Life is Good!

I've been receiving so many emails recently with questions such as, "Are you glad you moved?" "How do you like it?" "Was it the right decision?" "When will you be coming back?"... that I felt I should update everyone on "life in Spain."

In all honesty, and I feel quite guilty saying this, I am the happiest I've been in years. Every day I say to myself, "I cannot believe I am living this life." It seems almost surreal that I could be living in a foreign country with a new language and new friends and new collegues and new students and new surroundings... and yet feel so content and so well adjusted. I had so many worries and fears going into this life-changing move, yet they have all vanished, surprisingly, in very little time.

I wouldn't say I'm religious or even spiritual for that matter. But I would say I'm a big believer in fate and destiny. I was at a bit of a crossroads in Puerto Rico. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go back to the States and have a "normal" life like all of my friends or if I wanted to set out on another adventure across the world. For those that know me well I'm sure they knew when it really came down to it, I was never going back to the States. But many long talks with my parents well into the summer and just weeks before I was to take off for Madrid left me doubting if I would be happy living so far away from all that was familiar. But, I think this opportunity to move to Spain came at the perfect time in my life and I'm so glad I decided to take the leap of faith. Will I live here forever? Probably not. Will I move back to the States? Probably much sooner than anyone would like me to. Where will I move back to? Who knows! San Francisco, San Diego and Portland are the frontrunners but that is two years away and what seems like many moons from now. For now, I'm loving all that living in Europe has to offer and can't imagine being anywhere else.

Now, I'm making it seem like it's been all roses and kitty cats. There have been times that I've desperately wanted to be with my family and friends. There have been other times that I've dreamt of suntanning and frolicking on the beach, reading trashy magazines in English, eating sour skittles and real Mexican food, and buying shoes that actually come in a size big enough to fit my 10-narrow feet (you can tell the things that I don't have here!) But those days are becoming fewer and far between. And while those close to me are never far from my mind, I'm relieved to know that once again, life does go on. New friends come into your life, new memories are made, and there are still many more adventures ahead.

So to answer all of your questions: Yes, I love it here. My job is challenging yet rewarding. My students are diverse and curious. My coworkers are dedicated and passionate. My friends are adventurous and like-minded. My apartment is freshly painted and close to everything. Madrid is bustling and beautiful (and about the only time it's quiet is when I'm on a run with my iPod on... perhaps my favorite time of the day!) The fall weather is incredible and relieving. And my wallet keeps shrinking, and shrinking, and shrinking.... :) Life is good.

My fall is shaping up to be quite busy. My Mom will be here October 8-14 on her $200 plane ticket. Then, I'm off to travel with friends. My booked trips include Porto, Portugal October 16-18, Florence, Italy November 5-9 and the Canary Islands November 26-29. Many more trips are in the works before my 3-week Christmas vacation (London, Dublin, Oslo and Brussels). I'll keep you all posted!

If you are ever in the area, or on the continent, let me know! I have loved hearing from you all and appreciate all your kind words and emails. Keep the updates coming.

Abrazos and Besos, Linds

Avila

A few weekends ago we spent the day in the beautiful Spanish town of Avila. It was like stepping back in time (and very similar to Old San Juan, PR for those who have been). Avila is home to one of the largest defensive walls in the world. The walls were built in the eleventh century but seem like they could have been built yesterday; they are in pristine condition. There are over 80 towers and nine gates that let you enter and exit the town. And the views of the surrounding countryside from the top of the walls are gorgeous. We happened to be in town, coincidentally, at the same time that a medieval festival that was taking place. After being in the city for the past month it was nice to get out and explore a more serene place.

Local spices

Wishing I had my own set of armor!

Group picture with the locals

From the town square

The gorgeous wall and its surroundings

Anna, Jamie and I on the wall

Resting!

View of the town from one of the guard posts

Delicious Bread!

First Day of School!

I had started to believe that I was just here on vacation... things didn't seem permanent until we started school. Now, our favorite saying at ASM is that "work is getting in the way of all our fun!" Somehow (as I'm sure you can believe...) we still manage to have a lot of fun even if we are working long days (leave the house at 7am, get home at 6pm). I've never been a big fan of spending lots of time in transit, whether that be in a car, bus or train. So... the one hour commute to work has been tiring to get used to but as time goes on, I'm sure it will become easier. I have the metro and bus system down to a science but only the lines that get me to and from school. Ask me to get anywhere else in the city and it's like looking at a map from another planet; it's a very intricate subway system. (Fun Fact: Madrid built the entire subway system to bolster their chances of winning the 2012 Olympic bid. They did not win but are trying for 2016, as is evident by all of the signs scattered about the city. Boston could learn a lesson or two from Spain's engineers.)

Annual First Day of School Pic!

And so begins another school year. I am teaching 6th, 7th, and 8th grade at ASM this year and looking forward to all of the classes for various reasons. I am piloting a new book for my 6th grade class which has been controversial in the States so we will see how well it is received in Spain. My 7th grade class is Pre-Algebra and since I don't have a book I will be able to use many of the same lessons and activities that I used with my students in Puerto Rico (less lesson planning, yay!). Finally, my 3 students in my 8th grade class will be piloting a new online program where they do a majority of their lessons and assignments on the computer. Luckily our school has an extraordinary number of computers so it shouldn't be too tricky to accomplish this. Although my students don't know it yet, I'll be learning the program right along with them!

In the short amount of time I have spent with my students I have found them to be polite and well mannered, from age 4 up to 18. We have a 33/33/33 mixture of kids at ASM; 33% from Spain, 33% from the US, and 33% from other countries. This makes for an extremely diverse setting. In one class alone I have 6 students from Spain, 5 from the US, 2 from France, 1 from England, 1 from Japan, 2 from Korea, 1 from Sweden and 1 from Egypt. Imagine the language abilities of these students! What I've found is that the foreign students are either American military or Embassy children. The Spanish children come from extremely elite families not only in Madrid but all over Spain (I spoke with one nanny today, saw a butler of another student, and had a professional soccer player and basketball player drop their kids off... what?!?!) As time goes by, who knows what will be in store but for now, I am overly impressed with the students' enthusiasm for school, their speaking abilities, and their overall awareness of the world around them. Never have I seen such an accepting group of young minds-- if only schools everywhere could be like this.

I look forward, as always, to another exciting year. But as with most teachers, I also look forward to all our wonderful breaks that allow us to stay sane and employed! Here are a few pics of my classroom, enjoy! Besos, Linds

Front of the Classroom

Back of the Classroom

Side wall