Hi! I'm Tracy!

Hi everyone! My name is Tracy and I'm really excited to share my experience with all of you! My journey to teaching abroad in Spain is probably the same as most: Studied abroad, ate one croqueta, and never wanted to leave. However, the process of deciding to teach abroad was a very difficult one for me, but one that now feels so right.  
 

I'll be headed out in a couple of months through the Teach in Spain Basics Program. This summer I'm working full-time, getting TEFL certified through CIEE, and mostly just twiddling my thumbs waiting for my journey in Spain to begin. I am originally from Decatur, IL but have lived in Kalamazoo, MI for several years. I studied Marketing and Spanish at Western Michigan University and played division I tennis on the team there. Our team was always about 50% international players, who all spoke at least two languages (usually three). This made me realize I should really continue with my Spanish, and it has been the best decision I have made. I am very passionate about the Spanish language, and language in general (I just started Portuguese on Duolingo, so we'll see how that goes). Other things to know about me: I have an identical twin and an older brother, I love to learn and try new things, I will be bringing my tennis racquet to Spain, coffee coffee coffee, and my favorite tapa is (you guessed it) croquetas.  

My decision to teach abroad in Spain came from wanting to improve my Spanish, wanting to travel more, my incredible experience studying in Burgos, Spain with some of the best people on the planet, and (most importantly) avoiding adulthood at all costs. I attached some photos of my time in Spain: one of my favorite memories was hiking part of El Camino de Santiago with a few friends. I definitely want to do the whole thing one day, or at least another section of it!  

I am hoping through this blog I will be able to help prospective participants to take the leap and teach abroad! As I said, I was extremely hesitant to finally make the decision, but I am now confident it was the correct decision for me. I am currently in the middle of the visa process, and plan to make a very detailed post when all is said and done (hopefully done correctly), so stay tuned for that!  

Thank you for reading my first post, stay tuned to learn from the inevitable mistakes I am sure I will soon make!