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Published: February 10th 2010
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The HUUUGE table Hello friends! I've made it half way so far! The marker was right around the beginning of February. Sometimes time goes really fast for me and other days it goes by slowly. Right now time seems to have stopped for me. As you probably know by now, I decided to break up with Roberto last month. I still feel like I'm in shock. I can't believe that it's over. I send my thanks to all of you who have been praying for us in this difficult time. The regular routine of everyday has helped me get back into the rhythm of my life little by little. I have a lot to think about now. My next goal has always been to get my masters. I can come home this summer and work towards going back to school. There are schools that I like in Miami, Boston, and New York. I have been applying for jobs in the New York City area. The only problem is that these programs are certificate programs. Some of them only last about 4 months. Although they are all cheap and somewhat affordable, they do not provide the same quality of education as would a masters. It
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The ladies....and Victor jejeje has always been my dream to get a masters in interpretation and translation. The degree that I want costs around $25,000 a year and is a 2 year program. Unless I want to go thousands of more $ in debt, this route is not an option for me. The good news is that these are not my only options. There is a masters program at the University of Granada (here in Spain) that I fell in love with 3 years ago. I've dreamed about being able to go there and I'm so close. It is an intense one year program and it only costs about $2,000. Only about a $46,000 difference! My favorite thing about the program is that you can study 3 and even 4 languages! This means that I could continue my studies in French and Chinese. At the end of the program the school finds you a professional internship. Even if I get accepted into the university and even if I work out my visa situation for one more year, one problem still remains. I'm unemployed in June. I'm pretty sure that I'll be able to get through the summer, but it's the school year that I
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Some of the family worry about. Technically as a student, I'm not legally allowed to work. The employment situation in Granada is very complicated. I need to be able to support myself, pay school loans, and be a full-time student in a foreign country all at once. I've spent hours on the internet looking for scholarships and I haven't found much of anything. Almost all of the aid today is for undergraduate studies and for under-represented countries and languages (Spain/Spanish is neither of those things). I'm so close. I've spent a year practicing my Spanish to prepare for this masters and I've found a wonderful community here. I'm happier here than I've been in long time. I really want to make this happen. I have to trust God that if it is He who has placed this desire in my heart that He will deliver the opportunity, no matter the circumstances. If I have one prayer request, it would be that God make it clear what next step I am to take. If you guys know of any scholarships, know anyone here that might be able to give me work, or if you just have any ideas please, please let me know!
January
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El Rey Mago aka Jose went by really quickly for me. I spent New Year's Eve with Marga's family. They made sure that I celebrated the night Spanish-style and that I even ate my 12 grapes with the 12 chimes of the clock in Madrid. There was lots of food, dancing, karaoke and they made sure that I was out 'n about till dawn. As always, I had a great time with them. They've officially adopted me as their niece. Recently I've been invited to lots of dinners with them and even some of the family birthday parties. When you don't have family nearby, sometimes it's just nice to be in a family environment. January was filled with lots of coffee dates, developing friendships, many precious hours getting to know Natalia better, and lots of lesson planning. At the end of January we celebrated Sarah's 30th birthday. My church here has become such an important part of my life. On the most difficult days that I've had, they've helped me get through them and find hope and healing when I thought that I couldn't.
February has been a great month so far. Jessica came to visit me last weekend! She is studying Spanish in
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Opening presents Toledo. It took her over 9hrs in a bus to get here. It was the first familiar face that I've seen since last September. I had a great time showing her around Adra and sharing my daily life with her. She got to meet a lot of my friends, see a beautiful sunset over the Mediterranean, and we spent the entire day last Saturday exploring the city of Almeria together. I had a wonderful time and I hope to see her again soon. Other exciting news is that I'm finally able to go somewhere...all of my hard work and penny-pinching has finally payed off!!! I recently bought a ticket to Paris to go to see my friend Philipinne. She was my best bud during my time in China and I CAN'T WAIT to see her 😊 😊 😊 After watching all of the other American teachers take all kinds of trips (we're talking Barcelona, Madrid, Scotland, Portugal, Ireland, England, etc, etc) all year, I finally get my weekend away!!! I will be leaving on the 25th. February is a hopeful month for me. I have hope that things will work out for this summer and next fall. Right now, I'm
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Showing off my new presents just enjoying the guaranteed time that I have left here. I love and miss you all terribly! Thank you for all of your prayers and support. As always, keep in touch 😊
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Dianne Zandstra
non-member comment
greetings from a very snowy Michigan
Hi Katie, It's great to get an update. I will be praying that the road becomes clear for you and that doors are opened. I'm so glad you are enjoying your time in Spain. Dianne Zandstra