Why Spain?

***now that I’ve written this post I see it is more like a small novel than a blog post. I had a LONG time to write 😂

***

***also, this post is mostly about mine and Jacob’s personal motivations to go to Spain, but of course we’re a family and we have kids, and considering our family as a whole and the implications for this move on the kids was a huge factor on our decision, so maybe I’ll get to writing a part 2 of Why Spain to address that***

We’ve been waiting on the tarmac at Dulles airport for an hour because of a storm, so I figured why not take advantage of the time to explain why we’re here in the first place. Also once we get to Spain it’s going to be go go go, set up phone, set up bank, find apartment, enroll kids in school, get set up in my program, etc etc etc. Not much time to write. 

And for the record, “we” below refers primarily to myself and Jacob…our kids would claim no affiliation to any motivation to move away to somewhere they don’t know anyone or the language. But we’re confident they won’t hate us forever 😉 

So in one regard, we’re crazy and we’re disrupting our established life in Richmond to uproot and transplant halfway across the world just because–there’s no external obligation, it’s just something we’ve sought out and worked to make happen. 

But from the broader perspective, several threads have woven together to make the complete picture of the why behind everything–why abroad, why Spain, why this particular program. 

The main threads are 1) us wanting to live abroad 2) us wanting to live in a Spanish-speaking country, the full immersion experience, and 3) me wanting to advance my career aspirations.

But there are also a series of sub threads that tie into everything. 

Cue the blurry transition to a vintage filter showing me as an awkward preteen…

For me, the first thread is from middle school, when I moved to a new school that required taking a foreign language. I really wanted Italian for whatever reason (maybe it was the fun lilt? Hey TO-ny! A-MAKE-a me a PIzza!) but at that time they didn’t have the beginning class, so I took Spanish instead. I fell in love with Spanish, and kept with it through high school and into college. I love learning any language and would learn as many as I could if I had the time, but Spanish has always been my first passion and I’ve always wanted to live in a Spanish-speaking country for the full immersion experience. 

The second thread is from when I was in college in the Spanish translation program at BYU, planning on a study abroad. I was at the Kennedy International Relations center looking at the brochures (before the days when everything was online), and I was elated that Spain was an option, but I quickly saw that I had already taken all the classes offered on that trip, so I went with the Yucatán Mexico one instead. 

No regrets there–it was the best experience I could have had! And, extra bonus, because of that trip, through the roommate I had there, I later ended up meeting Jacob as well. Definitely no regrets!

I was still left with the unrealized wish to go to Spain though. 

Third thread–

Fast forward wavy-screen-style to when we were several years married, and as we frequently do, we were talking about hopes and plans for the future and putting it all in a spreadsheet, and living abroad sometime was definitely on the list. If not for a longer period, at least for a summer. Somewhere Spanish-speaking was at the top of the list, since we both speak Spanish. By invitation from leaders at church we had been attending the church’s local Spanish branch for several years, which we loved of course and that’s a whole other story, but still it isn’t the same as living in another country. 

We had nothing in our employment situation that would have any opportunities for living abroad in the immediate future, however; Jacob started his own law firm, which of course was in Richmond where we already were living. 

Fourth thread–

Fast forward some more and I was thinking about grad school, which had always been in the back of my mind, but as the time got closer for when all four of our kids would be in school, it was coming to the forefront. 

I’d loved my job as a translator at BYUTV International when I was in college–I love the audiovisual aspect of translating for TV, the extra challenge of translating scripts that are constrained by time and coordination with visuals. Throughout the years after college I’d also done a few scattered translation and interpretation jobs here and there–mostly medical or legal, a couple projects for BYUTVI–but my favorites were always for TV programming or movies. Thus for grad school programs I was looking at programs in audiovisual translation. And this would provide the perfect ticket for us to live abroad, if we could make it work with Jacob’s work.

So I started looking into different programs in Spanish-speaking countries, but mostly gravitating towards Spain, for several reasons. First, my unfulfilled dream of going since college. Second, we wanted a reasonably safe and stable country, which eliminated several options in Central and South America. Third, Europe! Fourth, it’s close-ish to countries where our ancestors are from–Germany, the UK, Scandinavian countries–so we’d like to visit those places. 

I was eying a program at Universidad Complutense in Madrid, but meanwhile my career goals were shifting. I had spent a year exploring getting into translation more full-time, specifically getting certified by taking the prestigious ATA certification exam, hoping to get certified obviously but also really just trying to gauge my current level. It is not designed as an entry level exam, more like an extra mid-career credential to boost credibility and pay, but not essential to begin a career in translation, and I considered myself a beginner.

I took a prep course, went to an ATA conference, took the exam. 

Over the year that I did all that, I became more and more convinced that I wasn’t interested in a career in translation for a few reasons, and my exam results nudged me further in that direction. I was very pleased with how I did–I was only four points away from passing, which told me that if I was taking this and getting that close without having really dedicated myself to the profession yet, then I was definitely capable of going that direction if I wanted to. But I didn’t necessarily want to, although I still wasn’t decided on abandoning the pursuit altogether, especially with regards to grad school in Spain.

I’d started gravitating more towards the teaching aspect of Spanish–I loved knowing Spanish so much and it has benefited me so much, I began to feel more and more like it was my calling to either teach Spanish myself or be part of greater community initiatives to have Spanish taught. I’d taught a little Spanish with a homeschool family, and also signed up to teach an after-school class at my kids’ school (which was thwarted by covid–my first and last class was March 11, 2020). The only thing is, preparing materials for teaching a class takes a very long time for me and isn’t intuitive, and also classroom management is something I have more to work on, so I figured a masters in education could help me with that. 

Also, somewhere along the line I started researching elementary school dual-language immersion programs in Virginia, because I was getting more and more passionate about the idea that foreign languages should begin to be taught when children are young, and I wanted to  see a dual-language program get started in Henrico County Public Schools, which didn’t have one at the time. I was also researching the HCPS administrative structure and employees and trying to figure out how the sort of decision-making that starts a dual language program happens and how I could get involved, which led me to want to get an MBA. After not too many months I stumbled upon an article at a Henrico newspaper at the YMCA that Henrico had a dual language program slated to begin 2022, which got me more excited about continuing this path because now I knew a Henrico program wasn’t starting from scratch. 

I discovered a dual master program at UVA of an MBA/MEd, which was perfectly suited to my goals, and then I was also thinking maybe I could set up the same kind of dual master program at VCU, which would be much more convenient. 

But also all the while I was still looking into the program at Madrid, and at some point I’d mentioned to a friend that we were thinking of moving to Spain, and she told me about a friend who had moved there with her family of four kids. I got in touch with the friend and asked her a bunch of questions about living in Spain, and also found out she’d gone there to teach English. 

Teaching English became plan B if we moved to Spain, with grad school still plan A. But either way, we just wanted to live abroad in Spain, and either option would be our ticket to getting over there, if we decided to go at all.

It got to the point where I had all these options going around and around in my mind…grad school Spain, teaching English in Spain, grad school in Virginia…translation, teaching, translation, teaching…

Finally I was sitting on the couch in our room one day with a prayer in my mind and I had a moment of clarity, a pervasive sense of calm and ‘this is right’:

Teaching

So teaching English became plan A for any intentions to go to Spain.

And undoubtedly the experience would help in plans for grad school later on in Virginia.

I had been talking to Jacob all along about what if Spain, what if grad school, what if we do this.

But at some point it became more than what if, and he got more and more on board with my plans specifically. Because up to that point we’d sometimes talked about living abroad, but more in the Let’s imagine, Let’s dream kind of way. 

I remember the moment when I said for the first time to anyone else besides Jacob, I think we want to go to Spain. I was on a morning run with a couple friends, and it felt a little crazy saying it, a little impossible, lightyears away, and yet closer to being real because I said it out loud. 

So once it became an idea that both Jacob and I were looking at, it turned into, how could we make this work? What is Jacob going to do with the business?  And to be clear, Jacob was totally excited about the idea of Spain, not just for us and our family living abroad, and not just for me and my career aspirations, but also for him–it could be a chance to step away from the day-to-day of the business, take some time to write books (he’s already written three YA novels), switch roles and have him be more focused on the kids while I’m doing my thing. 

So Jacob started working things at the business to make it work. It had always been a goal of his anyway to step more and more away from client work and focus more on managing and growing the business, and the plan for Spain was the catalyst to get those wheels turning.

Enter 20-second montage accompanied by Eye of the Tiger, with visuals of Jacob at the desk in the middle of the night wiping his brow, typing and clicking away furiously at his desk at work, talking animatedly on a call at the computer with his ear buds on, etc etc etc 😂 

Jacob undertook a major restructuring of the company, which involved several months of working 8am-5pm then 8am-2am, and several months of half salary or less, even no salary for a couple months. 

In the beginning as we started telling people more and more about plans to go to Spain, it was always IF we can get it to work, IF we can get all our ducks in a row. But with Jacob working on things at work to make it work, we were pushing forward as if it would actually work.

I was finding out from my friend’s friend more details of the specific English teaching program she did, which as I’ve mentioned before, is called NALCAP: North American Language and Culture Assistant Program (Spain also invites English speakers from countries all over the world to do this–India, Philippines, the UK, Australia, etc). 

It’s a one year internship sponsored by the Spanish government, open to English speakers ages 18-60 with a college degree, or at least enrolled in college. Participants are called language assistants, auxiliares de conversación or just auxiliares, or auxes in English. They work as TAs in classrooms of Spanish public schools, primary (1st- 6th) and secondary (7th-10th), with the intent of being a model for English and a cultural ambassador for where you’re from–talk about what we do for Halloween in the States, for example. You can renew as an auxiliar for up to 5 years. They assign you to a region–you can indicate your top three regional preferences, but ultimately they decide.

So anyway, I was finding out about the program and doing what I need to prepare to apply–writing a letter of intent, obtaining a letter of recommendation (I started very part-time work as a Spanish interpreter at Henrico Schools, and my wonderful interpreter coordinator wrote me the letter), etc–and Jacob was working on his business.

 Come fall of 2022 and we’re making this real. I start the process for getting new passports for myself and the kids. The NALCAP site posts the application window for the program as late January, early February 2023. January rolls around, no dates. 

Finally end of January, they post Feb 8 as the date the application portal opens. Feb 8, I’m on the portal, called profex, right when it opens at 6pm. I’ve heard many stories of profex being glitchy and applicants having to refresh several times, which ends up being my experience but I don’t get frustrated because I expected it. Boom 45 minutes later, my documents are uploaded and my application is submitted. 

The NALCAP website says we could get our notification of acceptance anytime from April to August, so now it’s a waiting game.

My attitude at this point is still one of, IF it works out, IF our ducks are in a row. The application doesn’t make it a done deal, it’s all still an imaginary not-guaranteed event in the future.

April 3. I get a text from a friend with a link and a quick question: any interest? 

It’s a link from the church website (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) for a job opening: Translation Supervisor for Sacred Music, especially for coordinating the creation and publication of the Church’s new international hymnbook. Whuuuht!! So exciting!! As I’m reading down the job description my eyes get wider and wider and I think, even though I’d gotten off the translation track in my mind, if there was ever a dream job for me in that direction, this is it. I can’t not apply. It’s perfectly suited for me, and it fits three of my major passions: translation/languages, music, and the gospel. 

I decide to apply. I figure it can’t hurt, it gets me experience with a professional application process, we’re still going to Spain, maybe there are possibilities of this being remote and I can do both this job and the Spain one. 

I decide it would help to get intel into what it’s like to apply for a Church job, so I ask my Dad, who works for BYU, if he knows anyone who works for the church who I could just ask some questions. He says his brother does. Duh, I think I already knew that.

I reach out to my uncle–turns out he works for HR at Church headquarters in Salt Lake! I let him know about the job description, and it turns out he knows one of the hiring supervisors for this position! He gives me her info.

I cold call and end up leaving a message. 

I hear back from her! I begin asking her questions via email. I prepare my cover letter and resume, I submit my application. I get a notification that my application has advanced to the next stage, which is to record and submit a video interview. I spend a good 5 hours recording and re-recording my answers to the 5 or so prompts that required like 3-minute answers. 

Meanwhile I’m still corresponding with more back and forth questions with the supervisor. From her questions to me I can see she is becoming interested in me as a candidate. I am also getting a clearer idea of what the job entails, and it’s seeming like more and more this might be something that requires moving to Salt Lake, although I haven’t asked that million dollar question yet.

So at this point, I can’t believe that I’ve made it this far–the job seemed like a long shot, a sure why not but nothing’s going to come of it, but now that I’m seriously being considered, I’m starting to think about implications.

First of all, again, I am THRILLED that I am being considered. I can’t believe it! It is a HUGE boost of confidence for me. 

Second of all, Spain. Now my mind is going in the direction of, what if this other job was the purpose of Spain plans all along? What if we DID move to Salt Lake? I’m a firm believer in God’s ability and willingness to guide people’s paths, and also that sometimes the inspiration we receive to do something isn’t necessarily with the ultimate end of doing that particular thing, but more the impetus to get us on the path to doing something else. So I’m thinking, For this job opportunity, we are already poised to move and Jacob is already gearing up to work remotely. What if this instead?

April 20. I get the email from NALCAP of plaza aceptada –my application is accepted, and my assignment is Madrid! I have 3 days to click accept or decline. I click accept. Because nothing’s final until it’s final right? We’re not in Spain until we’re in Spain. Still need to keep my options open. 

Coincidentally, that same week I end up flying to Utah for my sister’s college graduation, and while there I vaguely consider popping up to Salt Lake to meet the supervisor in person, but decide not to–I’m there for my sister! Still, I’m in Utah, I have thoughts about what it would be like to live in Utah again, I have a couple emails from the supervisor that I occasionally mull over in the back of my mind, with the million dollar questions–first of all, Would you be willing to travel to other countries on a regular basis? Would you be willing to move to Salt Lake? Or, would you be willing to travel to Salt Lake once a month? Or, would you be interested in this other, 30-hour remote position? 

Down to the wire, discussing with Jacob and seeking divine guidance, it came to the answer. No. I draft the email with my final answer saying So sorry no this is not the right time for this for me, but if there’s anything else you have that’s less intensive, any other way I can be involved, please let me know. 

I send the email, and don’t hear back. I send another one, Thank you so much for everything, I assume I am out of the running but I’m so grateful, I hope it hasn’t been a waste of your time.  I never hear back, which I’m a little miffed about because we’d had good rapport in our correspondence. Oh well.

So anyway, that was the long story of our almost detour.

Back to moving forward with Spain.

Since then, everything has rolled onward, with only a couple hitches along the way. Our idea has been to keep moving forward until the point when we can’t anymore, and that point never came. 

We sold the house, sold the cars (one last month, the other yesterday), unenrolled the kids from Henrico schools, and now here we are, living the dream. 

We’re in the air over the Atlantic Ocean. 

I guess it took me over three hours to write all that, and now it’s almost 10pm EST.