As of this day, it is officially ONE MONTH until I make that transatlantic flight from J.F.K. to start my new life in España!!!!…
…Indeed, it IS, :-D!!…
Still, there are several more things that I feel I must accomplish before that wonderful day of days arrives!!…
1) Gather a lot more ESL activities/materials–Thank God for the Internet!!…
…The name of the game!!…
2) Learn the actual grammatical tenses/moods of English, as well as their names–Yes, I know I’m a native speaker–but it won’t do me any good if I’m an auxiliar who can’t differentiate between the different modes of the conditional, now will it???…
3) Continue to stalk for pisos on EasyPiso and Idealista–Even though I know that there is a very high probability of the places I’m interested in being gone by the time I get there, it’s always nice to weigh my options!!…
4) Find a good VPN blocker–This way, I can [allegedly] watch American T.V. while abroad (I’m looking at YOU, HBOGo)!!…
5) Research the best tapas joints around El Tubo—According to the Spanish Wikipedia, El Tubo (“The Pipe”) is the nickname given to the area in Zaragoza’s Casco Histórico (Old Quarter) where one can find the best pinchos in the city!!…I’m already excited to hit up Taberna Doña Casta, which is, by all accounts, the most bangin’ croquetas place!!…
…This looks AMAZING!!…
6) Continue to improve my Spanish–While I think I can still read, write, and speak fairly well, I need to brush up on certain grammatical points–like all the subjunctive tenses and the vosotros conjugations…
7) Stock up on certain hair/beauty products–Yes–I KNOW Spain is not a Third World country, but I don’t know how often I’ll come across stores that sell SheaMoisture conditioners or gel antiperspirants (First World problems), so it’s best to carry as much as I need over in my suitcase while I’m able!!…
8) Learn more about the German classes at my EOI–See, this is one of the reasons I think I’m going to like working at a language school: Classes are *FREE* to those who work there!!…And since I don’t want to lose my Deutsch completely…
…Jawohl!!…
9) Do some more research on gyms in the area–I love getting a good workout in, so it’ll be nice to find a place where I can do Zumba every week and NOT bust my budget!!…
10) Enjoy being around loved ones–While I know I will see them again (perhaps even as early as Christmas Break!!), I still want to get in as many hugs and kisses while I can, :-)…
Are there any other soon-to-be auxiliares with their own to-do lists???…
Also (completely unrelated), here’s a really good BuzzFeed article that I came across today!!: 15 Things You Shouldn’t Say To Someone Struggling With Depression…
I’m Social (Follow Me!!):
The Pumpkin's Head 
You’ll have to let me know what you find out about el tubo, I will definitely need to get some good tapas in when I arrive 🙂
…Will do, Blayne, :-)!!…
so where out there some one thinking of me always loving U & Missing U, mommy
…STOP IT–you know that song makes me sad!!…
this is adorable.
…Thank you, :-)!!…
Love this list. There are definitely some things on there I should be doing myself i.e. brushing up on my Spanish AND English grammar LOL I’m just so ready to leave!!!
…LIKEWISE, my friend!!…Likewise, :-)…
Love this list! There are definitely some things on here I should be doing i.e. brushing up on both my Spanish and English grammar
Is there any book or other resource you’re using for English grammar?
…Well, I saw this posted on the auxiliar FB yesterday–but then again, there’s a ton of stuff on the Internet!!…
Click to access teaching_english_as_a_foreign_language_for_dummies_2009.pdf
wow, what a fun adventure! best of luck to your journey and have fun! Oh and enjoy the food! I love Spanish food!
styleandchocolates.blogspot.com
…Thank you, Celyn, :-)…
Good luck!!!
…Thank you, :-)!!…
english grammer rules, man! native english speakers are usually actually the worst at this! we learn it in middle school and forget it! we used hidemyass….not sure if vpns are equal in belgium vs. spain.
…Idk–does anyone TRULY speak their mother tongue 100% grammatically correct, anyways???…And I’ve heard of hidemyass–thanks for the suggestion!!…
yay!! you’ll LOVE it. we were just in spain again a few months ago, obsessed. we have some guides to madrid and barcelona up!
xo welltraveledwife.com
…Yeah–I’ll totally have to look at the Barcelona one!!..
I can feel that excitement building!!! 🙂
…Oh, yeah–it most definitely is, :-)!!…
Wow Spain?! How exciting! I’ve always wanted to go to Spain (specifically Barcelona). We are shooting for next year! I’m so jealous! Anyway, I recently moved from California to Hawai’i. It’s not as drastic as yours’ but I’ve made no regrets! I’m sure you’re going to have an amazing time there!
…Yes–and you should DEFINITELY stop by Zaragoza!!…
Good luck!! I sometimes teach English here in Sweden, and it’s frightening how often I get asked questions that I don’t automatically know the answer to… “but why do we express like like that?” “… because… we just do. That’s how it is. Class dismissed!”
…Haha–I feel you on that one!!…
I was in Barcelona about two months ago, and what I saw of Catalunya was absolutely breathtaking. I highly recommend visiting at least once (even if Saragossa is beautiful as well)!
…Yes–but from what I’ve seen from Aragón (especially Zaragoza), more people should see it!!…
Whenever I’m back in Spain, I’ll have to go check it out!
…Most def, :-)!!…
Woohoo!
Don’t worry too much about preparing for classes – you’ll figure most of it out once you get there, although there’s no harm in brushing up on things like English grammar tenses!
That’s really cool you can take free language classes at your school. I would love to do that!
…Would you happen to have any sites/suggestions for materials???…And yeah–it’ll be so SWEET working at a place where I can take classes (and have students who actually care about learning), :-)!!…
Thanks for the comment on my blog! Wow, what an exciting adventure you have ahead. I’m headed to Spain next year, so I’d love to hear all the tips and wonderful finds you come across. 🙂
…No problem, dear–I’d be happy to share advice, :-)!!…
Oooh you’re making a big move around the same time! Spain is going to be amazing. I don’t know that but I think it will. I don’t have to do any learning before my move but I do have to say the goodbyes and I don’t want to do that. Good luck with the move!
…Thank you, dear, :-)…
This is going to be great. I’m sure you’ll have a great time there. Moving abroad is fun and enriching 🙂
…Ah–have you ever lived abroad??…
Yes, South Korea 🙂
…When???…For how long???…
Two years ago, for a whole year 🙂
…Were you teaching (I was thinking of that)???…How was the experience???…
Nah, studying. That was amazing and a real eye-opener. It changed my views on “race” and racial relations. Why did you choose spain to teach english?
…Well, I was aiming for a Fulbright in Germany or Austria, but those didn’t work out, and I’ve studied abroad in Spain and love the language, so it’s funny how things work!!…
How were you received in Korea (I’ve heard horror stories from foreigners)???…What cry were you in???…
Horror stories are from foreigners who generally believe that the country has to adapt to them and not the opposite, they dont even make the effort to speak basic korean, so take it with a grain of salt. Had I listened to them I would have never gone there, or even spent more than a month. I was pleasantly surprised at how respectful and warm koreans were. I think it all comes down to the way we carry ourselves. Men and women randomly told me I was beautiful. When I couldnt do something I was often helped. I have been invited in homes and made many friends.
Also, I went to Vienna in Austria and was soooooo amazed, that’s a beautiful city.
…I mean, obviously I would least know a few key words before going–that’s just sense!!…And how nice that they appreciate your pulchritude!!…
And “YAY” for Vienna–I hope to visit this winter!!…
Haha hope you will, you wont regret it 😉
… ;-)…