Oops. It’s June. I’ve just realised I missed my monthly update, but you’ll have to forgive me (hopefully) because May has been CRAZY. Do I say that every month? My blog doesn’t run in chronological order, because my brain is basically an internet browser with a million tabs open, and I jump around to whatever takes my fancy. Hence trying to use MM Monthly Thoughts to keep things a little in order!
Inside the Mezquita in Córdoba
Where am I at?
At this moment I’m in Almería, Spain, gearing up for my next adventure! On Monday I head back to one of my favourite places in the world, Edinburgh! Anyone who knows me knows I have HUGE love for Scotland, and I can’t wait to spend the whole summer there once again.
This month had sped by in a blur of more visitors, trips away to places like the beautiful Cabo de Gata and Córdoba for a festival of flowers (I never thought I would be so excited about flowers…) and finishing up teaching English for this school year.
Finishing up the school year at one of my schools
In good news, I’ll be back in Spain for another year of teaching english on the Auxiliar de Conversación program! I’m so happy to be placed in Almería once again. This place has far more to offer than it’s given credit for.
Summer plans
I have so much planned for the summer that EB (the boy) and I have made a joint calendar. Eek. Trips to London, Sweden, Denmark, and Montenegro are all locked in, with some room for spontaneity on the side.
If you’re looking for inspiration for summer travel then I asked 14 other travel bloggers about their favourite summer places in Europe, most of which I haven’t been to yet but now had added to the never ending (not actually in existence) list.
If you don’t know, Edinburgh in August is the best place in the world to be. There are more festivals than you can count on one hand in that month! Before then, I can’t wait to rediscover some of my favourite haunts and just get used to this city being home again for a little while.
One of my favourite views of Edinburgh, from the Salisbury Crags
Thoughts for the month
On learning another language
In complete contrast to my thoughts on this last month, something fell into place in May and I felt like suddenly, I could speak Spanish! I don’t know if it was a matter of confidence or things just clicking in my brain and being able to remember more, but I feel a lot better about my Spanish and feel it is progressing. I’ve slipped a little in the past couple of weeks with practising but I’m determined to keep up with it in the summer. I don’t want to feel like I did when I first arrived when I return!
I finally put my thoughts on learning a language by moving abroad in a post, so if it’s something you’re interested in or have done then I’d love to know your thoughts!
Popular posts of the month
I read a bit of a cringeworthy post on Facebook earlier in the month that lead me to write this post about the signs that you could be a travel snob, but you don’t know it. Turns out most of us have had these thoughts at some point, myself included!
After my recent trip to Barcelona I was trying to find a way to write about it without sounding like I disliked it, and without using the word overrated. I loved my trip to Barcelona, but I just didn’t get the vibe of the city, or really, I didn’t get any vibe at all! So instead I wrote about whether I missed the point in Barcelona, and it seems like quite a few people actually agreed about it, or felt the same about another place they’d been to. Whew!
The best of Barcelona, Park Güell
Goals for June
Last month I said I would keep up the Spanish, which has happened, although I need to go back over what I’ve learned to cement it in my head. Seriously some weeks I’m awesome and remember everything, and some weeks I can’t retain anything and lose what I’ve already supposedly learned too!
I did publish some more Almería posts, one about the beautiful beaches of Cabo de Gata and one about Visiting Los Refugios, underground shelters from the Spanish Civil War. Both must see’s if you ever head this way!
Here’s this month:
- Practice Spanish everyday
- Get ready for my first ever Travel Blog Conference at TBEX in July
- Post more about my beloved Scotland!
As always, thanks for stopping by, and please let me know if you did!
Sonja x
Great to hear you have been learning Spanish while teaching English in Spain. I love the language although it’s not so easy to learn, Spaniards speak very fast and at the beginning I couldn’t understand a word of what they said. Your experience does remind me of my Travel & Study time back in 1999 when I spent 2 months in Salamanca at school, learning Spanish! I loved it and I am so thankful I did that. Nice post! 🙂
Thanks Michela! I’ve wanted to learn Spanish for a long time, so it’s been great to finally start. Now continues the lifelong learning! I still find it a little hard to keep up sometimes, if I haven’t met someone before or they speak very quickly and don’t pronounce things as much. Which is very common where I live! It’s like once I get used to someones voice I can understand them much better. I’d love to dedicate more time to learning, and I think I’ll have to take an intensive Spanish course at some point!