WALK: Anticipation

One of the MANY reasons I love Spain is because Spaniards know how to party. Whether it’s a normal Saturday night or a city-wide festival, Spaniards know how to get down. And this weekend had a little bit of both. This Sunday was el día de San Valero, the patron saint of Zaragoza so that meant it was time to party once again. I haven’t been feeling especially great lately, but when I got a call from my friend Maria on Saturday night I just couldn’t turn down the invitation. I love partying! But for me it’s not just the actual act of going out that I love so much; I also love the preparation before the party. From the time I hit Play on my Fiesta Playlist to the last check in the mirror, my anticipation continues to grow throughout the evening. Where will I go, Who will I meet, What will Ido? Each night holds so much potential. And this weekend did not disappoint! 
I had a great dinner with my new friends Alicia and Maria (both Spaniards) and then we preceded to club hop and dance the night away. In fact, I didn’t even leave the last bar until 5am. Once I realized how late (or early) it was I ran home because I was due to wake up 4hrs later to meet my friends in the plaza de Pilar. Although I was quite tired, somehow I started to feel more and more energized as I made my way to the plaza. The anticipation I felt seemed to give me a second wind. I didn’t know what to expect and I was happily surprised. The day began by waiting in line to receive our piece of the GIANT Roscón (see Los Reyes Magos post) and hot chocolate. We then made our way over to City Hall to see the presentation of the guard followed by a parade with giant characters made from paper-mache. 

We then enjoyed a very informational tour of the City Hall and free entry into three different museums!! I couldn’t have anticipated that a day full of dessert and fiesta would have been so fun and informational at the same time, but it truly was.
Viva la Fiesta!

STUMBLE: Clicking My Heels

There are many different ways to describe it; apartment, casa, pad, crib, house, residence, or sanctuary, but to me it’s just home. That place that makes you feel like you belong- when you go there everyone knows your name (or at least they used to), and you feel most comfortable. 
This last week I actually wanted to go home, but I just wasn’t quite sure where home is for me. I grew up in CO and my family is still there, but it definitely does not feel like home to me. I thought Manhattan was home for a while but I’ve realized that it was the people there that made it feel like home, and none of those people are there anymore so it’s really not my home. Which leaves me with Austin. I like Austin... I really do. But once again, mostly because of the people there. The friends that have become my family have made it unforgettable, but it still doesn’t quite feel like home. Which is one of the reasons I did this program-I was looking for something that I wasn’t finding in Austin. And for the most part I thought I had found it here in Spain. Obviously, not every day can be a great day but even my so-called “bad days” don’t feel that bad. That was until the Thursday before last... that’s when it all started. The day started off on a bad note because not more than 1hr after waking up I was standing on the curb in shock. What happened you ask? I GOT HIT BY A FREAGIN TAXI CAB! Ok. It obviously wasn’t that bad because I wouldn’t be sitting here writing this, but it hurt quite a bit and it really shocked me. I couldn’t believe 1) that I had gotten hit and 2) that the driver just kinda shrugged and drove off. Not very nice SIR! The rest of the day was pretty lackluster until I was standing on a corner waiting to cross the street. I herd a loud noise by my head, and turned just in time to see and feel a bird pooping on my left side. Now this wasn’t a dime or quarter sized type of poop. No, this was a bird that got into some wedding rice and was dying from the inside out type of poop. And it was black! Black tar poop that dripped from my left shoulder all the way down to my boots. Gross! Plus I had just washed my coat the weekend before. Do you know how long it takes for a coat to dry on a clothes line in the middle of winter? More time than I had. So the rest of the week pretty much continued on the same note until I got to last Thursday. I should have taken my forgotten breakfast as a bad omen but I genuinely thought the day was going to be ok. Which it was until about 10:30am when I went to buy a bus ticket. I work an hour outside of Zaragoza so I have to commute everyday, but this Thursday the entire teaching staff was required to stay for an evening meeting so I needed to ride the bus home. So I went to buy my ticket and the guy told me that they didn’t sell tickets ahead of time, but that I should arrive 10min before the bus departed so I could get a seat. Sound strange? To this American it was, but I gave a No Pasa Nada shrug and decided to come back at 1:20. Unfortunately, when I did come back the man somehow thought I said Tarazona instead of Zaragoza and told me that the bus wouldn’t be here a few a bit. But by the time we straightened out the fact that I didn’t want Tarazona and wanted Zaragoza the Zara bus had come and gone. Great! So I had to wait 2.5hrs fo the next bus. Not a big deal right? Uh..yeah it kinda is when you work in a small town and literally the only thing open during siesta is the tiny bar on the other side of town that all the construction workers go to get a couple cervezas and a little rowdy. Awkward. So I sat in the empty bus station (with the lights out–thank you siesta) for 3.5hrs (cause of course the 3:30pm bus was late) only to get to Zaragoza to take another hour and 15min bus ride to get to the stop 30mins from my house. Now during any other week this probably wouldn’t have felt like the END OF THE WORLD but last week it did. And it made me start to question myself. Why did I come here, what the heck was I thinking knowing I can’t speak Spanish, why is Spain so inefficient sometimes?  Can’t I just go home? All very valid questions after only eating the piece of fruit you carry in your purse and the commute that should’ve taken hour that turned into 5hrs. But it suddenly hit me. If I didn’t want to be in Zaragoza, where did I want to be. Colorado, Kansas, Texas? Where? And then I realized. I wanted to be just where I was. That’s the reason I came to Spain. Because I love it! And I like a challenge. And what better challenge than to move to a country where you can barely speak the language and try and live a life. I can’t think of too many others. So, here I am. In Zaragoza but still without a place to call home. But I’ve realized that maybe I don’t need that one place to call home; I have many “homes.” That’s because I wear my heart on my sleeve and therefore, it can travel with me! Wherever I am.. that’s where my heart is too. And that’s also where my home is. So right now, Zaragoza is my home because this is where my heart is, but one day I will have to leave this place too. And one day, Zaragoza will just be another destination on my journey home... wherever that may be. 

STUMBLE: Time Warp prt. I

The holiday season in Spain is finally coming to a close and I’ve had some time to reflect on the different holidays and customs. Living in Spain often reminds me that customs that I think are a part of “life” are really just part of my “American” life and culture. For example, Halloween. I’ve never given much thought to it, further than what cute couple costume I could come up for Cole and me. However, this Halloween I started to realize something interesting. It’s as if Spain is in a time warp. Many of my sophomores, juniors, and seniors had never even gone Trick or Treating. WHAT?! I couldn’t believe this. I can’t think of one year before age 12 that I didn’t go Trick or Treating, and that is saying a lot growing up in Colorado. I can remember Halloweens with 5inches of snow and wearing a snowsuit under my costume, or years that were so hot it was in your best interest to dress up as someone or something that had to carry a water gun. But for many of my students the idea of trick or treating was as foreign as Thanksgiving-something they had heard of and seen on t.v. but never actually did; the same went for Christmas. Here people celebrate La Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) with a large dinner, but don’t have the element of an enormous tree and waiting for Santa and his Reindeer. For the most part kids don’t celebrate Christmas with gifts; instead they celebrate Los Reyes Magos (Three Kings). For Los Reyes kids receive presents like they would from Santa but normally only one or two large gifts and a handful of games. In Zaragoza the night before Los Reyes there is a parade throughout the city and the three kings, their camels, and other people and animals make their way to Plaza de Pilar, which is the largest plaza in the city. Practically every child in the city comes out to watch the Reyes make their way through the city while throwing out candy and taking in last minute wish-list letters from the children. Then on the day of the Three Kings kids awake to find their presents, open them, and families have a large lunch together. My roommate’s family came over and we had a wonderful three course lunch that included the infamous “Roscon de Reyes.” 

The roscon looks like a giant doughnut cut in half with whipped cream inside, but there’s also something else inside. There’s a surprise inside the roscon wrapped in foil and hidden in the dough. Whoever finds the surprise will have good luck and be the king of the party, but also has to pay for the cake. I didn’t find the surprise but I did get to wear the crown and even got a few gifts from the “reyes” also known as my roommate and her mom. Spending the holidays in Spain made me appreciate our holidays and culture in a different way, but I can definitely see how America has influenced Spain in how they celebrate their holidays now too. It’s as if Spain is in the 1950's when things like Santa and trick or treating were becoming more popular. Most of the younger kids are readily embracing the new American influenced traditions, but many of the older Spaniards like the way they celebrate their holidays now are reluctant to embrace the changes. Nonetheless, I definitely understand the reluctance because there is something very comforting about celebrating the holidays the way you always have. This year I had my very own version of a roscon play out. The holiday season was sweet because it was the holidays, but there was still an element of surprise because I celebrated in a different way than ever before. And rather than having to pay for my roscon holiday, I paid the ultimate price by not being able to celebrate with my friends and family in the states. So although this season was a little bittersweet, I can say without a doubt that it was mostly sweet!

RUN: Resolution

So it’s that time again; time to make resolutions. It’s as if the clock strikes midnight and people automatically start making lists... things to do, change, and of course improve - all because the month and year have changed. I normally don’t “do” resolutions. I feel like they are almost destined to fail. How is that this one change of date on the calendar will magically equip me with the ambition and resolve I had been lacking the entire previous year? Naw.. No thanks. However, this year I feel a little different. Partly because I’m going to be asking my students to write New Year’s Resolutions. Now I don’t want to be a total hypocrite so I’m gonna join the fun, but I actually intend to make some real resolutions. But my resolutions won’t be resolutions; they will be goals. I am a very goal-oriented person, but I do not do well with obligations. Resolutions are more like “I shoulds.” I should....lose weight, I should eat more veggies, I should clean the garage. So I’ve decided that I want to keep my resolutions. Yep, want is so much better than should. So here are my WANTS for 2012. 


1. I want to trust more. 
I want to trust that God has a plan for me and that things will happen the way that they should.


2. I want to stop worrying. 
I worry. A LOT. And it doesn’t make anything better, in fact it just makes me more stressed. So here are three quotes I’m going to try and remember when I feel the urge to worry. 
“Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but it doesn’t get you anywhere”
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its troubles... it empties today of its strength” 
“Don’t worry-just breathe and plan. What is meant to be will be”   


3. I want to find more reasons to celebrate!
I love celebrating things- birthdays, holidays, if there is a reason-- I can celebrate! So now I will make it my mission to find these reasons to celebrate. I am so blessed and my time here has really made me take a step back. I constantly find myself zoning out and thinking how happy, blessed, and lucky I am to be here. So let’s CELEBRATE... LIFE and all the reasons in our life to celebrate!


And here is a little something I thought of to remind me of my “Resolution GOALS”... Don’t worry.. Trust Me... There is ALWAYS a reason to Celebrate!!


I got a chance to do my own celebrating over break and here are some photos! 
You can find the rest on my FB or photo bucket!

Celebrating my b-day with friends

Los Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day)

La Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) at my
asst. Principal's house

Day trip to Tarazona