One month in España

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.