The countdown started long ago, and the time to start my blog has finally arrived! In just 8 days I leave for Spain to begin my 10-month Fulbright adventure!
Back in April I received the wonderful news of being selected for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Madrid, Spain for the 2012-2013 school year. The months and months of applying, interviewing, writing statements, and taking a language examination paid off after all! Many thanks to the late Barbara Mulch for her support as my advisor throughout the application process.
To give you a little background information, I am going to Spain as a Fulbright Fellow from the United States. If you don't know about the Fulbright Program, I encourage you to check out their website, http://www.iie.org/fulbright. The program is sponsored by the United States Department of State and provides funding for teachers, students, and scholars to undertake research projects, graduate study, and teaching in universities, primary, and secondary schools. Each year thousands of people are selected with the desire to "increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries." I have been selected as an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) in Madrid, the capital of Spain. I am so happy about being chosen to become a part of such a prestigious organization, and I am excited for the ten months ahead of me. However, along with the position comes many expectations. Ones I will grow and learn from, while at the same time fulfilling my purpose as an ETA. I look at the months ahead as ones of great opportunity. I get to live in a country completely new to me. I get to travel, teach, and become fluent in another language. Meanwhile, I am able to share my culture and language with those around me. Moving to Spain to teach is the biggest change I've ever had in my life, and while it seems daunting at times, I know the changes that are the hardest to make are usually the most worthwhile too.
Since this year will be full of excitement and I will be far away from home, I thought what could be a better way to share with everyone what I'm up to than a blog? I plan to record my experiences, my travels, and all my ups and downs. I hope that those reading it will be entertained by my adventures and feel as if they're on the journey with me, linking me to my world back home.
- Sabrina
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