Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Boy, was 2010 a good one!  I don't think I could feel more lucky for all that happened in the past 365 days--- this truly has been one of the best years of my life.  The monthly highlights include:

January:  Rang in 2010 at one of the craziest New Years parties I've ever been to in Madrid, then spent a week skiing the Swiss Alps.

February:  Collin and Erin's gorgeous wedding in Puerto Vallarta (we are so lucky to have an amazing new member of our family!) and a solo, weekend trip to my favorite city in the world, Rome.

March:  Turned the big 2-7 and visited my friend, Carol, in Lugano.

April:  Spring Break in Ireland with my best friend from grade school, Calli.

May:  Beer drinking in Belgium (one of my favorite trips of the year)

June:  Springtime in Munich and many, many parties in Madrid marking the end of our first year.

July:  Greek Isles... the most relaxing 4 weeks of my life (aside from Spain winning the World Cup!)

August:  PNW!  Also, a cruise to Alaska, one of the best family vacations we've ever had.

September:  Another school year-- an extra class, two additional job titles, excellent students, and a brand new apartment.  Lots more work but lots more money, too (insert sarcasm...).

October:  Oktoberfest.  Enough said.

November:  Conference in Tunisia and Thanksgiving in Istanbul.

December:  Winter break in Prague then HOME for 3 weeks. 

If there's anything I want to do in the early part of 2011, it's to appreciate Spain more.  While living in a foreign country has its perks, when you aren't fluent in the language and the culture just isn't the same that you grew up with, it's hard to really love a place.  There are soooo many things about Spain and Spanish people and the Spanish culture that really tick me off and I feel I have a right (whether deserved or not) to get ticked off because I deal with it on a daily basis--- I'm not just there on a week-long vacation.  But, aside from all our differences, I want to leave Spain on a good note because whether I like it or not, the country has opened my eyes to so many diversities, has brought together some of the best friends of my life, and has given me opportunities I never thought possible.  I feel I'd be doing myself a disservice if I didn't leave Spain on a good note, loving (or maybe just liking) the place I called "home" for two years (although you won't find a happier soul at Madrid-Barajas airport the day I leave, June 28-ish!)

Although it will be bittersweet to leave my family, the TV, Mexican food and the golf course this week, I go back to Spain knowing, without a doubt, that I want to move back to the US.  Many of you know the anxiety I've had in recent months about wanting to move back, not wanting to move back, where do I go, what do I do, etc. I wanted to use my time home to really figure out if uprooting my life is something that made sense right now when I love my job so much. While I still don't have the answers to many of the those questions, I at least know with confidence that living abroad has lost its luster.  So..... the teaching test has been passed. The teaching license has been applied for. The grad school applications are in. Now, I play the waiting game. Here's to hoping Lindsay gets a job in 2011!!

Christmas 2010 in AZ

Here's to another great year--- Salud, Sláinte, Prost, Salute, Santé, Na zdravi, Cheers,

Linds

Prague, Czech Republic

When you hear people telling their "trip from hell" stories you never think it's actually going to happen to you.  Well... it did.  But, it has a good ending so at least there is a silver lining!

Here's a "brief" play-by-play.  Arrive 1.5 hours early for our flight from Madrid-Frankfurt-Prague.  Check in, check luggage (don't normally do this but we had to pack all the winter gear plus some), go through security, sit for a few drinks (this has become standard procedure), get to gate... and everyone is standing around.  We hear some random English and someone saying, "Flight to Frankfurt is canceled."  Turns out it was about 20 military guys returning to their base in Germany that were on our flight and they heard from so-and-so who heard from so-and-so that something was going on with the air traffic controllers.  We debate whether e should stay at the gate and see if things get resolved or go back out through security to the check-in counters to see what the deal is.  We decide to leave the gate,.  They close security behind us and now all departure TV's have "Canceled, Canceled, Canceled" flashing across them.  As we rush to the check-in counter my bag breaks and tumbles to the floor, with my fancy camera inside.  Luckily, it was protected by my 500-page book and 2 scarves.  So... we keep running and then we see it.  No joke, no exagerration... at least 3,000 people waiting in the terminal.  And in just the Lufthansa line, at least 500.  This terminal is not large.  Probably 300 yards by 50 yards.  Filled with 3,000 Spaniards whose flights just got cancelled due to striking bastards?  Are you catching my drift yet?  And now... it's filled with international journalists too. Newscameras, flashes, spotlights, microphones, etc.  No one knows what the hell is going on, women are going hysterical, men are pounding their fists and screaming.  And what do the three of us do?  Fall to the floor in a heap of laughter.  What else can you do at this point?  It was such an outrageous scene I'm not even doing it justice.  We begin calling the Lufthansa customer service number and by the grace of God, someone answers, helps us and rebooks one of the three flights.  Then the phone goes dead.  Sidenote:  we have to use pay-as-you-go phones here until you prove you have lived in the country for 2 years... and the phone ran out of money.  On another phone we try to start calling again but by this time the 500 people in line are doing the same thing.  Waiting... waiting... waiting.  Finally get through and get the agent from hell.  She begins to yell, and in true Lindsay fashion, I start to yell back. I ask for her name, her boss, then click.  She hangs up on me.  Sweet.  We all start calling again and finally get someone, an hour later, who helps us, gets all the tickets rebooked... but for two days later.  By this time all of our friends who are at home are trying to call us telling us we are on all the news channels.  If I'd had known that I'd have made myself look presentable!  We go to reclaim our luggage and head home (now 5 hours after we got to their airport) and our friend Fil, who went to the bathroom, is no where to be found.  I finally go to try to find him and I hear him, yelling my name.  He got locked in the bathroom stall.  No one would help him, he couldn't climb under or over.  And now at this point, I really start to laugh.  Uncontrollably....  We finally make it home at almost midnight.  It's Friday.  We were supposed to be in Prague at this point.  And now we don't leave until Sunday night.  :)

Hope you enjoyed the tale.  Once we finally made it to Prague we had a wonderful time full of snow flurries, holiday cheer and lots of beer.  Sometimes it's the trips where nothing seems to go right where you have the most fun.  And this was one of the most interesting to date, that's for sure!  I'll spare you the details of our journey through the enchanting city that is Prague but if you choose to view the pictures, you can find out about all that we discovered in the captions.  Enjoy!

Hezké prázdniny!  ~Linds

The Best Job

Everyone has the days where they hate their lob and they love their job.  Luckily, I'm typically very excited to go to work because every day is truly different. 

Today I had a moment while watching some of my students in a Christmas concert where I sort of tuned everything out, looked around the auditorium and thought to myself, "This is the coolest job.  I can't believe I get to do this every day."  Why did this come about?  I'm not quite sure.  I think part of me is really struggling with the fact that I know I won't be here at this school next year.  I love my coworkers and my students and it's hard to think of life without either of them.  If I didn't have such a strong desire to live a life with some sort of normalcy and/or if I was in a city where I felt more at home, then I would probably never leave.  But maybe this perspective has been good for me because it has made me not take any of my time here for granted and really cherish the moments at school when the students aren't annoying the hell out of me!  :)

Another reason I felt so lucky today is because the students that I have are some of the most inspiring people I know.  They are so overly talented it's sickening sometimes.  I look back at my middle school days and all I can remember is playing sports and doing homework.  The majority of my students here speak 3+ languages fluently, play an instrument or sing, play a sport, and still excel at school.  It boggles my mind.  Many of these students do all of this without the support of their parents at home because the reality is, many of them are being raised by their nannies, butlers, drivers, etc.  They crave love and attention and I think that's why many of them enjoy coming to school-- they have the attention of 8+ adults at all times!  As I always do, I've become pretty attached to the majority of my students and the thought of the last day of school nearing breaks my heart... I don't even want to think about it (and luckily I have 6 more months of not having to).

Here's a video that I think any educator, past or present, can appreciate and enjoy:



I'm so proud of my students and what they accomplish on a daily basis.  Getting to see them grow and mature and become knowledgable global citizens is so rewarding.  And they aren't even my own!  I can't imagine what I'm going to be like as a Mom...

~L

Istanbul, Turkey

It has become a tradition of mine to go somewhere for Thanksgiving (although since living in Europe... I go "somewhere" just about every weekend!) The past five years I've spent the holiday at Macchu Picchu in Peru, diving in Dominica, cruising through the Caribbean islands, lounging in the Canary Islands... and Turkey Day 2010 was spent in, none other than, Turkey!

Istanbul has been near the top of my list of places to visit since I moved to Spain, so I had high expectations and was armed with my guidebook and camera.  The city did not disappoint.  I'm not sure which gained more weight during the trip: me or my luggage!  The sights were breathtaking, the food incredible, the shopping, oh, the shopping.  There was even a marriage proposal (from our waiter one night at dinner... he informed me he wanted to have seven kids together... I was frightened). 

We made many friends during our four days of traversing the city.  Everyone was so warm and knowledgable and always invited us in for a cup of tea.  I'm a total coffee snob (unfortunately) and have never been particularly fond of tea but I accepted every offer and am now obsessed with their version of tea-- basically glorified apple cider, delicious!  I was totally shocked by the liveliness and buzz in the modern area of Istanbul and the availability of alcohol.  My ignorant perception of Turkey was that every woman would be in a burka, younger Turks would be very conservative and it would be hard to find a good time.  Boy was I wrong.  And I thought Madrileños liked to party... damn!

It was a wonderful trip with three of my closest friends.  I don't often just stop and realize I have quite an amazing life with the most supportive friends and family, a job that fullfills me, and a thirst for adventure and travel that is quenched by living in one of the best continents in the world for both.  I truly am thankful for the ability to do everything I could ever want at this time in my life. 

Istanbul

Aşk için tüm, Linds

America's Favorite Cities 2010

Travel and Leisure, a magazine that I always thumb through in the airport, recently came out with a list of American's Favorite Cities.  They picked 35 cities from across the country and ranked them on their culture, food, shopping, nighlife, etc.  I found it very ironic that this article just came out since many of the cities listed are ones that have been on my "wish list" of places to move back to.  Embedded in the article is a tool where you can compare two cities to each other.  So, of course, I spent the next hour seeing how Portland vs Seattle, San Francisco vs San Diego, and San Juan, PR vs anything stacked up. 

Here are a few highlights:

Portland: #1 for summer, microbrew beer, farmer's markets, intelligent people, environmental friendliness and public parks (hence why I want to move here...)

Seattle:  worst for any season other than summer (duh...), but high up for coffee bars, skyline views and intelligent people.  Not really many surprises here.

San Diego:  #1 for weather, and also high for athletic and attractive people (why am I not moving here??)

San Juan, PR:  This one really cracked me up.  Having lived on the island for 2 years, there were many things I knew it was known for (highly ranked for good weather, spending the winter, romantic escape, and happy hour) but two things that San Juan was highly ranked for I can assure you are false:  New Years and attractive people.  Let me explain both.  Spending New Years in San Juan might rank in the bottom 2 of places I've ever spent it (with the bottom being at home when I was 14).  Nothing was open and what was closed at 1 am (when most places in PR stay open till 4 or 5 on a regular night).  It was a complete let down.  Not worthy of making the list AT ALL.  And attractive people?  Just because someone is tan and in a bikini does not qualify them for being attractive.  Now, if you only took the cross section of people that live in Rincon and surf everyday, this might be correct.  But PR has to have one of the highest obesity rates of any place I've ever been and unless you like men with long, greasy mullets, this is not a place to find a significant other.
 
If you'd like to see the article for yourself (and not just my commentary on it) you can find it at the following link:  http://www.travelandleisure.com/americas-favorite-cities/2010

As you can see, it looks like Portland suits me the best.  Not that I haven't known that since July...but this was some good reassurance.

Cheers!  Linds

Tunis, Tunisia

One perk of teaching internationally is that the schools have a lot of money.  When all students, K-12, are paying on average 30,000 euros/year to attend, you know you aren't hurting for money.  At ASM, our headmaster throws money around like it grows here--- want a new computer?  ok.  want to go to grad school?  ok.  want to go to Africa for a conference?  ok.  How about taking 70 staff to said conference?  ok.

So... off we went to Tunisia for 5 days for the annual Mediterranean Association of International Schools's conference.  I was in charge of arranging/planning the aforementioned conference this year, so while last year was all about eating and sightseeing (what else would you do in Florence?!?), this year I actually had to be responsible and in attendance.  Luckily, the conferences were excellent.

We did have some downtime where we were able to explore a bit of the country.  One day we spent driving to Dougga.  It reminded me a lot of the ruins I saw in Greece this past summer but the amazing part was that it was so well preserved.  And we were the only people there (that'd never happen at ruin in Greece, or any other European country for that matter).  Another afternoon we spent in the picturesque town of Sidi Bou Said.  Again... reminded me of Greece.  The colors and ornate doors were beautiful.  On the last day I had to be in meetings but many of my friends went into the medina of Tunis.  I've stolen their pictures to pretend I was actually there, too!

Of course, when you think of Africa, Tunisia probably isn't what would come to mind.   And while it isn't a country I'll ever return to, it was another African country to "check off the list."  Now I wait for my ultimate, dream vacation, the real African experience, a safari.  That'll be the day...

Tunis

 خدى بالك وداعا‎, Lindsay (I think that means "take care and goodbye" but I'm not positive!)

Year #2 in Madrid

I had very mixed emotions coming back to Madrid after the summer; while I knew I didn't want to stay here past this school year, I also didn't know where I'd go when I left.  Now that my plans are a bit more solidified and I'm 99% sure I'll be moving back to the PNW, I've really been able to enjoy and cherish my time here in Spain knowing that I won't ever have this experience again.  It's made me have a bit different of an outlook than I had last year at this time when everything was so new and exciting-- while living in the middle of a European capital that lives to party has it's perks at times, what I most enjoy now is being with my friends, drinking a glass of wine at the Mercado, having a Belgian beer at Cafe Eke, a quiet dinner party, sitting on a terrace, an American dance party.  These are the times I'll miss when I leave here, not the nights we spent at the club partying till 7 a.m (although I never will forget our first clubbing experience when I chipped my front tooth on a beer bottle).  I've grown to love my job and second family here and it will be really, really hard to leave them in June. 

Included are some pics from my first few months back after summer vacation.  Enjoy!

Year #2 in Madrid

Dos besos a todo,  Linds

OKTOBERFEST

Wow.  That sums up our 48 hours in Munich.  Never will I have another experience that is quite like the last weekend of the biggest party in the world.  I always knew I loved beer (it just might be another food group in my diet as of late) but after this trip, I really love beer.  Words can't even describe the sheer magnitude of Oktoberfest-- this truly is one party you have to see and experience to believe.  Although there's no way to enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed living them, they give you a sneak peek into the crazy world of dirndls and lederhosen.

Oktoberfest

Genießen!  ~Linds

Alaskan Adventures

I have the best father (and mother) in the world.  No doubt.  A few examples:  he loves his family more than anyone I've ever met;  for three years he traveled from Ohio to Washington every weekend to see me play basketball; he still takes my brother and I out golfing whenever we are home, even though we never took advantage when we lived on a golf course our whole life;  he put my brother and I through college;  he lets my Mom spend money on clothes and shoes... sometimes even when it's for his daughter;  and of course because we have a common bond of migraines and a love for Mexican food!  My Dad has always been one of my biggest sources of support, encouragement and honesty and for a long time I've wanted him to retire so he could finally enjoy life at a slower, less-stressed pace.  Well, my dream came true in April when he reluctantly decided to leave Ohio (and the Buckeyes... Go Hawks!) for the good life of retirement in Phoenix. 

In celebration, our entire family took an Alaskan cruise from Vancouver, B.C. to Seward, Alaska, where we then spent a few days with my aunt and uncle who live in Anchorage.  It was one of the most amazing trips our family has taken together, made even better now that we all live so far apart.  We had many, many laughs and I don't think any of us wanted the vacation to end (unlike past years when as pesky teens, I'm sure my parents couldn't wait for us to get back to school!) 

While there are a lot of pictures, some of them have to be seen in sequence to truly understand the magnitude and beauty of Alaska.  My fancy camera doesn't even do the scenery justice... I didn't think Hawaii could be topped as my favorite state but it just might have been after this trip.

Alaska

Enjoy the pictures,

Linds

My Brother's Wedding Video

Although Collin got married in February, I have never gotten around to sending out the video I made for he and his wife.  And to be honest, I thought it was lost forever because I left the CD in the computer at the wedding site.  But have no fear, it was found today!

This video was played at the reception, although due to different systems in Mexico, the music didn't coincide with the pictures (all that time and then it doesn't work...)  So, for those of you who were at the wedding, THIS is what it was supposed to look like.  For those of you who weren't at the wedding, here's a look at a video I made for two of my favorite people on their special day :)

Collin and Erin's Wedding Video

Since it is quite long, it takes a while to load--- be patient!

Enjoy!  Lindsay