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!

Nochevieja

 puerta del sol, via

Another year has come and gone, and I can hardly believe it. I feels like just yesterday I was ringing in 2012 in my grandparents' driveway and tonight I'll be welcoming 2013 in Spain. Madrid is known for it's parties, and La Nochevieja (the old night) is no exception. In the US we have the ball drop in Times Square, in Madrid people gather in Puerta del Sol, the center of the city, to wait for the countdown. The tradition in Spain is to eat 12 grapes, one grape per chime, when the clocks strikes 12. And if you successfully eat all your grapes on time you will be prosperous and have good luck in the new year. The other tradition here is to wear new red underwear, which will also bring you good luck. My roommate told me that on the 1st you then have to burn the underwear, but I'm not crazy about the idea of burning brand new undies. I will not be eating my grapes in Sol with the masses, but having dinner and drinks and friend's bar which promises to be much more low-key. I hope everyone has a fun and safe NYE and see you all in 2013!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Being away from friends and family is tough during the holidays, especially when your friends and family away from home are at home with their friends and family for the holidays! Madrid is a truly magical place around Christmas time, full of lights and energy, but I have to say I am very excited for my Christmas vacation. Today me, my friend, and her brother are taking off to spend the next 5 days in Rome! Rome is one city that has always been on list, and I am more than excited to celebrate Christmas there! So Merry Christmas to everyone out there, have a fun and safe holiday week!

via

Thanksgiving in Spain

Ok, I know I'm a little late on this post, but better late than never! And to be fair, Thanksgiving is kind of still happening here at my house. We still have some pumpkin bread! I celebrated Thanksgiving last Friday with my 2 American friends, 2 British guys, 1 Brazilian girl, and 8 Spaniards. I honestly don't know how people prepare entire Thanksgivings by themselves, because just the turkey and two pumpkin pies took me all day. Oh and also a batch of funfetti cupcakes, courtesy of my friend Jessie who visited in May! In true Spanish style, Thanksgiving dinner started around 11:30pm and lasted until about 3am. It was so fun and rewarding, and I feel so lucky that I was able to share such a special American holiday with my Spanish roommates and friends. The turkey turned out delicious and the pumpkin pie was unanimously everyone's favorite! It would appear that I'm not as hopeless a cook as I once thought. I wish I could share more pictures of this (although I guess the turkey is the most important part of Thanksgiving), but right now I'm battling it out with Picassa... blogger says I've reached my upload limit.