The present is temporary, the future is infinitely bright

¿Qué tal mi gente?

My name is Jenn and I was born and raised in Washington Township, New Jersey now currently living in Cape May, New Jersey. I am 24 years old and I graduated from The College of New Jersey in summer of 2020 with a degree in communication and a minor in professional writing. To say those weren’t my favorite 4 years of my life would be an understatement. I succumbed to anxiety and fear, not taking many risks and not putting myself first. However, I don’t want to live life with any regrets or cling onto the past. Besides, I’m in my 20s and I still have plenty of time to make all the mistakes and take as many risks as I’d like. (It took me a while to obtain this “go with the flow” mentality, but let me tell you it is liberating.) In 7 weeks, I’m taking a leap of faith by moving to Spain to teach English. 

This too shall pass...

A year ago, I did not picture myself moving abroad to teach English, especially since the past 4 years of my life left me hopeless. Everyday I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do, what I was passionate about, what I was good at, etc. For 4 years I was lost. I felt like I was existing, but I didn’t feel alive. Then, I applied to the Disney College Program in 2018, a semester-long internship turned into a gap year. My role was Photopass Photographer at Hollywood Studios and it was the best year ever. That role gave me hope, new aspirations and dreams. I thought I could see a future for myself in the communication field, but alas, I still hated it when I went back to school. Then I had to finish my degree during a pandemic, living at home with my parents, feeling like a poor side character from a Jane Austen novel. It truly felt like my life was going nowhere until my friend introduced me to this program at the end of last summer. 

Why teach in Spain?

To put it simply, it feels right. I’m also half Cuban and have always wanted to immerse myself in other latinx cultures. I want to work on my spanish proficiency and fluency while I’m there and also travel the world (or as much of it as I can during these times). I’ve thought about pursuing education, but never did for fear of being disappointed in another major. However, this program immediately gave me the vision I was looking for, so I got TEFL certified and plan to spend a couple of years abroad, getting a masters along the way, then back to the U.S. to work in nonprofits that aid immigrants. 2020 was a year of self-growth for me, getting rid of old habits and allowing myself to grow into the best version of me, leaving fear and anxiety behind. Cheers to a year of self-discovery and a bright future ahead! See you all in Spain xx.