I'm not dead. Not even close.

My lack of posting has not been for a lack of things to post about -- because trust me, I have a lot to post about.

My mom and Marian are currently here, and it has been great. I have had many moments of utter disbelief while just sitting in my kitchen, or in my bedroom with them -- I can't believe that they are actually here in the flesh. Kind of strange, but definitely awesome.

We went to Dublin this last weekend, and it was great. It was homey. And so, it was perfect to be in a more homey, familiar country (ie, more similar to the US) with my mom. It was a nice break from Toledo. As much as I love Spain, I loved getting away for a weekend. I loved the carpeting in the hotel, the fact that they sold bagels in the grocery store, and that, for the first time in months, I was surrounded by people who had blonder hair and lighter eyes than I. But of course, upon my return to Spain, I fell in love again with hearing Spanish. But that's not really surprising.

What is surprising though, is the mini-identity crises that I've been working through since my mom has been here. I'm trying to reconcile my lives in a way. Or, maybe I'm forced to reconcile them. I don't know. But it's been interesting. I have been thinking a lot about what I am doing here, who I am here, who I was at home, what I want to be doing in the future, and who I want to be. Allowing somebody in to see this part of my life has made me think about things in new ways. And this is good.

My mom will be here until Monday. And I'm sure I'll still be mulling things over long after my company leaves. But until then -- we're heading to Cadiz this weekend, to soak up some solar rays on the beaches that won't be warm enough to swim in. We're renting a car, which is only a dream come true. And who knows, I may even learn to drive a stick -- if Marian is brave enough to teach me! So many dreams coming true in such a short amount of time. I am loving this.

So anyway-- I promise you more in the future.
besos!

Off My Game

I feel like I've been a little off of my game these last couple of days. But I mean that in the best way possible. I've seemingly been on a see-saw of 'game on-ness' and 'game off-ness'. Luckily, the 'on-ness' has been winning out. But the 'off-ness' provides for good stories, too.

Friday morning, my alarm never went off. I awoke to a text from Rosa that said "Estoy en el autobus. Estas bien?" .... to which I shouted "MIERDA!" and hurriedly sent a text explaining what had happened, and asking who I could catch a ride with for second hour. I got a hold of another ride, no problem. I was just an hour late, and missed one class. I felt so horrible, but everyone responded in the same way: "eh, no pasa nada. It happens/has happened to all of us." But here's to hoping it doesn't happen again!

Despite the hectic start to the day, it ended up being a rather good one. I had made some banana muffins earlier in the week, and I told some people that I would bring some in for them to try. So I took 6 muffins. And everyone shared them and loved them, and they told me how great they were, and they asked repeatedly for the recipe and for a second batch next week. To which I can only respond, "I'd be delighted".

The weather was so gorgeous on Friday, and I ended up taking a marathon walk (which was not actually 26 miles long) around Toledo. I ended up running into my roommate, who, coincidentally, was doing the same thing. So we walked together along the river trail for a while. It was great. It has recently been so sunny and warm during the days, and it gives me hope that spring is upon us. I occasionally still freeze during the night, but I am happy to report that those goosebumps that I feared were permanent a month ago have gone away. Thank goodness!

Yesterday morning I again awoke to a rather hectic situation. This time, I woke up to the sound of the doorbell ringing. I thought maybe it was the landlord, who had come to get the spare room ready for my mom's arrival. Nope. It was definitely one of my students. I definitely had a class. And I definitely forgot about it. And yes.......... I definitely conducted the class in my pajamas. How horrible is that? So unprofessional, right? And the first thing she said to me? "Estabas de fiesta??" .... whoops. I guess there's no hiding it with day old make up on my face. So classy, Rachael. So classy.

The rest of the day was good though, and productive. I went grocery shopping, I went to a castle-turned-hotel and had some expensive natural tea. I went to a crepe-party, and yes, it was just as awesome as it sounds. And then I went out with some friends, and it turned out to be a rather entertaining night. Good times.

So you see, no matter how 'off my game' I may have been these last few mornings, I have been fortunate enough to straighten myself out by the day's end. I'm okay with how things are going, but I could definitely do without the chaotic wake-up calls! Today I woke up without an alarm, without an agenda, and I still ended up eating macaroni and cheese for dinner... so clearly fantastic endings don't require such frenzied beginnings!

In other news, MY MOTHER IS CURRENTLY ON A PLANE, ON HER WAY TO SPAIN!!!! Finally. And I'm really excited! It's after 1am. And I have to get up in a few short hours to get ready to go pick her up from the airport. But I can't sleep. I suppose there's always time for a siesta tomorrow. :D

This is what heartbreak looks like...

I can't believe it. We lost the Superbowl. It was so unexpected. But of course, when you're a Steelers fan, you never really expect to lose. All day yesterday I was wishing I was in the 'Burgh for the parties, but now, I'm actually glad I am not there. I can only imagine the exceptionally brutal road rage, the grumpy water-cooler chatter, and the worst case of "the Mondays" that you've ever seen. I'm sure the phrase, "At least we still have 6!" has been uttered more times than can be counted (if facebook statuses are any indication of zeitgeist), and that curses toward the Packers have been swirling around Pittsburgh like "compro oro" fliers swirl around Toledo.

But I'm still heartbroken. And I'm definitely not a gracious loser. Nope. Definitely not. I can't really decide if my less-than-upbeat mood today is a side effect of the loss. It probably is. And only time will heal my wounds.

I watched the game in the Irish Pub here -- the one that's always full of Americans. And I remembered why I never go there. They were really obnoxious. And really drunk. And really embarrassing. I would say that about 85% of the kids at this bar were cheering for the Packers. I met another girl from Pittsburgh, and we bonded in our solitude and misery during the first half. Then she left. She actually gave up on the Steelers -- a Pittsburgher!! A Yinzer by birth! I couldn't believe it.

Later on, a guy came in wearing a Roethlisberger jersey. I assumed he was American, but he was not. He was Spanish, and I was surprised. So, during the second half, we bonded in our misery. He had doubts, and I told him that if you want to root for the Steelers, you have to have faith. We cheered and trash talked in Spanish as the Steelers made a valiant comeback effort, and we wept (proverbially) when it didn't work out. And then, since I had two Terrible Towels with me, I decided that he should have one. I'm just doing my part to grow the "Steeler (inter)Nation". He was so excited, so hopefully that helped console his wounds from the loss (though I'm sure his wounds aren't nearly as deeply-rooted or as ego-damaging as my own).

Anyway, it was a fun night. And I was really proud of my city and my team, and I'm pretty sure that if it is actually possible to "be somewhere in spirit", that I was in Pittsburgh, ready to start rioting in the streets of the South Side with the rest of them had we won. (The Spaniard said he was going to jump in the fountain near the Puerta de Bisagra if the Steelers won -- I said I'd follow. But alas, it never came to be.)

I suppose, though, that humility is a good quality to have, and sooner or later, we all get served our own big, fat slice of humble pie. I just wish it tasted a little better, or came with a mountain of whipped cream on top.

This Feb is going to be Fab!

It's February! Can you believe it? The time is flyyyying!

Here are some good things that are happening in February:
1. Phil failed to see his shadow today. Early spring! I am just hoping that this applies to weather in Spain as well. If there's one thing I know in life, it's that the most accurate predictor of weather is probably a groundhog. And anyway, it was so sunny and gorgeous today, it has to be true. I walked home from the bus stop this afternoon with only a cardigan on. Yep. Early spring it is!

2. The Steelers are going to win the Superbowl this Sunday. Yep. They're going to win.

3. MY MOM IS COMING! (And Marian, too!) In 2 weeks! I am so excited. I don't really know how to explain this feeling to you, but I feel like, for the first time ever, somebody is going to be able to experience my life here with me. It's so hard to try to convey this experience through blog posts and pictures on facebook. You just have to come here to see it, to live it. And por fin, my mom is coming! I know she'll love it. And I know I'm going to love having her here. And I know that I am going to cry in the airport when I see her. I just know it.

4. And when my mom gets here, we are going to Ireland! How exciting! (Well.. as long as I can book tickets that are not outrageously priced...)

So you see, I have high expectations for February. It's going to be fabulous.

Brand Loyalty

I remember feeling completely overwhelmed in the grocery store when I first got here. I didn't know where anything was in the stores. I didn't know what anything was, either. All I saw was a sea of unfamiliar products and unfamiliar brands, and I had no way of knowing what kind of quality I was in for. I had no idea how I was going to manage without the conveniences of canned soup and boxed macaroni and cheese. For a long time, I sustained myself solely on grilled cheese sandwiches.

However, four months later, I am happy to report that I could probably navigate a Mercadona in my sleep. I can whip up some darn good meals from these ingredients that only a few months earlier seemed so strange. I have gone to a large assortment of grocery stores, checked out their shelves, and seen what they have to offer. And I've eaten far fewer grilled cheese sandwiches in recent months.

To this day, I still buy familiar American brands. Heinz. Hellman's. Old El Paso. Dannon. Coca-Cola.
But now I'm developing some new brand loyalties as well. I know that Hacendado is usually pretty reliable. Bimbo is guaranteed to be good bread. Pascual has decent milk. And I have yet to come across a dish soap that is better than Fairy.

Moral of the story? Some of the things that once overwhelmed me have become so inconsequential. Give it time, and you can make a life almost anywhere. Or at least, give it time, and you'll eventually learn how to grocery shop anywhere. I guess 'making a life' is still in the works.

Traveling Mercies

So I got the Kindle! It came yesterday! And can I just say... I'm hooked.

I am not sure if it's the Kindle itself, or the book I'm reading, but I can't put this thing down. I started reading a new book around 1:00 yesterday, and I'm already halfway through.

I decided that the first book that I would read on the Kindle would be Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott. I will admit that I actually have this book at home, on my bookshelf. But it's not doing me much good here. I actually asked my mom to send it to me a few months ago, but either she didn't find it, or she forgot. And I still wanted to read it. The fact that I can now have any book (besides the Harry Potter series) in my hands in less than a minute (and in English, no less), is a great power to have.

I am loving this book, and I would just like to share one small sentence that brought my soul to its knees:

"'Traveling mercies,' the old people at our church said to her when she left. This is what they always say when one of us goes off for a while. Traveling mercies: love the journey, God is with you, come home safe and sound."

How perfect is that sentence? In 14 words, Anne Lamott has summarized the most basic wishes for my life in Spain. Love the journey. God is with you. Come home safe and sound. So fitting.

Now, back to the Kindle...

Pittsburgh's Going to the Superbowl!

Yep, I stayed up until 4am to watch the AFC Championship.
And yep, we won!
And yep, that means that Pittsburgh's going to the Superbowl!
It also means that I couldn't be more excited!!

You can take the girl out of Pittsburgh, but you'll never take Pittsburgh out of the girl! I bleed black and gold.

(Oh, and the second best part? My roommate is from Green Bay. This is going to be epic.)