Finally Here

I. Am. Tired. I forgot how exhausting that red eye flight across the Atlantic can be. I was fortunate in that there was nobody between me and the woman in the window seat. She was a journalist who is traveling to promote a book that she wrote about her grandfather's lost love, which I hope to read when I return to the states. In spite of the extra space, however, I'm still not much of a plane sleeper. That was why it was a huge relief to finally make it to the airport.

Unfortunately, once I got to the airport, I had to wait 5 hours for my bus. Then, the woman at the information kiosk told me to wait at the wrong place, and I actually wound up missing it. It literally drove right by me, and wouldn't stop. Completely dejected, I went back inside the airport, where I learned that there were no more seats left on any of today's direct buses from the airport to Salamanca. I had to pay for a new ticket and take a cab to the bus station in the center of Madrid in order to catch a bus that was leaving two hours later. My taxi driver was very kind, and even gave me his phone number if I had any questions about my return trip thru Madrid. Fortunately, I made my next bus. That ride was hassle free, and I honestly don't remember much of it because I dozed on and off for most of the ride.

Upon my arrival in Salamanca, I took a quick cab ride to the University, where I was able to check into my dorm room. As you can see below, it's tiny but functional:

Check out my bitty baby bathtub! Also, you might notice the ducky hanging out on my bed. That is the stuffed animal that Annaleigh picked out for me to take with me and photograph in different places here in Salamanca. Stay tuned for more photos of Mr. Duck.

I had about an hour to unpack before it was time to head downstairs for an orientation meeting. The meeting was led by Sonia, one of my professors and the go-to person for our particular program. She was incredibly friendly and funny, and made me feel at ease immediately. I learned that while there are many student and teacher programs going on right now, there will only be nine Spanish teachers in our particular program, and we're all women. I got the chance to get to know a few of them over dinner in our campus cafeteria, and on our mad dash to Corte Inglés (a department store similar to Macy's, but bigger) before they closed so that we could each by a little fan for our very HOT dorm rooms. It's amazing how quickly you can make friends when you're in a foreign country and don't know anyone. Here is a shot from our very first evening together:

(left to right: Diana, Isabel, and Kati)

I look forward to getting to know them and the other women in our program a little better when we're not so jet-lagged. Speaking of which, I need to get some sleep so that I can make it to 7:30 breakfast tomorrow. I promise to be a little peppier with future entries, but for now, ¡Hasta luego!

And I'm off!

Spain!!!! I can't believe I leave tomorrow. It's been about nine years since I've been back, but I still didn't think I'd be able to make it there any time soon. What brought on this sudden visit to one of the most amazing places on earth? It all started with an email.

A couple of months ago, I received a message from a lovely new friend that I met at the FLAVA conference (Foreign Language Association of Virginia. It's technically pronounced "Flah-va", but I prefer to say it the way Flavor-Flav would). She explained that Spanish teachers that are FLAVA members can apply for two different summer travel scholarships through the organization, and that she was the 2014 winner of the scholarship for a summer program in Salamanca, Spain. She said it was a life-changing professional development and cultural opportunity, and she encouraged me to apply. I decided to check out the options, and with Dave's blessing, I applied for the other offered scholarship, for a two week program in Costa Rica. I figured that two weeks was a manageable time to be away, and that program would have even allowed me to bring Annaleigh if I wanted to pay for her. To make a long story short, I didn't win that scholarship. However, about a month later I received a call from FLAVA offering me a scholarship through the Embassy of Spain for three weeks in Salamanca. Oddly enough, this call came no more than two hours after a call from our landlords' realtor, with an offer for purchasing the townhouse that we were renting, provided that we were willing to close in a month. Decisions, decisions. Three weeks (plus a few days for travel) seemed like a long time away from my little family, especially if we were about to become homeowners again. I deliberated for about 48 hours, discussing my options ad nauseum with my very patient mom, husband, and coworkers before finally deciding to say "yes" to both offers. I was going to Spain, and we were buying a house!

Needless to say, it has been a somewhat stressful period since. We jumped through a lot of hoops to get the house within the timeline requested by our landlords, and I also went through the typically rigorous "last few weeks of school" process. In addition, there was a trip to Colorado for a family wedding thrown in there as well. I fortunately had a nine day period between my last day of school and my departure, which is currently wrapping up as I type this. This past week has been a bit hectic, filled with playtime with my kiddo, visits with friends, scheduled appointments with roofers and water heater replacers (ah, the joys of home ownership), and one minor visit to the ER this past Friday. I foolishly attempted to put some industrial shelves together in my basement alone, and wound up whacking myself in the head with a metal beam. Fortunately, my friend - and Annaleigh's teacher - was on her way to visit us and was able to drive us to the local ER. The doctor said I'll be just fine, and two days later I am feeling mostly better. The incomplete skeleton of the shelving unit now stands stoically in my basement as a reminder that I should not constantly try to bite off more than I can chew.

Shelfgate 2015

As for the rest of family, I am certainly going to miss this cute little face each day:

She knows that I'm leaving, but I don't think she quite grasps the magnitude of how long I'll be gone. I plan on Skyping with her whenever possible and talking on the phone as well, but I know it won't quite be the same. I'm eternally grateful to all of the friends and family members who are stepping in and helping to care for Annaleigh so that I can take advantage of this opportunity. It means more to me than words can express, and Dave is equally thankful.

Speaking of which, Papa Bear seems to be the most nervous of all about my upcoming departure. While I truly think that this will be a good bonding opportunity for my two favorite people, I definitely do feel guilty for leaving. However, Dave appears to be taking it in stride, as is evident by this morning's pony tail tutorial:

Not bad for his first attempt at doing her hair. Yes, you read that right. His first attempt in FOUR YEARS. But I digress, since after all, he agreed to let me keep her hair long in spite of the challenge. He's also channeling some of his extra stress into impulse buys at the grocery store for items that it would never in a million years occur to me to purchase.

Exhibit A

Yes, I think that Dave and Annaleigh are going to have a one-of-a-kind, hair-raising, sugar-filled, meaningful time together. I am so amazed by this guy, who is willing to take on single parenthood and the running of our household - in addition to his high-stress job - for nearly a month, just so that I can go off an enjoy this once in a lifetime experience. I am pretty lucky, indeed.

And now I'm off to tie up loose ends before tomorrow's departure. After all, that suitcase is not going to pack itself. I've left it open in my room for the past couple of hours just in case it changes its mind, but no such luck. Stay tuned for highlights from my upcoming adventures!!