When I was 19, I spent almost a year in Madrid as an au pair for a family with two children, aged 6 and 13. My main job was to help them learn English, mostly just by spending time together and speaking English in everyday situations. At the same time, I was studying Spanish myself.

Living with a local family was an amazing way to experience Spanish culture. I got to be part of their everyday life, from family gatherings and meals to all the little habits and ways of doing things that you don't really experience as a visitor. I absolutely loved the culture and the food, and even mastered the art of making a pretty good tortilla de patatas.

More than ten years later, I'm still close with the family. I've been back to Spain many times since, and I've also had the chance to show them around Finland, even taking them all the way up to Lapland.