Pet Peeves.

I would like to take 2 minutes of your time to fill you in about two things that I am currently finding irksome.

#1. The cold. The bitter, unrelenting cold!
I know, I know. It's not even as cold in Toledo as it is in Pittsburgh. We haven't even had any snow here. How can I complain?
Well, maybe I shouldn't be complaining about the cold, but instead, about the way the Spanish deal with the cold. They would rather suffer with frozen fingers and cold toilet seats than pay to turn the heat on. We have had streaks of days below zero (Celsius, so.. somewhere in the 20s Fahrenheit), and we have still never turned on all of the heat in this apartment. And let me tell you, these apartments weren't designed to trap the heat in either! There is no insulation in the walls or windows. There is no carpeting on the floors, just cold tile. (Thank God I have slippers, or I would really be suffering!) And the curtains (if there are any) are sheer. Freshly washed laundry is taking 2-3 days to dry, and most of the time I can't tell if they are still wet or just frozen. I finally bought some fleece sheets yesterday. I had to wash them, and instead of having the pleasure of hot, just-out-of-the-dryer sheets on my bed, I'm covering it with cold sheets, just brought in from the frigid, wintery outdoors. It really is all about the small pleasures in life, people.
I am almost certain that my body has grown permanent goosebumps. But I may have to wait until March to find out for sure. You can see your breath when you walk through the hallway. My shampoo comes out chunky because it's half frozen. When I am in this apartment, 85% of the time I am sitting in my bed, wrapped in 3 blankets. All of these are signs that maybe we should turn the heat up-- just a tad.
And I just found out today that it's only going to get worse! Starting in January, there will be a 10% increase on electricity bills! I'm tempted to just build a fire in the middle of my room. Then I could put the marshmallows that Chelsea sent me to good use! :)

#2. The Strays. The kitty cats are taking over the Secret Garden!
I don't know if I've mentioned the Strays before. But they are an ever-present part of my life here. You may have seen photos of my Secret Garden -- the abandoned building across from my apartment -- the lovely, romantic, oh-so-Spanish view from my bedroom window. And I'm sorry to say it, but the Strays are beginning to ruin it for me.
When I first got here, I found the Strays to be charming. (What wasn't charming at first?) They were a bunch of cute kitties that wandered around in the Secret Garden -- and if I couldn't have my kitties, at least I could watch these cuties from the window.
A few months later, as I spent more time looking out of the kitchen window, I began to notice that these cats have a seemingly busy life. "Perhaps I can write a proposal to give them their own TV show. It can't be any worse than Merekat Manor", I thought. "And who knows, maybe I can make a dollar or two."
But I am sorry to report that my latest opinions of the Strays are much less endearing. These days, they run across the roof like...like animals. They fight a lot. And they make horrible sounds a lot. And, well, they "make up" a lot too. In the middle of the night, the last thing that I want to hear are the screeching Strays as they tear up the Secret Garden.
And the worst part? Their...*ahem*... rambunctious activity is sure to grow the population by the springtime. Bob Barker would be so disappointed. Maybe I need to have a chat with the little old lady who leaves them food at night. These cats need to find something better to do!

The Strays, eating the food that they didn't have to work for.

Can you spot him, sitting on the roof like he owns the place?

 

This cute little guy blends in.

Fortunately, this weekend I will be in Portugal, where more than likely it will be a little warmer. And I'll definitely be far away from the Strays. A nice weekend getaway from my little pet peeves!

(Oh, and don't worry. When June rolls around, I'm sure you'll get another blog post, telling you how horribly hot it is, and how these pisos just weren't made for the heat.) :)

Beben, y Beben, y Vuelven a Beber

(this blog post is packed with goodies! videos, pictures, and my incredible wit. Merry Christmas!)

So Christmas has come and gone. That is a little bit impossible to believe.
I'm happy to report that I am still living, that I made it through my first Christmas away from home relatively unscathed. (Except for that minor major freak out I had about a week ago!) And I wasn't even that "homesick" on Christmas, thanks to the invention of skype, and the recently acquired webcams of various family members. :)

To be completely honest, Christmas Eve had to be one of the coolest days that I have ever spent in Spain (and not because the high temperature was only 5°C). I consider myself blessed to have had the opportunity to be here. I'm not sure about the rest of the country, but here in Toledo on Christmas eve (and New Year's Eve), all of the bars give out free tapas, most notably migas. Apparently, the festivities began around 11:30am, though we only wandered out around 3:45. Obviously, being the holidays, there weren't too many foreigners around, so we were out having cañas and delicious tapas with hordes of Spaniards in the freezing cold. As far as I know, this is a rather recent tradition, but it is so awesome. You go out to spend the day with your friends, have some drinks, eat some good food, and then you go home at night to have dinner with your family. What more could you ask for?

Out for Migas

 So after migas, (which we never actually got to try anyway), I went to make chocolate chip cookies with my friend, and then went to have dinner with my coworker's family. The dinner was PHENOMENAL. I mean, truly the best meal that I have had in Spain. And I'm even having trouble thinking of anything I've eaten in the US that is comparable... but I digress. We first had lobster and langostinos, which are very unshrimpy shrimp. (And by that, I mean they are huge.) Then we had capón. In English, we call it capon. (Go ahead, read what it is!) It tasted a lot like turkey, and was cooked just perfectly, with dates and some kind of stuffing inside. Amazing. We had a different wine with every course, and each one was fantastic. I really lucked out with this meal!

I took some gingerbread cookies that I had made, and everybody was loving on them, (except for one guy, who didn't like them because he could tell that they were made out of butter). We also had traditional Spanish desserts, like turrón and other delicious things (that I can't remember the name of). So good! And best of all, it was really great to just hang out with a family... even if it wasn't my own.


Here are some pictures of the gingerbread men! I was pretty proud. All of this with makeshift icing and a plastic baggie. It's okay, you can be impressed now.

Yes, that is Darth Vader.

 

Oh, and here is the belén that we were working on last week. (I had no part in how awesome it turned out.. I only helped by slathering it with plaster!)

So anyway, after dinner, I met my friend and we went to the misa de gallo, (literally, mass of the rooster), or midnight mass at the Cathedral. It was gorgeous. There was hardly anybody there. And it was freezing. But it was beautiful. At some point during the mass, I was reminded that this is what it's all about. Despite the fact that the traditions are different here, and that my family is so far away, we are all celebrating the same thing... the birth of Christ. And really, that's more important than any Christmas party you can throw.

On Christmas day, we took it easy. I hung out with an American friend. We made a pancake brunch, opened our packages together, skyped with our families, made some more cookies, had dinner, and watched Love Actually. It was a really nice, relaxing day! (And not a bad night either.)

Of course I was missing my family a bit. And I was missing my own traditions. But I think it's kind of cool that I got to spend a Christmas here. After all, the goal is to live here, right? I feel like I'm seeing a side of Spain that not many foreigners have the chance to experience.

I definitely had a Feliz Navidad, and I'm bound to have a Próspero Año Nuevo, if only because the King wished it for me during his yearly Christmas address. His approximate quote was, "I wish a Happy New Year to all of the extranjeros living with us." And we all know that kings get everything they wish for, right?

Now I'll leave you with one of my newest favorite villancicos. It's called 'Los Peces en el Rio', (or, The Fish in the River) and the title of this blog comes from the chorus. It has got to be the most curious Christmas Carol I've ever heard. .. Something about Mary combing her golden hair. Something about her washing rosemary. Something about soap. And something about fish in the river drinking water. And they drink, and they drink, and they drink some more.

I've been murdered.

So I'm happy to report that I'm feeling better, despite being murdered today.* I'm a little less homesick, though no doubt, I will be missing my family immensely this Christmas.

I have made some travel plans, which definitely help. I'll be taking a trip to Lisbon for 5 days, and spending New Year's there. So exciting! I've been wanting to go to Lisbon for a while now, so I'm really glad we have the chance to go! Everyone is telling me that it will be preciosa this time of year. I'm sure they're right!

My friend and I are also planning various activities in and around Toledo for the long break. I'm sure we'll be keeping busy! On the agenda: A guided night-time walking tour of Toledo (we've always wanted to do this!), visiting nearby pueblos, going to Madrid to see the Christmas lights, another little trip within Spain somewhere (though we have no idea where that might be)...
But all in all, it should be good.

I've received a couple of packages this week. One from Chelsea and one from Aunt Judy. I opened Chelsea's (because I got it at the height of my homesickness, and needed to open it for my own well being!) It was a bag of HUGE marshmallows. Like, baseball sized marshmallows. Try sticking that in your hot chocolate!
And I haven't yet opened the second package, because I decided that from here on out, whatever I get, whether it be cards or packages, I'm going to save it until Christmas. And the anticipation is already building!

Yesterday, I went to watch a movie with one of the teachers that I work with. They are going to show this movie, Ágora, to the bilingual students, and they wanted all of the teachers to watch it. (Though I'm technically not a teacher, I wanted to watch it anyway, and I can't watch region 2 dvds on my computer.) So I went to her house to watch it. She made tea and had cookies from one of the famous bakeries here in Toledo. We watched the movie, which was horrible. It was really poorly made, and the content, I'm sure, won't be interesting to 12-15 year-olds, but what can you do?
After the movie, I helped her and her daughter with their belén, or Nativity scene. They were making plaster and pouring it over their mountainous landscape made of newspaper and cardboard boxes. I was delighted to help. We were listening to Christmas music and wearing aprons, working on a Christmas craft, and it was just a really heartwarming, homey atmosphere. They invited me to have dinner with them on Christmas Eve, which I'm sure will be just as delightful.

My plan for today is to make gingerbread cookies. Which first requires that I find a rolling pin. But I'm pretty excited. I haven't done this kind of baking since I've been here. I'm going to play Christmas carols and, though I won't be wearing an apron, I'm sure my heart will be warmed again. (And hopefully my fingers will be warmed as well, since the bitter cold has definitely returned to Toledo.)

It's finally beginning to feel like Christmas. Maybe that's because I'm no longer avoiding it!

*After two months of playing a school-wide game of Clue, I've been murdered. The teachers all got a piece of paper, naming another teacher, a specific location in the school, and a weapon (pen, scissors, etc). To kill somebody, you have to get them alone, in that place, with that weapon. Which, let's be honest, for me it's rather impossible. Today I was finally murdered, which means that I now must buy a gift for my killer. Seems kind of backward, doesn't it? :)

here it comes... (no, not the sun)

I hate it when a good day turns into a rough night.

I was so productive today. I FINALLY got my NIE card, which lets the world know that I am a legal resident of Spain. So, hooray! It only took 3 months!

I also went to get a bank account, FINALLY. I know that it IS possible for an American to get a bank account using only their passport, but for some reason, every bank that I went to told me that I should just wait 'til I got my card (despite the fact that my friends opened accounts at the same banks? what?!) So I waited. It was a pain... but, at last, I have one! (I remember when I naively thought that I would open an account within my first week here. Wrong. 12 weeks later, I'm finally on the ball.)

I went out to lunch with my roommate.
I took a siesta.
I gave a private lesson.
I went to Cine Club.
And that's where it went down hill.
I went out for a beer with my friend after the movie, and we were sitting at the bar talking about Christmas. And I lost it. It suddenly occurred to me that Christmas is NEXT WEEK, and I have been avoiding it --(partially because time is flying here, but also because I just don't want to think about what I'm missing.) I'm all about the Christmas traditions, and I am knowingly going without them for the year. When I heard the other day that mom was going to grandma's to bake cookies, I was so sad that I wouldn't be there with them. That's pretty much my favorite activity ever. I may throw together a batch of gingerbread this weekend, just to make myself feel better. But I'm still really sad that I'm missing that time with them.

Everybody is deciding last minute to go home, and I honestly, legitimately feel like I will be alone on Christmas. In my apartment. Alone. And the thought kills me. The worst part? I decided all of this. It's my own doing... and now it's too late to do anything about it!

I need a good cheering up!
:( Sorry for being a Debbie Downer, but it was bound to happen sometime.

And yes, I fully realize the irony of getting homesick the day I received my residency card. (This is irony, right? Alanis Morissette has messed me up forever.)

food pyramid -- Spanish style

If you are American, you are probably very familiar with a food pyramid that looks something like this. Notice that all of the fats and oils are relegated to the top tier (though, arguably, the United States is the worst follower of this rule worldwide, but I digress). This is what I learned in elementary school, and it's all I've ever known. (I still haven't adopted the new American "everybody has different needs" pyramid.)

Well, imagine my surprise when, in science class today, we were talking about the NECESSITY of consuming olive oil every day. I took a glance at the food pyramid in their book, and sure enough, I saw something that looked like this. Pay careful attention to the second tier from the bottom.

Olive oil carries the same importance as fruits and veggies! It even gets its own box! My worldview has been shaken. I almost wanted to laugh out loud when, in class, the teacher warned, "In some countries, they don't cook with olive oil. They cook with BUTTER!!" (omg, imagine the horror!!)

Obviously I've known forever that olive oil is like water here-- that it flows through the blood of the Spanish. But I never expected to see it in such a real way, in a science book. As if having an entire grocery aisle dedicated to the stuff wasn't enough, they had to go and give it it's own box on the food pyramid.
That's love, people.

Old friends, New friends, Great food, and Better memories.

So obviously, Thanksgiving has happened. Much thanks has been given. This is the second time that I have spent Thanksgiving in Spain, and it's always a little weird. For the most part, nobody knows or cares about it, (and I mean, why would they?), so it's a little weird to have this feeling like it's a special, great day when it's just another Thursday for everybody else. I don't know if it's the holiday in particular, or maybe just the way that it always falls a few months after my arrival here to Spain, but it always makes me a little homesick. Well, I don't know if it's really homesickness, but there's something about the thought of the whole family getting together without me that makes me want to be there. I was missing them all and wishing that I could be playing Rock Band with them in the basement, and eating all of the foods that I've come to expect on Thanksgiving.
(How did I survive a Thanksgiving without cheesy potatoes?!)

Work on Thanksgiving was rather uneventful. No parties or drawing turkeys with the outlines of our hands. No pilgrim hats or Indian headbands. Just your everyday science lessons about the Earth and why it's great. I spent the afternoon preparing a "pumpkin" pie, which was a rather huge experiment, but turned out to be a rather huge success as well. The afternoon was the toughest part of the day, when facebook was ablaze with Thanksgiving wishes and details about everybody's Thanksgiving day plans. But I have to admit that those feelings of missing all of the traditions of Thanksgiving melted away at night. Our little American group got together to celebrate with a potluck dinner, along with friends from about 7 other countries, many of whom were celebrating the holiday for the very first time. The dinner was definitely not your typical Thanksgiving spread, but it was tasty and thoughtful nonetheless.We had arepas and empanadas, green bean casserole and mashed potatoes, lunch meat turkey (tapa-style), and more desserts than necessary. And we ate until we couldn't eat anymore -- just like true Americans.

Unfortunately, the night didn't end well for me. After I got home, I was surprised with a reverse Thanksgiving dinner, when I ralphed up everything that I had eaten that night. I'm not sure what exactly it was that made me ill. I am kind of leaning toward the fact that I had eaten some questionable chicken for lunch that day. Or maybe it was the mixture of food, or maybe even the quantity. Maybe it was the super cheap wine. Maybe it was a combination of these things. But whatever it was, it was reason enough to call in for my first sick day. Having spent half of the night tossing cookies, I was in no shape to put on a fake smile at school.

Friday was a very peaceful day. I didn't leave my apartment until around 7:00pm, and even then, it was only to print my bus ticket for Sevilla! I came right back home after printing the ticket, and spent the rest of the night hanging out at home -- definitely not typical for a Friday night in Toledo.

But the weekend was fantastic, as is typical for weekends spent in Sevilla. (Despite the fact that it rained the whole time ...again!)
I had SO MUCH FUN hanging out with Rachel and Ana Bello. Saturday night, we baked delicious things at Ana Bello's house. On Sunday, we had another Thanksgiving feast. And I mean, this was a legit Thanksgiving feast. We had real turkey, and delicious stuffing, green bean casserole,  sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes, corn, and even more delicious pies. It was SO good. Thanks to Ana Bello for working so hard and making a truly authentic Thanksgiving dinner! The day couldn't have been any better. We had dinner at 2:00, and spent the rest of the night hanging out and playing games. (We even played TABÚ! My favorite!) We only left around midnight! Nights like that are so good for the soul. It was so great to spend time with old friends, make some new friends, speak Spanish (with a healthy amount of English mixed in), and eat the best meal that I've had since being in Spain. (And the leftovers were just as good the next day.)

On Monday, I had the chance to go back to the school to visit. It was great to see everyone. (And it was also great to see that two new kebap joints have opened up next to the school!) Of course, I felt like my Spanish melted away when I walked into the building, and I was suddenly incapable of any intelligible conversation. I hate it when that happens! But despite all of that, it was great to see and catch up with everyone.
Monday night, the school had it's semiannual flamenco party, so we went to that as well. It brought back so many good memories of the semester that we spent there! After the party, we braved the cold and went out for tapas and tea. Good times for sure. It was so great to spend 3 days in such good company!

Obviously, I have a lot to be thankful for. And believe me when I say that I am!

welcome back

Somebody posted this video on facebook the other day. It's so great. The last 30 seconds are my favorite!

Also, I now have some pretty high expectations for my own stateside reception. ;)

rubbing elbows with the rich and famous

As you probably already know by now, I'm famous.
(Well, let's pretend, ok?)

The movie that I starred in is coming out this Friday! But I won't be able to see it!
Just for kicks and giggles, I'm going to post the trailer. It looks AWESOME!
The movie is called The Next Three Days, and if you are reading this, I am personally giving you the responsibility to go see this movie this weekend! Admire the beautiful city of Pittsburgh, and think about the fact that I hung out with Russell Crowe all day. (Or, at least, I saw him in the flesh a few times.) Try to find my car as I drive through Russell's scene! And think about the fact that I worked in the building where this movie takes place! Pretty awesome, right?
IT'S KILLING ME THAT I HAVE TO WAIT TO SEE IT! I mean, considering that my plans to rent a theater and have my own red-carpet premier were foiled by my moving to Spain.

Enjoy!


As for my other Hollywood connection:
I am not sure if many, any, or all of you know this, but when I was studying in Sevilla, I had a chance encounter with an actress. On my flight back to Sevilla from London, my friend and I were just chatting away on the plane, when the girl sitting next to us interrupted. She explained that she was an actress, and that she was studying for an American role, and she asked if she could tape record us talking so she could practice her accent. We agreed, and we chatted the whole way home. She told us that she was flying to Sevilla for a film fest, where they were showing the last movie that she was in. So we went to the film fest later that week. Too bad we got lost on the bus, and missed the movie! We ended up seeing her anyway, so we got a picture with her. Here is it:

Ok, second part of the story.
Here in Toledo, they have a thing called CineClub. Every week, they show a new movie, and most weeks I go. Two weeks ago, they showed a movie called Fish Tank, which, unfortunately, was one of the ones that I missed. This weekend, I decided to read the short description in the booklet, and what did I see?! Her name! Kierston Wareing! I couldn't believe it! I MISSED IT! I have missed both of my chances to see both of her movies! (And yeah, she has an IMDB page ... legit!)

To try to make up for missing the movie, I watched the trailer on youtube. And, of course, I will share that with you as well. She is playing the mother in this movie.


So, yeah, I am pretty much rubbing elbows with Hollywood elite on a regular basis now. Does anyone want my autograph?

rites of passage

Well, my friends, I believe that I have reached a milestone in my life here in Spain.

I have become acostumbrada to the night life. For the first time ever, I stayed out until after 6am, until the night club closed. I am pretty sure that until yesterday, I was the only person currently in the country of Spain who had not done so. And you know, even at 6am, (when I was definitely ready to go), others were still thinking about where they'd like to go next. How do they do it?!

I only woke up at 3pm today-- just in time for siesta. (Though no, I didn't take one. I just lazed around all day.) I don't know if I can make this a habit! Maybe I'm still just an aguafiestas!

In other news, I bought my first pair of house shoes today. I am pretty sure this is yet another rite of passage.
Seems that I'm assimilating, no?

nectar of the gods

(At the risk of sounding smug, I am going to post this anyway.)

The United States is the land of opportunity. If you want something, you can have it. I can't help but feel at times that anything you can get in Spain, you can get in the US, too. But not vice-versa. (I know this isn't entirely true, but it's my blog, and I'll cry if I want to!)
Despite this "truth", there is one important product that I have come across here in Spain that is 1. amazing and 2. still unknown to the good ol' US of A.

It is called BiFrutas! In other words, the perfect combination of milk and fruit juice. It's so smooth and delicious! And it's a great source of vitamins A, C, and E! What more could you ask for?!

Really, this stuff is delish. I have looked for it in the United States, but I have never come across anything like it.
In the event that the head of some juice corporation is reading this, I beg you: Sell this stuff in the US! I promise it will make you rich. It's like drinking heaven on earth!

I probably drink a bottle of this stuff every 2 days.
This, my friends, has potential to be Spain's greatest export.

PS. I'm loving my brand new mug! I had to include it in the picture!

choques culturales

Just in case you were beginning to think that it's all fun and games here in Spain, I'd like to offer a few short anecdotes to give you a glimpse into my latest cultural frustration. (While these are true stories, this post is mostly in jest).

Today, I had a few things to mail, so I went to the post office. Simple enough, right? I got into the building circa 2:10. I left around 2:40. Does this seem ridiculous to anybody else? I mailed 3 post cards. Three. Once it was my turn, it took all of 30 seconds to get those suckers on their way, and yet, I definitely waited for 30 minutes while all three of the correos employees went about their other office chores. It had to be bad... even the Spaniards waiting were frustrated with how long things were taking! (Serving 6 people in 30 minutes is not very efficient. McDonald's drive-thru would be so disappointed!)

On Friday, I had to go to the bank to cash my paycheck. Yes! I finally got paid. The only catch was that I had to cash it at the bank that my school uses. And I get the impression that nobody in the history of Spain has ever written or cashed a check before, because the guy who gave it to me didn't know where to sign it, and the guy who cashed it took 40 minutes to give me my money!  If I were by myself, this wouldn't have been so bad. The worst part was that it was Friday afternoon, and we were on our way home from school, and I had to inconvenience the girl who was giving me a ride home! I felt bad. And really, it was so unnecessary! The guy honestly asked me to repeat my address more than 3 times. I had to give him my address in Spain, and my address in the US. And then my phone numbers, and email, etc. Multiples times for each piece of information! Why?? I don't even have an account there (yet)! Finally, I asked, "is there a reason that we have to enter this data so many times?" ... "to keep the information updated" was the answer. I can assure you that in the 30 minutes that I had been standing there, I had not changed pisos or gotten a new telephone number; that the first set of information was indeed as updated as it possibly could have been. Once I finally asked though, things seemed to move along rather quickly as he wrapped things up, and I was good to go, money in hand. The girl I was with said he must have been ligando*, but if you ask me, that's the absolute worst way to go about it.
As a result of this time-costly trip to the bank, the rest of my day was put off-schedule and I missed my train to Salamanca. I had to buy a whole other train ticket. That slowpoke cost me €15,50!

The third story takes place in Salamanca. My friends and I went to lunch at a place with a relatively cheap menú del día . When we got there, there was no seating immediately available, but we agreed to wait. We ended up sitting in the back garden with a few other tables. Things started off decently enough. Until it took us over 20 minutes to get waited on. No water, no bread, nothing. After we finally gave our orders (trust me, we had plenty of time to think about it!), it took another 15 minutes to get our water, wine, and bread. The waitress gave us a bottle of aceite, but when a neighboring table of Spaniards needed one, she simply turned to our table, took ours and gave it away! I think we were being discriminated against! Tables that had come after us were served before us and left before we had even finished eating. We waited forever for our plates, and when we got them they were cold! Our lunch experience took over 2 hours! 2 HOURS! ...But I'm sure it was just because we weren't wearing our hater blockers.

I know that it's so typical for Americans to think that the rest of the world runs too slowly or inefficiently. I mean, I know there's a distinct difference in pace of life, and usually I enjoy it. But this week, all of Spain must be in the same super-slow mode. I would blame it on Daylight Savings Time (which we celebrated last weekend), but it still doesn't even out. My "extra" hour has now been spent, three times over, doing menial tasks that should have only taken minutes each. (Well, lunch could have taken more than a few minutes, but a few hours is pushing it.)
Or, who knows.. maybe I should just chill out a little more.


Really though, Spain is still pretty much just fun and games.


*I realize that if you try to google-translate this word, it will probably tell you a lot of words that it doesn't mean in this case. What it means in this case is flirting -- not binding or tying or whipping or making out or whatever else it might tell you. Just to clear things up.

good days

Today was a pretty good day.

What constitutes a good day? A lot of conversation, I think. I always feel good after a chatty day.

I read something recently that said, in more words or less, that to learn a second language you cannot be shy and you cannot be afraid to make a mistake. That's interesting to think about, because in my first language, I would define myself as a somewhat shy and cautious person. So it's funny to think that, in order to learn this second language, the most important thing is that I get over myself.
And I think that's true. When I stop being guarded and just start talking, I always feel better. When I attempt to say what I actually think, even if I don't know a word or two, my point always gets across.
I feel like so much effort is spent listening to others and trying to make sure that I'm understanding their conversations, that I don't even have time to think about what I can add to the conversation. I've been feeling lately like my coworkers don't really even know me. I mean, they know that I'm American and what not, but they don't really know me. I feel like I need to be better about sharing stories and letting people know who I am. I guess that's just something that will take time though.

The other day I was just sitting in the teacher's lounge, doing nothing, when one of the teachers said:
"Are you boring?"
"Am I boring? Well, I don't think so. But I am bored," I replied.
He was a little embarrassed as I clarified the difference between what he actually asked and what he meant to ask. But I couldn't help but wonder if, in reality, they really do think I'm boring.
Let's face it, I'm just not good at small talk. Not in English, not in Spanish.... but especially not in Spanish.

So, anyway, it's a good day when I can be a little chatty. It's a good day when I can start a conversation. It's a good day when I can join into a conversation between others.

Also, it's a good day when people bring in delicious treats to celebrate their birthdays. And it's a good day when I FINALLY GET PAID! And it's a good day when I finally get my medical insurance card.

In other, unrelated news, I have a new roommate. She is American. Now it's 4 against 2.
I got an email asking if any of us auxiliares knew of a place to live in el casco, and coincidentally, one of my roommates moved out the same week. I feel like it was the least I could do to help another auxiliar out. I know how stressed I felt when I first got here, trying to find housing and figure out how to live here. So I'm trying to be the help that I wish I would have had! In some ways, it's comforting to have another American here. It's like I'm no longer the only one being swallowed up in a sea of Spanish... I'm no longer a novelty. The only problem is that I am now speaking English in the one place that I couldn't speak English before, my piso. I really need to work on speaking Spanish more.

But hopefully I'll be able to continue being a chatty Cathy at school.

Realizing Dreams

One by one, I am realizing my dreams here in Spain.
Latest dream fulfilled: To dress up as an Oompa Loompa for Halloween.
Success! .....& of course, good times!

 

In the words of Woody Allen...

You know what they say...
"Those who can't do, teach... those who can't teach, teach gym."
But what happens when you can't even teach gym???

Twice a week I have to go to gym class. I feel like I just stand around, and when I talk to the kids in Spanish their eyes get huge and they have to ask a friend what just happened. Or else they ignore me completely! It's like English is the buzzkill to any fun that gym class could have been.

Plus, think about it...when a group of children are in their play clothes, and when they have several balls available for the kicking, it can be a little chaotic, especially if they have no clue what the teacher is saying. For this reason, the gym teacher often repeats everything in Spanish, and when he yells, it's always in Spanish. And I'm supposed to pretend like I don't speak Spanish.

So, I'm not the biggest fan of gym class. I just feel pretty useless.

I thought things were going to turn around this week. I finally did some preparing of my own. I suggested ideas for the debate we're going to have in science class, and the teacher actually ended up using one of my ideas. I was pretty central to the math lessons on Wednesday. And I prepared a powerpoint about Halloween for the "English Club" that was supposed to be starting today.

Well, imagine how peeved I was when I got to school and asked about the English club, and they told me not to worry about it this week-- that we'd start next week. I was going to be ticked if I had spent all of that time putting a powerpoint together for nobody to see. But then, something happened!

My director has been sick for the last couple of days. She wasn't there Wednesday, and I wasn't sure if she was there today. For the last few weeks, I had been voluntarily going to her English class with her, so in order to find out if I should go or not, I asked another teacher if she was there. "She's not here, see who's on guardia (who is covering for her)... maybe you can still go." So we looked at the list. And guess what?! The OTHER person had also called off today. Sooooo... I'm going to assume that you are all smart enough to guess what happened.

If you guessed that I went to this class ALONE, you are right. If you guessed that it was a nightmare, you are also right.

It started out decently enough. I actually got to show my freakin' powerpoint, so I didn't feel like it was a TOTAL waste of time. But then we had a lot of time to kill. One of my American friends told me how she recently played Telephone with one of her classes, and how it turned out really well. So... I gave it a shot. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out so well for me. The first time around, all of the sentences ended in gibberish. "These are not English sentences," I said, "and I'm pretty sure they are not Spanish sentences either." So we tried again. This time? The result was 2 audible English words from the first team (big improvement!), and inappropriate sentences in Spanish from the second team. Ok, so I ended the game.
I am pretty sure I said "Be Quiet", "Sit Down", and "Listen" more times in that hour than I have in the last 6 months. It was not fun. I am pretty sure they didn't take me seriously.
I also spent half of the time telling them to speak in English. They kept asking if I speak Spanish, or if I understand Spanish, or if they could Telephone sentences in Spanish. Really, in an English class, what kind of question is that?
It was super frustrating. There are a lot of kids that barely speak English, and they are really badly behaved. For the most part, the ones that don't speak English are the most disruptive. And, having nothing to hold over their heads, I was basically powerless.

Anyway, we finished out the class with Hangman since Telephone didn't work out. It was less risky. Only about half of the class was paying attention, the rest... well, they were hopeless. As long as they stayed in their seats and remained relatively quiet (which they didn't), I didn't care. .... But please believe that I will have to tell Cristina how things went down! And hopefully they will never put me in a room alone again!

Today was definitely a "WHAT AM I DOING HERE?!" moment.

But, it wasn't all hopeless.

• On the car ride in today, I was singing songs by Elvis and ABBA with Rosa, and we were talking about how much of a stud George Clooney and Brad Pitt are. It was an entertaining ride to work!

• On the way home, I was talking about the Latin Kings with a few of the teachers, and they were asking me about gun laws in the US, and we were talking about Angelina's schizophrenic neighbors, and Monica's grandmother with Alzheimer's. You know, just normal conversations. I finally was able to add to conversations. That is a big step! I feel like I spend so much effort just trying to follow along sometimes, but it's really relieving to actually be a part of what's going on.

• When I got home, my roommates were eating lunch, and it smelled delicious. And then they invited me to eat some with them! It was awesome, and I definitely enjoyed the company. One of my roommates was telling me that she's almost 100% sure that Twilight was filmed in Pennsylvania. I don't know about that though.

• And then, tonight, I had a private lesson. It went well. I am actually enjoying the private lessons. This one went 15 minutes over before anyone noticed. But I actually didn't mind... we were talking and learning, and it was good. And then, of course, I had to teach them the phrase "time flies when you're having fun!"

Now it's way too late, and I have to wake up way too early. So goodnight all. Maybe toss up a few prayers that these children miraculously learn how to behave, or that I miraculously learn the art of classroom management. Don't people spend years in school learning this stuff?
And to all of my teacher friends (because you are many!), maybe you can toss a few ideas my way!

Teacher! (Or, in the Spanish-English accent, Tea-chair!)

I started writing a post on Tuesday and never finished it. It's probably just as well though, because I'm about to tell you the exact opposite of what I wrote a mere 2 days ago.

On Tuesday, I was thinking to myself, "Ok Rachael, it's time to find yourself some hobbies." Having a four-day weekend every week is BEAUTIFUL. But, unless you have ways to fill that time, it can be a little boring. I was thinking about ways that I could productively spend that time, when, all of the sudden, life seemed to answer that question for me.

On Tuesday alone I picked up 2 new private lessons, bringing the grand total to 5.
Today, I got another call. A 6th lesson is pending. (Though I told her, if my schedule doesn't work with hers, I have other friends looking to give lessons as well.)
Now my schedule seems plenty full.

This side business that I have going will supplement my meager income nicely. It will buy my groceries and allow me to support my "tapas and tintos" lifestyle. It will pay for weekend trips. It will be great.

But, I forgot to mention one thing. I'm not a teacher. I don't know where to start.
I am currently employed for the simple fact that I speak English. But I don't know theories and approaches to teaching, or how to build a useful classroom activity. And I'm not good at making sample sentences.

I still haven't done too much in the classroom yet-- just what the teachers give me to read or pronounce for the class. But I am beginning to feel comfortable enough to start planning my own activities. We'll see how that goes. I suppose I'm just going to have to dive in... pretend like I know what I'm doing. And hopefully, sooner or later I'll start to feel like it. Isn't that a psychological principle?

That being said, the lessons that I currently have are going well. It's just the fact that I don't feel comfortable calling myself a teacher yet. And yeah, I feel a little awkward asking for money.

homecoming.

This weekend was homecoming for all of my lovely Geneva friends. I kind of really wish I could have been there.

But I must admit... if I couldn't be at Geneva this weekend, I was in the next best place -- SEVILLA!

It was like my own sort of homecoming here in Spain. I went back to the city that I once called "home". I also got to hang out with Rachel, my MAS (Mejor Amiga para Siempre), who I studied with in Sevilla. It was awesome to be back there with her! Thanks to the super cheap bus prices (€35 round trip!) and my schedule of all 4 day weekends, I have a feeling that I may frequent that city a lot.

During my first few days here in Spain, I had doubts in my mind about whether or not I chose the right city; Toledo is great, but maybe Sevilla would have been better. While Sevilla is a fabulous city, and while I loved the time that I spent there, I am at peace with my decision to live in Toledo. This past weekend, I realized that Sevilla no longer felt like my city. Sure, I still love it, and I love the time that I spent there, but it's just not mine anymore.

If you know me, (and I would assume that most of you do), you probably agree with me when I say that it's an important step to be able to recognize that I have moved on, that my life has changed. For years it was like, no matter how good things were at home, I just wanted to go back to Sevilla. And now, here I am, living a new life in Toledo, and I can finally recognize that things are different, but just as good.

So, enough with the philosophical junk. Want to hear what I did in Sevilla? I always find that the best way to do this is bullet style. (I will never be a travel writer.)

• I went with Veronica. Her birthday was on Monday, and she didn't have a voice all weekend! But she was a trooper, and we had a great time.
• We traveled by bus (as I have already mentioned). Thanks to Bonine, my new favorite over-the-counter miracle, I survived the without getting sick.. and I even slept for most of the way there and back.
• I saw RAQUEL!!! And oh, how lovely it was!
• I went to C/ Betis. This includes Big Ben and Alambique, where apparently, the sangria still flows as freely as it used to. (I take that back... it's no longer free, but it's cheap. And I'm sure they still sell just as much of it.) This also includes a little tapas place that I can't remember the name of, that had delicious tintos and gambas rebozadas.
• I went to the Feria de Naciones, an international fair in the Parque de Maria Luisa. I ate at the Greek tent! Yum. I had a gyro and baklava. I am happy to report that I can make a better baklava than the Spaniards who run the Greek tent at the international fair (though, at the end of the day, it was still baklava, so it was still awesome!) Also of note, the Estados Unidos tent had Obama posters, pictures of John Wayne, Duff beer (like it's something that we all drink) and sold chicken & ranch hoagies. (Oh my God. Why did I not eat there?!)
• I went to Raquel's church, which was awesome! And afterward, we went out for tapas and bizcochos with one of her friends. Fun times!
• I went to the Plaza de España. Still under obras. Still beautiful. Hopefully this forever-long construction project will be done by my next visit!
• We walked around the cathedral, and the alcázar, but we didn't go inside.
• We walked around el centro, but we didn't go shopping.
• We ate at THE chino -- our favorite budget Chinese restaurant. This, I think, is turning into my ritual.
• I walked down the NEW C/ Asunción. It is now a pedestrian mall. It is gorgeous. And I kind of wish I had lived on it when it was this way.
• I know you're all dying to know.... did I visit my señora?! NO! I didn't! I walked right past her house, rather terrified of the possibility that she might be peeking out from her balcony, but I didn't ring the bell (though I was tempted to ding-dong-ditch... but in broad daylight, my better judgment told me not to :) ).
• I found €20 on the ground. Pretty awesome! The last 2 times that I have visited Sevilla, I have found money. Maybe I should go back often.
• And, quite honestly, one of the best parts of the weekend was the botellón that we had with friends of Raquel's intercambio. We may or may not have taught them how to play Kings (and, you may be impressed to know that we even explained it and played in Spanish). It was a lot of fun. I told Raquel to be their best friend... I don't know if she'll listen. :)

In short, it was a really great weekend. Hopefully Raquel will come here soon to visit! And of course, I'm sure I'll be going back in the not-too-distant future (aka, Thanksgiving).

(And I hope that everyone who went to homecoming had a great time there as well!)

constipada.

Estoy constipada. I will bet you $5 that that doesn't mean what you think it means.

What it means is that I have a miserable cold. My head is under pressure, I get occasional sharp pains in my ears, my nose is sore from having to wipe it so much, my throat is dry and scratchy. I feel gross. I've felt this way since Sunday morning. (I suppose staying out until 4am on Saturday night couldn't have done much to help either, but I digress...)

I'm not sure how long it will take to wear off, but every time a Spaniard asks me if I am constipada, I have to get over my initial, aghast reaction before I realize what they are saying. This has to be the worst of all of the false cognates between Spanish and English.

And, of course, of all of the medicines that I brought with me, cold medicine is not on the list. It only figures that I would need it within 2 weeks of my arrival. Tonight may just be the night that I waltz into the farmacía and admit, plain as day, that I am constipada. That I have a cold. And hopefully I'll get my hands on some magic pills. Lord knows I need them!

A caballo regalado, no le mires al diente.

I got my schedule today! I'm almost ashamed to admit that I was initially disappointed. I only have to work WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, and FRIDAY! That is a 3 day work week. Why was I disappointed? Because everyone wants Fridays off, of course! I mean, ideally, I'd have Thursday and Friday off and I'd travel the world every long weekend... but let's face it, my budget wouldn't allow for that either!
And, actually, I do still have massively long weekends. They just extend to the beginning of the week, not the end of the week. I think I can work with this.

I got an idiomatic Spanish lesson on the ride to work today:
A caballo regalado, no le mires al diente.
It's the same in English. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Only, for the first time in my life, I actually understood what it meant. Apparently, you can tell a lot about a horse's age and health by looking at the teeth? So, if it's a gift, you really shouldn't look for faults.
I guess that's kind of appropriate for this situation. How can I complain when I only have to work 12 hours/week??

I am SURE that I will survive this gig. :)

It's Been, One Week!

There are some days that I feel particularly adept at writing creatively. Unfortunately for us both, today is not one of those days. So I'll just apologize ahead of time if this a little dry.

Anyway, I've been in Toledo for just a little over a week. Everything is going pretty well so far-- mostly as I would have expected it to go. In some ways, it feels like I've been here for longer than a week. Maybe that's because I already had a familiarity with the city when I got here, I already knew some people, and I knew my way around. So, comparatively, I am further along than a week would allow in most cases. I'm really glad that I was able to stay at the Fundación for the first few days. People remembered me, (or at least, they knew my name), so despite arriving alone, I didn't feel so lonely. Everyone was super helpful as well. Reception was there to answer all of my questions about buses, maps, and taxis, (and even helped me carry my stuff to the plaza when I was moving out!). And Miguel has pretty much been my hero. He helped me find my private lessons and my piso, and on top of it all, he's been so encouraging, and I always feel so much better about things after I talk to him. So, basically, I am super thankful for having spent last summer here, and for the friends and acquaintances that I made. It has made this process so much easier than I could have hoped for.

Yesterday was the first day of school. And it was a pretty good day. First of all, I am pretty excited to actually feel like a useful human being again. I actually have a reason to wake up in the morning instead of just rolling out of bed whenever I please, only to meander throughout the rest of the day. It's good to have purpose! (Even though I wish my purpose would be so kind as to not require me to be up at 6:30am!)
Also, I would just like to state that I have never been a teacher in any capacity. I'm new to the whole thing, so I feel like I'm just diving into the deep end with no swimmies. I really had no idea what to expect when I walked into the school yesterday. I was admittedly a bit awkward and quiet (surprising?), but with time, I'm sure I'll be more comfortable and sociable.

Anyway, the students, who were about 12-14 years old, asked me tons of questions in their best English(/Spanish mixture), some of which included:
What is your favorite planet?
Do you like paella / cocido?
Do you like Japan?
Do you know Justin Beiber?
What are you going to wear on Halloween?
And, most importantly, Do you speak espanish?

The Spanish question was the toughest. I am not supposed to let them know that I speak Spanish. This could be tricky. One girl asked, "Then how do you communicate in Spain?" (Which, honestly, is a very good question to ask, though she did need help figuring out the word 'communicate'.) But I didn't quite know how to answer. I looked to Cristina for guidance and finally answered, "I can understand a little bit of Spanish, but I cannot speak it." Hopefully they won't catch on!

In the teacher's lounge, I met about 30 new people, (19 of whose names I have probably already forgotten), and about 60 kisses on the cheek. Nothing says "Bienvenidos!" like a bombardment of besitos. Everyone seems really friendly and pretty laid back. I am excited to get to know the teachers better. Some of them speak a lot of English very well, and some don't. For the ones that do, I try to speak English with them as much as they can. For the ones that don't, I speak Spanish. I think that I probably caught a lot of people off-guard by how much Spanish I knew. I was showered with compliments about my Spanish, which, let's face it, I LOVE to hear! So, despite my feelings about my Spanish, it's good to know that I am easily understood by others, and that I can successfully carry out intelligible conversations in my second language.

The only downside to having all of these Spaniards think that you know so much Spanish is that they proceed to talk to you like you actually do know that much Spanish. I think that means that my days of being coached through conversations are over! I can't decide if that is a good thing or a bad thing. I feel like I understand about 75% of what goes on in most conversations, (sometimes less, a lot less) but I still find it hard to join a conversation if I don't know what's actually going on. Heck, it's hard for me to insert myself into conversations when I do know what's going on, in my native language even. So that is just something that I will need to work on, but I'm excited for it.

Things do seem to be working out well here. Of course, I still have my fair share of lonely moments and confusion. I think that living in this apartment is going to be the most difficult, but ultimately beneficial experience. I don't really know how everything works here in the piso, and I feel dumb asking so many questions, but hopefully I'll start to get the hang of things soon. And I'm still kind of intimidated here. But, as everyone has told me... poco a poco, little by little, things will work themselves out.
I did laundry today, for the first time. The machine is TINY. I mean.... it's really small. I put in a tiny load, but the machine was running for over an hour. I thought I must have done it wrong. When the clothes were done, I was surprised that they were actually clean. And, of course, there is no dryer, so I had to hang the clothes from the line outside of the kitchen window. However, I have never actually hung clothes on a line, so I felt like an idiot when I had to ask how it worked. But oh well, I just keep telling myself that I'll be a better person for all of this!

I didn't go out last night, and I haven't been out yet today. I feel lame. I think I'm just going to go for a little walk. That always seems to help (especially when you run into people you know on the streets!).

Sorry that is a boring post. But, whatever!
Hopefully I'll have better stories to share in the near future!

All Moved In. Kind of.

First of all, having the internet is the best thing ever! But it's also the worst thing ever. Right now though, I'd say it's more so the best thing ever. Just.... hopefully in the future I won't cling to it like I am doing now!

I just moved into my piso. And I am like, 110% intimidated. There are currently 4 other people in this apartment right now, all native Spaniards, all speaking at the same time, and yet, all still understanding each other. When I try to talk to them, I stumble over my words because I am nervous. I didn't eat with them. I have nothing to eat. No groceries yet, only the shelf-stable bread, digestives, and peanuts that I picked up earlier this week. Oh yeah, and I also have some fruit that isn't ripe yet. (This is what happens when you go to a fruiteria, and aren't allowed to touch the fruit.)

I've been hiding tonight! (Well, that and unpacking my suitcases --all done!) But I didn't come here to hide!
I'm just going to try to go to bed tonight, and let the newness of this thing wear off. And hopefully, in the morning, I will encounter one roommate at a time, and I'll actually be able to speak to them.

I'll be the first to remind you that a few short days ago, the fact that I had this piso was cause for much excitement and celebration. And, it still is. But it's also a huge step. I've never really "moved out" in the US (aside from college housing), and here I am, living on my own in Spain. Do I have cause to feel nervous and intimidated?

This is most definitely a "what the crap am I doing here?" moment!
Pray that tomorrow gives me purpose!

Days 1-3: The Ups, The Downs

I would like to preface this blog by noting that there is a constant up and down swing of emotions to living abroad alone. I knew this is what I would be facing when I got into this whole thing. Days 1-3, this swing is already evident. But, let's hope that with time, the swings will become fewer and farther between.

So, I suppose you may want to hear how things are going then.

Well, the traveling wasn't bad at all. Aside from the fact that we flew in an old, crappy plane that didn't have individual TV screens. Maybe we're just spoiled these days, but that does make for an uncomfortable trip. I didn't have the attention span to watch the movies they showed (Just Wright, the Devil Wears Prada .... really???) at the times they were showing them, so mostly I tried to sleep and listened to my ipod. Overall, it wasn't a bad flight. But the flight was never the worrysome part of the journey.

Seeing as I would be moving for 10 months, I packed 2 suitcases, a carry-on/duffel bag, and my backpack. Maybe for 10 months it isn't a lot (or maybe you think it is), but, it is definitely more than I would have liked to have managed through the train station, taxis, and tiny cobblestone streets. This was the problem that made me lose sleep at night. In reality, as we always find out, these things aren't worth worrying about. Long story short, I shared a taxi to the train station with another girl, despite the fact that our driver was incessantly telling us "no, no, no, you have waaay too much stuff" as he was loading it into the car. I bought a ticket for the train, then found a handy luggage cart, and managed to push my way through the station with no problem, and only a few comments. "All that luggage for just you?" I got to my train car, and was trying to figure out how to load it in, when I just kind of took over the doorway, throwing all of the suitcases in at once, then loading them onto the luggage racks. haha, I must have looked like an idiot. But that's ok. After another taxi ride (this one not so bad, only a few minutes, and only my luggage), I had to walk to the school with everything in hand. Luckily, a girl from the school was sitting in the plaza and offered to help me carry a bag. I definitely appreciated the help. So you see, things always work out. :)

I have been hanging out with two other girls from the program lately. They have been good company. It has been great to have other people around who are in the same situation. It's also helpful for trying to figure out the best means of piso-hunting, etc. I have to admit that I was a little discouraged at first, because they both found something within my first 2 days here, (though they had been here a few days longer than I had), and I felt like the pressure was on to find something that quick, too.

But, as we know, God's timing isn't our own. I faced two days of dejecting phone calls, all telling me that the apartments had already been rented, or that they only wanted to house students. In two days, I hadn't looked at a single room. I was starting to get down, wondering how I was going to afford to pay for a place at the residence hall for much longer. (Afterall, a week-long stay here would cost about the same as a month's rent.) So, this morning, after another rejection, I was laying down, about to take a nap, praying that God would work something out, when the phone rang. Reception was telling me that Miguel, my professor from last year, wanted to talk to me. I was excited, since I haven't seen him yet. A few minutes later, Miguel called, and told me about a woman who wants private English lessons for her two daughters, and asked if I would be interested. (Absolutely!) Then, he told me that she has a room available for rent if I would be interested. (Once again, Absolutely!) Miguel's phone call was the pivotal part of my day. After I spoke with him, Maria Carmen, the woman mentioned above, called to discuss these things with me. I went to look at the piso at 1:00 this afternoon, and I decided right away that I wanted it. After all, this was an answer to my prayers; how could I turn it down? Not only is it in a good location, but it is the right price. Everything that I was looking at was between 200-250E, most of them not including utilities. But this one? 150 + electricity. I didn't have the chance to meet everyone that I will be living with, but there will be 6 of us. 4 girls, 2 boys. 3, I believe, are students, 3 work. I don't know how old they are, but hopefully it will work out well. Plus, Maria Carmen lives in the apartment below it. We decided that every Monday and Wednesday at 5:30 I would come over to teach English. Today's developments have put me at ease. As Maria Carmen's mother said, "You have the most important things-- job and housing." Though I'd like to add internet access and a cell phone to that list as well. :)

I am just relieved that this huge weight has been lifted. I am no longer spending my time scrounging for people to call. I can just relax a little bit, until I have to start working.

I also talked to Cristina, my director, today. After months of conversing in Spanish via email, she offered to speak English on the phone. I hope it wasn't because my Spanish was fatal, though it very well may have been. We are planning to meet tonight at 8:30 for coffee, to chat about the job and what I need to do for my NIE and all of those official, pain-in-the-butt necessities of life. It should be good.

Regarding my horrible, fatal Spanish...
It is bad. It always is when I first get here. Though, I have to admit, that I am doing a fairly decent job of making my way around. I have made several phone calls, only a few of which left me scratching my head. So already, I am leaps and bounds ahead of where I was when I showed up last summer. But I want to be better.
It doesn't help that I am essentially living in English right now. I am speaking English with the girls that I am hanging out with, and I find it hard to switch to Spanish when Spaniards are around. The few people that I've talked to in the school are speaking to me in English (though I know for a fact that is is going against their contract!). It will be better when I get into my piso, when I'm living with Spaniards, and function 24/7 in Spanish. (Though I guess I'm forgetting that I'll be teaching English, which I suppose, will require a fair amount of English.)

In short, these last few days have been good, but trying. Nothing short of what I was expecting. Hopefully, things will start to develop a normal rhythm soon.

All in all, it's nice to be back.

The journey begins, finally.

Finally. Por fin. The time has come.
Tomorrow will be a long day, full of travel.
As always, I'm totally torn between feelings of anxiety and excitement for what awaits.

And, of course, I have that nagging feeling like I'm forgetting something.
What could it be??

there's only so much you can do

So here we are. 11:30pm on a Monday night. A silent bedroom in the beautiful city of Pittsburgh. And I'm overcome with worry about the details that await my arrival to Spain.

At this moment, from this location, there is very little that can be done regarding the situation-- but alas, I find myself worrying about what part of the city I'm going to live in, what my roommates are going to be like, and how I'm going to finagle my way through various means of public transportation while carrying my entire life packed into suitcases.

If you would have spoken to me three hours ago, you would have caught me in one of my moments of pure excitement. I would have been talking about where I'm going to travel, how I'm going to make friends, what I'm going to do after my 12 hours of work are finished for the week. The truth is, that excitement is still bubbling up from somewhere deep inside me, but having to figure out all of these details is making that excitement harder and harder to find.

So maybe I'm more quixotic than pragmatic. I'd rather dream about the possibilities of what's to come than work out the logistics of how it's going to pass. When it comes to the big picture, the excitement definitely wins out. When it comes to worrying about taxi fares and baggage allowances, rent costs and and bus passes, the anxiety takes the cake.

The moral of the story though?
There's no use losing sleep over these things in Pittsburgh. I've spent all day searching websites for pisos compartidos. I've read blogs and facebook groups, hoping to find some helpful hints. But when it comes down to it, I can't find a piso from Pittsburgh. And no amount of worrying is going to change the baggage allowances of the Renfe trains. And for goodness sake, just breathe, and know that these problems don't need to be solved tonight. (Thank God.)

But, if you are reading this, I would appreciate it if you would remember me in your prayers. Pray that I find good roommates, in a nice apartment. Pray that all of the traveling will go smoothly. And pray that I will learn to stop worrying about all of these things.

Step 1: Inhale
Step 2: Exhale
Step 3: Just go to bed already! You can always conquer the world in the morning.

Here we go...

Created by OnePlusYou

The official countdown! It has begun!

No Countdown...Yet.

Despite the fact that I have not yet begun a countdown, I am ever-aware of the fact that the time is flying by. The comfort of knowing that I had months to go has quickly turned into excitement and apprehension for what's to come. And I must admit that the reality of it all hasn't actually sunk in yet.

Today I gave my boss notice of my last day. And this week or next, I will finish up with the English tutoring that I have been doing. Slowly but surely, all of these chapters are closing, and I can't wait to see what new ones will fill their places.

Everyone asks, "Are you excited?!" Well, yes, I am! Most nights I lie awake, and my mind wanders as I think about the places I will go, the people I will meet, and the adventures that await me. And then, some nights, I think about the fact that I won't be home for Christmas, that I'm leaving everyone I love, that I don't know when I'm coming home, and I feel anxious and wonder if I'm crazy for doing this. It's a constant tension, and I know that I've felt it before. It will get better once I begin to establish myself there, but it won't go away completely. I know that this year will be filled with unforgettable experiences and new challenges... and I'm game for all of it. I've done it before, and I know I can do it again. It's a bigger risk, but that just means that I'm in for an even more rewarding experience (hopefully).

So, as the days are quickly passing, the excitement is getting even more exciting, and the apprehension is making me even more apprehensive. And before we know it, the day will be here, bringing with it a boatload of tears (I'm sure), and then I'll take off to finally begin this journey that I've waited so long to begin. It will be bittersweet - but mostly sweet.

Ready, Set....

So here we go again!

I decided that I should get this blog set up prior to my departure to document the preparation process, and to get in the habit of writing consistently before I go.

This is the third time that I will be "moving" to Spain, (even though the first two times were a bit more temporary). I tried to keep up with blogging the first two times, but it didn't work out so well. Last summer I definitely got better at it, and now I'm determined to make this work!
Last summer, as I dabbled in blogging, I began to realize how important it was to sift through the happenings of daily life and to try to make sense of it all (or, at least, to realize that there is no making sense of it all). When I look back now on the things that I have written in the past, I am able to remember events more vividly, and emotions come alive again. I feel like blogging is like pushing a pause button; it allows me to (try to) capture a moment, an emotion, to try to let all of you see and know what I am experiencing. It's a tough task, but I think I'm up to the challenge.

I hope you come back to read about my adventures! And hopefully there will be many!