happy tuesday!

I am LOVING this song right now (and the band). It just makes me think of summer.... and dream of summer... enjoy! Happy Tuesday everyone!

Roma... from my iPhone

Yes, I got back from Rome about a month ago and I still haven't gotten around to putting up pictures. I don't have a good excuse. This weekend I spent hours going through all the pictures I've taken the last few months and I plan on sharing them soon :) Until then, these are a bunch that I snapped on my phone.

vatican city across the river

colosseum 

st. peter's basilica

delicious italian sandwiches

st. peter's basilica

my face upon entering the oldest gelateria in rome / the best gelato i've ever eaten

at the top of the spanish steps

We were there from the 24th to the 28th and stayed a great place just across the bridge from the Trastevere neighborhood, which was great because we were able to walk to all the main attractions and were surrounded by amazing (and cheap!) restaurants. Since we had to much time in Rome most of our days were pretty leisurely, and we spent a lot of time sitting outside at cafes soaking up the sunshine.

Holy Toledo!

During Christmas break my friend and I took a day trip to Toledo. It's a city about an hour south of Madrid that I had been wanting to visit for a long time, and at about 10 euros for a round trip bus ticket it's the perfect day trip! And I fell in love with Toledo! It's a really really realllllly old city that has a lot of historical significance. It was once the capital of the Spanish Empire and a place where Christians, Muslims, and Jews all coexisted (hence the expression, holy Toledo). It has this amazing medieval feel and is also famous for sword making. My friend works with a guy who is from Toledo and he graciously offered to be our personal tour guide! We spent the day wandering up and down the streets, stopping for food and drinks, took a beautiful walk along the river, and ended the day watching an incredible sunset. I will definitely be going back to Toledo!

zucchini, black bean, and rice skillet

It's no secret that I'm not a gourmet cook. And with dinner time happening around 10pm and teaching until 9pm three nights a week I'm always on the look out for easy things I can make in advance and make a lot of so I can just heat it up when I get home. I pinned this recipe a while ago and after taking a look in my fridge the other day decided to give it a shot. I ended up adding a lot of extra things to mine (red and yellow bell peppers, corn, jalapenos, substituted brown rice, cumin, garlic, and added diced tomatoes at the end instead of the fire roasted kind) and then dressed it with hot sauce. It turned out really good! I ate it over lettuce to try and make myself feel like I was eating a Chipotle burrito bowl. The next time I make it I think I'll use it as a filling for stuffed peppers. This and variations of this will definitely be a staple from now on, it was one of the easiest things I've ever made!

Zucchini, BlackBean and Rice Skillet - ReadySetEat
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon Pure Wesson® Canola Oil
1-1/2 cups quartered lengthwise, sliced zucchini
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1 can (15 oz each) Rosarita® Premium Whole Black Beans, drained, rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz each) Hunt's® Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Garlic, undrained
3/4 cup water
1 cup instant white rice
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend
Directions
1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and bell pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Add beans, undrained tomatoes and water. Increase heat and bring to a boil.
2. Add rice; stir well. Cover; remove from heat and let stand 7 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with cheese.

A Case of the Mondays

I don't know about anyone else but I had a really really reallyyyyyy difficult time getting my butt out of bed this morning. Since moving to Spain I really don't dread Mondays like I used to, probably because it's my shortest day of teaching and eases me out of weekend mode. But still. It's a Monday, which means 5 more days til the next weekend. I was thinking about how much I love my schedule here and how much I love being able to move around the city throughout my day And that got me thinking about how much I'm not looking forward to going back to the USA and getting stuck in another desk job.

This is a great article about one person's solution to breaking the curse of the 9-5 desk job. Obviously it's not practical for everyone, but I thought it was pretty interesting! Happy Monday!

Sitting Is the Smoking of Our Generation

Nilofer Merchant - HBR

I find myself, probably like many of you, spending way too much time in front of my computer. When I do face-to-face meetings, my colleagues and I typically met around some conference table, sometimes at an airport lounge (nothing like getting the most out of a long layover), and quite often at coffee shops (hello Starbucks!). But that means that the most common denominator across all these locations wasn't the desk, or, the keyboard, or even the coffee. The common denominator in the modern workday is our, um, tush.

As we work, we sit more than we do anything else. We're averaging 9.3 hours a day, compared to 7.7 hours of sleeping Sitting is so prevalent and so pervasive that we don't even question how much we're doing it. And, everyone else is doing it also, so it doesn't even occur to us that it's not okay. In that way, I've come to see that sitting is the smoking of our generation.

Of course, health studies conclude that people should sit less, and get up and move around. After 1 hour of sitting, the production of enzymes that burn fat declines by as much as 90%. Extended sitting slows the body's metabolism affecting things like (good cholesterol) HDL levels in our bodies. Research shows that this lack of physical activity is directly tied to 6% of the impact for heart diseases, 7% for type 2 diabetes, and 10% for breast cancer, or color cancer. You might already know that the death rate associated with obesity in the US is now 35 million. But do you know what it is in relationship to Tobacco? Just 3.5 million. The New York Times reported on another study, published last year in the journal Circulation that looked at nearly 9,000 Australians and found that for each additional hour of television a person sat and watched per day, the risk of dying rose by 11%. In that article, a doctor is quoted as saying that excessive sitting, which he defines as nine hours a day, is a lethal activity.

And so, over the last couple of years, we saw the mainstreaming of the standing desk. Which, certainly, is a step forward. But even that, while it gets you off your duff, won't help you get real exercise.

So four years ago, I made a simple change when I switched one meeting from a coffee meeting to a walking-meeting. I liked it so much it became a regular addition to my calendar; I now average four such meetings, and 20 to 30 miles each week. Today it's life-changing, but it happened almost by accident.

My fundamental problem with exercise has always been this: it took time away from other more "productive things." Going to the gym to take care of me (vs. companies, colleagues, family) seemed selfish. My American-bred Puritan work ethic nearly always won out. Only when I realized I could do both at the same time, by making exercise part of the meeting, did I finally start to get more exercise. This is one of those 2-for-1 deals. I'm not sacrificing my health for work, nor work for fitness. And maybe that's why making fitness a priority finally doesn't feel like a conflict. It's as easy as stepping out the door and might require as much as a change of shoes.

And, yet, it's true that some people will turn you down. Probably 30% of the people I ask to do these kinds of meetings say that they are not fit enough to do a walking meeting. I had one person tell me afterwards that they got more active for an entire month before our meeting, so as to not embarrass themselves on their hike with me. I don't judge the people who won't do a hiking meeting, and in most cases will choose to do another type of meeting with them (lunch or whatever) but I am also reminded of James Fowler and Nicholas Christakis's research from their related book, Connected. They observed that obesity spreads according to network effects; if your friend's friend's friend who lives a thousand miles away gains weight, you're likely to gain weight, too. And if that extended friend also loses weight, even if you're not in the same city, you're likely to lose weight, too. My goal is to be someone who socializes the idea that physical activity matters, and that we each matter enough to take care of our health.

And after a few hundred of these meetings, I've started noticing some unanticipated side benefits. First, I can actually listen better when I am walking next to someone than when I'm across from them in some coffee shop. There's something about being side-by-side that puts the problem or ideas before us, and us working on it together.

Second, the simple act of moving also means the mobile device mostly stays put away. Undivided attention is perhaps today's scarcest resource, and hiking meetings allow me to invest that resource very differently.

And, finally we almost always end the hike joyful. The number one thing I've heard people say (especially if they've resisted this kind of meeting in the past) is "That was the most creative time I've had in a long time" And that could be because we're outside, or a result of walking.Research certainly says that walking is good for the brain.

I've learned that if you want to get out of the box thinking, you need to literally get out of the box. When you step outside, you give yourself over to nature, respecting its cycles and unpredictability. It keeps me more awake to what is happening around me by experiencing the extreme heats of summer, or the frigid power of winter. It makes me present to the world around me instead of being insulated from it.

To keep this commitment - to myself and to others - I've marked off certain times on my calendar for these meetings. I block off two morning appointments (when I can take a shower afterwards) and two end-of-day appointments for hiking meetings. I try and schedule these slots before scheduling "regular" sitting meetings because it means I have no excuse to not move that day and it helps me be more awake during the day or less zombie-like (and still-thinking-about-my-inbox) going into the evening. On the rare days when someone bails on a hike last minute, I typically still head out for the time, and I find myself hearing even my own voice more clearly.

word.

After one year here I'd hoped my Spanish would have progressed more than it has, but alas, working as an English teacher has made it more difficult than I'd imagined. I know I've learned a lot really quickly but I was hoping it'd be easier! The other day one of my roommates told me I'd really improved since I've lived here, so that was great to hear! I've been reading more in Spanish too and watching movies which is helping so much. Here are some of the new words/phrases I've learned lately, mostly from my 9 year old students. 

new words/phrases

1- agujetas = sore muscles. Tengo agujetas

2- tiquismiquis = picky or fussy, usually used for someone who is a picky eater (according to my roommates)

3- hostia = a not very nice way to say darn, but I'm not sure how offensive it really is because my 9 year old students say it all the time...

4- vergüenza = sense or shame or embarrassment 

5- garrapata = tick, can be used when someone won't leave your side or give you space.

traveling alone... yay or nay?

montana

I came across this article recently and I thought it made some really great points. It might come as a surprise to people from home (who know that I don't like to be alone) but I've become a lot more independent since moving to Spain. I've learned to really enjoy my own company and be more independent. I have to be honest, I've only traveled alone twice since I've been in Spain. The first time was when I first arrived in Spain and I spent about 4 days by myself in Malaga while looking into the work situation and deciding if it was a city I could live in. And I was miserable. Not only was I bored, I was still adjusting to the culture shock of Spain, I couldn't speak the language very well, I got sick, felt scared, and was really homesick. I think I spent most of the time crying in my hostel. The second time I traveled alone was when I went to Menorca last August, and that was a great experience. I just wanted a week of complete relaxation and I got it. I could spend hours on the beach and go to bed as early as I wanted. I read about 3 books and took a nice day trip by myself to the other side of the island. My last night there I met some really friendly Italians, and it was great to spend my last night and day with some company, but overall, I was in bliss enjoying the beach alone. I almost went to Lisbon by myself and at the last minute a friend decided to come with me. In the end, I'm glad he came because Lisbon felt a little seedy in some places and I was very thankful that I didn't have to walk home by myself at night. This article is so true though, you're never really alone, and if you're staying in hostals you're bound to meet other people, you just have to be willing to make an effort. There's also been many times when I've been somewhere or seen something and thought "I wish so and so was here to see this" or "gosh, this would be so much better with a boyfriend!" and of course as a girl safety is always something I keep in mind. Overall though, this article really got me thinking, and I think I need to start planning a solo trip!

Why you should start traveling alone

by KATKA LAPELOSA on JANUARY 9, 2013 

Photo: krystian_o

TRAVELING ALONE is enlightening. It’s empowering. It’s explorative. People think you’re amazing after telling them a story about a place you traveled to on your own. “Weren’t you scared?” “Weren’t you lonely?” “Didn’t you miss your friends and family?” Dependent travelers are curious when it comes to solo travelers, and sometimes they don’t understand how an experience can be so positive unless shared with another. But you know better – you know how to enjoy your own company and entertain yourself.

You know that traveling alone can be a very fulfilling opportunity.

When you travel alone, you learn to rely on yourself. If you make a decision, only you have to deal with its positive conclusions or consequences. It’s up to you to create your trip experience, and your problem-solving skills develop in an encouraging way. You got lost in Beijing, don’t speak Mandarin Chinese, and don’t know how to get back to your hotel? But you found your way using hand gestures, a map, and the help of a toothless man at the grocery store? And you didn’t get mugged after making a wrong turn down a dark alleyway full of prostitutes? Pat yourself on the back, you’re an independent traveling badass.

It’s hard to travel with other people because other people can be indecisive. They can be more sensitive than you, or less, and have their own opinions on how their trip experience should transpire. But when you travel alone, never will you feel guilty for missing that train from Florence to Rome, or never will you have to apologize to anyone for sleeping in late at your hostel. You don’t have anyone else’s feelings to take into consideration, and that is sometimes the most encouraging reason to travel alone.

It’s easier to get the most out of your trip when you travel by yourself. You can set your own pace, create your own itinerary. If you want to spend five hours at a Turkish bathhouse, go for it. If you want to try on Lolita clothing in Japan and parade yourself around the Harajuku district in your new duds, no one can discourage you with, “No, don’t do that, you look so weird.” When you’re hungry, you eat. When you’re tired, you sleep. When you want to hit on a ginger-haired Irishman that others might consider to be ugly, no one else is there to criticize your decision. You can feel confident when he accepts your advances, or you can shamelessly learn from your mistakes when he reveals that he’s gay.

You can feel just as insecure in your own backyard – if you’re going to feel sorry for yourself, do it somewhere cool.

The best thing about traveling alone is that you are never really “alone.” Solo travelers meet other travelers, people traveling in groups or as a couple or other solo travelers on their own journeys. Locals will embrace your bravery to traverse the earth on your own. Or maybe they’ll pity you, so they’ll invite you home to have a meal with their family, or help you hitchhike across borders, or share a mug of beer with you at the community pub. You’ll exchange email addresses, or add them on Facebook. You’ll feel like a true global citizen, with an open invitation to crash on a bed or a couch or a hammock in several countries around the world.

The worst thing about traveling alone is that you have no one with which to share in your experiences. It can be tough to bask in the sunrise over Angkor Wat on your own, when your natural inclination may be to tightly grasp the hand of a loved one out of sheer overwhelming emotion. Or when you attend a dance concert by yourself in Budapest, featuring nude dancers who pelvic-thrusted their gonads in your face during the performance, it can be annoying when friends back home have a hard time believing your story. Don’t take it personally – they still admire your ability to fly halfway around the world on your own whenever you want. There’s no mistaking that traveling alone can be lonely. But you can feel just as insecure in your own backyard – if you’re going to feel sorry for yourself, do it somewhere cool.

Discover who you are, what you want, and where you want to be when you travel alone. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to go skydiving, but none of your other friends were into the idea. Maybe you wouldn’t go skydiving by yourself back home, but ah, when you find yourself in New Zealand and at the edge of a plane looking down, who is there to stop you? You jump into the clean, open air and see beautiful landscape below. As you glide to the ground, you feel triumphant – you’ve just jumped out of a plane! No one was there to talk you out of it, and your decision to finally do something you’ve always wanted to do was made by you. 

Read more at http://matadornetwork.com/bnt/why-you-should-start-traveling-alone/#uSQt2TldTJOuh1Tg.99 

happy Spainiversary to me!

this was actually from my birthday but oh well

Last Thursday marked one year since I arrived in Spain! I really cannot believe how fast 365 days went by. I remember my first day in Madrid so clearly, and I know that I am not the same girl who stupidly paid 70 euros for a taxi from the airport to the center. One year later I am more open-minded, accepting, brave, self-reliant, confidant, and most importantly, happy.

The other night my roommates and I were out having a few drinks and one of them asked me what things I miss the most about the U.S and what things I like better about Spain. It seemed appropriate to share my list here.

Things I miss about the U.S

-My family

-My friends

 -Chipotle. And many other places that I won't list for the sake of space.

-Target. I really miss being able to go to just 1 place to buy everything I need.

-Good customer service (although I've gotten used to the lack of it here)

Things I prefer about Spain

-Not driving! 

This one shocks me, because I enjoy driving. But I've found that I really love taking the metro. I have time to read, I never have to worry about looking for a parking spot, there's great people watching, and I save so much money every month on transportation compared to everything I had to pay to drive. Also walking everywhere saves money on a gym membership!

-Cafe con leche

-Line drying my clothes in the summer. No dryer sheet smells as good as sunshine.

-The kids. Honestly, Spanish children are just too cute! And hearing them whine in Spanish is so much better than English.

-The prices. I think Madrid is cheap considering it's the capitol city.

-The ease and price of travel. I can fly 3 countries over for half of what it cost me to fly from California to Montana.

I'm sure I could have spent hours compiling these lists, but those were just the things that came to me the other night. Looking back on all I've seen in 2012 is so much fun, and I'm so excited to check more places off my list this spring!

Cordoba

Gibraltar

Barcelona

Amsterdam

Paris

Sitges

Menorca

Lisbon

Paris again

Rome... pictures to come!

thoughts on the new year

Well, we're a week into 2013 now. I've been off work for the past 2 weeks so I've had a lot of time to reflect on 2012 and think about the future. Judging by everyone's facebook statuses and blog posts, I think I'm one of the only people out there who is a little sad to say goodbye to 2012. 2012 was a BIG year for me, bigger than I could have ever imagined. I was just beginning this adventure of moving to Spain with no job, no friends, no plans, and not even a specific city to live in. I started out the year not even knowing how long I'd stay, but planned on 1 year, just to make it a nice easy time frame. And here I am almost 1 year later, and now I'm not sure how long I'll stay. Leaving my friends and family a year ago was hard, but I knew I'd see them again. Saying goodbye to people I've met in Madrid is completely different, and I'm not sure if I'll ever see some of them again. I think they people you meet when you first move to a new place have an enormous impact on you, and it can be scary when they move on. I feel like my first year was like the honeymoon phase, and now going into my second year I feel like I really need to have more of a focus, make some real plans. Everything about 2012 was exciting and I guess with it ending I feel pressure to make some big decisions about what to next with my life. I need 2013 to be as significant as 2012, but I'm not really sure how to go about it right now. I saw this quote on Lululemon's instagram page the other day and I really really liked it. I'm not big on new year's resolutions (because I never follow through) but this seemed like a much more do-able concept. Maybe one day it's going for a run or doing yoga, or eating healthy. But it could also be picking up liter or doing a good deed. I plan to live 2013 like this, until I have a definite plan of where to go from here. Until then I'm just going to keep teaching English and enjoy living in Madrid!