion teacher, Mr.Mac. I will always remember what he said to me as he hugged me, “This is one of your best qualities: how deeply you feel things and how much you empathize.” Sometimes I feel it can be more of a curse than a blessing. While I know walking through a concentration camp will be difficult for me, it is still something that I would like to experience.

5. Spain

The beautiful El Escorial monastery.Source

The beautiful El Escorial monastery.
Source

I am well aware of the fact that I am currently living in the aforementioned country. However, Spain has a lot of places I would still like to see. I want to travel to locations like Galicia, Barcelona, Seville, Granada, Cuenca, and Salamanca. Oh and Mallorca and Ibiza. As you can see, there is LOTS I still want to see in Spain. Even within Madrid, there are still museums I’d like to visit and I am determined to go to El Escorial before the beginning of summer.

So for now, these are my travel goals. There are, of course, many places outside of Europe that I’d like to visit, but I’ll save that for a different post. What are your top 5 travel destinations?

Budgeting Your Life in Madrid

22 Feb 2013 16 Comments

by Yari in auxiliares de conversación, Uncategorized Tags: , , ,

A lot of potential auxiliares worry about the paycheck and how they will make ends meet every month. I’ve asked around and done some research in order to tell you the average that people spend on things like rent, groceries, and utilities every month (this information is regarding the Madrid community).

Before I get into the breakdown of rent and such, I have to discuss the average pay for auxiliares. For the ministry program, auxiliares in Madrid get 1000€. With BEDA, the pay works differently. Your pay with BEDA depends on the amount of hours you work. Here is a breakdown of the payment:

  • 24 hours: 1200€ (gross)
  • 22 hours: 1100€ (gross)
  • 20 hours: 1000€ (gross)
  • 18 hours: 900€ (gross)

Now, with that being said, we can move on to where that money will be going every month. First up is RENT. The bulk of your paycheck will be going towards rent. The average rent in Madrid ranges from 300-550€. The range is large because there are areas of Madrid that are more expensive to live in than others. Malasaña and Salamanca are two areas that tend to be on the more expensive side. Places like La Latina, Moncloa, and Príncipe Pío tend to be a little more reasonable in their rent. How much you’re willing to pay for rent really depends on you and the type of place you want to live in. Another thing to keep in mind is that the utilities are often not included when they tell you the rent, so add another 30€ or so to it.  More

Inspiring Words

17 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

I was browsing videos on youtube when I came across this speech by Ronan Farrow. It is both inspiring and incredibly witty. As if I already didn’t love Ronan Farrow enough…
Anyway, I think a lot of those who are graduating this year and considering doing a program like BEDA or even those who are already in the program can find some inspiration in this speech. I especially enjoyed the part regarding how young people’s blissful ignorance for how badly things can go wrong can sometimes lead to great opportunities.

Video by Yari

This Was My Lunch Today:

09 Feb 2013 2 Comments

This Was My Lunch Today:

Have I mentioned how much I love Spanish food and my Spain family?! And yes, the bottom one is Paella Fideua. Deliciousness.

Image by Yari

Going Along with My Post from Yesterday…

05 Feb 2013 3 Comments

This is a picture I took of the Puerta de Alcalá during my very first week here in Spain. If there’s one more thing I could add to my list from yesterday, it would be the Madrid sky.

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Image by Yari

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