annual good-byes

Above is a picture of my favorite part of my normal running route. It's right when pass the fig tree that gives off such a wonderful scent. It's even prettier in person with the mountains in the distance and on a lucky day like this one when I catch the sun setting.

Last weekend we visited my future apartment in Cartagena, a city about 30 minutes away from Murcia, and we had a beer by the port. My new apartment is only a 15/20 minute walk from the sea. Here's a picture of the port.



It's that time of year again when I have to say good-bye to friends in Spain and pack my bags to head back to the states for the summer. I'm more than ready to be back in the U.S. with my family and friends and I would rather spend my summers there than in Spain, but at the same time I always get a knot in my stomach and my nerves take over my last week here. I've had a lot of random paperwork to do preparing for next year at the bank, the immigration office and the language school. Everything always gets done, but I can't help but stress out a bit in the process.

The economy as most people know is not at it's best right now and in Spain it's even worse than in the U.S. Today I had an English class with a few certified teachers who currently don't have jobs due to the economy and I couldn't help but sense a feeling of weariness. So many people in Spain are unemployed at the moment. I feel so lucky to have, not only a job, but one I love. I'm grateful for everything I've been blessed with and I couldn't imagine things any better than they are at this moment. I'm happy where I am in life, whether it's in Spain like right now or in the states like I will be next week. As always, I have to remember to be mindful, relish the present and stop fretting.

I'll stop being sappy now.

The next time I write I'll probably be home in Indiana. We'll be spending this weekend in Madrid and then on Sunday morning I leave for the U.S.

qué calor

june

i can't believe that it's already june and that in less than a month i'll be home with my family once again! i'm really looking forward to summer vacation and quality time with people stateside.

this weekend has been pleasantly relaxed and uneventful, which means we've been able to unwind and catch up on sleep. the sun is out these days until nearly 10pm so we're actually able to use our time as we wish when we finish work at 8 or 9. in the winter it's already dark and during the week we go directly home to have dinner and then off to bed. now we can take the dog for a walk in the country behind the house and watch the sun set behind the rows of olive trees. it feels like we have more time so we take our time making dinner or to sit on the porch and dine as a family. this weekend i made roasted red pepper hummus (inspired by meredith) and caramel topped shortbread bites (too rich to eat anything more than a bite). roberto made fresh grilled tuna with a parsley and garlic sauce and homemade gazpacho.

thursday i met my friend helena and went to the vetusta morla concert in murcia. this is one of the only spanish groups i really like. they remind me of a spanish mix of coldplay and radiohead. i walked to the concert downtown along the river listening to music and admiring the trees full of purple flowers. the petals float down in the wind covering the sidewalk with a lilac carpet and spiral around you as if you were in a dream.

today we spent the day at the beach. the sun is strong but the water is fresh and clear, perfect for a dip. i swam in the cool water for at least 15 minutes letting the waves move me up and down as they passed. we had a picnic of hummus, carrots, tuna sandwiches and watermelon. quite nice indeed!

hasta pronto!