Why we're moving to Spain

Deciding to move to Europe is like being 9 months pregnant: everyone you meet is full of "good luck!"s and good-natured questions and all the questions are generally of the same ilk (I swear that's a word).


Here are the general talking points - take notes, people.

Q: What are you going to do in Spain?
A: My personal goal is to learn to shake my hips like a flamenco dancer. The Mister has loftier goals. He would like to eat an entire pan of paella all by himself. Sexy, no?

In all seriousness, we will be employees of the Spanish Ministry of Education. We will be working as classroom assistants (called "auxiliares") in their bilingual education program. So we might be teaching English, or we might be teaching history, science, math (with a qualified teacher standing by, of course) to kiddos that are learning English.  I am in an elementary school and he is in a neighboring high school.

Q: Do you get paid? (you'd be surprised how often this gets asked) (really really often)
A: Yes. Really. Swear.

Q: Where exactly?
A: In the south of Spain, on the Costa del Sol

Q: Where will you live?
A: We'll stay in a hostel for the first few days as we look around for an apartment or a room in a house. Either one is fine with us. Having Spanish roommates would be sweet. And very good for the Spanish acquisition!

Q: Do you speak Spanish
A: Yes, we do alright for ourselves, or at least we rarely get the word for "bathroom" confused with the word for "beer". One of our goals though is to return basically fluent.  I would like to be able to converse with Antonio Banderas.  Over a glass of sangria.  On a date. Simultaneously, The Mister will be on a date with Catherine Zeta-Jones.  So, see,  it will all work out in the end.

Q: Will you ever come back?
A: Si! Our contract is for the school year, so we will be gone about a year, unless the economy stays in the tanker and we decide to wait it out one more year before entering law school, thereby pushing back graduation/must-get-a-job date. (kidding Mom!) (I think.)

Q: Will you have internet/email/cell phones/Facebook?
A: Actually, I think the internet in Spain can be much faster than the internet in the U.S. (side note: when you end a sentence with U.S., where do you put the period? Because U.S.. would be weird, right?). And we'll have phones and all that jazz. Beware the time change though!  3 a.m. calls = no bueno.


If you think of anything else that you are really, truly, wetting your pants to know (or just sort of want to know), tell me in the comments and I'll throw it up here later! (Throw up as in, "post it on the blog".  Not as in "vomit".  Important distinction.)