Smiling alone got me invited to many school events, meals out, parties and even colleagues' houses, as Spanish people are naturally warm and sociable. With those invites, my smile only got broader, and I made a real effort to learn.

Greeting friends with kisses became second nature, as did addressing them: “¡Hola guapo/a!” (Hello beautiful - creepy in English, but standard in Spanish!) I also got used to doing my banking in the mornings and everything always being closed from 2-5pm and on Sundays. At the same time, I was given more teaching tips and got to know my students, students' parents, colleagues and my lovely flatmate better.

I ended up staying in Albacete for 3.5 years, moving on to work for a language academy that provided class observations with feedback and excellent teacher training. Albacete had become my second home, but I also made time to travel, visiting Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, Málaga, Granada, and Toledo and staying with many of my friends, colleagues, students, and students' families in their hometowns and villages.

I was lucky enough to experience La Feria de Albacete (a mesmerising whirlwind of music, colours, lights, scents, parades, dancers, horses, stalls and rides), Valencia's Las Fallas festival, Málaga's Semana Santa and Villarrobledo's carnival. On my 24th birthday, my friends sang Happy Birthday to me in their native languages: Spanish blended beautifully with English, Lithuanian, Polish and Portuguese. I attended students' birthday parties, a student's wedding, a Buddhist meditation session and jazz-funk, Zumba and belly dance classes. I have a Spanish “little sister” and a favourite nun, and made so many friendships which will last a lifetime. 2014 was the first New Year I saw in by almost choking on grapes. I have since firmly adopted this Spanish ritual and repeat it every year with curious friends wherever I happen to find myself!

TEFL in Germany

This year, I am completing a fourth and final English Language Assistantship in the picturesque Harz region of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. My students, aged 10-16, make me smile every day. So far, we have danced to Auld Lang Syne, sampled Scottish sweets, played British party games (with questions in English!) and debated the importance of having different words for different kinds of doughnuts (they do in German) and slugs/snails (there's only one word in German: “Schnecke”!)

I'm working at a secondary school at the foot of northern Germany's highest mountain, the Brocken. I hiked up the Brocken once, and a few months ago, I got to go there again on the Harry Potter-esque steam train to watch the rock opera Goethe's “Faust”. Additionally, I often walk or cycle to and from school, as a bike path stretches most of the way, and the scenery is gorgeous! In December, I got into the Christmas spirit by visiting Christmas markets in five different towns and cities. I discovered I am partial to Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes with apple sauce) and Schmalzkuchen (little doughnuts). Yum!

I have great neighbours: der Nikolaus (German Santa) left me chocolate on 6th December, and I now spend almost as much time in my neighbours' flat as I do my own, playing games and working on ambitious and sometimes slightly mad craft projects! My Zumba and ballet classes always make my week, as everyone is so friendly and happy to chat with me. My Zumba teacher has also been absolutely amazing, lending me a costume for the carnival and even going out and buying a Skype headset, which she then immediately lent to me for interviews!