My Final Days of European Bliss

Clearly I'm home. Clearly, this post is so late as to be [almost] obsolete. However, it never sat right with me that there was no real closure to this blog of mine, other than my farewell letter, so consider this one of two entries that will be dedicated to officially closing out an amazing chapter of my life.

I'll try to make this summary quick and regale y'all (oh yeah, the southern lingo is back) with only the high points of my last week and a half in good ole eSpain. #PictureThis:

A Farewell to Spain

I'm leaving Spain in a few hours, not to return anytime in the foreseeable future. In thinking about that stark reality, I thought about what I'd write in a letter to this second country of mine if it were a person. It would read something like this:

Things I've Discovered About Traveling

My days as an expat are coming to a rather quick conclusion. This time next month, I'll be fighting jet lag in Mobile while thinking back to my days here and appreciating even more just how blessed I am. That being said, I'm finding myself in a more reflective state. I've started thinking about the trips I've taken and those that are to come and have come to some conclusions about my likes and dislikes, do's and don't's when it comes to traveling. They are: 

Why the Protest Movement in Spain is Accomplishing Nothing

They are "...malcontents who offer no program for changing the undesirable conditions about which they complain." ~Carter G. Woodson

Black and Christian in Spain

Praise the Lord, Saints.

A Mid-Year Reflection

My Fulbright grant lasts for nine and a half months, which means that, in early February, I reached the halfway point of my time here. I really don't want to re-hash every minute detail of the last 4.5 months (read the earlier posts if you want to know what was going on during my first few weeks here), so I'll just share a few epiphanies and a little of the knowledge acquired.

For You, Unc

To say that writing this is hard would be the understatement of 2013. Heartbreakingly painful would be closer to an accurate description. 

Hello 2013!

AKA: My gawd, have I really already completed 1/3 of this journey!?

The Rut

So, it's the holiday season. The most wonderful time of the year. Chestnuts are roasting on an open fire, people are (stereotypically) happier, and life is just a little merrier. At least, this is how it should be. For the most part, I agree. Some of my favorite times of the year are the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's. This year, though, it's really bittersweet. 

Spaniards Say the Darndest Things, Part II

Note: If you haven't read Part I, stop, go back, and read it! You'll appreciate Part II more. Since I have faith that you will read Part I if you've not already done so, there's no need to explain where I'm coming from with this. Thus, I present the second installment of random things that have been said to me so far.

Turkey Day Abroad

November 27 marked Thanksgiving, that special day in which Americans come together to fellowship with family and friends and give thanks for what we have...in addition to giving ourselves unrepentant permission to be utter gluttons for 24 hours. Schools are cancelled and major businesses are closed for this day throughout America. However, life goes on across the pond. So what, you may be wondering, did  I do to celebrate Thanksgiving? Good question. Let's recap:

Four More Years!!!

By now, I'm hoping everyone knows that President Obama was re-elected. If you didn't know that, well...I don't even have a witty response to that lack of knowledge.

Dear October,

So, I was pretty negligent about blogging during the month of October, but ish got real for 31 days. Here's a quick recap:

Spaniards Say the Darndest Things

As a Fulbright Fellow, I am a goodwill ambassador for the United States. Doesn't that sound fancy?

Homeless to Embajadores

Mi habitación

Yesterday (Thursday, September 13, year of our Lord 2012) marked the one week anniversary of my arrival to Spain! I know some of you are asking what I did to celebrate this momentous occasion...or not.

The First 48

I arrived in Madrid at 9:55 a.m. on Thursday, September 6, 2012, after a 15 hour journey from South Alabama. The three plane rides were pretty uneventful, though checking in at the airport was headache-inducing. I'm the world's worst packer and can find a way to pack too much for a weekend at a friend's house.

Welcome!

Bienvenido! Bienvenuto! Karibu! 歓迎!

I've decided to blog about my experiences as an English Teaching Assistant in Madrid because it seems like the most efficient way in which to keep my family and friends updated about my adventures here. My goal is to discuss any interesting tidbit that I come across, including observations, the inevitable protests, etc. 

First, here's a little background on how I got here.