This has been years in the making. Anyone who knows me has without a doubt at one time or another heard me prattle on about how one day I wanted to live abroad. It’s one thing to talk and dream about one day strolling cobblestone streets everyday heading to a local coffee shop in a quaint European town, it’s quite another thing to actually do something about it.
But here I am, doing something about it. I still can’t quite believe I will be moving this August to Barcelona, Spain to teach at the American School of Barcelona. I will call this Spanish city home for the next two years and I couldn’t be more excited.
Many moons ago, when I first started teaching, I actually looked into finding an international teaching job through the Department of Defense (the only international teaching job I could think of). Freshly graduated, with only a few years experience, I wasn’t eligible to apply. So I put teaching abroad on the back burner and just focused on trying to get a permanent position in a district.
Once I had achieved that, I put all my efforts into being involved in my district and growing professionally. But still there was a nagging feeling of not being fulfilled without travel. I tried to ward it off with professional development tours each year to far flung places. And for a while it kind of worked. Each year I had a trip to look forward to.
But deep down it just wasn’t enough. Upon returning from each trip there was a longing to spend more time abroad. It’s different visiting a place compared to actually living there with the ins and outs of daily life. Not to mention, imagine all the traveling I could do! Weekends away, school vacations in another country. I knew short trips just wasn’t going to cut it.
It was at a lunch with my cousin and her boyfriend that learned about the company, Search Associates. This recruiting site puts educators and prospective international schools in contact through their portal. Once I heard about them I knew it was time to not just talk the talk but walk the walk.
It finally felt like the right time to make this move and I knew if I didn’t at least try, I would always regret it. Cue lots and lots of paperwork, emails, and encouragement from family. But in the end all the hard work paid off when I was contacted by the American School of Barcelona (ASB) for an interview.
The rest is history! I am thrilled to be moving to a city I have been to before and loved. I’m even more excited for all the unknown opportunities that await me. With my visa secured, all that’s left to do is pack.
I can’t wait to share my journey with everyone here on the blog and on Instagram. There will be highs and lows for sure, but that is what makes life so great. Plus, I know that through it all I will have my family and friends who have supported me every step of the way. Here’s to new adventures in new places and turning dreams into reality!
Katy
