¡Bienvenidos!

Welcome to my blog! I'm getting excited to leave for Spain once more in just a few weeks. There are lots of things to figure out still, but I think it will be a grand adventure.

Villa de Valverde, the town I will be teaching in

I am very excited to be going back to Spain for a second year with Fulbright! As some of you may know, I was an English Teaching Assistant in Madrid last year, where I taught English, History, and Biology to students from ages 12 to 15. I had a wonderful time in Madrid and learned a ton about Spanish, language learning, cultural exchange, and more, but I am thrilled to have the opportunity to come back to Spain and learn and explore even more!

Next year, I am living in a much smaller place than Madrid. :D My school is in Villa de Valverde, the capital of El Hierro. If, like me a few months ago, you have no idea where that is or don't know anything about it, read on

El Hierro was once the end of the world, the last place before the sea poured off the edge. It is the smallest and westernmost of the Canary Islands, a little over 200 miles off the coast of Africa.

How to Find El Hierro on a Map

El Hierro has a population of just over 10,000 people and is acclaimed as the best island for ecotourism. It has an average temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit year-round, so I cannot wait for the climate :) I am placed in the capital, Valverde, which has a population of just 5,000, about the same size as my college. El Hierro also has dozens of dive sites, paragliding, and bicycling all over the island.

If you are interested in learning more about El Hierro every day, I recommend following the tourist board's Facebook page El Hierro Island. Most of what I know about the island I have learned from them. They post every day about local food, things to do, and beautiful views all over the island!

A Note on Coats of Arms

One interesting thing I have found in my research over the past several months is that the Canary Islands have a lot of coats of arms. There is one for Spain, one for all the Islands, one for my island, and one for my town. All are amazing, as you can see below. #coatofarms #canaryislands #history

First, we have the well-known Spanish Coat of Arms. It has a superb lion and the crown cannot be beat.

Next, there is the Canary Islands Coat of Arms. The islands are named from canis, latin for dog. Supposedly, the first Europeans to arrive found large dogs. That is now immortalized in this great crest.

Spanish Coat of Arms, with a particularly impressive lion

Canary Islands Coat of Arms

You might think that two coat of arms would be enough, but El Hierro wanted to go a step further. Their crest was never officially approved :( but it also has a castle and a lion to symbolize the ties with the Crown of Castile.

Finally, we have the Valverde coat of arms. The town only has 5,048 people as of 2013, but it has a great coat of arms with the Garoé, a Holy Tree that herreños used to collect water centuries ago.

Now it's time for me to try and pack and get ready to start the next big adventure!

¡Hasta luego!