Julia

United States
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Travel information
I am currently
At home
My next destination:
Spain
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Description
Hi!

My name is Julia Nixon. I live in New Jersey, USA, and am currently a student at Rutgers University. I am studying Spanish with plans to become a high school teacher. I have been studying Spanish for nine years and would love to travel abroad to learn more about the language, the people, and the culture firsthand. I speak English (native) and Spanish (advanced low).

I'm currently looking for a host for the summer. I am mainly interested in a language exchange (English for Spanish!), working in a school or hotel/B&B, or working with children.

I love learning new things and meeting new people; these are the two main reasons I am interested in traveling. Some of my favorite things to do are hike, run, read books, write, play piano and ukulele, and cook. I like sports and having a healthy, active lifestyle. I am responsible, family-oriented, and caring. I enjoy spending time with my parents, older sister, and younger cousins.

In terms of work, I have been an au-pair in Spain (summer 2018), a marketing intern for a small consulting firm, a Physics tutor, a gardening volunteer at an arboretum, a babysitter, and a soccer referee. I have excellent people skills and problem-solving skills and work well both alone and with others. I am studious and a high academic performer.

Some final notes: I do have a severe nut allergy, but overall I am in good physical condition. I do not smoke. I am open to new experiences, people, and food and am excited about the WorkAway progam.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
More details about my language interests
This workawayer has indicated that they would be interested in sharing their language(s) or learning a new language. You can contact them directly to discuss this.
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Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
I'm interested in:
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Helping around the house
Hospitality/Tourism
Teaching
Some knowledge of:
Gardening
General Maintenance
Helping with Computers/ Internet
Able to teach about:
Languages
More details about your skills
Education: Spanish (Bachelor's degree by 2021); Education (Master's degree by 2022)

Child-care: au-pair, camp counselor, babysitter (kids ranging from 3-13 years old)

Computer: Microsoft Office and Adobe InDesign

Languages: English (native); Spanish (advanced low)

Farm Work: General vegetable gardening
Age
25
What else ...
I would love to learn new cooking recipes!
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
  Nuts
- Special dietary requirements
  Nut-free food!

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4 Aug 2018

Left by Workawayer (Julia) for host (Join our family in Madrid to ...)

This was my first WorkAway experience, and I feel so lucky to have found such a wonderful family! I arrived on June 5 and stayed until July 28.

Being that this was my first time traveling abroad and alone, I really appreciated how the family spoke with me and my parents prior to my arrival. The father, Ronan (who is also French!), was kind… read more enough to pick me up from the airport at the start of my trip and drop me off at the end. Ronan travels to Paris for about two days during the week. He also makes a delicious French quiche! The mother, Alejandra, was so caring and thoughtful to me throughout all eight weeks. Because Alejandra works from home, I was able to practice speaking Spanish with her. Alejandra also gave me some tips for traveling in Madrid and connected me to another au pair in the town(Alcobendas) so I could make some friends. Their daughters, Yuna (8 years old) and Katell (6 years old), are the most adorable little girls I have ever met! Always laughing, doing handstands, and eating chocolate (their favorite treat!), the girls were wonderful. We often played legos, colored, went to the pool, played "house" and "school", and spent time with some of the neighborhood kids as well. They also have a border collie dog named Arwen, who is very calm for only being about 8 months old! Olga, the cleaning lady, comes every week day, and she cooks and cleans for the family. She was so nice!

The family has had an au pair since Katell was born, so the girls speak English very well. In the household, three languages are spoken: Spanish, French, and English. With Alejandra, the girls primarily speak Spanish; with Ronan, they speak French; and with the au pair, they speak English. All four family members know all three languages well, and I was so amazed at how quickly and easily they could switch among them.

The apartment complex that they live in is gorgeous. It is very well-maintained and safe. Sometimes I would go for runs on the paths inside of the community, and I very much enjoyed the area. In terms of traveling into Madrid, there is a bus stop right outside the community, which I used to ride on a bus for 20 minutes, and then I would ride on the underground metro for about another 20 minutes into the city center. The family's apartment was very nice. I had my own room, and I shared a bathroom with the girls.

My job was to teach the girls English through exposure; I would always speak Spanish when I was with them. In June, the girls would arrive home from school around 4:30pm. We would play until about 7:30/8 and then we would have dinner, which was usually a soup and a meat. The girls would go to bed at 8:30. In July, the girls had summer camp from 10:00am until 2:00pm. The girls stayed up a little later during the summer, so I would be with them from about 4/4:30m until 9:30pm.

Overall, this was the best experience of my life, and I could not be more thankful to this wonderful family! It was a honor to spend time with such a close and caring family, and I know Yuna and Katell will continue to excel in their English studies!

To Alejandra, Ronan, Yuna, and Katell: gracias, merci, and thank you! Hopefully I will return to Madrid one day and visit your family!

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