Teach English in a Homestay in Spain for 1, 2, or 3 months

As a first time traveler wanting to travel, but a little afraid to do it on my own, this was perfect. I could make it fit my schedule and go in the months I requested. As well, I did have concern that some travel programs might be a scam or unsafe, this was not at all the case with greenheart travel. From the beginning Allison was available to answer any questions, always responded to my emails quickly, and any concerns that I had were dealt with efficiently and comfortably. I did the 3 month stay and I learned so much about Spain, and made a real connection with my amazing host family. Furthermore, a lot of my anxieties about traveling have been alleviated and I feel more comfortable doing it independently. I would recommend this program to people who want to experience a country over a long period of time, but need a “safety net” (host family) available.

I gained so much during my experience with GHT in Spain - I improved my Spanish language skills, learned about the culture and history of Spain, developed lifelong relationships with my host family, and gained a lot of confidence in myself.

Living in Spain with a host family helped me learn to be more independent, flexible, and increased my passion for learning about other cultures.

Staff from Greenheart Travel were very helpful during the entire process. I even got to meet one of their staff members when she was visiting Spain. I was fairly close to other people participating in the program, and we would often meet up to hang out/travel together.

The application process is straightforward and there’s is always someone available to help and answer questions. I definitely recommend this program.

10 out of 10 overall because there wasn’t any confusion or anything that I felt like I wasn’t provided. I loved communicating with the staff because they answered my all of questions with patience, and 5 months before my actual trip. The program was great! I really liked that the application was really thourough, because I was placed with a family that matched! We shared a lot of hobbies together and I’m grateful to have been placed there! And also I loved that you are placed instead of being able to choose where you want to stay, because I’ve been able to visit places that I would’ve never even heard before. Although I didn’t have many questions during my stay, I’m pretty sure they’ve would have been answered quickly by the staff, great overall! I recommend this program, because it helps you with a bigger understanding of someone’s everyday life.

I will be honest and say I am the queen of making impulsive decisions. Some I regret and some I am very proud of. I gave up a lot once I heard the great news of being accepted to the Greenheart Travel Teach in a Homestay program. I moved out of my pricey apartment in Venice, CA, and moved in with my parents to save money and not pay rent while I was traveling.

I believe about a month before departure was when I was placed with a beautiful family of four in Mancha Real, Spain. A place I had never even heard of before. It is a very small rural town in Andalusia. No research I had done did this place justice. So I thought to myself, "I will just have to see for myself when I arrive."

The next step was to quit my 8-5. Once everything started to feel more real, I was freaking out a little bit but knew I was doing something that would be so enriching to both myself and the family. I gave up a lot for something that was such a short amount of time, and wished I had done the program for longer. However, being there and completing the program allowed me to plan out an extra month of personal travel as well. Within the month that I was there, I created memories that will last a lifetime. I was fortunate enough to click instantly with the family and will most definitely be in contact with them forever.

Teaching the girls that I lived with was fun and easy. They were so inquisitive and interested in English, culture in America, myself, my family, etc. It really was a treat and as a family we were able to share so much of our lives and daily routines with each other. I actually became so accustomed to their culture and schedule that I am having a hard time reverting back to the time zone in the states.

I have no advise other than to just go for it! Stop living inside your comfort zone and branch out. It really brought a new level of awareness to my attention. Once you see the impact you can have on an entire family and vice versa, it really is an indescribable and touching feeling. If I could start the process all over again, I totally would.

As a teacher, I am always on the look out for opportunities to travel during the summer. Greenheart Travel provided a way for me to combine my two passions: teaching and traveling. Last summer (2017) I participated in Greenheart's Teach in a Homestay: Spain. I stayed with my fabulous host family for 1 month from June-July and it is truly an experience I will never forget.

What I absolutely loved about this program:

*The preparation- Greenheart thoroughly prepared me for this experience. I was sent a book with Spain's cultural and historical background. I also received a packet that covered everything I needed to know: weather, customs, tips, how to handle culture shock, what to bring, what to expect, etc. It was extremely helpful and I found myself referring to this packet many times throughout the duration of my stay.

*The support- I don't think my experience would have been as successful without the help of Megan Arzbaecher, one of Greenheart's program managers. She answered any and all questions I had, replied promptly to my emails, sent me reminder emails and touched base with me frequently weeks before my trip.

*The online community- I loved that I was put into a facebook group that brought together alumni and newcomers of the Teach in a Homestay program. I was able to communicate with others who had gone through the program and hear their experiences/advice. In addition, I met newcomers who would be in my area in Spain.

My time in Spain:

I was placed in Madrid and stayed with my host family for one month. Greenheart made sure to place me with a family that could host me during the time frame I was available and with a family that would suit my personality/needs (I had to fill out a lengthy survey). The expectation was for me to teach English to my family's daughters for 15 hours each week in exchange for food and stay. Who can beat that? Such a great way to experience a new culture and get to know a family! Even though I have teaching experience, Greenheart provided access to lesson plans, ideas and games to teach English to the family. They made it very easy to have a successful experience.

I would definitely do this program again in a heartbeat! I learned a great deal about the Spanish culture, my host family and surprisingly...myself! I would recommend this program to anyone who is willing to fully immerse themselves into a new culture.

Going abroad and staying with a local family in any country is definitely a step out of your comfort zone that you SHOULD take. I became really close with the family and we bonded in lots of different ways. I participated in their family events & activities (dinners, birthdays, Christmas!!!) and really felt like I got to experience the food and culture of Spain. We had big dinner where everyone was always singing and dancing, and they always included me. At one dinner everyone around the table got a musical instrument and sang songs together!! It was so cool. I felt like I was apart of their family and it makes for some really great memories. It’s so nice to see a city through the eyes of someone else and not just as a tourist. I got to travel to other cities and countries on the weekend took which was awesome! It was important for the family that we spoke in English around the kids so they could learn more & not speak to me in Spanish, so considering that, if I did a homestay again, I’d enroll in a separate language course. I wanted to learn some Spanish so I did go to some language exchanges, practiced my Spanish, and met new friends. I would be clear about your goals (language learning, traveling, whatever it may be) with the family right away. Communication is key. You and the family want to get as much out of the program as possible, so talking about your expectations is something I’d recommend discussing. Sometimes I had to push myself to speak (some days I just wasn’t confident!) but overall people were super friendly/understanding and I didn’t get down on myself if I had a not-great speaking day. Overall, I’d highly recommend this homestay program. Greenheart provided me with a ton of materials before my trip, and also consistently contacted me with questions and support. Every time I talked to the support team at Greenheart I got more and more excited for my trip. They also get you health insurance & link you up with a great family depending on your interests so it’s a great time for both parties. I’d love to do another program in the future. I love to travel and Greenheart just offers more easy opportunities to fuel my travel love!!

I spent three months in Madrid, Spain for Greenheart’s Teach in a Homestau program and loved every second of it. I felt like Greenheart really listened to my preferences and paired me with an absolutely incredible family. My program support liaison, Allison, was such a pleasure to work with and kept touch throughout the program to see how everything was going and if I was enjoying it. The program itself is a bit hands off- I didn’t feel connected to the company or in a program setting once I arrived in Spain, but they did provide me the tools and housing to make me feel comfortable and able to prosper there. If you are looking to travel abroad and can’t commit to a longer program, I would hands down recommend this one. It was a truly great experience!

I liked the idea of this program, but once I got there I realized that it lacks organization. I met a girl that was an Au Pair in the same city as me and I think that program is more structured. I would've liked a contract with my family about the rules, as they changed throughout my stay and I was eventually given curfews that made it hard for me to spend time with friends during the week and on the weekend. My family was nice, but there was another woman for house help and I felt that having four adults in the house was overwhelming for the kids as we all had different rules for them. Other than one email in the first few days, I didn't receive any check-in from the program about my stay. By the end, I felt like I was there more to work for the family than to be part of it. Although they were welcoming, I would've loved more facilitated conversation from Greenheart about potential issues and how those could be resolved. The cost of the program doesn't feel like a fair exchange knowing the cost of being an Au Pair. Ultimately, I had to pay for activities to do when I wasn't teaching for the 3 or 4 hours a day and without an income that became difficult, something I didn't think of ahead of time. I learned a lot from the program, but I would've like a review from the first girl that stayed with the family because I think she had a similar experience. I learned a lot from this experience. Just consider the situation you'd be in by doing this program and if it's for you, go for it!