When I decided to apply for a teaching assistant program in Spain, I knew I wanted more than another vacation. I had already visited Granada and Madrid, but this time I wanted to experience what living in Almería would actually be like. And because Andalucía was the only region where language assistants could choose their placement, I had the opportunity to pick exactly where I wanted to go.
I chose Almería. Not because it was the most popular choice. Actually, quite the opposite. I wanted somewhere that felt authentic, less touristy, and more like a place where I could experience everyday Spanish life. Living in Almería gave me exactly what I had been looking for.
I ended up in a little beach town called Aguadulce, and that decision gave me one of the most impactful years of my life.
Why I Chose Almería
My choice was pretty simple: I wanted to see what else Spain had to offer.
I’d already experienced Granada and Madrid as a visitor, but living somewhere is completely different from passing through for a few days. I wanted to wake up somewhere, go to work, grocery shop, make friends, figure out public transportation, and experience all the little things that come with actually living in another country.
Aguadulce turned out to be a great fit for that.
It was quieter than the major Spanish cities I’d visited, and my studio apartment was in a residential neighborhood filled mostly with families and older residents. I actually appreciated the peacefulness. But then there was something else I hadn’t fully appreciated until I got there: the cost of living.
The United States is inexplicably expensive, and before moving abroad, I’d always lived with my parents or had roommates. Almería was the first place where I could afford to have my own apartment in my 30s! It took a lot of research and communication to find an affordable place, but with some understanding and patience, I was lucky enough to make it happen.
That alone made the experience feel pretty significant.
My Little Walkable Life in Aguadulce
I didn’t have a car while living in Aguadulce, but thankfully, I didn’t really need one.
My school was about a 20-minute walk from my apartment, there were multiple grocery stores nearby, and the beach was literally about five minutes away behind my building. Most of what I needed was within walking distance, so I spent a lot of time on foot. By the time I went back home for the summer, I was probably in the best shape I’d been in for a while. LOL
I hadn’t moved to Spain with the intention of becoming a walking enthusiast, but apparently that’s what happens when your transportation options are your feet and public buses.
What It Was Like Teaching in Almería
I worked at a bilingual primary school with children ages 3–5 and students in 1st through 3rd grade. My classes included English, Science, Art, and Physical Education.
One thing I really enjoyed was having a rotating schedule. Instead of working with the same students and subject every day, I had the opportunity to work with different age groups and subjects throughout the week. The school environment was incredibly welcoming. The teachers were lovely, and the students were adorably eager to learn.
I had already studied Spanish and had experience with the language, but working in a Spanish school gave me a completely different perspective. I wasn’t just learning about Spain anymore, I was participating in everyday life there and quickly became attached to the people around me.
Making Friends as an Adult Abroad
Making friends as an adult can be tricky enough when you’re at home. Moving to another country and trying to build a social life from scratch adds another layer to it.
Thankfully, language assistants have one major advantage: group chats. WhatsApp is king overseas and 100% free!
I joined several different chats where language assistants could connect, make plans, ask questions, and meet people who were going through the same experience. I also connected with local Spaniards, which gave me opportunities to socialize beyond the assistant community.
At one point, I even joined a hiking group. As someone who enjoys being outdoors, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to explore the scenery around me. It’s an Earth sign thing. LOL
Hiking Through Ohanes
One of my favorite hiking-group outings took us to Ohanes, a small town surrounded by beautiful scenery.
Almería is known for its production of olives and olive oil, so there were olive trees everywhere. We spent the day enjoying the scenery, exploring little shops and restaurants, and just taking advantage of a beautiful day outside. It was exactly the kind of experience I had hoped for when I chose Almería.
I wasn’t looking for a packed tourist itinerary. I wanted to discover the smaller places, meet people, and experience what everyday life looked like outside Spain’s major cities.
Ohanes gave me a little bit of that.
The Food, Bars & Port Life I Loved
If you ask me about my favorite restaurant in Aguadulce, there really isn’t much debate. It’s La Piedra, an Argentine restaurant that served some of the most delicious patatas bravas and steak I’ve ever had. I went there so often that eventually the staff started recognizing me. LOL
Naturally, I had to go there for my 34th birthday.
The restaurant was located along a road behind my apartment that had several other restaurants and shops. Keep following that road and you’d eventually reach a small port where boats docked. There were bars and clubs nearby, including Temple Bar, where I went for karaoke, and Mojito, a fun dance club for people of all ages and music types.
My birthday was especially memorable because some of the language assistants I’d become friends with celebrated with me at La Piedra. Afterward, we went back to my apartment to eat the cake one of the girls had made for me. It was delicious! Then we headed back down to the port for darts, karaoke, and dancing.
Not a bad way to turn 34.
The Cultural Adjustments I Didn’t Expect
Living abroad isn’t just about beautiful beaches, new friends, and inexpensive meals. Sometimes the smallest everyday things remind you that you’re living in a completely different culture.
For me, one of the first adjustments was drying clothes on a line. As an American, the idea of not having a clothes dryer genuinely hadn’t crossed my mind before moving abroad. I assumed having a dryer was normal. I was mistaken. LOL
I personally was not a fan of air-drying my clothes, so I eventually decided to spend the money at the nearest lavandería instead. You can take the girl out of the US, but you can’t take the US out of the girl!
Another adjustment was the amount of staring I experienced. In the U.S., staring is generally considered rude, so it didn’t immediately occur to me that it could be perceived differently somewhere else. I didn’t enjoy it, particularly when it came from men. There were even occasions when men followed me around, which was extremely uncomfortable.
Because walking was such a big part of my everyday life, those experiences made me more conscious of my surroundings. It wasn’t something I expected to deal with, and it definitely became part of my adjustment to living abroad.
Spain Runs on a Completely Different Clock
Then there was the issue of time.
I was used to eating dinner around 7 p.m. In Spain, dinner at 10 or 11 p.m. is completely normal. Going out was even more of an adjustment. In the U.S., going to a bar around 10 or 11 p.m. would usually be a perfectly reasonable starting point. In Spain, that could be when people were just starting to get ready. 1 or 1:30 a.m. was a normal starting time for a night out.
I went out maybe three times during my entire time in Almería because I simply could not stay out all night like that. My body said, Ma’am, we’re going home. LOL
A Few More Almería Memories
There were plenty of smaller experiences that made my year memorable.
I had my first Spanish movie-theater experience, for example. I went to see Blanca Nieves (Snow White), and while I didn’t think the movie itself was particularly good, the experience was still interesting. Watching an English-language movie dubbed in Spanish was definitely different from watching it back home.
I also visited the aquarium in nearby Roquetas de Mar. It was small but cute, and they even had a little pool where visitors could touch the stingrays. And finally, there was Mirador Las Sirenas. I went there with some of the teachers from my school, and we watched the sunset together.
Beautiful sunsets became one of those things I never seemed to get tired of while living in Spain.
The Beach Culture Was the Biggest Adjustment
Of course, living five minutes from the beach meant I spent plenty of time around the coast.
One thing that momentarily caught me off guard was Europe’s more relaxed attitude toward nudity at the beach. Seeing topless women and little kids running around without diapers was definitely a culture shock the first time. The shock lasted about 30 seconds and then I got over it. LOL
I wasn’t confident enough to participate myself, but I quickly realized that what felt unusual to me was simply normal for other people. It’s one of those little cultural differences you don’t necessarily think about until you’re standing on a beach experiencing it firsthand.
Living in Mainland Spain Opened Up Europe
Another advantage of being based in mainland Spain was how easy it felt to explore other parts of Europe. During that year, I traveled to Copenhagen for Christmas and Amsterdam for New Year’s.
Those trips deserve stories of their own, so I’m saving the details for separate posts. But being able to live in Spain while also having opportunities to explore more of Europe was something I really appreciated about the experience.
I wasn’t just living abroad. I was building a lifestyle where travel became much more accessible.
The Hardest Part Was Saying Goodbye
I knew from the beginning that my year in Spain wouldn’t last forever. What I didn’t expect was how difficult leaving would actually be. No one warns you that working with kids will make you fall in love.
By the time my last day at school arrived, I’d become incredibly attached to my students and coworkers. Some of the students didn’t even realize that it was my final day, and when they found out, they cried. Of course, that made me cry too. They drew me pictures and wrote me the sweetest little letters so I’d have something to remember them by.
It was a sad day, but it was also filled with so much love and gratitude. Those kids had become such a meaningful part of my experience, and their reactions reminded me just how much the year had meant to me.
Why Almería Made Me Want to Return to Spain
When I chose Almería, I wasn’t looking for the most popular Spanish destination. I wanted something authentic. I wanted to see what life looked like away from the major tourist cities I’d already visited and that’s exactly what I got.
I lived in a quiet beach town, walked almost everywhere, had my own apartment for the first time, made friends from different countries, worked with Spanish children, joined a hiking group, ate entirely too much at my favorite restaurant, adjusted to Spanish schedules, traveled around Europe, and learned that living abroad comes with just as many awkward cultural adjustments as beautiful moments.
Most importantly, living in Almería was the experience that made me realize I wasn’t finished with Spain. When that school year ended, I knew I wanted to come back. I just didn’t know yet that I’d eventually return for another year and that my next Spanish home would be on an island.
But that’s a story for Gran Canaria.