I was placed in two schools: the first in the small city of Zafra, IES Cristo de Rosario, and the second about 30 minutes north, IESO Valdemedel. For those of you who are wondering, the IES, Instituta de Escuela Secundaria and Instituta de Escuela Secundaria Obligataria, means that I will be teaching in secondary schools, working with 12-16 year-olds. I am not sure what the 'Obligataria' means, but I am sure I will find out. I am mildly disappointed with my school placements because, at least as a swim coach, I prefer working with the younger kids, but qué será, será. I am still SUPER excited because now I can start thinking about the specifics of living in Spain and all the awesome trips I am going to take.
As soon as I found out, I had to go online and find out as much about the city as I could. Zafra is a city nestled in the valley between several mountains with a population of 16,000. It is about an hour away from Badajoz and Merida, an hour and a half away from Seville, 3 hours from Lisbon (Portugal) and around 4 hours from Madrid. The influences of the Romans and the Moors are still evident in the city today, with historical sites including several churches and the Parador de Zafra (see a picture), and the city is known as 'Little Seville' for its architectural similarities. I've already found a running club and a cycling club there, in case I decide to be super athletic in my efforts to meet the locals. The nearest pool is 15km away (Yes, I had to check), and I am contemplating getting a bike to get around and explore the countryside. Through the various forums and facebook groups I am a part of, I have already found two other people placed in Zafra as well, so that is promising.
Now the next step for me is working on getting my Student Visa, a long arduous process that is only worth it because in the end I get to go to Spain. ¡Hasta luego!
