Assimilating

Here is a list of some things I have done incorrectly because I am a foreigner here:

·         Rely on the public transportation system.

·         Attempt to go shopping at 2:00pm when all the shops are closed for siesta (rookie mistake).

·         Leave a door open at night causing the wind to slam it open and shut and wake the neighbors. ¡lo siento muchisimo, vecinos!

·         Pick “limes” off of trees on the street and wonder why no one else has snatched them.

·         Attempt to make mojitos with said “limes” and come to the realization they are actually unripe oranges that are still very, very green.

·         Proceed to make mojitos anyways and drink them on the rooftop terrace (this one’s not necessarily incorrect… maybe just foreign.)

Though I still have MUCH to learn, I’d like to think I’m adapting to Spanish life quite well, actually. My body is still adjusting to the sleeping and eating schedule here; They eat and drink well and often, and I could definitely get used to taking a siesta every afternoon!  Also my brain is starting to think in Spanish more often. I think I may have even dreamed in Spanish the other night!

One thing I haven’t been able to get used to lately: sleeping with all of the windows and doors closed. It is so very hot in this little apartment without AC. However, it has been so windy recently, especially at night that if a single door or window is left open, the breeze carries and shakes the entire house making it impossible to sleep. We have searched everywhere to buy fans, but it seems that the stores are preparing for cooler weather, so they are not carrying them anymore. For now I will have to adjust to sweating while I sleep. And/or listening to the creepy noises in the night. (Besides the creaky house, I’ve added coyotes and possibly roosters to the list of disturbing sounds).

One other thing I still can’t get used to: being foreign. Especially in this small town, we Americans are very noticeable. It’s not necessarily that we look or dress different (Although Clint and Shannon are at a disadvantage with that pelo rubio!), it’s that everyone knows each other here. When they see someone new wandering the streets for several days, people start to take notice. Today, Clint and I had a cerveza on the other end of town, and the barkeep asked if we were living here now because he had seen us around. I had never noticed this guy before, but they sure notice us! I wish more people would take the time to try to talk to us; I think the language barrier is the hardest thing to get past. Fortunately, many people are pleasantly surprised at how much Spanish I actually can speak and understand, so that’s a plus. Hopefully with time and a little more confidence in our Spanish speaking abilities we will be brave enough to make some more Spanish friends!

Anyways, back to assimilating. Last night was another great night for practicing Spanish and feeling right at home here in Ubrique. After spending several hours stealing internet from the hotel café, my roommate Clint and I ended up having a couple of cervezas there. It turns out, I have recently learned, that my good friend Pepe is actually the manager of the restaurant at the Hotel Ocurris. Pedro and his son Fran are the waiters/barkeeps at the restaurant. In addition, last night I met Andres, the owner of both the hotel and the restaurant.

Around midnight or so it seemed that the hotel was closing up, so Clint and I decided to pack up our laptops and collect our debts from the beverages we had ordered. Somehow we got talking with the man at the bar, Andres, while Pepe offered us some cervezas we couldn’t say no to. Pretty soon, one cerveza turned into MANY cervezas between the four of us – Pepe, Andres, Clint and I. While Andres knew a little English and tried to practice with us, we spent most of our time conversing in Spanish. We talked about life and work and fun and living in Ubrique and what we could expect in the months to come. Though we haven’t met very many Spanish friends thus far, Pepe and our new friend Andres assured us that we would meet many young people, especially other professors once we start work on Monday.  After several hours of good company and great conversation (and mucha cerveza) we called it a night. Andres refused to let us pay the tab, claiming that today was a dia especial… however, when in Andalusia, he says many days turn into special days! ;) He also reinforced that today we are conocidos and tomorrow we would be amigos. That’s the great thing about the people here. When you meet buena gente, you become friends quickly. While I look forward to meeting new people and making new friends, I will never forget about the good friends I made at the Hotel Ocurris and all that they’ve done for me.

Pepe y yo

Pepe, Andres y Clint

After leaving the Ocurris around 4am (yikes!) I passed out and had some excellent sleep. When I woke this morning (or afternoon I should say) my roommate Clint and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather while it’s still summer and explore the city a little bit. Our ultimate goal is to climb to the top of the cruz del tajo, the cross at the top of the mountain that overlooks the town (the one that is illuminated at night).

The bartender we met at the plaza, Jesús, said there is no route and it can be very difficult to find the way up if you’ve nevr been before. He mentioned that he would ask around for someone to take us if we are still interested in a couple days. While we will probably take up the offer of a guide later, our adventurous spirits got the best of us and we attempted to explore a little on our own anyways. We decided to just keep walking up and up… and up… and up… in the town until we reached the bottom of the mountain. Honestly, by the time we even reached that the steps and hills got the best of my calves and I was a little tired, but we kept on trekking! We found an awesome overlook on the ruta de los miradores around the city.

The view was excellent, but are taste for adventure wasn’t quite satisfied. We crossed the fence into the mountainous terrain. Immediately we encountered beautiful scenery and even some horses and goats. We hiked a little bit and got some excellent views, but didn’t quite make it to the top of the cruz del tajo. There was a small shack where a man was living high up in the mountains and he happened to be out and about with his dog. We weren’t sure if we were imposing so we decided not to go too much further on that side. Though we didn’t make the ascent to the cruz, we will definitely be back while the weather permits! In addition, I look forward to exploring the hiking trails in the nearby towns. Hopefully I can get my fill of naturaleza before the winter rain begins!

After the long hike and a decent siesta, Clint, Shannon and I grabbed some dinner at a local restaurant that boasts homemade meals. Pobrecita Debra was not in attendance as she is still ill with that virus going around, but hopefully she enjoyed her doctor recommended diet of medicine and vegetable soup :\ (I promise her a tasy Mexican fiesta night when she’s feeling better!) Anyway, the meal was pretty good, though we are still learning our way around a Spanish menu. I’m typically pleasantly surprised with what the waiter brings me. :) One conclusion we can draw about the food her is that it is very simple – possibly a little bland at times. The Spanish don’t use many spices, mainly just olive oil and occasionally a little salt. The simplicity is often quite elegant and tasty, but this Buffalo girl is missing her Frank’s Hot Sauce a little bit!

All in all the adaptation process is going well, though I still have a long way to go, even just to feel settled – begin work on Monday, orientation in Jerez on Tuesday, NIE in Cadiz next weekend, set up bank account, get a phone line and internet…. I have a lot to look forward to spending the next year of my life in beautiful Ubrique. For now, I’m just patiently waiting and learning to adapt to my new life.

That’s all for now. Abrazos! <3

Week One

Tuesday.

Disclaimer: I had some time to kill and a lot to reflect on, so this is kind of a long one.

Exactly one week ago today I sat in Boston Logan International Airport, eager and ready to board a plane to Spain and start this incredible journey. In fact, it is around this time (EST that is) that I sat down to publish my very first blog post (see The Journey Begins…). Bright eyed, optimistic and yearning for adventure, I felt like nothing could get in my way. As I currently lay in my comfortable bed (fresh sheets from IKEA!), in my spacious room, in my most perfect apartment, in the quaint town of Ubrique, nestled at the bottom of the Sierra de Cádiz in the gorgeous region of Andalucía, I can’t help but ponder all it took just to get to this point. I won’t deny that at times it was trying - a test of strength mentally, emotionally and physically.

Let’s back up about one year. I believe it was around September or October 2010 that I first decided to apply for this program on a whim after reading about it in a passing e-mail from the head of the FL department at Geneseo. The initial online résumé submission was a fairly easy process and I obtained a very good application number. Next, I had to gather some materials such as a health certificate, letter of recommendation, essay submission, etc just to send in the hard copy of my application. It was time consuming, but not so bad. After being accepted (and jumping for joy and possibly crying, happiest day ever), the visa process began. For those of you that have studied abroad or traveled for lengthy periods of time, you know this is a pain in the culo and in your wallet, too! Having only a temporary passport since mine was lost (or stolen?) last summer, step one was to renew that. The following months were a blur, but they involved getting fingerprints from the local PD, sending them to DC, receiving the cleared background check, sending that back to DC to obtain an Apostille of the Hague, getting a NEW medical clearance since the first one is apparently expired after 3 months, lots of waiting and lots of other stuff I can’t remember off the top of my head, then personally driving all necessary documents 7 hours to NYC to wait in line to drop it off at the Consulado General de España, then wait some more to have my passport mailed back with visa attached (second happiest day ever). Phew.

Oh, and if I thought that process was trying, I can’t wait to do it all over again in a few days to obtain my NIE. Spain is considerably less organized and an even bigger pain in the culo. I best prepare myself well, because I imagine it will go something like this:

Anyways, I mentioned it was tough to get to this point mentally, emotionally and physically. That process to get to Spain was the part that hurt my brain. The part that hurt my heart was having to say goodbye to my friends and family and my cozy life in North Tonawanda, which I was just getting used to, having graduated and come home from school in May. I am 110% convinced that my big, crazy family is the most loving and supportive in the entire world, and that my friends are the truest, most fun and most hilarious people on Earth. I feel so blessed to have so many people in my life that I can count on and I know I will miss them terribly while I’m away this year. However, the time will pass and in the meantime we’ll be in touch; technology is an amazing thing these days (Skype anyone?) And while I hope I can make a temporary home, family and friends for myself here in Ubrique, I know my people will be there when I get back to my real home. :)

Continuing on… the part of the getting-here process that hurt my body? Well, traveling for days, (for details please see That’s Part of It as well as Getting There is Half the Fun,) lugging 3 dead-body-like bags through unknown streets and up and down lots of stairs, living out of those 3 bags, standing or sitting in uncomfortable seats for long periods of time, and suffering from jetlag, an irregular eating/sleeping schedule and lack of sleep altogether. These things not only fall under a test of physical strength, but mental and emotional as well.

The first day I made it to Ubrique, I remember having a small breakdown in my hotel room. It had sunk in that I was finally here, and while I was excited to see what was to come, the events of the past few days had caught up with me. I was tired, hungry, thirsty, and alone in a foreign land where nobody spoke my language and everybody looked at me funny. The kitchen downstairs was closed, my brain was tired from trying to process Spanish for the first time in a long time, and I felt a little scared and lonely. Though I've traveled before, I think this was the first time I felt a real dose of culture shock.

After a hot shower and about 10 minutes of feeling sorry for myself, I sucked it up, decided to turn my attitude around and venture out in search of food. It’s a good thing I did, because not only did I get myself a tasty, cheap meal and a cerveza just up the road, but upon returning to the hotel lobby I also ran into Deborah (she would become roomie #1). It was at this point that Pepe said “ahhh, mejorará!” as if he had known that I was uneasy before, and that things were now looking up. The next morning I also met Shannon (roomie #2) and Clint (roomie #3). After a brief piso hunt and a little help from Pepe, we are now a Tennessean, a Texan, a Californian and a New Yorker living together in Spain.

In the end, siempre vale la pena (it’s always worth the pain). Though the process seemed to drag on and at times it felt like I’d never make it to this point, I never let myself lose site of the big picture: I’m going back to this beautiful country I seriously fell in love with, to learn more about the people here, to assimilate myself with them, to learn to live as they do and hopefully weave a bit of their culture into my own… all the while sharing with the youth here what my awesome life is like back home, the traditions I have with my big, wonderful family, the things I do with my crazy friends to have fun (though I suppose I will have to leave out some details about our inappropriate games of Things and late night PJ Hooligan’s escapades). If I continue to look at it the right way, no matter what hardships I come across these next months, only good can come out of this experience.

So far, everything is lining up perfectly, though there is still much to be done in order to feel settled (apply for my NIE, set up a Spanish bank account, get a phone line/internet for the apartment, etc). I’m also very excited to start working at the school! Once I have a structured schedule, I think I will be more comfortable, too. I got to meet with the bilingual coordinator, Trini, again the other day, this time at the school I will be working at. She gave me a brief tour and an outline of my job expectations. We then sat down to breakfast with some of the other teachers, including those I will be working with in the bilingual department. It seems I will be working with the teachers of math, science, English and visual arts. I had already met the VA teacher, Irene (Maribel insisted on introducing us as she lives right below Jesús). She and all of the other professors as well as the staff seem very kind and welcoming! They were also surprised that I could speak or at least understand Spanish quite well. The cocinera (cook) Charro even said I look Spanish (Thanks Dad for passing on the dark hair and eyes!) Perhaps assimilating won’t be so hard after all?

In addition to working at the school during the week, my town offers much to do to keep me busy. There is a municipal pool/gym/rec center right in the town that offers dance lessons – I could use some of those. My school also offers music lessons (Maybe I’ll impress you all with some Spanish guitar?) Not to mention, we are in the mountains. There are biking and horse riding and hiking trails galore (a couple of geocaches perhaps??) With so much to see and do, every day is bound to be a new adventure!

Today’s adventures included: lots of sleeping and siesta-ing (still catching up on that 6 hour time difference!) buying a pay-as-you-go phone, unpacking some more things, having another great meal at El Laurel restaurant, stealing unripe oranges off of public trees (still unsure if that’s legal)* and catching up back home using the internet at the Occuris café once again (gracias a Pepe). Oh, and also hunting for ghosts. Ok, there are really most likely no ghosts, but the apartment does make weird noises at night. Tonight there was a slamming noise that Shannon and I could not figure out even after shutting all of the doors and windows. Finally a neighbor came and told us we had left the laundry room door upstairs unlocked and that it was slamming open and shut (duh, the one place no one looked). Way to look like a fool AND upset the neighbors (oops). Speaking of which, I haven’t actually met those neighbors yet, so that wasn’t exactly a good first impression. Maybe it would be a good idea to bring them a plate of cookies and introduce ourselves. I wonder if that’s a normal thing to do here, everybody likes cookies, right? Anyway, the wind is still noisy but at least I can be reassured there are no ghosts. Just in case, I have my little wooden elephant on the nightstand facing the door to keep out intruders (shout out to Dave for that idea!)

*Update, today is Wednesday, and we have figured out that what we thought were limes are actually unripe oranges. We still used them to make unripe-orange-pineapple-mojitos today and they were still delicious.

Clint and Shannon picking what we thought were limes, but would turn out to be unripe oranges. Makes much more sense, since we are in Andalusia.

Unripe-orange-pineapple-mojito. Mmm!

Moral of the story: keep on keepin’ on. Or in the words of Pepe, mejorará (it will get better). And while I’m sure there will be plenty of roller coaster moments along the way, I’m already certain this experience is going to have a profound impact on my life.

Nevertheless, I will still miss you folks back home (1 week in and I’m missing you all already!) Now that I have a phone and a roof over my head, here’s my info, so don’t be a stranger! Unless of course, if you’re reading this and you’re actually a stranger, in which case please don’t creep on me.

E-mail: sarahcastig@gmail.com
Skype: sarahann45
Skype phone number*: +1 716 406 88 35
Cell phone number: 34 682 55 07 14
Address:              Sarah Castiglione
                                C/ Fernan Caballero, 10. Piso 2
                                11600 Ubrique (Cádiz) España

*FYI You can call my skype number from any landline or cell phone! It is routed to my computer, so I can answer it on skype when I have my computer on. If I’m not at my computer, you can actually leave me a voicemail- just listen to the foreign lady do her thing, wait for the beep, and then leave me a message! The Cell phone number works for calls and texts if you have long distance!

I also check my facebook quite often so you can always leave me a mensaje there (oh, the joys of technology). With so many options you have no excuse not to keep in touch!

Don’t forget to join and “follow me” if you enjoy reading my blogs :) Feel free to also leave a comment (I believe you have to click on “see comments” first in order to leave one.) Take care all, talk soon!

Abrazos <3

Home Sweet Apartment

Days 2 and 3 in Ubrique were a success! In a matter of 24 hours I met some potential roomies, explored the city by foot, found a spacious, beautiful apartment with a fablous view, got a tour of the surrounding neighborhood from a friendly elder lady, negotiated a lease completely in Spanish and now have the keys in my hand to my future home. While I'd like to take pride in my improving Spanish skills and survival instincts, I'll admit I couldn't have done it myself! The buena gente (good people) here in Ubrique have been helping me every step of the way.

I had stumbled across some other language assistants staying in the hotel between Friday night and Saturday morning. We decided to piso hunt together since it would cut the cost... and no one wanted to get left behind to be homeless. Mi amigo Pepe heard back from one of the renters that had a 3 bedroom apartment just 2 streets over. He arranged for a meeting at the hotel and sent us on our way with Maribel- an overly friendly, optimistic, whimsical older woman with a permanent wide-eyed smile on her face. Seriously, permanent. She was a great saleswoman, pointing out the major benefits of the place to the smallest detaisl, though she didn't have to try so hard - the place was AMAZING. We didn't even have to think long about it; for the price she was offering, we agreed to sign that very day. After returning to the hotel to grab passports and money (which took longer than the anticipated 5 minutes because Maribel stopped along the way to show us the nearby pharmacy, restaurants, park, etc) we returned and went across the street to her son Jesus' house. Jesus, the partial owner, drew up a contract for October - June at 400 Euro per month. That's only 100 per person. That is insanely cheap. You can't just find a flat that cheap on a whim (with an awesome view might I add) anywhere in the states I'm pretty sure. He also agreed to let us move in as soon as we want and only pay 50 Euro each for the month of September. Bangin' deal since that's the same price we are paying PER NIGHT for our 2 star hotel! Discussing the lease in Spanish was somewhat of a task, but we made it through. Some people may have their doubts, that perhaps we were being railroaded since we are the new Americans in town. I am positive this is not the case. Jesus and Maribel were both extremely helpful and I truly believe they had the best intentions of helping us settle down and feel comfortable in their hometown.

Nearly 5 hours later, we finally made it back to our hotel. (Maribel felt the need to take us on a walking tour of the entire neighborhood and point out all of the essentials, including following me into the grocery store as if I had never seen one before. Did I mention she showed me how to work a microwave and TV as well? I must seem REALLY foreign.) I wanted more than anything to pass out, or at least take a siesta, but the night had other plans for me. First, I met with the bilingual coordinator from my school, Trini. She was on her way home from seeing a movie with her absolutely adorable daughter Paula when she stopped into the Ocurris hotel just to check in on me and make sure I was doing alright. It was very sweet, but she could see that my day had taken a 180 and I was settling in just fine! Afterwards, 2/3 of my new roomies and I went to dinner at El Laurel, which was delicious. I had some croquetas de jamon and red peppers stuffed with bacalao (codfish?) and smothered in some sort of tomato sauce, mmm. We then had a few cervezas (beers!) at a local bar and took turns buying a round (at 1 Euro a piece, it was more than affordable.) The liquid courage caused us to try our hand at conversing with each other completely in Spanish. I think we did alright, but I'm sure the locals thought we sounded foreign and crazy. Later, upon coming back to the hotel for the night, the cafe was empty except for Pepe of course and the camarero (waiter) Pedro. We had a drink with the two of them and practiced our Spanish for real. They are always so kind and generous to us foreigners, and most importantly they are patient with us. When we don't know how to say a word, we use circomlocution to explain our intentions, but even then sometimes there are malentendidos (misunderstandings). Pepe and Pedro are not only fun to talk to and patient with our not-so-perfect Spanish, but they teach us local words, phrases and pronunciation. Oh, and occasionaly give us free beverages and chocolate.

After that productive evening, I allowed myself to sleep in til my hearts desire- after all, Sunday is the day of rest! I slept in very late, took a nice walk throughout the town, and then came back to the hotel for a siesta. By the time I woke up, it was time for dinner! The new roommates and I went to the apartment to test out our new kitchen. After a nice meal of pasta, jamon serrano (cured ham, a Spanish specialty!), and pan (bread) we enjoyed some vino tinto (red wine) and tinto de verano (red wine with a hint of lemon! Specialty in Andalusia) up on the rooftop terrace. The night time view of the illuminated mountain facade was quite spectacular, the stars were bright on a clear night and we heard some coyotes off in the distance. It was a great way to spend our first evening in our new home.

view on my walk today

In addition to relaxing a bit, we did spend a little time walking through the rooms and deciding if there's anything we need to buy when we go into town - sheets, blankets, hand towels, etc -  though almost everything we need is already in the fully furnished apartment. I mentioned it was 3 bedrooms and as I'm sure you caught on there are 4 of us language assistants. There is in fact a 4th spare bedroom though it's very tiny. One of the girls has agreed to take the spare and we are going to cut the price of her rent a bit to make it a fair deal. In addition to the 4 bedrooms our new home has a spacious living/dining room with a balcony, a fully equiped, preciously decorated kitchen, 1 and a half bathrooms, our own laundry room with a washing machine and clotheslines, and... drumroll please... our own rooftop terrace with a beautiful view of the mountains. The decor could use a little updating (IKEA anyone?) but the space has so much potential to be a comfortable, spacious place to live for the next 9 months.

C/ Fernan Caballero, numero 10

I couldn't be more grateful to have found a perfect little piso in Ubrique. A big gracias to those who helped me get this far, it has made the transition to Spanish life a lot easier to be surrounded by buena gente!

Saludos <3

Getting there is half the fun...

....but twice as exhausting!! The last 3 days of my life have consisted of multiple cities, 3 plane rides, one cancellation, a hotel in Boston, a hostel in Malaga, some taxis, a train, 2 very long bus rides and lots and lots of waiting. Oh, and of course hauling around my luggage, the weight of which I suppose is close to that of dragging around a dead body... which, in all of my struggle to juggle 3 heavy bags, I got some strange looks from people most likely thinking "who is the crazy foreign girl carrying around her house?"

But despite the struggle and exhaustion, I've still managed to enjoy the hectic ride and meet some cool people! Add to the mix of interesting characters that I met on the Madrid fight: a man from Ghana enjoying the beach life in Malaga, a young French couple, a 50-going-on-20 year old woman from Holland WWOOFing it through Southern Spain with her free-spirited travel buddy* and a very kind British couple who helped me figure out the unreliable bus schedule.
*I learned that WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. People volunteer their labor in exchange for place to stay and eat for a few days. Apparently it is a very relaxing and peaceful experience!

All in all, it has taken me 3 full days but I have finally made it to my final destination: Ubrique (Cádiz) Spain, and it is even more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. Add to that the fact that the people are extremely kind and helpful. I'll admit as I walked the streets from the bus station to the hotel, hauling all of my luggage and sticking out like a sore thumb in this peaceful town, I began to worry a little bit-- if I would fit in, if I could survive on my limited stipend and my shotty Spanish conversational skills, if I could even find a place to live... but I was quickly reassured by the buena gente here that it is going to be a fantastic experience. Though my Spanish is still hurting a bit right now (a lot of mas despacio por favor and repite and no entiendo), I've already managed to make conversation with some of the locals in the few short hours I've been sitting in the cafe of the hotel. A delightful elderly man talked to me because I “appeared to be so lonely,” welcomed me to town,  shared with me pictures of his adorable nietos (grandchildren) and reassured me of the safety and wholesome goodness of the people in Ubrique. And then there is Pepe.

Pepe I will consider mi first local friend. He either works at the hotel café or owns it or maybe he just likes to hang out there, I’m not quite sure yet. What I am sure of is that he is one of the most benevolent Spanish men I’ve ever met. I must have had a facial expression that reads “I’m so lost” because he approached me at the café and asked what he can do to help me. I jokingly told him to find me a place to live, but he must not have picked up on the sarcasm (cultural thing?) because he literally dropped everything, left the room and came back with a list of phone numbers. But wait, as if that wasn’t enough, he has been making phone calls and returning them and helping me find options for a place to live. I felt bad because at first it was very hard to understand him – the combination of my sheer exhaustion and inability to think in Spanish as well as the very distinct gaditano/ubriqueño accent (even Pepe admitted that Madrileño Spanish was like a foreign language to him). However, he has been very patient with me and trying so hard to help, just conversing with him throughout the day has been extremely beneficial to my Spanish-speaking confidence (though my listening skills need work, he says I speak quite well!) While I was feeling a little foreign and uncomfortable earlier today, I now feel much more confident already. My foreigner blues were easily cured by a hot shower, some tapas and a cerveza, and the kindness of the people here.

In addition, I met another language assistnat who is staying at the hotel/ Apparently there are several other assistants living in Ubrique as well, though I have yet to meet them. It was nice to chat with someone else in my position; it made me feel less alone and worried. Tomorrow I think we will do some piso shopping together. Sharing an apartment would cut down on the cost a lot. As Pepe said when he realized I made friends with another American girl in my position, mejorará! It will get better!

All in all, my first evening in Ubrique has been a very emotional one. I went from feeling like a total foreigner who could hardly understand a thing, to a traveler that just might do ok. Hopefully I will be feeling like a local in no time (and speaking like one too!) The assimilation process these next few weeks is going to be tough, but I think I can handle it and enjoy ;this experience despite the difficult times. The good people and the stunning view won’t make it too hard either.  :)

Abrazos <3

That's Part of It!

Nearly 24 hours later and I am finally settled in to good old.... wait for it.... BOSTON. Yup. Not what you were expecting, huh? Me either. Unfortunately my plane to Madrid was delayed for so long they ended up canceling it. Honestly, if there were that many "technical difficulties" I wouldn't feel comfortable taking that plane 3,000 miles over the ocean anyway. The good news is the airline arranged for a lovely hotel for all the passengers (though they had to taxi us 40 minutes away from the airport), we had a delicious complimentary breakfast this morning, a couple of meal vouchers for the wait at the airport and they are taking care of re-booking our flight, including missed connecting flights. Not to mention, this has given me an opportunity to make friends with other travelers and fellow auxiliares de conversacion that happened to be on the same flight! :)

Upon visiting a friend in Brooklyn this past summer, he once said the wise words "that's part of it!" regarding the "true New York City experience." He continued to repeat this phrase after just about everything we saw and did on the trip, be them good things ($0.99 pizza slices, inspiring tourist sites, beautiful parks among the hustle and bustle) or bad things (expensive cab rides, hot and smelly subway, encounters with crazy people, homeless people, crazy homeless people)... It sounds silly but it's true -- those things are all part of the NYC experience and like any new endeavor, you have to take the good with the bad.

My journey, which has only just begun, has already been filled with ups and downs that are all part of the globetrotting experience. I've had to say hasta luego (not adios!) to friends and famiy that mean the world to me in order to do this magnificent thing for myself - that's part of it. I had to organize my entire life and downsize my closet in order to cram 9 months worth of belongings into a couple of suitcases, then had the pleasure of tearing apart my suitcase at the airport for it being 3.5lbs overweight - that's part of it. I've also gotten to sit in the airport and watch planes take off and people hustle about, wondering what their life is like and where they are going and reflecting on my own adventures and the places I'm going - that's definitely part of it.

But perhaps the BEST part of it is meeting people along the way. Every person has a different story, yet we find common links that bond us. So far, during this flight-crisis alone, I have met a couple en route to Rome, a Frenchman on his way back from Cali, a music-loving globe-trotting older couple, a man from Barcelona "the best city in the world according to me mother!" as well as a college student studying abroad and about 8 other awesome, adventurous young people teaching in Spain. While the world can seem so big at times, especially when traveling far from home, by sharing stories we are reassured that it's not quite as big as we think. That's not just a part of it, that's what it is all about. Everyone has a unique story worth telling. Keep checking in for more of mine! ;)

The infamous flight 6166 crisis is coming to an end as we anxiously await our boarding call. It's actually been pretty fun, having travel buddies that also have a love affair with Spain as I do. This is where we part ways, but I have a feeling we'll run into each other again. Here's to hoping we'll be out of Boston Logan and in beautiful Spain the next time we meet!

Abrazos <3

The Journey Begins....

I'm currently sitting in Boston Logan International Airport, anxiously awaiting my 6:20pm flight to Madrid in order to begin my new life living and teaching in Southern Spain for the next year or so. I've never been one to write down my thoughts or experiences, and I definitely never thought I'd fall victim to the trendy blog thing. However, I'm thinking this next year of my life is going to be pretty spectacular. So I've finally given in and created a blog of my own for 3 main reasons:

1. For my friends and family - this is a great way for all of you, if you so choose, to follow my adventures abroad! I would love to skype, write or talk with you all as often as I can, but this way maybe I can answer some basic questions all at once. I hope you enjoy living vicariously through my experiences (though I'm still hoping to get some of you to hop on a plane and come experience it for yourselves!)
2. For myself - I'm pretty sure I'm not going to want to forget a single moment of this experience. A lot can happen over the course of these next months... as I am slowly aging my memory loss is increasing and I don't want to miss a single beat! Last summer, when I got my first taste of European life, I wanted to capture every moment and put it in a box to keep forever. Hopefully this is a good way to jot down my memories and give myself a little something to look back on when I'm stateside again and feeling nostalgic.
3. For future travelers and auxiliares de conversacion! - moving to another country can be just as scary and confusing as it is exciting. I've found that talking to other past and/or current travelers in a similar situation is a HUGE help. You become aware of things you wouldn't think of on your own (who knew that tampons and scented candles could be difficult to find abroad??) I've thoroughly enjoyed reading the blogs of others to get a feel for what my new life will be like. Hopefully I can offer some helpful tips and insight for future adventurers!!

That being said, on to the good stuff.... ME VOY A ESPANA!!!!!

After enjoying my last weekend home with friends and family and plenty of fun American things, I said good bye to Buffalo, NY and hopped on a plane to Boston. I've got a hefty layover here, which isn't too bad because it's allowing me to sit and gather my thoughts and really let everything sink in. There's something wonderful about airports, especially the international terminal. Everyone has a different story and a different purpose for being there. I love watching the interesting array of characters come and go and wondering what their adventure is like. It gets me super excited for this adventure of my own that I am embarking on!

After flying overnight to Madrid, I will take another plane to Málaga and eventually a couple of buses into the small town of Ubrique, located in the province of Cádiz in the gorgeous southern Spanish region of Andalusia. I've never been to the south of Spain (last summer I studied abroad in the AMAZING city of Barcelona on the North Eastern coast). From what I gather, this beautiful southern region embodies the heart and soul of the Spanish culture, noted for flamenco dancing and bullfights, gorgeous coastal beaches on both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, as well as breath taking mountain views in the small pueblos blancos such as Ubrique. Check out this video for an awesome view of my soon-to-be home town! :)  

Once I arrive in Ubrique, find a place to live (kind of essential) and get settled in, I will begin teaching English and North American culture to secondary students at IES Maestro Francisco Fatou. I begin Monday, October 3rd, and that's about all I know thus far! I am incredibly excited to start this amazing journey. I won't lie, there have been times where the process of getting to this pint has been a HUGE headache, but I am 110% confident that it will all be worth it to have the opportunity to actually work and LIVE in such a beautiful, warm and enriching environment. I hope that by sharing my own language and culture with the youth of Spain, I can learn just as much in return about the Spanish language, culture, and general enjoyment of life. I hope you enjoy following me on my adventure! More details to come, just as soon as I get there........

Abrazos <3