The Girl Who Goes

independent, intentional travel

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7 Reasons Why You Should Visit Sevilla, Spain

sevilla, spain - plaza de espana

From my first visit to Sevilla, Spain

A few months ago, my mom and I spent a long weekend down south in Sevilla, Spain. I can’t even describe how magical that time felt. Even though I was only a few hours away from Madrid, I felt like I’d been transported to an entirely different world.

During a visit to Spain, many travelers think about visiting the beaches of Barcelona or enjoying Madrid capital. But if you’re looking for a more thorough Spanish experience, I can’t recommend Sevilla enough. From Madrid, it’s easy to access – an hour flight or a two-and-a-half hour train ride – and though it’s Spain’s 4th-largest city, it has a distinctive personality that feels uniquely Spanish.

Have I convinced you to visit yet? If not, here are 7 reasons why you should take a journey down south to the capital of Andalucía! [Read more…]

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Hasta Luego, España

To say that my second year in Spain didn’t go quite how I expected would be an understatement. It makes me more grateful for the whole, uninterrupted first year I had. Traveling to another country every month, riding the metro around the city on the weekends, meeting friends at cafes, taking the train or bus to new cities in Spain. [Read more…]

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A Day in the Life of an Auxiliar de Conversacion – Spain

Yes, my school is far AF from Madrid… but how could I not love it with views like this?

It’s November, so you know what that means – the application to become an Auxiliar de Conversación for 2020-2021 is less than two months from opening! If you’re dreaming of moving to Spain for a year, this might be your best chance. And I highly recommend it. 🙂

I’m almost two months into my second year as an aux here in the Comunidad de Madrid. Since I got here, I’ve had a great experience at my school, so I decided to come back for a second year. Also, I’ve been really fortunate as far as my school’s expectations for me as a language assistant – which unfortunately isn’t always the case. [Read more…]

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Auxiliares de Conversacion Guide – Madrid 2019 (Part I)

spain flag

I’m about halfway into my “summer break” here in the U.S., but the start of the school year in Spain is fast approaching. It’s crazy to think: one year ago at this time, I was a week away from the big move to Madrid. With nowhere to live and no idea what I was really getting myself into, I couldn’t be happier with how my first year turned out.

But it got me thinking about the newest round of auxiliares who are starting to arrive in Spain right about now. Especially in the big cities, it’s crucial to get a head start on the apartment hunt before the droves of university students start moving in. So I thought I could put together a little “survival guide” for new auxiliares. [Read more…]

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What To Do After Receiving Your Regional Placement (Auxiliares de Conversacion Program)


Originally, I wrote the skeleton of this post last summer, when I was newly excited about getting my placement. This year’s new auxiliares should be getting their placements soon, so I decided to resurrect this topic!

I’d been checking my email every morning for way too long – the application period for this year’s Auxiliares de Conversacion program didn’t even close until April 13, but I was vigilant, just in case. I couldn’t wait to receive my regional assignment! [Read more…]

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All About the Auxiliares de Conversacion (NALCAP) Program

nalcap - feature photo

On the playground at my school

I recently talked via Instagram with my 11th-grade English teacher, Ms. Thompson. She asked me for more information about the Auxiliares de Conversacion program (also known as NALCAP) because her daughter is a college senior and may be interested in doing something like this after graduation.

This caused me to realize that, for as much as I talk about the program and how to apply, I’ve never written a post on what all the program is and actually entails. So, here it is! [Read more…]

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The Truth About Living in Spain

the truth about living in spain - feature photo

Portrait of the author recovering from tonsilitis on a Wednesday

You know how people will post photos like “Instagram vs. Reality?” I don’t really see myself as someone who highly curates my image or digital presence, but to anyone who doesn’t talk to me on a regular basis, it may just look like I’m living the dream all of the time in Spain.

Which is totally true. This is my dream! But there are also lots of parts that aren’t easy; parts that are unglamorous and hard work, and I don’t talk about them much. So I wanted to share an inside look as to what it’s really like living in Spain. Here are my realities! [Read more…]

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How to Get a Low Inscrita Number for the Auxiliares de Conversacion Program (Spain)

low inscrita number - feature image

Hola! I wrote this post quite a while ago, when it was all still fresh in my head from the application process. However, I decided not to share until now, because I wasn’t ready for everyone to know I was moving to Spain. 🙂
[Read more…]

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7 Things I’ve Learned from Living in Madrid for 10 Days

living in madrid - my apartment

View from my apartment terrace.

It’s hard to believe I’ve already been in Spain for 10 days! Thankfully, the existential “what-am-I-doing-why-did-I-think-this-was-a-good-idea” phase seems to have passed for the time being, and I’m really enjoying life right now. Whether it’s café con leche every morning (or when I wake up, which uhhh, isn’t always the morning) and shopping for things I need to feel at home, it’s exciting to have a fresh start in a new place. And while I’ve visited Spain as a tourist before, living here is totally different. Here are some of the things I’ve learned in my first 10 days living in Madrid. [Read more…]