Quick Update

Seth and I had a lovely week touring Madrid and Toledo, teaching my classes, getting confectioneries from a convent where we couldn't see the nuns (just as exciting as I'd thought it would be!), meeting my friends, taking videos (yay!), having good conversations, saving turtles, noticing details, etc. We're heading off to Casablanca tomorrow to visit one of Jennie's friends Rebecca! We'll also be spending time in Marrakech, which is supposed to be touristy, but offers more of an "authentic" Moroccan experience. We will post pictures soon!

Hiking

Today's a holiday in Spain so my friend Ginny and I got up bright and early (8:45! :) ) to go hiking again in Cercedilla (an hour and a half train-ride above Madrid). We felt so liberated from the confines of concrete as we ate our fresh bocadillos (sandwiches) on the trail. The weather couldn't have been better. Ah! I need to get out of Madrid more often than I'm doing right now! Anyway, it was a lovely day, with lovely conversation.

On Monday I start my new job with a bilingual charter school called Artica. There are so, so many benefits to working at this school: the teachers own and run it, and care for it like it's their own baby, I'll be in ONE place for four to five hours straight instead of an hour at a time, I'll have insurance (whew), and I'll be learning a lot of Spanish, hopefully! Wednesday Seth comes!!! I'm pretty excited about being his tour-guide, and just seeing him, of course! We bought our tickets to Morocco for the second weekend he's here and we're planning a trip to Granada before he leaves (using CouchSurfing.com--this site could revolutionize my world). Goodness, I can't wait.

More soon!

Sweater Weather

Taking photos while waiting in line 2.5 hours at La Noche en Blanco. We were about 10 minutes from getting a theater tour when they closed the line down!

Chris and Melissa at La Noche en Blanco

a corner near a convent where they sell cheap confectionaries. You aren't allowed to see the sisters, so you have to give your money / receive your treats via a Lazy Susan! Seth and I are going here.

on my walking tour of Madrid

a cathedral

Today is the epitome of a "sweater weather" day. Well, it's cold and it's rainy outside. A real "sweater weather" day shouldn't have rain, I guess. But, it's not too bad inside my apartment. I have a couple candles burning and I'm listening to Sufjan Stevens' "Songs for Christmas"--which always make me feel warm and fuzzy inside :). I'm missing home a little. By the way, I think it takes living abroad the second time to really appreciate home and the US. Maybe it was the perpetual beautiful weather, but I wasn't that homesick in South Africa. I've been homesick here even when the sky is crystal-clear.

Do you want to hear about the mail I've been receiving lately? I just got a care package with JEANS, CANDY, napkins :), birthday balloons, a Clemson cup, a shirt, an address book, etc. from my family! It is great to travel. And it's great to have a month-and-a-half extended birthday! I've also received the sweetest letters from Seth--always arriving on just the right days. Seth will be here 2 weeks from today!! I'm so, so excited about seeing the world with him: Morocco, Paris (maybe), Granada, and Madrid, of course :). The other day I went on a walking tour of Madrid with my Rick Steves' guide in hand. Basically, Seth's visit is going to be sweet if we do half of what Rick says to do. I'll update in a few weeks. Oh, also, the Wikes sent me a paper cutout of a boy named "Flat Stanley" to travel with me for the week and share adventures with me (it was for a project Miles was doing for school). So I've intentionally had some extra-cool adventures this week: like visiting the Prado Museum (HUGE) and the Reina Sofia Museum (most famous for Picasso's "Guerrnica"). The art museums here are free every week! So, I definitely need to take advantage of living in a big city and going to them. Y'know?

Classes are going pretty well. Tomorrow I'm going in for an interview with a company that a few of my friends are working with. I'd be working with a day school, working from 9-2 instead of working at night like I am now. But I would have to accept a contract to work till the end of June if I worked at this school--which I wasn't necessarily planning on (I'd planned on staying only till maybe the beginning or end of May--1-2 more months?). There are a lot of benefits of working with the school, though--so, pray for me as I make this pretty big decision in the next few days.