Dear Italy, I Love You, But I’m Leaving You For Spain

I have to admit, I’ve been holding out on some pretty big news! I’m moving abroad…again! Only this time, I’m trading in the pasta and vino of Italy for the paella and sangria of Spain! Keep reading to find out why I’m breaking up with my first love, Italy, and rekindling my romance with Spain.

The End Of The Affair: Why I’m Breaking Up With Italy

Dear Italy, I love you, but I’m leaving you for Spain. It’s not you, it’s me. I promise. Someday I will return to the ruins of Roma and rolling hills of Tuscany with open arms. After all, you will always be my first love, my sweetest international affair. But, for now, Spain is calling, and I must go.

My affair with Italy began when I studied abroad in Florence during the summer of 2011. The month I spent in beautiful Firenze was like all summer romances, incredibly sweet and all too short. I was determined to move back to Italy if I ever had the chance, and, after graduating college I landed my dream job as a student travel guide and was able to continue my love affair with Florence.

I spent my weekdays wrapped in the warm embrace of Firenze, and my weekends flirting with other cities and countries. As I lead study abroad students around Europe, I “dated” a variety of places. I spent Valentine’s Day with Juliet in romantic Verona, cozied up during the holidays at Christmas markets in Prague and Budapest, grabbed beers and Prost-ed the day away at Oktoberfest in Munich. Despite the alluring temptations these cities offered, Florence always waited for me, greeting me weekend after weekend with its open arms and Renaissance charm.

Eventually, however, the romance started to come to an end. While I enjoyed my job, I was looking for a change, and the long hours and demands of the often hectic tour guide lifestyle were taking its toll. Weekly day trips to Cinque Terre became less exciting, and another weekend in the Amalfi Coast became just that, another weekend in the Amalfi Coast.

I longed for more independent travel and began saving up for my next adventure.

After I finished my 1-year contract in Italy in August 2016, I packed my bags and headed on a 3-month journey where I explored Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. I spent lazy days snorkeling and paddle boarding in Greece, rented a smart car and chased waterfalls and hot springs in the Azores, got lost in the medinas of Marrakech and Fes. While I may have flirted with these beautiful and exotic new places, I fell in love with Spain.

Falling For Spain

“I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.”-John Green

I didn’t fall for Spain the same way I fell in love with Italy. This was no summer romance. I got to know Spain gradually, piece by piece, city by city, one glass of sangria at a time.

I fell in love with the energy of Barcelona, its chill seaside vibes and adventurous personality.

I fell in love with Madrid, a little cold and standoffish at first, but filled with good friends and fond memories.

I fell in love with the beauty of the Alhambra in Granada, the charm of Picasso’s birthplace- Malaga, the unique and underrated city of Ronda, the historic walls and buildings of Cordoba.

But, mostly, I fell in love with Sevilla.

I spent 5 days in Sevilla and instantly fell head over heels, smitten. The Andalusian city charmed me, wined me, and dined me, and it didn’t take long for me to proclaim “I could live here.”

While my initial encounter with Sevilla was fleeting, the city would leave a lasting impression on me. However, like all good things, my trip was coming to an end…as were my funds…and my 90-day tourist visa.

So, like a responsible adult, I kissed Europe goodbye, tenderly, and headed back to home sweet home.

Home Sweet? Home

“It’s a funny thing about coming home. Everything looks the same, smells the same, feels the same. You realize what has changed is you.”-F. Scott Fitzgerald

I returned home (somewhere an hour north of Chicago, IL) in November of 2016, and quickly got a job working part time at an Italian restaurant (the irony is not lost on me) while I figured out my next move.

My initial plan was to save some money and head out to California (where I attended university). However, as the days wore on, I began to miss my life in Europe more and more, and an idea quickly started to take hold, all thanks to my Spanish friend Elena.

Auxiliares de Conversación

While I was in Madrid, I met up with Elena and she told me about how some of her American friends were working as auxiliares de conversación in Spain.

I’m pretty sure my reply was “auxiliares de conversaci-what?” 

She briefly explained the program, and we spent the rest of our meet-up catching up on life, and discussing my future travels.

A few weeks later, tired, but not able to sleep in my Airbnb in Granada, I decided to look up the program and see what it was all about.

Essentially, as a language and culture assistant employed by the Spanish Ministry of Education, native English speakers can earn €700- €1,000 each month in exchange for  12-16 hours of work per week.

I put the program out of my mind, too busy planning itineraries and booking trains to make any big life decisions.

But I didn’t forget.

And so, one January morning, sick of Chicago’s winter and snow and dreaming of the Sevillian sun, I sat down and seriously thought about applying to the auxiliares de conversación program.

Within a week, I had my application materials ready to go, letter of recommendation lined up, and was able to submit my application the day it was due. (Placements are on a first-come-first-served basis.)

While I won’t detail the long process of applying and waiting to hear back from the Spanish Ministry of Education here (that’s a story for another blog post), I will tell you that I spent several months waiting, hoping for a good placement, accepting my position, lining up my visa and paperwork, and saving up for the big move.

So, I’m moving to Sevilla…now what?

Finally, after months of waiting and preparing, I can say that in just a little over 2 weeks, I’ll be moving to Sevilla, ready to resume our romance again.

I have to admit, I’m not exactly sure what that means.

Like rekindling any romance, there are bound to be difficulties, and I do have some fears and apprehension.

What if I’m not over my first love, Florence? What if Sevilla just doesn’t feel the same to me? What if I love Sevilla, but have a harder time falling in love with my job?

To those what ifs, I respond with a quote from Anthony Bourdain, who put this far better than I ever could:

“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”-Anthony Bourdain

So here’s to changing and being changed. To falling in love with new people, and places, and cities, and foods. To taking on a new challenge, a new language, a new job, to taking another leap of faith. Here’s to trying something new, and to the failures along the way.

While there will certainly be tough days (and many Miss Adventures) ahead as I leave my family and friends, search for a new apartment, and attempt to re-learn my long-forgotten Spanish, I look forward to learning, growing, living, and loving-this time in Spain.

I can’t wait to share the experience with all of you.

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You might also enjoy these posts from Spain, or these travel posts :

• Exactly How I Lived In Europe + Got Paid To Travel (And You Can Too!)
• 15 Things You Absolutely Must Do In Seville, Spain
• How I Spent 1 Month In Greece (Almost) For Free!

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10 Reasons You Simply Must Visit Ronda: Spain’s Most Gorge-ous City Dear Florence, I Love You: A Letter To My Study Abroad Home 8 Ways To Make The Most Of Your Study Abroad Experience in Spain 15 Things You Absolutely Must Do In Seville, Spain