STUMBLE: Second Guessing

I don’t know what other 25yr olds like to do before watching the nightly news, but I personally like to watch Jeopardy. From the moment it comes on I know that I will get the majority of that evening’s questions wrong, but I feel extremely proud of myself when I do in fact get an answer correct.

Well teaching English in a Spanish High School is like participating in my very own live game of Jeopardy. As I walk up the stairs each morning I can hear the Final Jeopardy theme song.. Do do doo doo do (hmm with me now, do do doo) 
And as I make my way to the front of the class it’s like Alex Trebek is asking for my final answer. Every time I’m up at that white board I pray that I have the right answers. As the token AMERICAN I am charged with the task of answering all questions relating to America:
Officially-I facilitate the language acquisition and conversation of students enrolled in ESO-1 through ESO-4 English language classes.
Unofficially- I answer questions about Texas Cowboys, President Obama, Sex and the City, and whether or not I have a boyfriend. Usually it’s pretty easy to elaborate on these topics, but it’s not easy being the “official authority” in regards to all things America; culture, politics, art, people, and everything else under the Sun. They don’t just want to know my opinion; they want the ANSWER. And I feel as though my standing as the “American Authority” may be on shaky ground right now. 
I got my first eyebrow raises when I referred to the garbage as trash rather than “rubbish” and when I was horrified that a 16yr would openly ask his classmate for a “rubber”. Turns out, the students here are learning British English so garbage is rubbish and a rubber is an ERASER! Silly me! 
I truly didn’t realize what an enormous responsibility it would be just speaking my mother tongue. But not only do I have to speak it– I have to write it as well... on a GIANT white board with 25 sets of eyes watching every move I make. So you can understand how terrible it is when I misspell a word (or two). So far I have accidentally misspelled: aren’t (it looked weird on the board), vegetable (should have just written veggies), spaghetti (which shouldn’t even count because it’s an Italian word) and San Francisco (my most fatal error). The teacher actually came up to the board and corrected Fransisco. 
OH EMBARRASSMENT, how I know you too well! I quickly apologized and in turn he gave me a shrug and (an oh, so Spanish), “No pasa nada.” But between these errors and getting tongue-tied trying to explain what “Freaky” and “Putting Out” mean to a group of teachers, I think my standing as the all-knowing American may now be in Jeopardy. Guess I’ll take, “Things Sarah thinks she knows, but really may not know” for 8 Please Alex... 
8 more months that is. 

RUN: Words to live by

An extremely thoughtful friend gave me a book before I left the states and I could not be more thankful. The book is “The Best Women’s Travel Writing 2011" and it is WONDERFUL and I highly suggest it for travelers, especially women travelers. I’ve been savoring it like it was my last piece of birthday cake or sip of champagne, but I fear I will finish it soon. Nonetheless, these are a few of the most poignant quotes that really stuck out to me.

I hope that this post will be an ongoing one and as new quotes come into my life I will post them here as well.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.

~It’s not easy to embark on a life of travel, much less continue once you’ve begun.

~It seems like life here is defined by such awkward linguistic exchanges; too often I find myself lurching from one confusing situation to the next with a single thought running through my head; I have NO fucking idea what this person is talking about.

~This is what it’s like to be an active participant in my own life, I thought-I remembered.

~Living here has been the most challenging, most rewarding endeavor of my life. Never again will I let complacency and security prevent me from living my dreams.

~Travel is about being brave I reminded myself.

~Compassion is sometimes all you can hope for.

~[This] is not the sort of thing I’d likely do at home, but this is travel; a trusting, outstretched hand, an invitation to glimpse beneath the slippery surface of first impressions and second guesses- a chance for deeper understanding.

~Only in Spain I think... where there aren’t as many lawyers.

RUN: Shedding my skin

Have you ever felt like a BETTER version of yourself at one point or another? I do. I feel like a better version of Sarah Webb when I’m in Spain.
I LOVE Spanish Sarah. She is soooo cool. She’s thinner (I’ve lost 10lbs since I arrived), smarter, more stylish, more inquisitive, and a lot more outgoing (if you can believe that). When I am in Spain I feel like a much better version of myself. Recently a friend told me this quote and I think it’s completely true; “when you learn a new language, you acquire a new soul.” And I couldn’t agree more; I am a different person when I am in Spain.
I tried to take a picture of my hands but it didn’t come out well enough to post, but I think my body is actually shedding its own skin. If you know me and have touched me on a regular basis you know that my skin is usually very soft and smooth (this is what I’ve been told, I’m not just bragging here) but recently my skin has been peeling and cracking. I know it’s not just the climate because I was born and raised in CO- I know what dry skin is... and this is different. It looks exactly the same, but for some reason I know it’s different than the skin that is shedding.  I constantly find myself picking at this skin because I want the new skin to surface. Which is the same way I feel about Spanish Sarah.
I want her to surface and show me who she really is. Who I really am.
I’ve talked to some people about this feeling that I have inside and it seems more difficult to explain to those that haven’t done a lot of traveling. The only way I can describe it, is like being on vacation. Normally, when people are on vacation they act slightly different. Whether it’s being more laid back, more curious, or just having a different way that they dress-it seems as though something about them changes. They are not their “normal” selves.
I want all the things I love about US Sarah to integrate with the things I love and am learning about Spanish Sarah.
But isn’t that what we all want?
To be the best people we can be?
For our spouses, for our children, for our future, and mostly... for ourselves.

RUN: Class is in Session

Can I just say that I LOVE my school?  

OK...
I LOVE MY SCHOOL!! I love everything about it. The town in which it's located, the building, the supercool HIGH-TECH classrooms with interactive white boards, the supportive staff, and most of all... my students (all 100+ of them). My kids range from 11-16 and from true Beginners to High Advanced. But I have a confession-I have a favorite class. Is that wrong? Is that like having 4 children and having 1 single favorite child? Ahh..whatever. I'm not a mom and I totally have a favorite!! This class makes my hour with them feel like 5min and I always leave wishing I had more time with them. This class is eager to learn and receptive to whatever I have to offer them. We had an instant connection and the deal was sealed when they told me that I was so "chulo" (cool) that they wanted me to accompany them on their senior trip. Sooo sweet!! But, I digress. I really do enjoy all of my classes; mostly because I'm in the classroom with them. You know my story: started out as Elem Edu, went to Granada semester before my student teaching, came back and changed my major/life, and so on. Nonetheless, I have to say that I feel absolutely comfortable and at my happiest when I am in the classroom. I feel so thankful for this experience. The whole school (and the entire town, really) has welcomed me with arms wide open and I could not be more happy. 

(check out more pics of my school at: 
http://photobucket.com/andarconmigoOCTOBER)