Hello! It's been too long!

I'm sorry to the very few of you who check in on me via my blog. I have neglected you and there is no excuse. Well, there kind of is- I have been SO busy these days!! But busy is good, and now that it has been over a month, I am slowly getting the hang of balancing multiple jobs, commuting to and from those jobs, and attempting a new social life as well.

A picture I took looking Southwest toward my home from a cafeteria on the top floor of El Corte Ingles (a big store like Macy's)

Soo, where to begin. Let me tell you a bit about my apartment. In my first week here Nachy and I were strolling, looking up to the balconies of the beautiful, old buildings which line the tiny streets that weave through the city, for signs which read "se aquila," (for rent). We stumbled upon a rather new looking building, close to the center of the city but a little farther south, with multiple rooms for rent. The street is a dead end, (which means less noise!), and is surrounded by a small park, and is 4 min from the metro. Turns out the building has been around since the 1800's, but has recently been completely renovated. So I am now the proud renter of a furnished studio apartment, completely new with tremendously tall ceilings and brand new appliances. And thanks to Nachy, the rent was negotiated from 650€ down to 500€ a month. Although it's a studio, it feels spacious because of the high ceilings. I have a pull-out sofa and also a queen sized bed and still feel as though I have plenty of space. I am so happy with my new home and its location! I live in Puerto de Toledo (see picture from previous post). It's a wonderful area of the city in my opinion, filled with lively cafes and bars, parks, markets, and, because there is a University campus in Puerto de Toledo, plenty of young people.

A full-sized fridge AND an oven!! My only two requirements! :)

Pretty standard bathroom.. lighting is perfect for applying make-up ;)

After signing the lease

Our first meal in my new apartment! ¡Que Americano!

Cafe- 5 min walk 

The very large Church- 5 min walk

So, slowly but surely I am knowing my 'barrio.' There is a rastro (outdoor market) every Tuesday and Sunday, and I am about ten minutes from this beautiful park pictured below, which contains Rio Manzanares (the river of Madrid). Coming from the country, I am not used to so many options right outside my door and constantly in reach. The sights, smells, tastes and sounds can be overwhelming, but mostly in a way that enriches my mind and body, and makes me feel young and alive.

Taken during an evening run

I have internet in my apartment!

I have been neglecting my blog! I'm sorry, it took weeks to get settled into my apartment and have internet installed. More posts to come!

Puerta de Toledo- my new home

'Tis hot in Madrid. Thank goodness there are no mosquitoes so windows can be left open. And thank goodness there is no humidity- here's to a good hair day everyday! :)

As some of you may already know, as I usually complain through various avenues of technology and social media, my flight last week was delayed 24 hours. That meant sleeping on a tiny cot next to old men and crying babies in the airport and wondering if time has ever moved slower. But, after 24 hours of feeling like Tom Hanks in The Terminal, and also bonding with everyone else on the flight, I said goodbye to my 'airport family' and hello to mi novio en el aeropuerto Barajas de Madrid.

This past week has been packed. Staying in La Casa Casal has been magical (literally- Nacho and I joke that the lunch and dinner placed before us every day and the laundry cleaned/ironed/folded on our beds every night is magic). But really, it is the generosity and hard work of Aurora, Nacho's mother, and Candido, his father. They have welcomed me to this country and to their home with open arms, and I am so thankful to feel loved so far from home.

I am staying in Majadahona, a beautiful suburb about 20 minutes from Madrid. With a population of about 70,000, it is not a small town. It is filled with restaurants, parks, malls, and many families young and old. This past week, the town was celebrating its annual Festivals de Majadahonda, so the streets were full with markets and fairs by day and concerts and parties by night. My favorite- the tapas contest! Fifty four of the restaurants in town entered a tapa to be considered, and those who taste, vote. We tried an amazing tapa called la robo de torro (the tail of the bull). YUM! The festivals ended last night with a firework show, and it was back to normal life today.

Luck has definitely been on my side thus far. On my first day here I had a job interview, which they offered to me on the spot! It is a place called Apple Tree Club in Majadahonda, and in the evenings on Mondays and Wednesdays as well as Saturday mornings I will be helping young children learn English. Even before I start, I know my favorite activity will be "Messy-Time," which is an art class with 2-4 year olds, a chance for them to play with paint or shaving cream, etc.- to get messy. It's going to be a lot of fun! And just today I was offered a third job at an academy in Madrid, (after a late night freaking out over giving a mock-lesson).

Tomorrow we are looking at apartments in Embajadores (the cutest part of Madrid in my opinion!). Cobblestone streets, little markets, and balconies were on my wish-list.

I will keep you all updated. Love to you all!

Kiss me and smile for me

After weeks of waiting for the Spanish Consulate General of New York to take their sweet time getting my visa to me, that big brown UPS van finally made its way up my driveway and my passport is in hand! My flight is booked for tomorrow night.

Leaving home is posing to be a more difficult task than originally planned. So as I sit in my room, the last night for a long time, I am thinking of people and places and things I will miss. Talking about all that will just bring the waterworks, so I will spare you all.

Welp, here's to adventure. To letting the big moments and the small moments, every part of this, fill my soul and reinforce the good person I'm trying to be. Here's to not getting arrested or making a single trip to the hospital. Here's to always being busy but never too busy. To being brave and fearless. (and also to not being too lonely that I break down and buy myself a dog..).

Talk to you on the other side of the pond.

As much as there is excitement- there are doubts (which I find to be totally healthy)

I know that regardless of what's to come, I will not regret ten months in Madrid. No matter how I spend my time, or what my attitude becomes, this will be an experience I will weave into my life. I will once again find I have run away somewhere, mainly to hide from reality, only to have my eyes pried open wider than I could ever imagine. This backwards way of living has become the only way I know how.

Sunrise run at Goedgedacht Farm, South Africa