Barcelona!

Finally a quiet moment to announce the results of a difficult decision, a stressful process, and some cryptic yet inspirational Facebook quotes that I have been breathing as mantras.

This past weekend, I attended a job fair in London for international teachers just to "see what was out there," not at all convinced my time in Turkey was finished. After the stressful "speed dating" experience of interviewing at 8 schools from all corners of the world, and weighing some job offers against the possibility of staying at BLIS longer, I accepted an offer to work at Benjamin Franklin International School in Barcelona, Spain starting in August (a 2-year contract).

I love my life here in Turkey, and so it had to be a very special opportunity me to leave after what feels like 3 short years, but Barcelona has so much to offer for a girl like me. It is one of those rare gems of a city that is full of amazing music, art, and culture, and yet also has an amazing outdoor scene just out its back door. The Catalunya area of Spain is recognized as one of the best sport climbing areas in Europe, and the Pyrenees (skiing and hiking galore!) are just an hour north. Not to mention the beach, the weather, the Mediterranean blood of the people, and a beautiful language (Yes, I am going to once again work really hard to learn a language that only a small region of the world speaks: Catalan).

Oh yeah, and the school.... It is being accredited as an IB school as I write this, and I won't cycle in to teach IB until the following year. But I will actually be relieved to take a little break from IB and just teach regular English classes. Teaching IB is often so challenging, it is exhausting. And I am excited to use my experience to help the school transition to IB.

So there you have it! Mostly right now I am relieved to have this decision behind me, a weight off my shoulders, and six more months to thoroughly enjoy my time in Turkey. Because there is no time like the present.