"Ms. Jenny"

I have to share a poem that two girls in my class wrote on "Poem in our Pockets" day. It cracks me up! :)

Ms. Jenny

by Sofia and Maxime

I have a teacher who's called Ms. Jenny,

she's as valuable as a golden penny.

Her eyes are blue and green,

and if you concentrate,

they look like little beans.

Her smile looks like the golden sun,

she is loved by everyone.

She is covered with little freckles,

and when we're funny she fills up with chuckles.

She orders us the best books,

and we can count on her for her looks.

Jejeje! I'm not completely sure how to interpret all of these lines, but I kind of love them!

Poems in our Pockets

At ASB this week, elementary students are preparing for St. Jordi - a Catalan holiday celebrated on April 23rd. Although I don´t know all the details of this day yet, but dragons, roses, books, and a knight are involved in the legend.

Our students are celebrating with a HUGE focus on literacy this week, which I love! Everyday, students do something a little different. Today, students have to carry a "poem in their pocket" and be prepared to read it for anyone who asks. We had a lot of fun choosing poems yesterday. As usual, Shel Silverstein was the favorite of many kids.

As students were choosing poems, I decided to do the same. Although there are so many poems that I love, the first one I thought of is this one below. It´s a classic that seems to be very fitting at this moment in my life . . .

The Road Not Taken
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, 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.

Spring has Sprung!

In the past two weeks, it's clear that spring (if not summer!) has arrived in Barcelona. The time change, 70+ degree weather, and the abundance of tourists have changed the entire feel of the city. It seems like Barcelona is literally pulsing with energy - I love it! Plazas and cafes are full of people enjoying tapas and drinks and everyone is out and about all the time. In this sense, Barcelona reminds me a lot of Sevilla - life happens "on the streets."

Seeing everyone out enjoying the sunshine is making it harder and harder to want to go to work as well. (Because of this, spring break can't come soon enough - one week to go!) As I've been walking around in the evenings this past week, I've realized that I haven't really experienced springtime nights in Spain. In Sevilla, I was working from 1-9 and not arriving home until around 10pm. It's so amazing to be out in the evening, whether going for a run, getting a drink, or watching old Catalan men play boccie ball. I have definitely been reminded that spring is my most favorite season, especially in a city like Barcelona. I'm looking forward to enjoying a bit more of it in the upcoming weeks!

Sunset in Sitges

Enjoying cañas at a chiringuito on the beach

Wildflowers in Montserrat

Bursting!

In the past few weeks, and particularly in the past few days, it has literally felt like my heart is bursting with love. It's such a crazy, and wonderful, feeling! As you may have guessed, Matias has a lot to do with this :) It's amazing to me that everyday I seem to love even more about him. What a fantastic feeling - everyday just gets better, even when it seemed like the day before was as good as it could get! Love is grand . . .

It's been interesting to me that as my heart seems to be filling up with more and more love, I'm also missing friends and family more than ever. It's so hard to be feeling this way about someone and not really be able to share it with the people closest to me. I know this is part of the reality of living abroad, but it's definitely a part I don't like. No matter what, my friends and family won't know Matias the way they would if we were living in the same place, and that's a really hard thing for me.

It was so nice that Meaghan and Jessica were able to visit - just having friends that knew me before Spain catch a glimpse of my life in Barcelona helped. I so want to share it with the people I care most about! So, needless to say, visitors are welcome anytime - the sooner, the better! :)

It's already Thursday?

Another week has flown by and again I found myself saying to my co-worker, Lauren, this morning - "It's already Thursday?!" For the past four months or so, it seems that every week flies by. It may start off slowly, but I'm always shocked that the end arrives so quickly.

I just don't understand it. Why is time going so fast? I feel that as I've gotten older, time does seem to go so much quicker. I'm not sure why it is and I'm not sure that I like it! I was speaking to another co-worker last week about this. Her theory is that it's because we're living in a place like Spain where work and life are so balanced. Although the work week might be busy and stressful, it never takes over your personal life to the extent it did in the states. And so, the weekend always arrives quickly because you don't need it quite the way you did before.

Although I don't want time to go by any faster - I feel like there's so much to enjoy right now! - I will take a positive work life/social life balance any day of the week. Yet another reason why I love Spain . . . :)

So, so different . . . and so, so great!

Although I knew it would happen again, I'm still surprised by how love has snuck up on me this time around - and by just how fantastic it is! The ease of it, the fun, the constant learning about someone else and yourself at the same time - love really is grand.

This time is definitely different than any other before, too. I feel so different, "it" feels so different, and the situation is completely unlike any other I've had before! Living abroad and beginning a relationship with someone else living abroad is not quite like meeting a guy in Colorado!

As I've mentioned to Matias, it's so crazy to me to think about what completely different lives we led before moving to Spain. Different countries and cultures, different languages, different experiences. And I'm amazed how just a few months ago, we were living completely separate lives in Barcelona. Yet, one night in a small, smoky Spanish bar completely changed everything!

Life is so amazing to me - it really does work out, especially in ways and places that you least expect it. And so, I look forward to enjoying this new experience - the differences, the learning about culture and language that it's sure to bring, and the happiness. ♥

Gracias, Mendoza!

This past week, I saw my friend Katie for the first time in two and a half years. Emily and I met Katie in Mendoza, Argentina in the summer of 2008 when we spent two weeks in Chile and Argentina. It was that trip that was the catalyst for us deciding to move abroad. Needless to say, seeing Katie again brought back some great memories!

I vividly remember that trip - the Spanish classes, staying with a family for a week, the bicycle tour to wineries, meeting Felipe, Katie, and Euan, who became great friends, and so, so many laughs. Although I had always, always loved our travels (all of which had been to Spanish-speaking countries), there was something about this time in Mendoza that caused me to know I had to live the Spanish/Latin lifestyle. Enjoying it while traveling just wasn't enough!

And so, after returning home and quickly realizing that we just couldn't live a Spanish lifestyle in the USA (no matter how many empanadas we made or siestas we took!), Emily and I both started looking into international teaching. Although I arrived at international teaching in a roundabout way, I am happy to say that I've been living the Spanish life for over a year and a half now. And I have to admit that the reality of it is even better than expected!

The past few days have been a great reminder of just how amazing that trip was - the people, the city, the experiences, the laughs - muchas gracias, Mendoza!