About eight months ago I returned from Barcelona, where I had been living for 15 months teaching English in an Academy just outside the city. Unlike most ex-pats living abroad teaching English, I had my own classroom, and taught fairly large classes four days a week as well as private classes. While living in Barcelona I met my boyfriend, a native Californian, also teaching English. After spending the best summer of my life with him in the Balearic Islands, we both decided it was time to move back to New York.
I am currently working for a British jewelry company, Links of London, on Madison Avenue, doing corporate sales. At the moment I am also busy making my own jewelry in my spare time, and hope to one day start my own company. My plan is to have my jewelry manufactured in Mexico, where I would once again be able to speak my other favorite language, and, of course, travel.
Since my return to the states at the end of last summer, I have been back to Barcelona once for a short visit and plan to go back again for a short trip this summer. My year in Spain was by far the best year of my life and I would advise anyone, Spanish major or not, to go abroad for a year, get TEFL certification, and teach English. I learned more about life and culture, had more unforgettable experiences and interesting stories than I would have living in any US city, without a doubt. Not only that, but I fell in love with someone with whom I will always be able to share this incredible experience.