Summer Highlights

As always, it's hard to believe that summer is coming to an end. Although I was back at school last week, working half days and having visitors meant that it was pretty relaxed. Monday is the official first day of school, with kids coming on Thursday. As I begin to mentally prepare for a new year - one that includes a brand new position both in and out of the classroom and LOTS to learn - I've also been thinking about what an amazing summer I've had. Ten weeks of vacation means time to do a little bit of everything!


Highlights included my trip to Prague to visit Tessa, my time in the states with family and friends, feeling truly inspired after fantastic conferences in the US, two weeks of Spanish classes, and lots of time to relax and enjoy Barcelona. But, without a doubt, having Lauren and Linsey visit me this summer was the best. Not only did we have an amazing time together, but I got to show two of my best, best friends a bit of my life here in Barcelona. It was so fun to share my favorite restaurants, new friends, and the energy of Barcelona with them. Nothing makes me happier than seeing that my closest friends are happy and having the opportunity to spend time with them. What a wonderful summer it has been!

Lauren and I in Gracia

Linsey, Chris, and I enjoying pinchos 

"Clean"

After three weeks in the US of excessive eating and drinking and basically three years of the same in Spain, I decided something had to be done! I'd been contemplating the idea of some sort of detox/cleanse for awhile, but hadn't decide which one to try. Luckily, Sarah Killion came to the rescue yet again! She'd heard about the book Clean, a current NY Times bestseller. It proved to be perfect reading material for a long flight back to Barcelona.

After just a few chapters, I was sold! SO many of the symptoms listed in the book were ones I've been dealing with. There were lots of connections to Eastern medicine, which I also loved. And most importantly, this was something I felt I could actually do.

Although the ideal time for the cleanse is 21 days, one or two weeks was also supposed to make a difference. For me, ten days was ideal and the most realistic due to upcoming plans and visitors. In a nutshell, this program is all about cleaning the toxins out of your body and resetting your digestive system. The biggest way to do this is to have a liquid meal (shake, juice, or soup) for breakfast and dinner and a solid lunch. This allows your body time to digest these meals more quickly and have extra time to clear out what hasn't been cleaned out before. All of these meals are made from a specific list of foods - basically no wheat, gluten, dairy, acidic fruits or vegetables. Not surprisingly, caffeine and alcohol are not allowed.

In the interest of time, I decided to jump right in! The first two days were rough - particularly due to headaches from lack of caffeine. But, within three days, I began to feel really good! Although hungry at times, I adjusted pretty easily to the meals. Gone were cravings for any sort of unhealthy foods. Instead, I really looked forward to healthy meals with lots of fruits and vegetables (the book said this would be the case, but I didn't really believe it!). Even the no alcohol was a welcome break. The hardest part was adjusting social plans, the majority of which include eating and drinking in Spain.

I type this entry at the end of day 10 and I have to say I recommend this program to anyone who's thought about doing some sort of cleanse before. My body truly feels different - my skin is firmer, the whites of my eyes are whiter, puffiness is gone, and I've lost 2.5 kilos. More importantly, my thoughts about eating and drinking have shifted a bit. No part of me wants to eat or drink excessively. I want to continue having one liquid meal a day and only eating when I'm truly hungry.

The true test will come this weekend and when Linsey and Chris arrive - hopefully I can remember how I feel now and have the self-control necessary when faced with all of the amazing food Barcelona has to offer. I think I can! But regardless, I'm really going to enjoy my cortado tomorrow - it's well deserved. :)

Home

As expected, my trip to the states this summer was fantastic! Barbecue chicken wraps from Gov's Park, Chipotle,  air conditioning, Target, driving, amazing professional development, English - just a few of the things I loved experiencing again. But without a doubt, the best part was spending quality time with family and friends. Whether it was time at home with Mom and Dad, family dinners, walks with Indy, lunches and dinners with best friends, or drinks with friends I hadn't seen in awhile, it's the people that make the trips home wonderful. As always, once I'm with great friends, it's almost like I never left - I love it. (With that said, the changes in little ones is making that aspect a bit more difficult!)

However, on this trip, it became more clear than ever before how much I feel like I don't fit in in the states anymore. It's a really weird sensation! It's been three years now since I left and although the people still feel so right, the place so doesn't. I found myself constantly freezing in air conditioning and bundling up, just like the Spanish do (yikes!). By the end of the trip, I was longing for smaller portions and meals that included sitting and relaxing, not being eaten in a rush. The feeling of over consumption seemed to be coming from all directions! I couldn't take the thought of spending another penny on transportation or food or tipping. And I missed the sound of Spanish desperately.

I know some extenuating circumstances, such as attending conferences in expensive cities like Boston and New York, contributed to this. Like I said, seeing everyone could not have made me happier! But by the end of three weeks, all I wanted was to be back in Barcelona.

Arriving back in my city felt so right! After unpacking, visiting my favorite coffee shop and corner store, and speaking Spanish to my neighborhood guys, I started to feel at home again. Once I walked by the La Seu cathedral and went for a run by the beach, I couldn't have been happier. I was again reminded how something about this city just suits me.

I vividly remember the post I wrote about "home" the first time I returned to the states two years ago after my year in Seville. I still feel that Indianapolis is my home, as well as Denver. Yet, it's becoming clearer and clearer that Barcelona is where I feel most at home these days.

And the roller coaster begins . . .

Well, having Lauren visit was just as great as expected! We had SO much fun - exploring the city, enjoying tapas and drinks, going to the beach, and sightseeing. However, the best part for me was definitely just being together. Not since we lived together in Denver (circa 2005) have we had that much time to just hang out and talk. Although we cover a lot over the phone, it's the big details we share, not the small ones. It was so wonderful to just be together and have many meaningful, and pointless, conversations. Without a doubt, this trip confirmed that we really are "best friends forever." :)

At the nighttime tour of Gaudi's La Pedrera - we loved it!

Whenever I have visitors, I always seem to feel a little off balance.  At times I have to remind myself that I really am still in Barcelona, not at home. It's amazing how quickly we can pick up where we left off. I had a feeling I might be a bit sad when Lauren left this morning . . . and I was right. Getting to spend so much time together and having so much fun, followed by honestly not knowing the next time we will see each other causes a mix of emotions. Of course it's more than worth it, but it doesn't make it any easier in the moment.


I haven't been home in over a year, so the fact that I leave tomorrow for the US is pretty crazy, too! I've been packing up and trying to wrap my head around the fact I'll be gone for three weeks while visiting four different cities. I'm also trying to prepare myself for the emotional roller coaster that has just begun. I'm SO excited to see my family and friends, spend time catching up, enjoy favorite foods, and visit particular places. However, if this visit is anything like my previous ones, I know leaving is going to be equally difficult. Knowing I chose to live so far away and the fact that my choices make other people sad causes me to feel so much guilt (even though I know my friends and family support my decisions - thank you!). I can kind of ignore this when we're apart, but it's so not so easy in person. 


The older I get (or the longer I'm gone?) the harder these hellos and goodbyes seem to be - saying goodbye to Liz, Indy, and Michael last summer about did me in! So as I pack my bags and double-check that I have everything I need, I'm doing my best to concentrate on the positive feelings and excitement and just accept that some sadness has to go along with them. My roller coaster ride continues tomorrow morning and I know it's going to be a lot of fun before I reach the end :)

Two More Days!!!

I can hardly believe it, but in less than 48 hours, Lauren will be here! My excitement is palpable! I've been trying to figure out just why I'm SO excited about this special visitor. I think it's a combination of the fact that I haven't seen Lauren in two years, yet have spoken with her in the past year more than anyone else, we get to spend 4.5 days together (more than we have in probably six years), I get to show off the amazing city of Barcelona, and I get to share my real life with one of my best, best friends in the world.

Although Emily has been here a number of times, none of my other closest B.S. (before Spain :) friends have visited Barcelona since I moved here. I feel like I'm living this life that I share with my friends here and can talk about on the phone or write about in a blog, but no one actually gets to see it. And because I love it so much, I want everyone that is closest to me to have the chance to experience life in Barcelona. Even though it will only be for a few days, I feel confident that Lauren will really get to see what my life is like here in that time.

I feel SO lucky knowing that Linsey and Chris will be here in just a few weeks AND the whole Killion family will be here over the holidays -- I'll definitely get to share my life a number of times in 2012!! (Liz and Kevin - do you think you can arrange another trip to Barcelona?! :)

And so, the countdown to Lauren's visit continues! The days are (loosely) planned, restaurants and bars have been chosen, and the guest room set up. Even though it's been two years, I have no doubt it will seem like only a day or two has gone by when I meet her at the airport Saturday. I'm anticipating the laughter already! :)

Fitness in Barcelona - finally!

I knew it was bound to happen at some point, but it was about four months ago that living in Spain seemed to visibly catch up with my body (I imagine turning a year older didn't help, either!). Apparently one can't drink more often, consume more bread, cheese, and olive oil, and exercise less frequently without there being some negative consequences. 

One of the main things I love about living in Spain is the focus on social life - enjoying food and drinks with friends, staying up late, and basically just living life to the fullest. Unfortunately, this takes its toll! And when commuting almost two hours a day to work, one of the first things to go was consistent exercise.

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, one of my favorite things about summer is having the time and the motivation to re-prioritize. With a very open schedule for the past week and a half, I've been determined to make exercise and healthiness one of my top priorities. There is truly NO excuse not to do something every day.

My favorite new discovery has been Beach Fit Barcelona. I had heard about this through a few different people and decided to check it out. I'm so glad I did! It's basically boot camp on the beach. It brought back memories of high school volleyball practice, as well as Half Hour Power with Howard. Imagine lots of sprinting, running in the sand, push-ups, and core training, all taking place from 7-8am. After last Friday's class, I was the most sore from exercise that I've been in three years!  It was physically difficult to get out of my bed on Saturday, but it was such a good feeling. 

This reminded me of just how hard I use to work out at home and how much better my body felt because of it. Although I really appreciate that the Spanish value curves and a more balanced  life than the USA, sometimes I miss the American obsession with weight and exercise. In the Mediterranean, people are generally healthy due to their diet (small meals made of fresh, fresh food) and all of the walking they do as part of daily life. But for someone like myself, exercise is necessary for me to feel good about my body, particularly as I get older. This is a balance I have to personally find.

I look forward to continuing these classes before and after my trip to the states. Not only is the exercise fantastic, it's also a really nice, fun group of people. The trick will be continuing to make exercise a priority when those school hours begin . . .

Travel and Optimism

My parents, knowing me oh so well, recently sent me Paul Theroux's The Tao of Travel. Theroux shares thoughts about travel through the published pieces of many others. It's been so interesting to read about different perspectives and ideas about travel, particularly based on when and where the author was traveling.

As a lover of travel and an eternal optimist, these two quotations below struck me the most so far. I look forward to reading more!

"Travel, its very motion, ought to suggest hope. Despair is the armchair; it is indifference and glazed, incurious eyes. I think travelers are essentially optimists, or else they would never go anywhere." - from Fresh Air Fiend

"Travel is at its most rewarding when it ceases to be about your reaching a destination and becomes indistinguishable from living your life." - from Ghost Train to the Eastern Star