Fresh Start

I have this feeling that things are changing in life, in my life and in the life of Joan and I as a couple. Hopefully for the better. I want to change up my writing style and have more fun with this blog so in the future check this one: http://www.lifethroughblueyes.blogspot.com/ it will be continuation of this one.
I may come back to this one but who knows! save the new address in your blog roll!

thanks peeps

I'm baaack

Back to work and back to life in Spain. Suprisingly I'm not as depressed as I thought I would be. Maybe its because I had such a great time and soaked up every minute with my friends and family. You would think that would mean I would be really sad and depressed but It's not that bad. I'm more sad and depressed about work. Things are crazy and seemed to fall apart while I was gone. I'm here now trying to pick up all the pieces and get the job done which isnt easy if you know the people I work with!
As for the trip I have a ton of photos that I will probably post when I can. Joan's laptop has been cold and dead for a couple weeks now and we may get a new one this weekend if the budget allows....I so hope it does. Right now Joan is at the Univesity studying for his exam that he has tonight, I told him I was jealous and he told me I was crazy. I need to finish school for goodness sake! I want to start at Dublin University Online this fall but if I want to have a wedding in Jan 2010 I don't know if I can unless the boss decides to give us a raise, which we both really really need. After returning from America I'm just so ready to move or do something else, my friends joke because Ive never stayed more than a year and a half someplace and they are so right. I'll have to wait and see what the next couple of months have in store for me before I make any rash decisions.
Back to work and I promise to upload pics and tell you the stories of the vacation asap!

Not Much Time

Ive finally managed to sneak away and grab some computer time, but I don't have much to work with. The house is full and I have people to spend time with, however I ama dedicated blogger and don't want to get to far behind. I need to fill you in on the plane ride (10 hours) and everything since Thursday but that post will need some serious concentration and like I said, I don't have much time.

I would like to say I love America,my family and my wonderful friends. Time is flying by far to quickly and before I know it I will be back in Spain once again. It's incredible the difference a year makes. My life is there now, I'm with Joan, all my cousins are so big now; deeper voices, driving, girls. My little brother is capable of having gerat conversation, Madison is so grown up at 4 and my friends are almost through with school. We're all growing up.
Another thing that-s overwhelming is all the options. America is much bigger than I remember. Even going to the grocery store today, I was overhwhelmed by all my options. 35 different kinds of cereal, 18 choices of maple syrup, 23 types of bread. I'm not used to that anymore and I can't decide if thats good or bad.

So far I've been to Olive Garden, Chilis, Corner Cafe, Starbucks and The Cheesecake Factory-I'm loving the food! Tonight we're going to dinner but not sure where. I promise to give all the details soon, maybe next week if I have time.

Hope all is well!

Ciao

The Question

Work has moved at a fair pace today due to the mass amount of work I have and am trying to complete before I leave.
When my "manager" gets back from lunch we're going over my course and I'm going to give her all the details I have, should be interesting.

I'm all packed, minus a couple things I will add before I leave Girona tonight to go to Lloret. I've done my online check in, emailed some friends and will call the family tonight before bed. Everything is falling into place. I am going to miss Joan so much. He has been so sweet to me the last few days, especially when he PROPOSED. He took me to the top of the Cathedral in Girona, a place that is so beautiful, with views of the river and the scenery is amazing. He told me how much he loves me, how he wants to spend every minute of his life with me and he got down on one knee and said, "Will you Marry Me?" He told me that this moment doesnt matter half as much as all the moments that will combine to make up our life together. He said that this moment is just a beginning to what's to come. All I could say was " Now?" "Right now?" I was so shocked. He gave me the ring, it's lovely, but is a bit to big so it will be resized. I am wearing another ring now that he gave me before in it's place. I told Joan yes, obviously, and its a night I wont ever forget. He wanted to propose before I went to the states so that I could tell everyone ¨I'M ENGAGED!" Which I will do of course.

I can't wait to see you all!

Tuesday, Tuesday

I came to work a bit earlier this morning so I could write this. Joans laptop died a few days ago so the only access to the internet I have is through the mini screen on his ipod so not to great for blogging. I have a great big to do list, at work and at home. Since I'm leaving on Thursday I'm leaving my collegues with my course. I need to try to get as much done today and tomorrow as humanly possible. I currently I have 25 things on my to do list. ugh.
At home, I have to get the house cleaned up, finish some laundry, take my coat to the dry cleaners, paint the nails, get the eyebrows done, PACK, make some frozen lunches for Joan, run my last minute errands, get my itinerary, passport etc all in order, call everyone to finalize plans etc etc. Again, ugh.

I am going to be more excited on Wednesday night when everything is done. Today is just crazy. Tonight I am trying to get together with the Crew, Elizabeth, Alex and Rod. Rod is leaving for Australia on the 20th. I'm going to miss him, he's a good guy and Joan got along well with him too. I'm worried for Alex as he will be the only Australian left in Girona. I'm trying to learn some Aussie terms to make him feel more at home, it's a bit difficult and I have to keep from laughing when I use the terms.

Well, it's time for me to start working. I will talk to you all soon and see some of you very soon!
:D

An Incredibly Long, Very Cold Trip

I first want to say what a success 16 things has been. Thanks to his lady, my cousin, my long lost sorority sister and bf and my south beach friend have also included the fun post to their blogs! Awesome!
Now, I will tell you all about my whereabouts over the last few days. Joan and I were assigned to go to Bratislava to start the training course there for Cabin Crews. This was work I was excited about but dreading at the same time. We left Girona in the early morning hours and were in Milan by lunch. Originally we planned to see the city, seeing as we had six hours to kill in an airport but, plans, as always changed. When we saw the massive amount of snow on the streets we had second thoughts. What if the bus was stuck in the city because of the ice or snow and missed our flight to Bratislava? We couldn't risk it. Besides, I had the beginnings of a serious cold and didn't want to make it worse. We did go outside the airport so I could officially say I was in Italy. We took pictures in the snow and hurried back inside for some Italian food. Joan asked a cabin crew where the best place in the airport was to eat, there weren't many places so we found the restaraunt easy.
"Bonjourno!" the waitress asked us and I told her the same in my best Italian accent. "What can I..do you want?" she said in her best English. "Pasta alla Pesto" with a Coke. Joan spoke up and said, "Pasta Bolognesa" "Pasta lasange" said the waitress, "Pardon me if I'm wrong but on the sign there it says Pasta Bolognesa". "pasta lasange" she said again. "Ok, ok...I guess I'll have the pasta lasange then, with coke." "Pasta lasange" she said again and walked away. Note that we were also sitting with strangers as the seating was limited and everyone kind of crammed together. The group with us had ordered coffee's and orange juice-their bill was 16.00€-Italy is expensive I guess. The waitress came up to our table after the other group had left us alone and said "Few minutes for hot dishes." and two minutes later the hot dishes appeared. Mine was excellent, even pasta pesto in an airport in Italy is great. Joan also loved his pasta lasange more than he thought. Win win.

After a great lunch we wanted to sit and rest somewhere, not possible in a small airport with hardly anychairs. We manged to find some but they were situated in front of the doors so every two minutes someone would walk in and we would get a blast of cold air. The rest of the airport trip went like this, sitting in random chairs, the floor, abandoned check in desks, luggage carts etc until we decided to get a coffee. A delicious, creamy, perfectly foamy cup of delicious hot love. You haven't had coffee until you've had one in Italy.

Our plane ended up being dealyed two hours, we had already passed through security and everything was closing in the airport. Joan bought us two cans of Pringles, four different kinds of Italian chocolate, water and a coke. We now had rations. I watched two episodes of The Office on our Ipod touch, I had already seen them but "Frame Toby" and "Business Trip" were still hilaroious. I slept and played four games of air hockey via the ipod with Joan and won three of the matches. go me.

Our plane left to Bratislava a few hours later and luckily Joan was able to call the hotel and they were going to pick us up from the airport. We got into the plane, sat in the same seats we always do and watched gleefully has passanger after passenger skipped our row. It wasn't until the last minute when a father and his small child sat next to Joan. The baby was a little less than a year old and cried a lot. Poor Joan.

We landed at 11:30 on Tuesday evening, greeted by a sign that read "Mr.Planet". Stepping out into Bratislava was exciting for me, but it was masked by the frigid temperatures, minus 11. At this point my cold was at an all time high, watery eyes, congested, headaches. There was no medicine in the airport and I needed some bad. We asked our ride to stop by a pharmacy but he didnt know which one was open and sure enough the one on the way was closed. We decided to just go to the hotel, I thought some sleep would cure me instead. Our one bedroom apartment was great. It was in the old part of the city, close to restaraunts, clubs, bars and the U.S. Embassy! We slept great that night but awoke to six alarms the next morning at 6 a.m. We got ready, reluctantly and made our way to the city center to find a pharmacy. We found one and we found a McDonalds. This was the only place open that served breakfast and boy was I thrilled when I saw they had hashbrowns. They don't serve those here in Spain and that has always been my favorite thing at McDonalds. I had two with Orange Juice and was ready for the day.

We met the guy from the Personnel Agency, the one helping organize the training course for us in front of the Bratislava National Theatre. He was somewhat tall, dark hair, thin, your normal Eastern European guy I suppose. We arrived to the training center which was being held in an old communist building, ugly and cold. Martin helped me up the icy stairs when I slipped and slided due to my heels. (bad idea). We set up everything and I felt prepared, my cold medicine had started to work and I was in good spirits.

Forward to a few hours later:::::::::miserable city. The pills were wearing off and in the middle of speaking with a student I had to leave, my eyes were watering so bad I couldnt see, my nose had this burning sensation like I had to sneeze and I had a coughing attack. In front of 40 people. great, right? Joan was able to take over while I collected myself in the bathroom. A cold is not flattering, my hair was a mess, my make-up dissolved into thin air it seemed, my lips were bright red and my skin was dry. I did what I could and finished the day, luckily it was almost lunch time but we first had to stop in and say hello to the owner of the building, a Joseph something or other. He told Joan and I he wasn an old communist and showed him his memorabilia etc. He then offered us "The Slovak Special" of shots of some type of alcohol. We insited no and told him we had to eat first. "Maybe next time" he said in rough English. Creepy. We had lunch at a local pizza parlor, where a whole pizza set us back 5€. Just a few days before the Slovakian currency, the Koronas, switched to euros. Everything was so cheap. I had a pasta dish that was only 3€. Joan and I ate with Martin (luckily because the menu was in Slovak and the waiter didnt speak English) and the whole bill was 21€ including beer. Amazing!

At the end of the night, Martin took us back to our hotel where we changed and then met up with him and the Ryanair Instructor, Cristopher, a over thirty rock star wannabe who also is the base supervisor in Italy. We met them at this bar called The Dubliner, a really cool place. We talked about all sorts of things, mainly work until the Ryanair Direct Instructor arrived. She flew in from Dublin to teach the first two days of the course to the students. Of all places we go she said, we picked the Irish pub. Martin had been drinking so Joan drove all of us to the UFO in Bratislava. A very upscale bar, restraunt and club. It was incredibly gorgeous. To see Bratislava at night is unbelieveable. We had wine at the bar, overlooking the city. Warm candles glowed from around the room and light music played in the background. The whole place was very chic. Joan, the Irish Instructor and I had Slovakian Red Wine, the Italian instructor and Marin had Sambuka. We stayed an hour there, talking and discussing work. It was an out of body experience in a way because for a moment, I saw myself from the outside looking in-watching this 21 year old girl from Florida sitting in this very posh place in Bratislava, Slovakia-a place I never dreamed I would go-talking business with high-up people, people who have worked in the company for years. It was my first business outing. I think I aged even more in that hour I was there.

Joan and I made it back to the hotel later and despretley needed to eat something. We found a Mexican/Asian restraunt and tried our luck there. If a Mexican restaraunt, like Chipotle and A Chinese restaraunt like Panda Express had a baby, this would be it. It was decorated appropriately but had all kinds of things on the menu. Joan and I had cokes, nachos and salsa, spinach and cheese quesadillas and he got a baked potato with four chicken skewers with thai sauce. It was amazingly good.

I can say this about Bratislava, it suprised me. The city is beautiful, at least the old town which is being renovated and is similar to the one where we live in Girona. The buildings are gorgous but you can definetly see the Communist influence. I wish we would have had more time but it is a place we will definetly visit again-either for work or pleasure. From there we can go to Budapest and Vienna. Also, we really want to go to Prague. I believe Joan and I will accomplish all that this year and more.

We worked Friday and it was a very busy/stressful day. I'm glad it's the weekend. I only have tomorrow, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday left and then I'm off to America! I still have to pack but Joan and I are going to be hitting up the sales tomorrow at H&M!

Thanks for reading my incredibly long post!
As they say in Slovakian...Ciao Ciao.

Back in Spain

Well, I'm finally back in Spain after flying all over Europe with Joan. We were in three cities in one day..or four in two days. However you want to look at it, we were busy.

I'll update you guys this weekend but for now I just wanted to remind you that

NEXT WEEK I'LL BE GRACING AMERICA WITH MY PRESENCE.

Only a few more days!

No Blues Today

I mentioned a few posts back that I often got a case of the Sunday Blues, well, I didn't get them today. Joan and I woke up EARLY this morning to meet his parents and Sergi at the airport to see them off before they went to Paris. Ooo la la, right? I'm envious of course but I know I'll get to go again soon. After leaving the airport we decided to go to the mall to look at puppies. Always breaks my heart but I can't help it. We picked out one we wanted, a French Bulldog puppy, all black and a face that could even melt the heart of the Wicked Witch of the West. I silently named him Kujo and then we left.
It was a great trip because Joan finally found button downs that actually fit him. H&M is great. We're going back next Sunday for saaaales! I found some great, thick black tights for the cold trip to Bratislava and Kansas City as well as a black Tous belt which I was very happy to receive. We had cafés and doughnuts and promptly made our way back home for some much needed R&R.

Now we're at the library, Joan has been studying for the last hour for his accounting exam and I've been researching hundreds of internships across the country as well as applying for scholarships and grants for school. Even though I have internet at home, I'm always more productive here.
I'm going to head home now, have dinner and prepare for the week ahead. We will be going to Bratislava as well as Stansted and Milan! So busy! Soon, I'll be posting about packing for the states! I cannot contain my excitement!

Ciao

Inspired

A fellow blogger wrote in her blog 16 random things about herself. I am inspired by her post and will do the same in my personal blogosphere. Her and I have a lot in common and perhaps after reading mine (and hers too!) you will be inspired to do the same and who knows maybe a giant chain of "16 Things" will spread like a California Willdfire (too soon?) and we'll be famous. Here goes.

1.I like to clean. A lot. I'm not an OCD case or anything but I don't think it's that weird that I need the house to be generally clean before bed, before studying or well just about anything. I like a clean space and if anyone needed to eat off my floor, they probably could without catching any major germs.

2. However, just because I like to clean a lot doesn't mean I love showering. Yes, I do it because I'd be considered gross and smelly and well the boy probably wouldn't like it. It's such a hassle to me. Sometimes I will admit it's refreshing after a run, a workout or long day; but other than that I really loathe shower time. I must have had a trauma as a child.

3.I'm addicted to coffee or hot chocolate. In America I never drank coffee, or not real coffee, just Starbucks blends and shiz. Now I always order a café amb llet or café con leche for all you Spanish speaking folks out there. During the months of December-February I drink Hot Chocolate a lot. Not that Chocolate pudding stuff Spain has but the real Hot Chocolate sent from the states. With marshmallows, of course. I always work better and it's how I get excited about going to work, I know if I go, I'll get a cup of coffee. I must have been so easy to appease as a kid.

4.I'm on the same wave length as jo, When Harry Met Sally is my all time favorite movie and I'm stoked for the day when I go to NYC again and sit in the diner where Sally had her "famous scene" I think you know which one I mean. I'm glad I found my Harry, in form of a Spaniard named Joan but well, it works.

5. I don't LOVE scary movies but I'll watch them with a group of friends on occasion. I know it's a movie but when scary movies are based on events that are realistic they stay in my mind for days, if not weeks. Joan's little brother played Black Christmas yesterday and even though I KNOW that an inbred psycho isn't going to escape and come to my apartment because she used to live there and now wants to eat my eyes-I still thought about that scenario and what I would do if that were to occur.Who's going to be the prepared one when crazy stuff starts happening? ME.

6.I love Reeses. I also love peanut butter M&Ms but I heard they're not being sold anymore? Not sure but either way I love them. Peanut Butter on it's own isn't so appetizing but when mixed with Chocolate, I can't for the life of me think of anything better than that. I once had one of Joan's friends bring me back some when he went to Vegas but I guess he was confused or never heard of them because he brought me back Peanut M&Ms even though he knows those are sold here and very easy to get. I was sad.

7. I love to watch movies as well. It saddens me greatly because theaters only show movies in Spanish and I hate watching George Clooney's mouth move one direction and his words go another. Ruins the beauty of a film for me. I now have to resort to downloading shoddy films where every ten minutes or so I see a shadow of a person get up and move down the aisle to go to the bathroom. When I go home to America I want to see a movie everyday.

8.I love reading. I'm an addict, books are my drug. It's an expensive habit because I can't find the books I want here, in English. I have to order them or when I go to London for work, buy them there. I love owning books. I'm preparing for my future mansion's future library. I have over forty books which is a great start but depresses Joan when he thinks of all the money that goes into my habit. I don't care, they are wonderful and I want more of them. You can often find me on the barnes&noble website, foaming at the mouth.

9.I can never find my socks. When I lived in FL I never had any because I wore flip flops 24/7. I had about five pairs when I moved to KC and now that I'm here and wear boots almost everyday I can never find my socks. Joan has half a ton so I usually have to wear his which are way to big and kind of ugly. I need to buy some socks.

10.I love to go on walks. But I hate walking if I'm forced. I walk to work each day and its the longest walk ever, especially when it's cold. I like to wander around Girona or Barcelona or anywhere and could do so for hours. Especially around lakes. In 30 minutes I have to walk back to work-the walk I hate the most.

11.I love Disney movies. Secretly until about now. Aladdin was on the other night and I really wanted to watch it but of course Joan didn't and he told me he would just download it for me sometime. I swear I'm not a freak about this but they're the kind of films you can just enjoy and relax and sing a long too. I don't deny myself this that make me smile, especially not cute monkeys named Abu and genie's that grant wishes in a fun musical way.

12. I don't like pigeons. I have come to call groups of elderly people pigeons. There are lots of pigeons in Barcelona, both varieties and they both sit in parks. Only in Paris do they feed each other. They constantly coo and if you've ever watched them try to eat something, it makes me frustrated and I just want to shout" your beak is small! can't you open your mouth?" or "That's a rock! You'll never be able to it so just stop pecking at it!"

13. One of my best friends here is an 80 year old woman named Pilar. She is the secretary at work and she only speaks Spanish/Catalan so it forces me to practice the language skills. She makes me soup when I'm sick at work or baked apples during the holidays. When I tell her I'm going out with Joan after work for a date or something, she sprays me with her Lowe perfume that she says is "very sophisticated" and the same people annoy her that annoy me so it gives us fun gossip time. She's great.

14.I used to dance a lot. I did ballet and jazz and hip hop for a lot of years. I miss it a lot. I used to act too, just a bit but it could have been a calling. I could have worked with Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt. If only...If only.

15.I was an only child for a long time until my little brother was born. He's my half brother but all the same. I'm 21 and he's 9. I miss him a ton since I've been here but we'll pick up right where we left off when I see him in two weeks. I'm still the only girl so that's just as good as being an only child pretty much.

16. I live in Spain and like some others I am elitist about it and only those of you who have lived in Europe will understand. We're better than you and we can say it in another language to prove it.

Fine As Wine In 2009

At this time yesterday morning (is that how it goes?) I was ringing in the New Year with Carlos and Gemma. It was a fun, laid back New Years with Joan and our friends. A friend told me that where you are at midnight dictates how the rest of the year will be, if that's so then that's perfect for me. Whether that's a myth or not, it does hold some kind of truth. Last year I rang in 08 in the Casino of Barcelona and the rest of 2008 I went to more parties than I did in school.

Joan and I arrived at Carlos and Gemma's around 10. I made Caesar Pasta Salad and we had lots of little snacks and drinks. They have an adorable dog, Rocky. I fell in love and I think the same happened to him. He was at my side, practically trying to hold my hand all night. I'll be sure to post pictures this week. At midnight we all ate our 12 grapes as the little pacman people ate the grapes on t.v. with us, at the sound of each chime of the clock. I managed to eat all 12 but mine were already peeled and seedless so I cheated a bit.

At 1:00 we left Girona and drove to Lloret where we met up with Xevi and Albert at El Tunel and then headed to Shabir's for the festivities. I finally met his father which was a surreal experience. We stayed at his house knockin back the Moet until three when we finally left for the disco. I actually had a really nice time with Ana even if the place wasn't the best. Albert disappeared at some point, Xevi stayed at Hollywood while we walked to BurgerKing to grab a New Years snack. My first meal of the year always comes from there, last year Joan and I went to the same place, weird. Anyway, we finally made it home at 6 and I found myself in his parents kitchen throwing sugar down Joan's throat cause he caught the hiccups. Hilarious as it was we almost woke everyone up.

The afternoon was great, we slept in and Joan's mom made Arroz y Bogavante. My favorite meal. It will be our last family lunch until next month because this Sunday they go to Paris and when they get back it will be a Sunday evening and I leave right after to the states! This month will fly by. The first day has already, at a frightening pace. Joan and I did talk about our future and typical NYE things. Now it's 12:20 on Jan 2nd, I'm not sticking to my plan of going to bed early and neither is Joan, oh well this year I'm going to do what I want, get what I want and hopefully make a ton of money!

A little shout out to Joan, for being so sweet and celebrating our second New Years together.You made it wonderful as always, I'm so happy to be by your side to give you besos at the stroke of midnight. I Love you.

Twelve Things

I have put together twelve photos to sum up the year 2008 & my time here in Spain. It's cool looking back at everything that I've done/accomplished/experienced in these 12 months.

1.DUBLIN-My first Guinness and my first 30 days consecutively with the boyfriend. Crazy, huh?

2.First New Years with Joan-Having a great night out and meeting all of Joan's best friends.

3. Joan's Family. Without them living abroad would be so much harder. They are my family now I love them so much!

4.The day Joan and I "signed the papers" so that I could work in Spain! That changed our life in so many ways. I could stay here and live and have this incredible experience!

5.My grandmothers first visit to Europe! it was so incredible to show her Spain and for her to experience life on the other side of the world. It's an experience I hope she can have more than once!

6. My first trip to PARIS! This was an experience that left me speechless. To be in a city that I heard about all my life and wished to go to for so long-incredibly amazing. Joan did a great job surprising me with this trip!

7. My 21st Birthday and My friend's visit to Spain! August was a great month, busy, but great. I had a fantastic birthday and it was wonderful having girl time after so many months! 8.Living in Lloret. Joan and I were so fortunate to have a beautiful flat with incredible views. That was our first place together and we will never forget all the great times there.

9.Barney. Our first pet together. We saved him from being Rabbit Stew and eventually we set him free in the wild (Joan's property in Lloret) to live and have little Barney's of his own. He was a good guy.

10.The nights out with Joan and his friends have been some of the best nights I've ever had. So many laughs and great Spanish lessons! Joan is so lucky to have such great people around him. I guess I am lucky now too. :) And a shout out to Kindra,( pictured below) one of the sweetest and funniest girls I met thanks to Spanish classes in Girona.

11.The Cuisine. I've eaten more Lobster this year than ever in my life. Paella, Gambas, Calamaris, Champagne, Cava, Vino. I've dined like a Queen in Spain-love it! I've also learned how to cook many new dishes, from mi suegra and from cooking dinner for Joan and I each night. I can say I've become quite a chef!

12.Barcelona. I'm pictured below with a "King" one of the three for the festivities Jan 6th here in Spain. Barcelona has been such a great place, I have so many memories there. It's brought me together with Alison, my grandmother, my friends, Joan, Maribel, friends here in Spain, and numerous others. I've spent New Years there, my 21st birthday, weekends with the boyfriend, shopping. It's a wonderful city that has been a major part of my life here in Spain.However, I do need to include Girona. Joan and I live here now and it is definetly a place to call home. Pictures is the bridge Joan and I take each day when we go to work. Girona is a small but metropolitan city that we really love.

Any Nou

Instead of making a list of New Years Resolutions I'm going to make a list of good intentions. Because, how many people actually keep their resolutions more than a month or two after the strike of midnight? This year has gone by in a flash. I remember the first day I arrived here and the other hundred and five things that happened in 08 like it were yesterday. And soon it will be over. All the more reason to make my good intentions last until this time next year.

You may be wondering what Any Nou is. It's pronounced, Ann- No more or less, and it's Catalan for New Year. Catalan is part of my list of good intentions.

- I want to focus a little more on Catalan instead of Spanish. Both are important to me in different ways but I feel I can really be successful in this language if I study it a bit more.

-To travel more if the budget allows. I'm off to go a good start by going to Bratislava for two days and then to the states for eleven. I love being in Europe and the places I most want to visit is Italy, Germany, Norway and Greece.

-Get back on track with school. This one is more of a must than an intention but all the same something I need to do. Taking a year off has been what I needed and I've had really great experiences because of it. In the fall of 09 I'd love to be enrolled in school. In the spring I want to get my TEFL certificate online.

-To cook more. I made dinner for thirteen people for Christmas. If I can do that, I can cook more dinners in the evening. Again, if the budget allows, I'd love to experiment with recipes and expand my knowledge of cooking.

-Keep in touch with my friends and family better. I did OK given the circumstances but I forgot a lot of birthdays, didn't write or call when I said I would and was just lazy. Part of me doesn't like to call because it's never the same, sometimes there can be akward moments and most of all it makes me incredibly sad that I'm not there. Usually I am very busy and the time difference doesn't help but my good intention is to send more emails and make more calls.

-Achieve. I worked incredibly hard, as did Joan, to get to where we are now. We have a long way to go but I want us to get there sooner. I must work harder, apply for more scholarships, grants, volunteer, teach more English, earn degrees and make more money.

Quite a list of intentions, isn't it? I don't feel pressure though, because they're just that-intentions.

I hope you all have a wonderfully happy any nou and have a list of your own to follow.

Cebado

This morning I had a hair appointment at Cebado. My boss suggested I go to Yatz, the lady that does her hair. I walked in at 10:45, they took my coat, gave me a black silk type robe to put on over me and I waited 10 minutes before Yatz came over to check out my hair. She told me my color was beautiful than the last time she saw it (when I went in for the consulation). She worked wonders with my hair, it's cut to my collar and has layers. My bangs are a bit shorter and well, it's hot. Then she colored my hair. We decided on a shade darker than it was and that turned out great as well. I was told to come back in two months, she would cut my hair again and color it a second time so that I would get the best color for my hair. I agree and I will go back.

I also met a nice girl, Natalia. She is the daughter of one of the hairdressers. She speaks English and was in to get her hair cut today as well. We exchanged numbers and hopefully we'll meet soon.

Overall the experience was great. Three hours of relaxation, scalp massages and a new look. At the end, Yatz had them to my make up. What wonders a little blush, well placed eyeliner and lipgloss can do! I will be ready for New Years thats for sure! A day which we still don't have plans.

Now that I am home, I think I'll make a cup of Hot Cocoa, grab Hemingway's "For Whom The Bell Tolls" and keep up this relaxing day.

Christmas Day Part II

Today was Sant Esteve day as I have mentioned before and it went very well! I overslept this morning and we didn't get to the parents house until 11 but the Turkey was already done so I just had to make the rest. Green Bean Casserole, Candied Yams, Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce--the works. At 2:30 everyone had arrived and we ate. I was more nervous than I've ever been but after everyone tried everything and everyone liked it, the weight was lifted off my shoulders. It was my first time making any of this stuff and it went so well. Makes me think I could be a chef.

We opened presents, drank cava and around 5 I took an hour nap in Joan's old bedroom. I missed the Caga Tio (the hitting of the log until it poos) oh well, It will happen again next year.

At 9 everyone left and so did we. We're now at home enjoying our presents (our new slippers from Zara Home, the mass amount of Turon we got and the joy of having internet. Tomorrow I go to Cebado to get my "new look". I'll post pics if it's not a disaster.

I'm off to enjoy the rest of the night and the weekend before it's time to go to work again.

Christmas Day

Christmas Day was wonderful. Much more relaxed (for me) than last year. Such a 360. Last year I had been in Spain less than a week before I was meeting his entire family. I didn't speak any Spanish or Catalan, the food was strange etc but this time around...I understand Catalan, I speak more Spanish, I love the food and I love his family!

We went to the grandparents around 2:30 after a wonderful morning of baking with Maribel. We made sugar cookies and party mix. It was a lot of fun and Ari even helped out, I love when her and I are able to talk. We opened presents before going over for lunch. I got Ari some earplugs since her boyfriend started learning how to play the guitar...

Joan's grandfather loves to record. Actually, he's a techie. He has three different DVD players that all do different things, top of the line digital cameras, camcorders, CD players; the works. Each Christmas he videotapes everything. It is pretty adorable to be honest and fun to watch during the next years dinner. Joan and I are watching our spending so we made something instead this year. We burned the new Josh Groban CD to give to everyone. Joan's techie grandfather (He's 80 by the way) loves Christmas Music and has more American artists than even I've heard of-he doesn't understand a word of it but loves it all the same. We put on the music and his grandmother started crying, she loved it so much. His grandfather said he liked Groban better than the Sinatra CD. That's saying something. It's incredible to me that something as simple as that can change the atmosphere of Christmas.
Even the sugar cookies gave a good reaction. Joan's family had always seen people eating them in movies but had never tried them. They loved them.

For a moment during the dinner, when Ave Maria was playing in the background, I took a moment to just watch everyone. Ariandna and Sergi were laughing and joking together. Joan was enjoying his Christmas soup, Maribel and Tony were laughing about something Montse had said. Joan's grandfather was recording his wife bringing out the next course and it was just such a wonderful sight. I was sad I wasn't with my family for Christmas but these people ARE my family. I have two and they are both so wonderful. I am very lucky.

Tomorrow is round II of the festivities. Maribel's brothers and sisters are coming over-everyone on her side that is and I am preparing the American Meal. Candied Yams, Stuffing, Mashed Potatos with Gravy, Cranberries, Brownies, Chex Mix, Lemon and Thyme Roasted Turkey, Green Bean Casserole, Hot Chocolate, Cheesecake and Christmas Punch. I am nervous and excited at the same time. An American Christmas like they have always seen on t.v. LIVE in their home.

It is midnight here and Christmas Day is officially over. Joan and I are in our new robes we got from his Aunt, he is making a "midnight snack" and then we should be tucking in for a goodnights sleep. Tomorrow is sure to be a very fun and long day.

I hope your Christmas was everything you wanted it to be and more.

And So It Continues

I suppose I'm just a junkie that needs more than one fix.
I have started another blog. The other is about anything other than my life. Thoughts, articles, current events, food, fashion-anything under the sun.

Please read and enjoy at:

www.thedailycafe.wordpress.com

Bon Nadal

Happy Holidays Everyone.

With Love-

Time with the Girls

Sunday, during the lunch, Ariana was especially late. This is normal, she tends to always be late but Sunday we were already eating dessert by the time she arrived. Turns out she didn't get much sleep the night before because she and her girlfriends had a sleepover. I guess one can never be told old for those. It sounded like she had a lot of fun, I got to reminicing about nights in the chapter room, sleepovers in Roberta Hall and even sleepovers from birthday parties years ago. I miss those. a lot. I'm thinking that when I go to KC, my friends and I should have one.

" Heather Rose darling, what do you think?"

My time there is short, I only have saturday, but perhaps since the space is limited and everyone goes to bed early it would probably be OK for me to stay over with a friend. Perhaps we could then go to church the next morning and then I will go back to my family's home. Yes, good solid plan. Because one day with my friends just isn't enough at all.

I only have 3 weeks left until the big departure, although it feels like I have months. I think I will get more excited when the day arrives. I feel I have so much to do before then. This Saturday I'm going to the salon to update the hairdo, I need to get a few gifties for the aunties and I really need to get everything at work accomplished and organized before I leave, luckily Joan should have my email set up by then so I will be able to check up on things from my home in the states.

What's everyones plan for New Years? I still don't have one. Last year was amazing and this year Joan and I aren't even going to try to top it. I'm sure we will end up having dinner at home, renting a classic and then we will probably meet up with friends before midnight to ring in the new year. Where? No idea. There ia great cocktail bar near our home, maybe we can go there if it isn't to packed. There is always so much emphasis on this night, all I care about is being with Joan, our close friends and having fun. Besides, my party will start the 15th of of the New Year and that's perfectly fine with me!

The Sunday Blues

I don't know about you all but sometimes I get the blues on Sunday. Not right away in the morning of course. Not when I'm snuggled under the covers, the sunlight peeking through the window and Joan in some crazy position next to me-I like that. Not in the afternoons when we're walking in Girona, having a café on the river or at his parents for lunch. I like that a lot too. Not when we are lazy and decide not to cook so we order take out or McDonalds instead, that's my favorite. It's probably when I get home, it's dark out and I start preparing things for Monday. Ugh Mondays. In my life I learned that it's better to have something special planned for Mondays because it's a hard day, at lesat for me. Especially when Joan has to go out of town and doesn't come back until late.
Tomorrow (the dreaded Monday) I've been given the task to take the girls from the School of Hostesses to the pool outside of town. They have to practice and beat 2:30 in order to get their TCP certificate. The girls are fun and all but it's a bit crazy. Not to mention that I'm supposed to teach Pablo and Carlos and I don't know how I'll do both. Oh Mondays. The good thing is though, is that Tuesday night is the Company Dinner, Wednesday is Christmas Eve, Thursday is Christmas Day and Friday is Sant Esteva Day here, St.Stephen in English and Saint Etienne in France. The bible says that Stephen was tried by the Sanhedrin for blasphemy against Moses and God (Acts 6:11) and speaking against the Temple and the Law (Acts 6:13-14) and was stoned to death by an angry mob that was encouraged by Saul of Tarsus, the future Saint Paul. Stephen's final speech is presentred as making an accusation against the Jews of continuing to persecute prophets who spoke out against their sins. (Thanks Wikipedia for the 411)

So there you have it, and on Saint Stephen's Day I will be in charge of cooking the turkey, the casserole, the stuffing, the salads, the desserts and the beverages. Joan's abuela told me she wanted "An Ameican Christmas like in the movies." I'll do whatever it takes to give her one.

Happy Holidays and I hope you don't have a case of the Sunday Blues.

The Year of A Life Time

Fa la la la la la la one year!

Yesterday marked ONE YEAR that I've been living abroad in Spain. This time last year I was in Dublin, Ireland with Joan and about to board a plane to meet his family for the first time. I'll never forget the first moments in the city of Dublin, my first cocktail in Hard Rock Cafe and certainly not the first words my new family said to me, "Welcome to your home".

The first days with Joan's family were difficult. I'm sure any girlfriend meeting the parents is an experience but not speaking the same language and in a whole new country, well it makes the stakes a little higher.

Since living here, I've learned so much. Someone asked me the other day, how I would describe my experience here. All I could think to say was "across the board" Any emotion you can think of, I've probably felt it and then some. Overall-it has been incredible. I see people that have now become my friends and think that if I never would have met Joan or even decided to come here, I wouldn't have ever known about these people and their lives. I look at Joan's friends who have treated me with nothing but kindness and I wonder how I could have gone my life without meeting them. Not to disregard the wonderful people I met at Northwest. I know when I go to visit them next month I will feel that same way all over again. I see Joan's mother, how she has treated me like her own daughter, she and Joan's dad have learned English for me! They have progressed so much in fact I'm embarassed my Spanish isn't any better by now! And Joan's sister, a year ago, even two months ago we were still strangers. Ever since our trip to Granada she has become like a sister-n-law and I hope we can continue to grow closer as the months continue.
I've also learned so much about culture, for obvious reasons. Traveling to many new countries, not only for pleasure but for business as well. Learning firsthand about International Relations and Business has been more beneficial than anything in a classroom would. My job has given me a chance to stay here with Joan. If it wasn't for this job, I wouldn't be able to use my English and I'm not sure if I even would have found a real job to begin with. Teaching English has been a great experience as well. I've met wonderfully amazing people and have learned so much about the English language along the way. When I began I taught Rosa, the Public Relations professor and her husband Jordi. I met a wonderful family through teaching Pablo and Carlos, I've met a talented surgeon through Antoni and wonderful girls who are aspiring flight attendants through the Hostess School. Wonderful people who in small ways have changed my life. Even my boss, who I taught Business English lessons to today. She is an extraordinary woman who took a chance on hiring me just because of where I was from and didn't care that I hadn't finished my studies yet. Now I'm working on my own courses, doing a great job I might add and Joan has been promoted to Managing Director. We've come so far in a year.

Not only career wise but financially as well. We still aren't rolling in dough, but we're far better off than when I arrived and we're still improving. We're living in a gorgeous flat in the historic and posh neighborhood in Girona. We have a warm home to come to at the end of each day, food to eat each night and clothes to wear, most of all we have each other; something we didn't have for almost two years.

My grandmother told me the other day a great truth, she said, "You are doing what you've always wanted to do, travel Europe!" She is absolutley right. I always dreamed of this and now it's happening. It's true God doesn't always answer your prayers in the way you might expect. I always wanted to be rich and travel the world, I'm not rich yet and I haven't conquered the world but-I'm so much closer than before and I'm working hard for it too which says something.

Next month I'm going to Bratislava for work with Joan. We'll be staying over two nights. Slovakia has a bad rep but we're booked in a very nice hotel in the city center so while we will be very busy, we will also have time to see the sights. We're also going to have a layover in Milan for six hours so who knows, I may get to see a little bit of Italy too!

All in all, Spain has changed me; for the better. I'm working in a successfull company at 21, full time and starting school in the fall, I'm independent and also learning two new languages. I never would have thought I'd be at this point, this early. But I'm glad for it. If you want to be successfull in life you have to work for it and there's no better way than starting early.

I don't know what 2009 has in store for me or Joan but I can only hope it will be as fun and exciting as this year has been. I'm looking forward to seeing my friends and family next month-something that is long overdue. I miss you all very much.

Best Wishes for the Holiday Season

-Love Always-