Current Mission

So I've been attending yoga classes at my gym the past month and I absolutely love it! It's so relaxing and I love the way I feel walking out of the gym! Today, at the end of the session, as we were relaxing, the instructor said, "Disfruta de este momento. Vívelo intensamente." I absolutely LOVE that. It's so simple, but it makes so much sense: "Enjoy this moment. Live it intensely." That is my goal for the rest of my time abroad; enjoy each moment and make the most of every opportunity I am given.

A Wonderful Day for the Rastro!

Today I went to the Rastro with my friend Samantha in search of yoga pants! I found two pairs and also some cheap nail polish! Gotta love the Rastro! : )

Zapatillas!

Tonight I went out for tapas with a few friends around Lavapiés. We started out the night at Café Bar Melos, where we had the house specialty, Zapatillas, bocadillos of lacón (cured shoulder of pork) and cheese--greasy, huge, and damn good! We got two for 10€ each and split them among 6 of us! It was delicious! I also had to try a croqueta because they were huge! And, as I imagined, delicious!!! I can see why this bar is always full! We were lucky and managed to get a table, but you definitely have to come early to beat the crowd! The owners are an older couple and I don't know how they keep track of all the orders, but they do an incredible job! I was very impressed!

After Cafe Bar Melo's, we went to Bodegas Lo Maximo and another Cuban-type Bar, but Melo's and their Zapatillas was definitely the highlight of the night!

Made my day!

Sometimes my students say the sweetest things! Today, Andrea, one of my thrid graders, told me, "Teacher, estás muy guapa hoy. ¡Así te echas un novio!"

Translation: "Teacher, you're very beautiful today! Like that you'll get a boyfriend!" : )

renewel application? check.

Today I handed in my materials to renew for another year--in Madrid! This was a really hard decision and I have thought a lot a lot about it, but I think that if I passed up the opportunity to stay in Spain another year, I would regret it down the road.

While sometimes it's lonely and I get homesick, there are also tons of positives: I know Madrid (and it's the CAPITAL!), I'm well communicated for traveling, I have a great flat/flatmate, I am improving my Spanish, I work with three other Auxiliares at my school, I make 1000€ a month, I know my school works and get along well with the teachers and students, and I also have my host family and my study abroad director here.

I'm looking forward to another year here in Madrid. I feel like it will bring a lot of good things. I'm not sure what my plan will be after that, but I'm content to take things one day at a time. When I'm home this summer, I plan on visiting a few grad schools in Minnesota, Michigan, and North Carolina, and then moving forward with my applications throughout the year so I can start working toward my teaching license when I return in 2012.

Los monólogos de la vagina

Tonight I went to see the Vagina Monologues--in Spanish--in a little cafe in Lavapiés called El Fin del Mundo, C/ Doctor Fourquet, 28 Madrid, 28012. I had watched the Vagina Monologues in my Sexualities class in college, so it was cool to see it performed live--and in Spanish! The bar was pretty cute, I'll definitely have to go back! And they gave us a little bowl of nuts with our drink orders, always a plus : )

Cuentacuentos en Café Libertad

Tonight I went to a Storytelling at Café Libertad with my study abroad director, the current study abroad students, and some of the host families. It was a cute little cafe and everyone was packed in like sardines to hear three storytellers tell stories about Desire. It was really interesting and really funny, but kind of racy too! Patricia, my study abroad director, brought her Spanish husband and their 15 year-old son, and she explained that Spanish kids are pretty far ahead of American kids when it comes to their exposure to sex/prostitution/negative influences, so material that may seem inappropriate for most American children is pretty acceptable here in Spain.

I definitely want to return for another cuentacuentos! But you need to get there at least a half hour early in order to get a table!