Spending the Summer in Spain
In and around Playa de San Juan, Spain
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During the summer of 2005 I decided to work as an Au Pair in Spain in order to see the world and improve my (rather pathetic) Spanish skills. I lived for three and a half months with a wonderful family of three, mother (Mariolina, Italian), father (Antonio, Spanish) and daughter (Carol, 9 yrs. old). I spent the days playing in the pool or at the beach with Carol and teaching her both English and piano. In my free time and on the weekends I explored the streets of Alicante, made a couple Argentinian friends, danced several nights away in the many bars and pubs of Alicante, and enjoyed the beach by moonlight.
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Although I was restricted by budget and didnt travel every weekend, I managed to visit several different cities and meet lots of wonderful and interesting people. Not surprisingly, by the end of the summer, I felt completely at home in Spain and was more than reluctant to leave. I was given a permanent invitation to return to visit the Martos whenever I needed a family in Europe and I knew that it was not the last time I would live in Spain.
Summer of 2005 I decided to work, for over three months, as an Au Pair in Spain.
For the record: When I first arrived, my goals for the summer were: to teach both English and piano to Carol while becoming her role model and best friend, to learn how to take things easy, relax, and not overload my schedule, to improve my Spanish (dramastically, if possible), to be such a good Au Pair that I would be missed when I left for England, to have a summer fling, to get to know the streets of Alicante and feel at home there, to convince my skin to tan, to learn what its like to live in a country other than America, and to keep in touch with my friends and family at home.
Route taken and entries by Real Traveler TravelingAurora
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1
Arriving At My New Home
I arrived in Alicante properly rested and nervous. Once again, I somehow managed to haul all of my luggage off the train on my own. (So much for mee... Continue reading » -
2
Mariolinas Birthday Weekend
Only a week or so after I arrived Mariolina turned 36 (although I was quickly to learn that she looked and lived much closer to 25 than 35). To celeb... Continue reading » -
3
A Week Alone with Elisa
Approximately a week after the birthday party, Mariolina, Antonio and Carol packed up and flew to (surprise!) the United States for a 10 day Disney an... Continue reading » -
4
Month 2--Friends and Working Things Through
The second month that I was living with the Martos, another au pair showed up to live with a neighboring family. Considering our similar circumstanc... Continue reading » -
5
A Weekend Jaunt to London
Early in the summer I found out that my very near and dear friend (and ex-roommate) Erin would be spending July in England, studying at the globe thea... Continue reading » -
6
A Day-Trip with Stephanie
Stephanie and I spent a good bit of time together during the month that she was staying only a few houses away. Unfortunately, Stephanies family was... Continue reading » -
7
Wedding in Cordoba
On the last weekend in July, Mariolina and Antonio invited me, as a friend, to join them on a road trip to Cordoba for a wedding banquet celebrating t... Continue reading » -
8
12 Days with the Lopez
In the middle of August, the Martos left Spain to visit Mariolinas family in Italy for twelve days. Although I was invited (and would have loved) to... Continue reading »
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