“She was a girl who knew how to be happy even when she was sad. And that’s important—you know ”

Here are some reasons why my job is amazing!!!

Being around kids (1st, 2nd, 4th, and 7th graders in my case) is a fail-proof way to get your mind off your own problems, especially when you feel obligated to accomplish something with them - not just babysitting, but rather working towards a long-term goal.  The time that you're completely absorbed in the kids is a whole chunk of time when it's impossible to think about yourself.  Children are so self-centered and naive that nothing would ever be accomplished if the teacher was as well.

The other amazing thing about kids is that they accept you as you are.  Even if they think they're being "rebellious" or "getting away with" sneaky behavior, they have no idea how much nicer they are than adults.  Young teachers often wonder, "Was I as bad as my students when I was their age?!" but instead I wonder, "Was there ever a teacher in my school that was having such a hard time that we actually helped him/her without even knowing it?"

My kids at work are the reason I drag my butt out of bed every morning, but my girls and moms in Arroyomolinos are the only people on this continent that I can really depend on.  The girls have come so far with their English since the beginning of 3rd grade.  They can understand everything I say, even when I spend the entire hour (or hour and a half) speaking only English.  I may have accidentally given Andrea a New York accent because a few months ago she said to me, “Niki you gotta speak Spanish!” I almost fell off my chair. I said, “Where did you learn the word gotta? That’s horrible.”  They say the sweetest and most honest things to me…like when Maria told me, “Niki, espero que te quedes en España por siempre” or that she prefers “the weekend Niki” she saw on her mom’s Facebook pictures.  Sometimes they say feisty and sarcastic things to me like, “No me interesa tu vida” during CONVERSATION practice or “¡Como se nota que somos hermanas!” when they do something similar. (I still can’t tell the twins apart, by the way).     

The girls’ moms, Gemma and Isa, are the most generous and compassionate people I know.  I always knew I could count on the two of them for help, but it wasn’t until winter break that I realized they really were my only support network in Spain. I don’t know if it was more friend instinct or maternal instinct, but whatever it was, they’re the reason I’m still here. I know they’ll be in my life forever, no matter where my future jobs may take me, and one day when the girls are older I’ll tell them about how amazing their moms actually are.