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So this is my first blog entry! Unfortunately right now I'm still in the UK, sat in my bedroom, but the planning has already begun! The title and description of my journal are pretty self-explanatory, but I think I should probably give some background information as well, just in case anyone other than friends and family stumbles upon this (or just as a refresher for those who do know me!!).
My name is Claire and I'm 19 years old, although soon to turn 20 in August. I've just completed my second year at university, studying English and Spanish, so in September I'm about to set off on my year abroad. I've decided to go to two different places in Spain, one per semester; Salamanca in the first semester (which is in western Spain), and Seville in the second (which is in southern Spain). In the meantime, at the beginning of July I'm visiting a friend in Los Angeles for around 10 days, and then a couple of days after I return I'm off to Algeciras in southern Spain in order to be an au pair to three little girls for two months! It's definitely going to be the most busy and productive summer I've ever had!
Currently my days are spent running through things that I need to do, or that I have forgotten to do. Bank accounts, accommodation, flights, constant sending of emails... I don't know what I would do if it wasn't for the internet! Even my holiday to LA doesn't at the moment feel like much of a 'holiday', what with ESTE forms (I think that's what they're called...) and a 13 hour flight, not including stop off, to face! Yet I think as soon as I get there that I'm definitely going to need to do some serious relaxing given the task I have ahead of me.
I have never au paired before, and never looked after children under the age of 11 for more than an hour. Now I have three children to contend with, ages 2, 4 and 5!!! I took a first aid course in order to help myself feel better equipped, yet somehow this has only made me more worried! However, I'm sure it will be a great experience, and on the good days I can boast about it on here, and on the bad days rant!
A couple of days after I return from being an au pair (hopefully in one piece, and not scarred for life...) I head off to Spain. My friend Rachel is coming to stay with me the night before and we are flying from London Luton airport ridiculously early in the morning with a coursemate called Raff. And then... Who knows! We are planning on checking into a hostel for a few days and doing some serious apartment searching... I'm very nervous, particularly as I thought I had a room in a flat sorted, only for it to fall through today! Arriving in a foreign country with a basic grasp of the language and no place to stay is very daunting, although I hope it will be 'character building'... And hopefully the au pair-ing will give me a refresher on my Spanish!
Nevertheless, I think I'm incredibly lucky with all of these plans and adventures in front of me, and am definitely in for an exciting year and a half! The idea of this is just for me to jot down what I've been up to and my feelings, and to keep everyone at home (who's interested!) up to date :).
Well I think that's the end of my first blog entry... I'd like to say I don't know where I'll be when I write the next one but I have a feeling it will probably still be here! 'Til next time! xxx
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