http://www.flickr.com/photos/alta_belleza_en_cadiz/

I uploaded some more pictures from last year.

Although I spent a lot of time last year in Spain, Cataluña will be a whole new place for me. New people, new styles, new accents, new food, new music, new traditions... well, you get the point. With many more years of school hovering over my head, I feel like it would be silly to pass up this opportunity. I'm somewhat hesitant to leave my job. Since coming home from Spain (the first time), I've been working full time as a bilingual residential youth counselor for a residential treatment facility that houses undocumented, unaccompanied minors. Although it's the hardest, scariest, most challenging job I've ever had, I love the kids I work with. The experience has been invaluable. What's crazy is that I juggled this job and a full time class load at the University of Washington... this resulted in about 9 consecutive months of 4 hours of sleep each night. I'm finally done, graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Spanish, and I walk in the commencement this Saturday!

Back to Spain?!?

Well, it's been more than a year since I've blogged here. Studying abroad in Spain was THE very best thing I have ever done. The experience was humbling, exciting, eye opening -- no words can describe how much I've gained from living abroad. Following my studies in Cadiz, I spent a week "backpacking" Greece with my girlfriends, Maral Sabetti and Kirsten Ryan. We all split ways at the end of the week in Athens and I returned to Madrid to tour the city alone. Javi, who I completely fell in love with while in Cadiz, came out from Barcelona to show me the city. Reluctantly I boarded a plane for Seattle June 7th, 2009. Passport. Check. Boarding pass. Check. Carry on and luggage. Check and check. Wearing oversized sunglasses to conceal my tear streaked face while waiting at the gate for boarding call, I contemplated staying in Spain. Twice I stalled on the jet bridge to the airplane, calculating the risks I'd be taking if I didn't use my ticket home. As soon as I secured my seatbelt, the tears came like a river dam had broken. What was I doing? Was I really ready to come home? When would I get another opportunity to come back?

The plane stalled due to engine failure, causing us to return to another gate at the Madrid airport. (Yes, a lot of airlines in Europe buy airplanes that the United States gets rid of due to liability reasons). This was my chance and my heart was screaming "STAY!" But I didn't. I boarded that second plane to London-Heathrow and headed home. Connecting in London-Heathrow was a trip, to say the least. Because the first plane was delayed, I missed my connection. Running through the airport, I felt like a contestant on the amazing race and realized that's not an endeavor I desire to take on. Note: I would rather have had an emergency appendectomy than have had to stay overnight in London... I lied to the agent who helped me rebook my flight, telling him that I was in my brother's wedding that was scheduled for that evening. (It wasn't a complete lie - I mean I was a bridesmaid in my brother's wedding, it just happened to have occurred 3 years ago). Anyhow, I made it home on the next flight, and it was so so good to see my family and friends.

I have recently received an opportunity to return to Spain, teaching English in the region of Cataluña. I'm still weighing the pros and cons of going back, so this is where blogging comes in.

Today was great. Scratch that, it was incredible. Everybody was out in the city celebrating the pre-funk to Carnaval. I don’t know what else to call it, and pre-funk sounds more than reasonable. Everyone was walking around with a drink today – but it wasn’t like they were drinking to get drunk. It was more of a celebratory let’s enjoy or city and our lifestyle kind of deal. Some of us met up at one of the Tapas bars at the plaza nearest to “la facultad de filosofía y letras” (the building at UCA that we’re studying in) and then walked to la playa (the beach). It was beautiful and the sun was out and that made it so much better since we’re all pretty much over the unpredictable weather (global warming is lame). The beach here is like out of a dream, it’s surreal and gorgeous and extreme. You have to take off your sun glasses to make sure that this is really what you’re looking at. Then we took off to go to a bar called “Woodstock” and ended up at this old plaza, la plaza Antigua, where hundreds and hundreds of people were crammed in the street – dancing to the drums and other instruments brought from home. It was fantastic. A little chaotic. Again surreal. The people here are so much fun. The majority of “gaditanos” are very laid back and kind – they enjoy music and are friendly. Ali and I went back to the chaotic plaza again to get our “gaditano-boyfriend” hunt on. Hahaha. It’s so ridiculous because we get so much attention being blonde haired and blue eyed in Spain. We figure that if we have Spanish speaking boyfriends we’ll get that much more info on Spain. It’s all for the education… priorities hahaha. We met this one guy, who I forgot his name, but his friends basically threw him on me and said “el es un buen hombre… muy simpatico… guapo… de Sevilla” (he’s a good man, friendly, handsome and from Sevilla) hahaha. [Anyhow this is a prime example of what I get every time I go to a bar – the wing men are out to get me.] So, now I have a friend in Sevilla – which some of us are going to take a trip to Sevilla next weekend, so we might give him a call and let him be our guide.
I love it here. Love to the tenth power. I have some pictures up – not very many because the server is slow here and it’s difficult to upload all the photos at once… but go see some pics of mine at: www.flickr.com/photos/alta_belleza_en_cadiz/
I also love my host family. Mi madre, Amparo, es lo major. My host mom’s name is Amparo and she’s so sweet. We’ve had some pretty funny conversations. When I got home this evening I told her that it’s hard for me to decipher between the gay and straight men because they all dress so well. I told her that it’s thrown my “gay-dar” off and she laughed pretty hard. I LOVE HOW THE MEN DRESS HERE.
Also, at some point in the next week I’m hoping to make it to mass – although I’m not Catholic, I think it’s important to see the Catholic church here and how it works here… plus the architecture is probably the best in all of the city… I love the architecture here…

Cádiz, España. Mi nueva casa para el próximo cinco meses. I love it here, although getting here was absurd and ridiculous. Let me give you a tastey-taste of just how ridiculous getting here was. I left Thursday, Jan 8th at 6:40pm from Seattle. I almost missed boarding because there was a back up in the security line. I have to go through the section where I don’t enter a metal detector because it can render the devise in my heart useless or possibly set it off… Some crazy old lady decided to pack a whole bunch of contraband in her carry on and so all the security agents were preoccupied with her. Then some old maid from London cut in front of me… what was a supposed to do, argue with an elder in a wheelchair? When I finally got frisked I had like 15 minutes to get to my plane and the lady who was working with me did her job too well. I actually had to take things off; usually it’s a joke. I had to run to my gate (definition here is an actual sprint and not a brisk walk, fyi). No sleep on the plane because I sat in the section where this poor baby kept waking up screaming (like horrific, blood curdling screams… it was disturbing). The next plane to Madrid gets cancelled because the Madrid airport shut down due to snow. I spent the night in London-Heathrow airport with my friend Sarah. It was cold, we were homeless (actually broke into a restaurant seating area to sleep on booths and got kicked out the next morning, haha). Saturday, upon arriving in the Madrid airport, some lady put her hand on my bag (the pocket with my passport) and tried to steal something. I FLIPPED OUT. I had to stand in a two hour line at the Iberia airline counter, which turns out to be the K-Mart or airlines, just to pick up a boarding pass. While standing in line, a little riot happens and all of the sudden there are Spanish police running past me and people are yelling, “Rebeldes!” People over here are very angry with Iberia airlines because they are on strike, and none of the planes are leaving the airport. The shutdown due to the snow only added to the problem. Long story short, I didn’t get on my plane until late and we arrived in Jerez at about 10:45pm. Then I was informed that my luggage didn’t arrive and that the ATM in Jerez airport wasn’t working. So, no money and no clothes. I got to my street at about 11:30pm and the taxi driver left me without helping me find my apartment number… oh and ps- I live in the Rainier Beach of Cadiz, hahaha. Suits me well.
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Viernes, 16 de Enero (Friday)
So, it’s almost been a week that I’ve been here and I absolutely love it. I went to the University to search for classes I want to take this quarter – that was a challenge because teachers don’t want students who come into classes halfway through the year, so I have to find second semester classes. On my walk today I came across this old castle situated out in the ocean that has a little cobblestone path to it; it was a place where sailors were detained after returning from sea for fear of contaminating the city. Anyhow, I spent a while talking to some of the fishermen before returning home.
Oh and Ps, I’m sick. Everyone is. And their version of “airborne” sucks, I want a refund, hahaha.
I’m excited because this weekend is a huge party, the pre-party to “CARNAVAL.” Carnaval is a celebration that last a few days to a week and takes place just before Lent. It’s a big deal in Spain. So at this “pre-Carnaval” celebration, there will be music and dancing all weekend…. My host sister, Amparo, was telling me about it Wednesday.