My First Camp Nou Experience

As any big football fan knows (and I'm not including myself in this category, although I am

on my way!), Camp Nou in Barcelona is the largest stadium in Europe, and one of best to watch a game. Tessa and I went to the Sevilla vs. Barca game there last night - it was so exciting!

Football games in Spain are a bit different than big sporting events in the USA. For example, the only drinks served inside the stadium are sodas and non-alcoholic beer! Because of this, it doesn't get quite as crazy as games we're used to. Tessa and I were wondering if this might be because football is such a big deal here, but I'm not sure. There are also no replays of anything, which means we had to watch pretty carefully to not miss the great goals that were scored by Barca.

Athough the experience wasn't quite like home, it was still full of fantastic songs, the wave, and plenty of Spanish trash-talking (one of my most favorite things to hear!) I can't wait for the next game!

(Barca won 5-0)

We were definitely in the second to highest row, but it was still a great view!

Halloween at ASB

Halloween is something that I've heard about it since my first visit to ASB - kids, parents, and teachers have constantly talked about how it is unlike any other school, so fun, and basically the best day of the year. Needless to say, I was anxiously awaiting the festivities! And I'm happy to report that the day didn't disappoint!

Almost the entire staff dressed up, usually as a theme based on department or grade level. For example, my floor (4th and 5th grade) dressed as "fancy" birds -- a peacock, a hummingbird, a toucan, a flamingo, a bald eagle, and a phoenix. All students dressed up as well, and so creatively!

Lauren, Mitch, and I

My Class

The day consisted of Halloween activities, a visit to the haunted library, games sponsored by PTA, class parties, and finally a parade and performances by all grades. The routines that middle and high school classes came up with were amazing! So creative and so well-done.

The "GhostBusters" Performance by 6th Grade

All in all, it was a pretty fantastic day! I need to start thinking about next year's costume now . . . :)

(Almost) Completely Legal!!

Outside the Spanish Consulate, visa in hand

Well, it's hard to believe, but I am just an NIE card away from legally living in Spain!! It's been a bit crazy trying to figure out everything over the past few months, but having that visa finally in my passport makes it all worth it! The school has to finish up some paperwork and I have to get my NIE (ID) card in the next month and all will be taken care of. So exciting!!

My Class

I loved this group of kiddos from the start, but the past 6 weeks have just really cemented how fantastic I think they are! I mean - could they be much cuter?!

About half of my class has two Spanish parents (the majority of which are from Barcelona). There are a couple of kids with an international mix of parents, i.e. Spanish/British, American/Catalan, Catalan/French, American/French. I also have Venezuela, Korea, France, Denmark, and the Netherlands represented in this group. So, although the majority are native Spanish speakers, they represent quite a variety of cultures!

It's Raining Men!

It's become a running joke between Tessa and I that we seem to have become high school girls again - we have an obsession with boys! I don't know what happened, but it's just so easy to admire the beautiful men walking around Barcelona - it's such a nice way to pass the time! I don't know when this change occurred, but I'm sure it has something to do with still being single, thirty years old, and in a big city that seems to have an incredible amount of guapos. Needless to say, our theme song has become "It's Raining Men!" :)

Mallorca

Tessa and I spent our last long weekend in Mallorca, one of the four Balearic Islands off the coast of Spain. It was incredible! Beautiful beaches, amazing coasts, and lots of relaxation. I have definitely added seeing the other three to my to-do list!

Palabras Nuevas

My favorite new words in Spanish this week include:

*fiestera/o - a person who loves to party
*rompecabezas - mind puzzles

It's fantastic to find so many similarities and differences between Spanish in Barcelona and Spanish in Sevilla. I am also trying my best to include "ya esta" - a very common phrase in Barcelona. It basically means "finished," but can be used as a question, a statement, or a command. I love it!

And, people in Barcelona use tia/o much more than in Sevilla -- it's so slang, but I am so determined to incorporate it in my vocabulary.

Me encanta espanol!

Hmmm . . .

I read this quote in a book recently and loved it. I also think it connects to my last entry – and SO many things in life!

“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious.”
– Albert Einstein

"Eat, Pray, Love"

Tessa and I went to see this movie tonight (in original version). I’m happy to say that it lived up to my expectations! I so vividly remember finishing this book a few years ago while in Puerto Vallarta for the holidays. This book played a pivotal role in my desire to live abroad. Watching the film tonight again reminded me of this.

I feel like Elizabeth Gilbert’s story is full of so many great messages – one of the most important to me being the idea that we have to be the one to make changes in our lives and seek out what we need to find balance. There were a few lines at the end of the movie that I don’t remember from the book, but I so identified with them. It was something about how everyone we meet, every place we visit, and everything that happens to us, good and bad, has an impact on who we are today. And how, if you make the choice to leave everything you know, although difficult, it will lead you to where you need to be.

This movie, besides just being entertaining and having Javier Bardem, reminded me of why I wanted to live abroad and confirmed how happy I am that I did. There’s just so much to see and experience, especially when outside of our comfort zone. I feel like I have learned so much about myself in the past year and continue to do so every day I am here. I look forward to seeing what else Barcelona has to teach me!

Life at ASB

It’s hard to believe that a month has passed since I first started school! To say it’s had it’s ups and down would be an understatement. I had forgotten what it feels like to be the “new kid” at school! Learning new curriculum, new routines, and new expectations has been quite an experience.

More than anything, my experience so far has made me so appreciative of APS - their curriculum and pacing guides, resources, and professional development. For anyone who’s complained about having so much already planned for you, I have to say that it’s so much better than the alternative! It might sound fantastic to be told you can teach pretty much anything you want, but in reality, it’s so not easy. Figuring out what to teach with the limited resources you have is quite a challenge.
However, it’s definitely getting easier. I finally have an idea of what I’ll be teaching for the year and am trying to combine what I know with what I’m learning every day. I also have more planning time than ever, which is great, but so little time to teach, which is not. My life/school balance is still so much better than before.

And, most importantly, the people I work with and my students are just incredible. In the past week, I’ve had parents complain about the fact I’m not giving their children enough homework and my class ordered over 400 euros of books from Scholastic. Needless to say, things are a bit different!

Hopefully, October will be a great month. ASB’s Halloween party is of epic proportions – students and staff are already getting their costumes! It should be a fun couple of weeks.

Life Abroad

I’ve definitely been having an “I love living in Europe” kind of week! After an incredible weekend in Germany and planning upcoming trips to Mallorca and Tunisia, I’m still in disbelief of just how easy it is to get to so many places – I love it! The opportunities life abroad presents for those who love to travel is just amazing.

I’ve also had a fantastic week of Spanish practice, which I love. I just started Spanish classes with a teacher I’m already impressed with. In addition, the students in the class are quite international – Polish, Hungarian, German, and Portuguese so far. It’s so nice to be with a group who’s common language isn’t English! I also met an Espanola for an inter-cambio and enjoyed a great spinning class in Spanish as well. I had opportunities to practice Spanish in so many ways this week!

Although tourism is slowing down in Barcelona, there are still many, many more people here than I would like! I’m definitely still adjusting to the number of people and size of Barcelona. However, all of these things contribute to the amazing food, variety of things to do, and diversity that Barcelona has to offer. The fact that it’s still warm and sunny isn’t too bad, either . . .

Overall, the European lifestyle is suiting me just fine! :)

Home Sweet Home

You may have already seen some of these on Facebook, but here are some photos of my place. It’s a studio apartment in El Born and I LOVE it! Although I’m paying a bit more than I had wanted to, it’s definitely worth it. After my experience in Sevilla, I learned how important living in an “adult” place was for me. Having a fabulous space, nice furniture, amenities, and living in a great area are worth every euro!