tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.comments2015-12-03T01:57:13.907+01:00AlisabroadAlisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02183048846172777065noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-89719597453474636792015-12-03T01:57:13.907+01:002015-12-03T01:57:13.907+01:00Hmm, I don't remember the mountains looking qu...Hmm, I don't remember the mountains looking quite that purple in real life, but then again that was about 5 years ago, so I can't say for sure! <br /><br />Thanks for reading! Transitioning back is a bit weird, but it does make for good stories! I hope your transition back has been relatively smooth. Alisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02183048846172777065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-61963848335648233512015-12-03T01:55:00.101+01:002015-12-03T01:55:00.101+01:00It wasn't too bad, really. I guess my nervousn...It wasn't too bad, really. I guess my nervousness was good, because it made me go a bit slower than some other (more confident) drivers out there!Alisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02183048846172777065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-21585213244487152602015-11-23T21:21:54.823+01:002015-11-23T21:21:54.823+01:00How did the first time driving in it after so long...How did the first time driving in it after so long go? That's what I dreaded most this weekend ... and I didn't have the years-long break you did.Little Runner, Bigger Cityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02425769729525642711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-14957127130288897202015-11-22T00:33:19.760+01:002015-11-22T00:33:19.760+01:00Wow, are those actual purple mountains in Alaska? ...Wow, are those actual purple mountains in Alaska? I have never actually seen “purple mountains majesty.” <br /><br />Just found your blog. I’d be interested in reading about your transition back into life in the U.S., as I am in the same stage! And travel stories from the past are still interesting.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-80126143667949539142015-04-24T06:23:36.794+02:002015-04-24T06:23:36.794+02:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Little Runner, Bigger Cityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02425769729525642711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-21011609460038902432015-03-21T14:08:12.170+01:002015-03-21T14:08:12.170+01:00Thanks for your lovely words! You're right, th...Thanks for your lovely words! You're right, the original dream was to be a novelist, but there's no reason that still can't happen someday. We'll see!Alisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02183048846172777065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-20202448051267996242015-03-19T21:01:50.327+01:002015-03-19T21:01:50.327+01:00This is fantastic! What a wonderful opportunity. ...This is fantastic! What a wonderful opportunity. I actually think that your writings about your experiences and your travels could make a good book eventually - once your story reaches a conclusion of some kind (feels like we are still in exposition or rising action right now). I also think you have a great name - Alisabroad - that is memorable, descriptive, unique and could play on a bit of double-entendre, even, if you want it to.<br /><br />The blogging conference sounds like a wonderful place for you to be! How exciting!green_carbon07https://www.blogger.com/profile/07117974839186962245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-45591427083248536832015-03-12T04:41:37.343+01:002015-03-12T04:41:37.343+01:00I live in Honduras - yes, it is home to the murder...I live in Honduras - yes, it is home to the murder capital of the world but don't let that get you down! I teach at an American school and I make a comparable amount to what I would make starting out in a rural school in the states, but I also get a cost of living stipend to cover housing, bills, groceries, etc and my employer pays for a yearly round trip flight to the states. I personally do not feel any financial burdens and know that if I was in a tight situation I would be fine. Most of my coworkers save about $5000 USD a year. <br /><br />However, I know that my job is among the better ones for teaching in Honduras and teachers at smaller schools can have more issues.<br /><br />It's definitely not Europe - but I totally love it. Calyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14342342443336202157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-71565457726359831252015-03-05T20:20:48.410+01:002015-03-05T20:20:48.410+01:00Hey Caly! Where exactly are you in Central America...Hey Caly! Where exactly are you in Central America? And do you earn enough to feel like you can live a full live and still have a security blanket for a rainy day?Alisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02183048846172777065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-68560701825526095702015-03-05T01:10:13.513+01:002015-03-05T01:10:13.513+01:00I love Central America. And it is fairly easy to g...I love Central America. And it is fairly easy to get a stable teaching job here. Low cost of living is a giant perk. Calyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14342342443336202157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-28784709826784982682015-02-23T18:58:37.167+01:002015-02-23T18:58:37.167+01:00Haha oh well, I tried! Thanks for reading, Winki! ...Haha oh well, I tried! Thanks for reading, Winki! :)Alisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02183048846172777065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-87110394736453476282015-02-19T02:13:07.779+01:002015-02-19T02:13:07.779+01:00I asked my daughter if she thought that you looked...I asked my daughter if she thought that you looked like Olaf, her response was: "Yeah, but he doesn't wear boots or a dress!!!" Aye... By the way, I enjoy reading your blogs!<br />-ReneeAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16428525989425519773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-51775635780908450432014-08-11T04:31:51.380+02:002014-08-11T04:31:51.380+02:00Hi!
Thanks for reading my blog!
I'll try to ...Hi!<br /><br />Thanks for reading my blog!<br /><br />I'll try to give you some advice on being an auxiliar, although I will admit that everyone's experience is different, and they can vary widely depending on the school you get placed in. Have you been placed in a school yet? If not, I wouldn't enroll in the master's until you're sure that the school you'll be teaching in is close enough to Santiago to commute to every day. Otherwise you can enroll in a master's in one of the other universities in Galicia, there are a bunch! <br /><br />Your hours will depend on the type of school you get. If it's a primary school, your hours will most likely be between 10am and 4:30pm, with a long lunch break. In a secondary school, the hours are more likely to be in the "morning," or between 8am and 3pm. And if you're in an Escuela oficial de idiomas, then the hours are more likely to be in the afternoon or evenings, after people are off of work.<br /><br />The days of the week vary too. Most schools will try to give you at least one day off a week, and if you get a nice school, they'll try to have that day be a Monday or a Friday so that you can have a long weekend. You only work 12 hours a week, but keep in mind that those hours aren't always all together. In general, there will be quite a few hours of waiting time between classes. The schools aren't doing this to be mean to you or to waste your time, but it tends to be the way things work out when they try to fit you into the classes where they think you'll be the most effective, which may only meet a few times a week. And also keep in mind that you may not be able to live right next to where you work, especially if you're placed in a small pueblo and want to live in a larger city. So you may waste hours sitting around waiting for the other teachers to finish their classes to be able to get a ride home again. Or you may be waiting for the bus. <br /><br />If you get lucky and are placed in the city, I could see it being possible to do a master's at the same time, if the school you're placed in is flexible about scheduling your hours around your master's classes (but keep in mind that they may not be...after all, your primary responsibility is to them--they're paying you to be there!). If you're in a pueblo, it will probably be a lot more complicated and I could see it being really difficult to do a master's at the same time, unless the majority of your classes were online, or your professors were really lenient about attendance. <br /><br />I'm not trying to discourage you, I just want you to know the realities of auxiliar life before you get your hopes up! :)<br /><br />Transitioning from Galicia to France was...interesting. In some ways, things were very similar, since I was in Brittany, which is another Celtic nation where it rains a lot. But in others, they were very different--the attitude of the French, for example, is not that of the laid-back Spaniards. The paperwork in France was a nightmare. And trying to speak French again after three years of Spanish was quite the trial. However, I'm really glad I did it, and I met some fantastic people and had some wonderful experiences. I was also given a little more freedom with my classes in France, treated more as an equal, which I appreciated. In general, after the first few difficult months, I acclimated and things were good, so I would recommend trying it if you're interested in France too! <br /><br />Hope all that helps, and don't hesitate to ask if you have more questions. I know it can be really overwhelming at first trying to figure out what being an auxiliar is all about! Alisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02183048846172777065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-86538670881241773132014-08-02T02:25:04.915+02:002014-08-02T02:25:04.915+02:00Hi Alisa, Hi!
I enjoyed reading your blog.
I jus...Hi Alisa, Hi! <br />I enjoyed reading your blog. <br />I just accepted Galicia as an Auxiliar de Conversación but I am wondering what time of day, hours a day, and days a week an auxiliary might work. <br />My dad is from Galicia and the family lives in Galicia so I was planning on doing a Master's program at la Universidad de Santiago de Compostela and wondering if I could do both. Are auxiliar hours flexible at all?<br />Can you tell me how you transitioned from Galicia to France? --I may want to do that too.<br /><br />LeeAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05084907115528906638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-35072652295489823732014-02-24T23:17:23.320+01:002014-02-24T23:17:23.320+01:00Hey Chris,
Thanks for reading! And how exciting t...Hey Chris,<br /><br />Thanks for reading! And how exciting that you're moving to Ourense! Honestly, I'm sure everything will be fine...as I'm sure you know, it's a cool town and Gallegos are really nice people. Moving is always hard, and there may be hard parts yet to come (just because you already know a place doesn't mean you can't feel homesick for another one, for example!), but I do really think things will be fine. I hope to return to Galicia myself one day, but for the moment, I'm definitely enjoying France! Alisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02183048846172777065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-73571661867519498762014-02-17T00:06:06.503+01:002014-02-17T00:06:06.503+01:00Hi Alisa,
I'm glad I came across this blog! I...Hi Alisa,<br /><br />I'm glad I came across this blog! I've followed many blogs from American expats in Spain but practically all of them were not located in or did not spend much time in Galicia and then I found yours haha! It's been incredibly helpful and informative. I'm planning on moving to Ourense, Galicia in March. I actually have something on my side being that I already have dual citizenship(thanks to my parents), know the language, know the area, and have family and friends already there.... I guess I'm saying all this because I have absolutely no idea why I'm still so incredibly nervous about this move! lol everyone tells me that the hard part is over and everything will be ok... I do believe them and I'm excited and I'm glad people like yourself and others do these blogs! Stinks that you are no longer in Galicia tho! Hope you're enjoying France!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02766731957720224353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-30884866263515725252014-02-01T12:05:03.420+01:002014-02-01T12:05:03.420+01:00Hi Katherine! Thanks for reading, and for your lov...Hi Katherine! Thanks for reading, and for your lovely comment. Your adventure sounds really amazing; you must have seen a lot of cool things in your 4-month ride across Spain. And how wonderful that you have a daily reminder of your time there. And I hope you're able to return to Galicia one day, the BEST part of Spain. :)Alisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02183048846172777065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-1548168635762070752014-02-01T12:02:10.232+01:002014-02-01T12:02:10.232+01:00As always, thanks for reading and commenting, Sady...As always, thanks for reading and commenting, Sadye!! I really appreciate that, since I know other people read but never comment (which reminds me, I should comment on YOUR blog sometime, I'm a faithful reader!). And thanks for sympathizing about all of us feeling a little lost at times. It helps to know I'm not alone. Alisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02183048846172777065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-64172173262109644972014-01-31T18:13:41.819+01:002014-01-31T18:13:41.819+01:00Hi Alisa, I found your blog recently through a lin...Hi Alisa, I found your blog recently through a link on the Young Adventurous blog ... what fun to read your posts about Galicia, my favorite part of Spain. I'm from North Carolina, live on the central coast of California and planning a move to southern Oregon but back in 2001 I flew to Spain, bought a horse and rode her from Andalucia (near Fuengirola) to Galicia (finished at Cabo Finisterre). It was about 1000 miles (I didn't ride in a straight line!) and took 4 months. A couple weeks after I finished the ride I found out my mare (Buena Chica) was pregnant the whole time. In January 2002 she had a beautiful filly in A Coruna and I named the baby Galicia. Buena Chica is still in Spain and I brought Galicia to the States in 2003. She is with me here in California along with one of my other horses (Grace) and they will move with me to Oregon, where we will join my other horse (Romeo). So I have a daily reminder of my time in Spain, especially Galicia ... and am eager to return one day! I know you're in France now but thanks for all the great Galicia posts from the past! ~Katherine in Santa Ynez Valley, CAUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07286021691633232676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-51431473966905668732014-01-28T15:57:26.771+01:002014-01-28T15:57:26.771+01:00(Sorry if this double-posts ... I think the Intern...(Sorry if this double-posts ... I think the Internet ate my first try but am not sure yet) I think most people our age feel a little lost at times; it's just that not everyone is as open about it as others. On a much less serious note, I literally laughed out loud at "what do Americans like? -- GUNS!"Little Runner, Bigger Cityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02425769729525642711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-6085396757069405892014-01-07T20:23:44.706+01:002014-01-07T20:23:44.706+01:00Thanks, and happy new year to you too!Thanks, and happy new year to you too!Alisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02183048846172777065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-71544050457128877092014-01-06T08:30:37.235+01:002014-01-06T08:30:37.235+01:00Happy new Year and congrats for reaching four 25 b...Happy new Year and congrats for reaching four 25 before 25 goal! Impress stuff. : )Lisa C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12987591066365440139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-44755142630959598372014-01-02T22:45:13.398+01:002014-01-02T22:45:13.398+01:00Thanks!!Thanks!!Alisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02183048846172777065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-160146206882007942014-01-02T02:55:08.293+01:002014-01-02T02:55:08.293+01:00Woo! So excited you hit your goal!Woo! So excited you hit your goal!Little Runner, Bigger Cityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02425769729525642711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6563159939055819255.post-90184385161775546812013-09-10T21:42:18.427+02:002013-09-10T21:42:18.427+02:00I went to my first state fair ever this summer (Io...I went to my first state fair ever this summer (Iowa's, of course). The food hangover wasn't too bad, because we split dishes ... in order to try as many ridiculous things as possible :)Little Runner, Bigger Cityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02425769729525642711noreply@blogger.com