A February in Spain

Buenas!


Shores of Malaga.

I have been in Spain for a month, and every day that I wake up in this marvelous country, God presents me with another reason that I am here. I am so glad He gave me the courage to make this move and do the right thing for my mind, soul, and body, despite certain discouragement and questioning I endured in the process. I live and work with the most vibrant, kind characters, and they each bless my life in a unique way. Everyone I have met has been welcoming, inquisitive, and charming; except for one grouchy bus driver, but I’ll try to let that go. I try something new each week; from zip lining to snowboarding, to new foods and new rituals, to simply exercising Spanish at the pharmacy. I step outside of my comfort zone on the daily, and I’m in love with the feeling. Now that the sap is outta the way, let’s get down to business!



I managed to catch a rainbow at Park Guell! Barcelona

Since being here I have visited several Spanish cities and towns and driven through approximately 20 provinces! - Malaga, duh, this is where I live, Antequera for ziplining, Barcelona, where I can totally see myself living, and historic Madrid. I've also visited Andorra, a small country between France and Spain in the Pyrenees Mountains. I spent time in the capital, Andorra La Vella and small town El Tarter for snowboarding.



Apartment balconies above Chanel Barcelona.

 The orange trees that I rave about smell like heaven, and the ocean that I can see from my street looks like heaven, so in other words Malaga is basically heaven. Our house is located right between the mountains and the ocean. Since the climate is fantastic, spatially there is an ambiguous relationship between indoors and outdoors. Everyone has a patio or balcony or both. It would be a sacrilege to waste this sunshine and air that is a mixture of the sea and the mountains. Even in the cities that experience colder temps, there are plenty of terraces, rooftop gardens, balconies, and sun rooms!

 

Flexing my Spanish skills in Madrid.

As I’m sure you can imagine, it’s very strange at first being in a country very far from your own; where you don’t quite fluently speak the language; where you go to breakfast by yourself and order a green tea, or you think you order a green tea, and the waitress stares at you as if you spoke Swahili instead of Spanish.

I must be a comedian when I speak Spanish to these people because when a person tries to speak in English to me, it’s downright hilarious. I don’t mean that condescendingly at all. If I’m being condescending then I’m also being self-deprecating.

 

I must take better food photos in the future! Pictured: a fried feast.

If you follow me on Instagram, you have probably noticed here in Spain I eat quite well. ;) Homemade Nutella, fresh seafood, Spanish honey, baskets full of bread, or my favorite traditional dishes, paella or the Spanish omelette! The food is definitely irresistible. My palette has already changed here because I have suddenly developed a penchant for olives. I hated them before! Since I am in the olive-producing region of Spain, I must finally be eating “real” olives. The produce is mostly sourced from right outside the city, so it is also just as fresh as the pescado and mariscos! (fish and seafood)

I quite adore and favor Barcelona if you can't tell!

I could write endlessly about the goodness and beauty of this country and its people! Until I reach that point, my February blog post will have to suffice. Moving thousands of miles away from home has showed me how small the world truly is. <3 p="">