My Life

The town we moved to when I was barely three years old, I lived in the other Newcastle until I was eighteen.

Studying French and Spanish Studies at Lancaster University, I spent a wonderful three years of my life, making some great friends along the way.

My year abroad was spent as a classroom language assistant, helping Spanish teens and adults improve their spoken English. This, unusually as some may think, is where my love of Spain began. Soria is a small town that is the capital of a fairly uninhabited province in the North of Spain. It is well known for its harsh winters and its nearby Roman ruins of Numancia.

Six sad weeks were spent here, alone in Lyon. I here discovered that I am best not left to my own devices as I spent six weeks in a room, rarely venturing out into the scary streets of a dead Lyon in August. The best point of my stay was seeing France win the world cup.

Two summers were spent teaching English to teenagers from all over the world in Cambridge, a beautiful city with lots of lovely pubs! Thanks to all my friends from Studio who made these summers something to remember!

My first proper teaching job was in Madrid. Too many hours' work including the dreaded Saturday mornings, but a great time was had by my fellow Brits and I as we went from bar to cheesy gay discos in Chueca and then home for a few hour's sleep before going back to teach (and learn!) English grammar, amongst other things.

Then on to Naples to lots of Erasmus parties with the Spaniards. A great city, despite what some may think, Naples has it all. It's a reasonable size, can be a bit dangerous if you are not careful (like walking around dodgy areas at 4am alone - yes, of course I got my bag snatched!), but it's beautiful and full of a street culture that you don't see in Britain. It's also really near to Pompei, Capri, Ischia and the Amalfi Coast.

Just like in Cambridge, more summers were spent in Bishop's Stortford, doing summer school. Stuck in the bubble that is six weeks living 24/7 with a lovely bunch of people, we never wanted to leave. Bloody hard work though! And wI'll never forget those many evenings having a few pints and a game of darts to relax at The Cock Inn.

Qué bonita es Graná! Amazing. You should see it for yourself. I will leave it to Washington Irvine to describe the Alhambra and views of the Albayzin.
Another great year was spent here. The job was not all it could be, but I still had fun, some lovely flatmates and the best thing about Granada is the free tapas!
I frequently go back for a weekend with friends from Jerez.

My adopted hometown, Jerez. My adopted football team (after Stoke City FC) Xerez CD.
Here I have lived for the past 8 years, so you could say I was fairly settled!
Close to the beach but not far from Seville, Jerez is in a privileged spot of the world. A great climate (although a bit hot in summer) means you can do anything at practically any time of year. Close to both the sea and the mountains, it's ideal for everyone. Sounding too much like a tourist guide book, I will say that Jerez does have its faults, but it is my home.