Toledo

Toledo is known as "La Ciudad Imperial" or Imperial City for a reason; it has mosques, synagogues, churches and museums that could keep you occupied for days and narrow streets, plazas and inner patios that will keep you lost for weeks.  Toledo is perched on a rocky ridge above the Rio Tajo, about a half hour south of Madrid, giving you a view of nearby villages and the surrounding countryside.  The Gothic cathedral is the centerpiece of any trip to this town and the former inhabitants of Roman, Jewish and Muslim descent leave you intrigued by their architectural and cultural viewpoints.  The charm of this medieval town is that it seems to still be stuck back in time.

On the train, bright and early!

Representing!

Gorgeous alleys and buildings

Doorway to a hidden street

City walls

Facade of the cathedral

The details are amazing

The Alcazar

The translations always make me laugh!

One of the town's many statues

(making me feel right at home!)

Ciao for now, Linds

First visitor-- Mom!

Even before I had booked my ticket to Madrid, my Mom had found an amazing deal-- flight out of Phoenix for $200.  Many people asked her, "Are you sure it's roundtrip?" and in fact it was.  We had a wonderful time exploring Madrid and the surrounding areas, eating good food, drinking good wine and chatting up a storm -- like mother, like daughter...  She even came to school one day and met all my wonderful students  (makes you miss teaching, doesn't it Mom?)  It was a relief to see a familiar face and exciting to show someone around my new "home."  Being a tourist in your own city gives you the chance to do all the things you typically wouldn't do:  visit the museums and attractions, eat at the "tourist" restaurants, take the silly pictures, etc. 

Parque Retiro on a gorgeous day!

Statue in Parque Retiro

Cathedral

Palacial Fountain

Temple de Debod

Sol (my neighborhood)-- Km. 0:  The point at which all roads in Spain are measured from

No trip to Spain would be complete without churros and chocolate!

Although I was ecstatic to see my Mom, I was also excited to see all the rest of my things (i.e. my clothes and shoes!) that didn't make it in the initial move.  Even more so, seeing all my beloved American essentials that they don't have here made it feel like Christmas in October!  Doesn't the old saying go, "You don't realize what you have until it's taken away from you..."  I didn't realize how much I'd miss peanut butter, Orbit gum and the standard ice cube tray.  Yes, you read correctly.  Ice cube trays.  You have no idea...

The motherload... and to think there was twice that plus my clothes not in the picture!

Coincidentally, at the same time my Mom was here, my college roommate was also passing through.  It had been a few years since we had seen each other so we had lots to catch up on... the gossip continues even 5 years after we've graduated!  Although we didn't find a crescent moon to take a picture with (Go, Go Gamma Phi) we did take the classic Arches photo... be on the lookout, Loggers!

I can't wait to welcome even more visitors into my home and my new city.  Please, come and stay a day or two or even a week (as long as you bring some candy along...), I'd love to see you all.

Plaza Mayor

Living the good life...

Abrazos de Madrid,  Linds

My Favorite YouTube Video

If I could have one job for the rest of my life--- this would be it.  The places this man gets to travel to are amazing.  I can only dream about going from Antarctica to Iceland, Africa to New Zealand.  The reason I think I enjoy this video so much (if not just for the scenery...) is because of the children who are filmed.  It's an inspiration to me, and maybe this is why I am a teacher, that no matter how rich or how poor, children never cease to loose their incredible giggles and ability to let loose and have fun.  I think I become a better person everyday because of the students I have in my classroom and I'm thankful I'm able to be surrounded by such energetic and playful minds on a daily basis.

Also, both videos end in one of the greatest cities on earth, Seattle, so here's my plug for the city! 

Take a look, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Dancing Around the World

Here is also a link to Matt's original "Dancing Around the World" video.

Dancing Around the World 2

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

First Two Weeks

Two weeks ago today I was on a plane thinking, “What the heck am I doing?” And now… I’m thinking, “Why the hell didn’t I come here sooner?” Madrid so far has lived up to all of my expectations and more. The first week here was spent finding an apartment to live in. This is no easy task when the maps aren’t accurate, you don’t speak Spanish very well, and you don’t have a local cell phone. Luckily, we were fortunate enough to have two teachers from the school helping us. Within 5 days we had walked almost every city “block” (nothing is in a square, who are we kidding?!), called numerous apartments, seen every neighborhood, chugged coffee like it was nobody’s business, took far too few naps, drank way too many beers, ate far too many tapas and finally… found a place to live! We were rewarded with a couple days to relax on the rooftop pool of our hotel before our movein date.

Last Sunday my roommate Allie and I moved into our apartment. It’s a fabulous place, very spacious for downtown Madrid and located right in the city center. For those who have been to Madrid before, we are one block off of Plaza Mayor and directly across from the Sol Metro, which is the hub of all travel to and from the city. As I’m beginning to realize (and should have been prepared for after living in Puerto Rico for two years…) nothing is an easy task. With 4, 70lb suitcases, I trekked up the stairs (who needs an elevator?) to my third-floor apartment. It’s moderately furnished but will never have enough space for all my clothes and shoes, no surprise! We have two balconies that look out over our pedestrian-only street. One would think this would mean less noise, which is typically the case, until our neighbor wakes up and dances to his techno beats for hours on end. It’s a good laugh to watch but luckily I won’t be spending too much time at home! I was also fortunate enough to get to experience a trip to Ikea and subsequent trip back home on the metro. Let’s just say the looks on people’s faces and the bruises left behind on my shoulders were enough to never again allow me to take public transportation home from a shopping trip. Small grocery stores, coffee shops, clothing stores, restaurants, souvenir shops, tapas bars and everything in between can be found within a 2 block radius of my house, so luckily I won’t need to go too far for anything my little heart desires.

The American School of Madrid is going to be a fabulous place to work! I’ve been going to school for the past week for meetings, orientations and classroom time. Professionally, this was the best decision I could have ever made. I’ve been given total control of my curriculum and will be piloting a new book for my 6th graders and a new online program for my 8th graders. I’ll also be using a Clever board for the first time which should be interesting. All of my lessons will be online and I’ll be able to incorporate many more technology-oriented activities into my teaching since we have a never-ending supply of computers. It will be a lot of hard work, long hours and far too much planning but hopefully it will give me the experience I need to further my development as a teacher. The math department is great and as I’m beginning to see, one of the more fun and entertaining departments in the school (isn’t that always the case?) My classroom is huge and full of sunlight; what a nice place to get to come to every day. I have never felt more unprepared for a school year in my life… but I’ve also never been more excited. It should be an interesting year!

Our group of new teachers has ventured out to many different restaurants, cervecerias, tapas joints, and pubs. I can honestly say Madrid is not lacking in the eating and drinking departments. When beer and wine are cheaper than a bottle of water… you know you’re going to be getting into trouble! It will take some time for me to become accustomed to the constant presence of cigarette smoke but then again, it will also take some time for me to become accustomed to their late morning and even later evening hours. People in Spain definitely know how to let loose; our foreign crew can’t hold a candle to the locals. One of my favorite sights to date has been walking around the city around noontime and seeing 80-yr-old women drinking a beer at a terrace along the plaza. What a relaxing way of life!

Madrid is a fascinating city for those who have never been. It is full of history and beautiful architecture. The people of Spain are very proud of their culture and as the saying goes “Work to live, not live to work.” I think many people in America would be much happier if they adopted this way of thinking. Although it is a huge city (6 million and growing…) I could wander the streets of Madrid for eternity is seems and never go down the same path twice. Surprisingly, I have been getting along great with my limited Spanish abilities. Madrinos are very easy to understand in comparison to Puerto Ricans but none-the-less, I look forward to my weekly Spanish lessons to further my vocabulary and conversation skills. With world-famous museums and amazing parks, I could spend an entire year here and never feel like I’d seen it all. Early morning runs and late night strolls have allowed me to see the city and with time, will hopefully get me more acquainted to my new home.

As with any move, I have times of loneliness and times of yearning to be in a familiar place with familiar faces. But since this isn’t the first time, it’s been a much easier transition and I’ve found myself being the strong one amongst my friends here since for many of them, this is their first time teaching overseas. Luckily, I’ve been placed in this crazy city with a group of amazing teachers from around the world who have the same outlook on life and the same zest for exploring this amazing continent. Already in store are a trip to Munich (to visit my old roommate and good friend Agnes for Oktoberfest), a visit from my Mom (yay for the rest of my things!), the Canary Islands, Dublin, and a few small trips around Spain. It should be a very busy Fall but I look forward to all that is in store. Bring on the cold weather!

Hope all is well in whatever corner of the world you are living. Hope to hear from many of you soon.

Cheers.

New Address:
Lindsay May
C/ San Cristobal 11, 3C
28012, Madrid
Spain

Cell Phone: 65-663-7981

Skype Name: lmmay1

The Beginning!

There are two pieces of writing that have really shaped my way of thinking in recent years. The first is a famous poem by Robert Frost:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I---
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

This very well could be the story of my life. I've chosen a path that many don't choose, to live a vagabond lifestyle with really no direction or end in sight. But I'm reassured by my decision when I read the following quote by Mark Twain:

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

After living in Puerto Rico, I debated long and hard what I wanted to do next: stay on a gorgeous island; go back home; or try once again to make my friends and family crazy by moving to another country. Oh, what the heck. I might as well move somewhere where they'd like to vacation! It has always been a dream of mine to live in Europe... one of my bucket list items actually (right there next to running a marathon, going to a Bon Jovi concert and getting another masters!) Little did I know that dream would become a reality. On August 15th, I'll be moving to Madrid, Spain where I'll be teaching middle school math at the American School of Madrid (http://www.asm.org/). My job will be both professionally and personally challenging on many different levels and I cannot wait to begin. Nor can I wait to explore another part of the world and return to many of the sights that have faded in my memory in the 10+ years since I last visited.

I definitely don't live a typical life, I'll be the first to admit it. I don't own a house, a car or an iPhone, have a permanent address or a stable retirement plan. I change friends and jobs on a biyearly basis and spend more time living out of a suitcase than a closet. But I'm blessed with an amazing family and a core group of friends; I live a fabulous life. In the past 4 years I've traveled to over 18 countries and lived in more homes than I can count. And those who know me best know I won't be stopping any time soon. So... quit your job (or take a vacation), grab a backpack, jump on the bandwagon, and come along with me. If you can't do that, follow along as I continue this crazy journey that I'm lucky enough to call my life.

I'm reminded daily to embrace life and be thankful. To appreciate the sound of laughter, a beautiful flower, and the sun's rays on my skin. But what's most important to me is that I live my life with no regrets, dream big, and never look back. So... as my journey begins, I invite you to come along with me. It's going to be one hell of a ride.

All the best, Lindsay