u/alternativegrrl

I'm training to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain (500 miles total, light backpack, \~12 miles/day) in Spring 2027.
I'm a 60 year old woman, and I walked it with my family in 2022, then got long COVID. Literally thought I could never do this again, but then recovered late 2025. Still a bit concerned I might have setbacks, though.

l've been training to increase my stamina and mileage. Last weekend I went on my first 12 mile walk! I can't tell you how much this meant to me psychologically; evidence that I can perhaps do this again?! The trick, of course, is to walk these long days in sequence.

So, as a lead-in to the Camino, this Autumn I'll be walking the California Missions Trail, which starts in San Diego and ends in Sonoma. It has 21 missions to visit, sprinkled along its path. We will walk 230 miles only, at about 12 miles/day. So, I wanted to introduce myself here, and state my goals, to keep myself accountable! Right now I'm struggling with long training days b/c it's 105 degrees outside. I'm getting out at 5:00 AM to get them in.

Anyway, hello 👋 friends!

The Issue: I had written in late July regarding my niece, who is bilingual and wanted to TEFL in a Mexican school following college, as a gap year. I received some great advice here; her main issue was not having enough hands on classroom experience. She needed experience to get experience, essentially.

Our Solution: She found a terrific solution to TEFL in S. America in the Peace Corps! She was a strong candidate there due to education and extra curriculars, and they will provide additional training with the employees to prepare them for the classroom. Her family is encouraged that she'll have an organization behind her, securing the position, providing a network of colleagues and providing healthcare and other benefits. There are several countries having national goals for 100% bilingualism by various years. It will likewise look great on her resume for graduate school.

So, a big Thank You, adventurous TEFLs, for providing your insights! Perhaps this post will in turn provide a fresh direction for a young person who wishes to TEFL abroad. Great good luck to you all!

Question: should my 22 yo college grad niece go to Mexico in Jul '26, to find a TEFL K-12 teaching job for 8/26?

American, 22 yo college grad dreamed of TEFL in Spanish-speaking country for years. She read the WIKI etc., has tutored Spanish-speaking students for several years and worked at camps, and got the 120 hr certificate from TEFL.org.

She applied to ~100 K-12 teacher positions in Mexico between Apr and Jul '26. She's been contacted for a few interviews, but no job. She read advice that it would have been more effective to have been in Mexico during this time, and now wishes she had. Should she go now/is anything left? Any special tactics for last minute jobs?

a). if she goes, will hiring admins be around to interview her now, or are the schools all closed?

b). which cities/states would you recommend she focus upon this late in the academic hiring season?

Many thanks already in advance for any insights and advice!

Many thanks 🙏 in advance! Location: Ohio. CJ’s 80 yo father died, and he left some medical bills. He didn't leave his only daughter money in the will, but he and his wife, who died a week before him, left CJ their family home in a trust. Her father had Medicare, and also a Medicare part B supplement through a well known insurance company. Due to its condition, CJ estimates it will cost about $10,000 to fix the house to sell. Her mom didn't have any bills.

Dad had a stroke, and arrived from his nursing home to the ER via ambulance. He got an MRI and stroke treatment. He was then taken to a skilled nursing facility for rehab prior to expiring.

•If the nursing home, ambulance, hospital and/or SNF send her any remaining bills, is CJ responsible?

•Does CJ need to pay her father's medical creditors using the house?