Una Vida

I never thought I would know exactly how my life would unravel, but I think that I would have to say I am so thankful it is going the way it is going. I didn’t think I would be sitting on the southern coast of Spain writing a blog nor did I think I would ever leave it.

Well as all things, this too is comes to an end. The past 8 or 9 months, I mean really who is truly counting I’m too busy trying to overwhelm myself in the immensity of it all. I still don’t think it all has sunken in. I have learned to love myself in a new way, cried at the things that really pull my heart strings, opened my heart to friendships I never would have come by before this, learned different things about myself and how to handle things, but most importantly, I have laughed joyfully.  I could not be happier with myself, how gracious the Lord is with me, the opportunities I have been given, the relationships I have made and kept, and the chance to truly grow into a better person.

With that being said, Spain is somewhere where I grew-mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. The first time and the second time, and I hope the next time I come back (which God willing will be within the next year for a nice vacation). It has been and will always be held in a special place in my heart, which is how  it makes it a little easier for me to say adios for a little while…

I made a “big girl” decision last week all by myself. I was offered a Special Education teacher position at an elementary school in Texas. It just so happened to be the same school I student taught at and in the same city of my university. There is history and this history is good. I was also talking with another school in Houston, which is the city I grew up by and the city where my family still lives.  And to top it off, I was accepted to Andalucia (southern Spain) once more.  So, you could say I had some praying to do.

I had 2 interviews 2 weeks ago, for 2 different schools and in 2 different cities. I received a call back 2 days after my Monday interview.  Since I am in Spain, I could not be in my parent’s house to answer the call. So I called back not really knowing what to expect and fearing an offer would come up. I feared it, because I then knew I would be making a decision sooner than I had anticipated. The insecurities were setting in “I’m not old enough to have a real job”, “What am I going to say if they offer me a job?”, “Am I ready?”, “I havent gotten a peace from God…will I know when they say those words “We would like to recommend you for a position..”, etc. I just let everything sink in, and I just continued to hold out for my peace in something. A something I knew would be “right” for me, for my family, and for my career as a Special Education teacher.

Well, it wasn’t a fairy tale story, because lets face it. This is real life. I had called back maybe 4 times via skype trying to get a hold of my HR guy. I think its difficult with the time differences and our busy schedules, but finally we set up an appointment and I had those words said to me “we would like to recommend you for a position” and I was in shock.  Not shock that I froze and could not say a word, I was in “big girl” shock mode. I didn’t even know I had that in me! Haha I asked for time to think about the offer, and I received 24 hours. 

At the time, it felt like those single 24 hours were the “end all be all” of my life. I took the time to talk to people in my life who I valued intently for their advice and most importantly their prayers.  What I wanted more than anything was to make sure this was what God wanted. I trust that He has, is, and will continue to lead my life in a wonderful direction. So, I continued to think and pray. I took some time on my terrace overlooking my breathtaking view of the ocean and mountains as the sun was going down. I read my Word and journaled. As I look back at my journal entry, I see what I see myself doing and failing everytime. I was trying to control my decision for selfish reasons, and I put a wall up and was scared to hear what the Lord was telling me. Well after the Lord shows you an amazing pink/purple sky (which is my favorite…best ones are in Lubbock, Texas hands down), I let Him in. I read the next chapter in my devotional about humbling your heart  and letting Him be in control of my life, which led me to a great scripture in 2 Kings about a man who learned to humble his heart and he accepted the Lord into his life. The last verse said “Go in peace” as the man left the healer.

It hit me at that moment. This was good. This was God. And this is right for me, my family, and my career as a teacher. So, I said yes to God.

I didn’t say yes to anyone yet at that point, not even my daddy who I talked to before I went to bed. I’m not going to lie he did try to influence a US job over an overseas job a little bit, but he didn’t know what I was doing either at that point. I would have loved to talk to my mom, but she was at work when I called. So, it was harder but maybe it was the way it was suppose to be. I learned that I can make an important decision on my own with the Lord’s guidance, and that was the sweetest joy.

So, I said yes to the job. I will be a Special Education teacher for Lubbock ISD for the upcoming school year of 2012-2013.

People have asked questions like, “are you happy with that decision?” “are you sure you will still be at peace with it when you know your city in Spain?” “are you going to regret it?”

And I have told them…Yes, I’m happy. I have been lucky enough to live in Spain twice, not just once, and who gets to say that. Not many! And I won’t regret it, because there is nothing to regret. My passion for life is serving children with special needs. I’m ready to do that full force.

But there is something that won’t change and probably will never change….I will always travel. I am already brainstorming a Europe trip next summer!! You may think I’m crazy, but you only get one life, just one, so live it BIG and never stop doing what you truly love and makes you utterly happy.

Es mi vida....

Its been a while since I sat down and wrote about life. My life has been fast, slow, fun, silly, hilarious, joyful, sad, happy, exciting, nervous, and of course moody. I’m just this american girl trying to figure out life in this world with some many things happening around me. I guess what I’m trying to say is…this past month has been a prime example for me that life is ever-constant, ever-changing, but somehow everything you ever need at the same time.

March has been a wonderful month. Haley’s best friend from Texas came to visit us during her Spring Break and boy did we have a blast! I really enjoyed having another Texan around and there was truly never a dull moment! We took her around the town. Throughout my experience living here in this “pueblo”, I selflishly wish I was in a bigger city at times even though I adore the little quirks and the people.  It was such a joy to see how the little things that I definitely take forgranted daily were once more appreciated. I think I needed thatJ

I did do some traveling to Sevilla, my beloved city in Andalucia as well. Though it was for a couple of days, it was worth every penny and every Starbucks for that matter (it’s a sweet blessing when I can order a coffee and drink it was soy milk, so I like to savor those moments). We spent a lot of time in “el centro” by the shops and the “Catedral”. Also, we took some time to see the “Universidad de Sevilla”J

Roomies at the Catedral, Sevilla

Loving that Starbucks!

It’s a fact that people who you ask to take your picture, 1 out of 3 will make funny comments to make you smile. Our photographer was a clever one. He told us he didn’t know which one was the monument (us or the university that is haha). Love the little English that Spaniards throw out from time to time.

Gorgeous girlies at the University

After Haley’s bff went home and we returned to the “pueblo”, life got back in routine. I have classes at school Monday- Thursday and I hold private lessons twice on Monday afternoon/evening, once Tuesday afternoon, and once Wednesday afternoon. So, I’m a pretty busy girl helping babes with their English while having fun!

Of course we could not let St. Patty’s Day slip away without some sort of celebration, so we had an Irish Girls Dinner with the other “auxiliares” in our town. It was so yummy too! It was an Irish beef and veggie stew, mm mmm good!!

As quickly as March came it went just as fast! I have another interview with a KIPP Houston Elementary School next week, so we will see how that goesJ Also, I have reapplied for another year in Spain, but hoping for a bigger city. We will see what God’s plan is, which I am excited about where ever life takes me.

I still have moments where I think “omg, I live in a different country”, “I speak (or try more like it) in Spanish”, “I get to teach those precious Spanish kids”, and of course “I can’t believe its almost over….”

If this isn’t living life to the fullest, then honestly I don’t know what is.

Everything a Girl Needs...

I feel like I blogged yesterday about how I started off 2012, but now it’s the end of February!! Time flies when you are loving life that is for sure. This month I have continued my private lessons, celebrated Valentine’s Day with my third graders, gotten close to my “vecinos” (neighbors), I have experienced Carnaval in Spain, and had a few health issues.

I love holidays, big or small, I just love celebrating life with people I share it with daily. I feel  that things deserve to be celebrated and shown some appreciation every once and a while. This month, of course, was Valentine’s Day. To be honest, I knew most people think it’s a commercial holiday, but I truly think those people may be thinking about it differently. Yes, there are lots of gifts, chocolate, cards, flowers, dinners etc. Yes, people may be obligated to do these things, and that is exactly why those people think its commercial. It is not an obligation to show love and appreciation to your loved ones. This act of love and kindness should and needs to be done regularly, and when I say regularly I mean daily. No one should just know on their birthday or a holiday that they are loved, but life is about enjoying everything even the days that surprisingly bring people closer. Valentine’s Day is one of those days, if you want to look at it in a more positive way.

Growing up, Valentine’s Day has always been a positive day in my life. It is a day full of sweet little bags stuffed with friendly valentine cards and candies to class parties and fun gifts and love from family and friends. So, on Valentine’s Day, I presented a little powerpoint on the importance of Saint Valentine’s Day in different parts of the world. Sadly, Spain does not really celebrate Valentine’s Day. After the powerpoint, I played a love song that definitely stirred up the classroom and we played the “Yarn Game.”

This “yarn game” is just a little something I learned from Raider Sisters for Christ (Christian sorority at Texas Tech University). As much as I do miss Tech and my sisters, I love how I have learned so much from them that I use it now in my daily life. To play, we passed the yarn around to all our friends and said why we appreciated them. So the kids said things like, “you are nice” or “you are kind” or “you are pretty/handsome” etc. At the end, we were all connected and wrapped up in “love” for Valentine’s Day! (of course, Encarni and I were in on it too!)

Also, I made some “mariposas” (butterflies) for my 25 valentines! Here is how they turned out! In Spain, the kids love Chupa Chupas, especially my students! I sure do miss a good baby lollipop that you can have in every fruit flavor and especially when you go to Visible ChangesJ

Carnaval (Carnival) rolled around as well this month. Our “amigos espanoles” (Spanish friends) are in a “charigota” (similar to a small male choir that sings “carnaval” songs”). So, we have been to a few “ensayos” (practices) and their street shows to watch them sing during this festive time. This year they dressed up as Tortugas to go along with their songs about Tortugas and being under the sea. Carnaval songs are made up songs based on a specific theme, and the every Charigota sings about some completely different.  The Charigotas sing in streets and in competitions as well. While they are singing, the audience is probably drinking as they listen. It’s a huge party! Also, people dress up for Carnaval, and by dress up they make their own costumes. They are very creative at that!! It is all very different, interesting, and fun at the same time. I was definitely very cultural this month, which is always a good thing.

Check out some interesting costumes in Cadiz for Carnaval that we got to see!

Friends at Carnaval in Cadiz!

We were geishas!

Also, I celebrated Carnaval in my school. The young students in the 3 year old, 4 year old, and 5 year old classes all dressed up as ladybugs to march in the Town Parade! The moms even joined in, which was so cute! The morning of the parade, I dressed up as a cheetah and headed down to my “vecinos” to paint the kids’ faces like a ladybugJ Their faces weren’t perfect, but those kids were stinking cute for sure! Then, on the way to school, we stopped at the kiosk called the Diario and I helped paint a few more sweet babies’ faces! Please look at how precious my students are and how much fun they had marched in the parade for Carnaval! Every Primary school participated in the town parade, and the 1^st-4^th grade students got to watch the parade on the sidewalks! I was helping Encarni with supervising the 3^rd graders on the sidewalk.

Sweet ladybug

Let's roll!

Some of the girls in 3rd grade

My sweet 1st grade/private lesson boys

Waiting for the parade!

It was a blast and something new for me! The schools really get creative for this parade! It was great to see so much school and town spiritJ

So yes, this month has been busy with festivals and teaching. You would think how else would I really have time for anything else. Well, I actually had another unique experience this month. Through all of Carnaval and teaching, I had a cyst erupt in my ovary. It was quite painful, and I am happy to say that after almost a month of it occuring… my ovary is back to normal and inflammation and liquid free!! Also, this month the doctor think I have a kidney stone. With both of these medical issues, you really just have to wait it out and take lots of pain medicine and drink a lot of water. I went through lots of pain pills and 4 rounds of injections for the pain. Basically, I went through a lot of new experiences this month-good and unfortunate.  Life always is going to throw you anything and everything, but life is not about the good and the bad. Life is about how you handle the good and the bad, and that shows the type of person you are.

Through this month and now as I think back on it all, I still can see how God worked through it all- in small ways and in big ways. I’m very blessed to have a loving mom and dad, true friends, my landlords here,  my sweet nieghbors, and my school. They all gave me what I needed when I needed it, whether it was talking to me, driving me to an appointment in another town, giving me time off, cooking for me after school, lots of hugs for my kids, and sweet encouraging messages.

As of now, I just got back from visiting Kristin ( a friend from Tech who is teaching in Spain as well) in JAEN!! This week is a long break due to some Spanish holidays and some province holidays as well. So, especially since I haven’t been feeling my best and I have been waiting for a long break to go visit her- This girl needed a nice relaxing, fun girls trip!

In Jaen, we walked the town and been to some great places! The girls took me to some great local bars and tapa restaurants. Some of these tapa places have been there since the 20s!! It was so neat to be in some historical places that were still running!! The food has been great and so rich! Something new that I learned was that Jaen grows olive trees, so they are very well known for olive oil and olives. It was fun to have some girl nights on the town, lay around at the park, eat at some great authentic places, and see some great historical sites (like the Cathedral, the Castillo de Santa Catalina, the famous lizard fountain, and the Arab baths). Also, we went to a couple of neighboring towns, Baeza and Ubeda, to do more sightseeing!


I have really enjoyed the trip, and can’t wait to see more great towns with fabulous character!

Until next month, adios!

Discovering the secrets of life...

This New Year has just come along so fabulously! So great, that clearly I haven’t had time to share with you all about it faster! So first off, I’m so sorry! I love your support, love, and kindness on my time away from home. So I hope you will enjoy my month of January as I am about to share it with youJ

Haley’s sweet mama, Mrs. Debby, was here during Christmas and New Years. So, it was a nice warm Texas welcome for us! We took her all over. We took a trip to Vejer de la Frontera, Gibraltar, Morroco, Malaga, and Barcelona. We spent New Years Eve in our town in Spain, and I would say our holidays were successful!

Rrrr, baby! Barcelona 2012

Sagrada Familia Barcelona 2012

Barca, Barca!! 2012

Snake Charming? Once in a lifetime. Morroco 2012

Camel Ride Morroco 2012

"Monkey See, Monkey Do" Gibraltar 2012

Vejer de la Frontera 2012

Travelling is definitely a hobby of mine, and I got to spend most of my time doing that during the break. Through the hustle and bustle of buses, taxis, planes, ferries, and everything else in between, it definitely took my mind off of feeling homesick. (Homesick being the last thing I wanted during my first holiday season without my family.) God definitely worked through those two weeks, and comforted my heart tremendously.

Yes, I admit there are days I miss home, wish I could just hop in my car to go places, or hold Bella, but those turn out to be the days that I am most grateful for. Those days turn themselves around and the people I love the most that are so far away seem to surprise me and make me feel so much more loved than I think I would feel if I was home.  Sometimes I don’t think I make much sense, but then I feel like I make perfect sense. Days you are away from your loved ones or norms of life, help you see how very valuable and precious they truly are to you. I think this aspect of my experience in Spain has really grown me.

Every day here is a new, interesting, and surprisingly beautiful day for me. I love getting up every morning for school, because I know I will get to teach and love on my students. I know I will probably be smothered with kisses and hugs during playtime or just simply when I walk into a classroom on a good day haha! This is what I love. I’m extremely thankful for being able to live life passionate daily!

So during the month of January, I realized that life is so beautiful.  I started my school district applications as well for teaching back home in Texas next school year, applied to KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program), and I plan to reapply to Spain. I will just see how everything plays through, and where God gives me a peace on where to be next school year.

This month has been a great month of love, friendship, family, and enjoyment. I started a flamenco dance class as well. I would not say I’m great yet, but it’s a challenge and sometimes it’s a good thing to challenge yourself from time to time.

Where ever you are in life, remember to stop and enjoy where you are in that moment. The things, the place, the people, the food, the culture, simply everything. I mean don’t you want to play on the beach when the sky is a million different shades of gorgeous?!

Hi Mama! Miss you!  (see those yellow bldgs, thats my apt!)

"Lets run like fools on the beach!"

Love you, Daddy!

Do it.

Love love.

No Pasa Nada...

It is crazy to think that I have been here since September and that I have done so much already! I really already feels like a year ago that I packed 4 luggage carriers and hopped on the plane. I have been really lucky to meet some great friends in my town to just enjoy life with. It is like I have a little Spanish family here, including all my students who I see all around town!

I hope your Christmas was nothing short of being merry and bright, and I cannot express how excited I am about a New Year! I completely understand that the world is not pretty and lovely right now, but I think improving your life starts with how you look at it. Be positive about 2012, this could be your year of new, great things! So welcome 2012 with your biggest smile that you know I miss, and embrace life to the fullestJ

During my Christmas break, I have been pretty busy! I had a great last week of school with my babies with singing at the Community Center, the School Christmas Show, festivities around town, field trips, and lots of love everywhere. We were welcomed into our Spanish mom and dad’s house (aka our landlords) for Christmas Eve Dinner, and we ate great food and laughed a ton!

Primer Plato

The Table

Our Spanish Mama and her girls!

Trying new foods!

Segundo Plato

Postres

After time with the family, we went home to change and enjoyed the night with some friends! We had a blast and a half! Christmas day was what I had been dreading, but God-willing it went so great! I thought for sure I would be moody that day, but I was in great spirits. Haley and I enjoyed a nice Texas Style Breakfast for Christmas Dinner, which we made in our kitchen together. We are super precious sometimes haha! Then, we watched “Life as we know it” to end our Christmas day! The next day, we traveled to Sevilla with Patrice, Haley’s coworker.  It was really nice to road trip it to my favorite city in Spain with the funnest teacher! It really worked out perfectly, because she was flying to Barcelona the same day that we needed to pick Haley’s mom up from the airport. So, we helped Patrice check in and waited with her until she went passed Security, then Haley’s mom arrived!!

We spent the night in Sevilla. We stayed in “barrio de santa cruz” at Hotel Murillo. They were very nice, and helpful from extra sheets to taxi calls. It was a very nice area, and the hotel was lovely and quiet. Also, it was very close to the center of the city. We were at the Cathedral in about 10- 15 minutes.  And if you know Sevilla, you know it was a gorgeous walk.

Our second day in Sevilla, we had a shopping day! It was so nice to have some girlie time, especially after our long, busy work week. After shopping, we took a taxi to the train station for our train to Cadiz. The train ride was about 2 hours, and then we had a layover at the Cadiz bus station for about an hour. So, we spent some time in the café in the bus station. Haley and I ate a tortilla and drank some “zumo natural” (homemade orange juice) and Mrs. Debby showed me all of her fun pictures of Haley before we left for Spain. It was some great to chat it up in PERSON!!! Finally, our bus came and we rode it for about 2.5 hours to our beach town!!

During the first few days, we have showed Mrs. Debby every detail of our daily life from daily routines, Spanish schedule, grocery shopping, etc. Also, we took her to Vejer de la Frontera and Gibraltar the first week. In a previous blog I traveled to precious Vejer, so I will not bore you with its elaborations again. But I will tell you all about my time in the British colony called Gibraltar!!

So, to be honest, going into this day trip I did not know much about this place. I only knew about it due to our friend from England, who told me it was English territory. I did not know about the monkeys or that is would so interesting! I always get really excited when I can get a new stamp in my passport, and I didn’t realize that would happen either!

For the some of you who were like me and don’t know much about this place, I will give you a quick summary.  First off, it’s not Spanish land…like I said its English territory. So, that means English and Spanish are spoken there and diverse currency is accepted there as well. It’s known for the “Gibraltar Rock”, which is where the apes live!! This is a place with a lot of history for military as well. I truly enjoy traveling, cultures, history, and diversity...soo this was a pretty neat place to visit!

I did get to see a few monkeys on the Gibraltar Rock today, and to do that I needed to take a Cable Car to the TOP of the mountain. Yes, I was a little nervous, but I did it!!

We also walked the streets and ate a few patio restaurants to simply enjoy the day.  I learned that lots of Spaniards go to Gibraltar to buy clothes, alcohol, cigarettes, toys etc. since its a little cheaper. So, we checked out some stores and just really soaked in Gibraltar! It was a nice, calm day for us and I’m not gonna lie it was lovely hearing English aroundJ

Here are some pictures  of our day in Gibraltar…

View from Gibraltar Rock

Another Gorgeous Shot

Where is the Monkey?

Gibraltar

As for our New Year’s Weekend, we are staying on the beach to bring in the New Year! Stay classy, merry, and enjoy bringing in 2012!

Love love.

On being blessed...

I am completely in love with the month of December. I try my hardest to start the Christmas season as quickly as I can, like right after Halloween. Sadly, people I live with won’t let me until around Thanksgiving.

So when the month of December rolled around the roommates and I made our way to the closest Chino store to get our Christmas decorations for our Spanish apartment. It was like Christmas threw up in that Chino store, we had to work to find the good stuff! After debating on tree sizes, we decided on the medium one. Clearly that was compromise for me…but I still love them none the less!

From the tree to ornaments, poinsettias to twinkle lights, the star for the tree top to the snowflakes for the terrace doors, and plenty of ribbon for my heart’s desire, we had a potluck dinner with our girls and a Christmas Decorating Party with my roommates and one of our Spanish friends, Pedro.

Potluck Dinner with Liz, Chessa, and my roommates!

O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree!

Haley, Pedro, and I after decorating the apt!

As many of you know, I will not be going home for Christmas. This is my first Christmas without my loved ones, but it’s one of the sacrifices I made when I left for this opportunity.  The second week of December here was a holiday week for Haley and me, so we planned a grand Christmas trip to London and Scotland (And it was a grand trip indeed)!

To begin our trip, we headed to Malaga Sunday afternoon for our flight on Monday morning. We took a 3 hour bus from our town to precious Malaga! We were exhausted from the past few nights with our crazy friends, so we slept for the majority of the ride. When we got to Malaga, we ate at our beloved McDonalds!! Guess what? McDonalds in Spain have “Pan sin gluten” (Gluten Free Bread), which is a perfect compliment to my hamburger!!! Of course after our meal, we shopped around the mall! Then we meet up with my friend, Lauren, who I took the road trip with during Halloween! It was so sweet to see her city at Christmas time with all the lights and decorations! Simply gorgeous as you can see…

**MALAGA CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

We strolled around the city center in awe of the gorgeous lights, because sadly the only Christmas lights in our town are in our apartment. Ok, I take it back…there is a strand of hot chilies near the doctor’s office, and I think I have seen a gold star on one street. They are tryingJ

As we were walking around the city, we ran into Lauren’s roommate and his friends in the street. I love meeting new people, especially when they are from different countries as well! Lauren has a German, Polish, and Spanish roommate, which is super cool in my book!

To end our Sunday, we had some tapas in the city center with our fabulous host, Lauren. We stayed at Lauren’s place that evening so we could catch our plane the next morning. She lives super close to the train station, and the train is about a 15 minute ride to the Malaga airport.

On Monday morning, we had to make a quick stop at the bank before heading to the airport. After taking a taxi to the bank,  a taxi to the train station, and running around like headless chickens, we were waiting for the train. The only tiny detail missing is that we were waiting for the train at ohh 10:00am and our flight to London was at 11:15am!!

We had the “what are we going to do if..” talk, and I just kept saying “we are getting on that plane, oh sweet God!” haha. The train came and we hopped on, ready to get through the next craziest hour of our life!

Within 15 minutes, we were running into the airport. It took us what felt like forever to find the check-in counter for our bag. We asked a million people, and remember this is all in Spanish. Sometimes in the moment, it just comes and I am thankful it comes! After asking the security guard and her pointing us in the direction of our airlines, we came to the longest line known to man! I mean longessssssssstttttttttttttt line known to man. Haley and I saw that there was a shorter line, just for baggage check in. We didn’t have our boarding passes printed out for this flight, but we were checked in and they were visable via Haley’s ipad. So, I processed to cut the lines and walk right up to the counter. I asked if we could be in the short line just for the bag, even though we didn’t have a paper boarding ticket. She said yes! Some airlines in Europe are really picky about these things, and it’s just better to have it printed. We just forgot to print it prior to leaving our town. Then, right as I turned around to run back to Haley, Haley was with another airline worker coming to me!! The worker found Haley and we got first class treatment with our bag and they let us sit together! They were really so sweet, as we were super apologetic about our tardiness. At this point, we still needed to get through security and border control before boarding the plane, and the time was 10:45am! We bolted with our carry on bags through the airport to security!

One of my least favorite things about airports is taking off your shoes to go through security. I wore my boots, so it would not make the check in bag overweight. So it’s a workout to get them on and off quickly with a million people around you. Somehow we managed to get through that moment and me having to get “wanded” …just my luck on just my day, right?

I learned real quickly that when traveling with Haley and I, you better be ready for anything and everything. I did not think I could sprint the way I did through that Malaga airport, but I was getting on that plane and I was going to have a “very merry Christmas” trip. The line for the Border Control was long, but surprisingly went super fast. Check, STAMP! And guess which gate was the first one, our gate!! God was working for us for sure, and as always taking care of usJ

Thankful, tired, and laughing we sat together on our OWN row as we flew to London! Oh, clearly we were starving…I mean of course we didn’t eat yet, and if we did, we would have worked that food off in our marathon to catch the plane. So we had to order some breakfast, European flights do not include meals, always be prepared and have cash…it’s just easier (but they do except cards, I don’t really understand that, we are in the air?!)

After waking up a million times and not sleeping well on the plane, we finally arrived in London!!! The airlines we used to fly to London from Spain was Aegean, which is an Irish airline…wonderful airlines!! We strongly recommend it, from check-in to leaving the plane! Wonderful customer service and great plane music! Seriously, Michael Bublé is always precious!!

In London, we did a million and one things in a few short days! We had a nice stroll in Hyde Park and saw the “Santa Winter Wonderland”, we did a Double Decker Bus tour, saw “Chicago” featuring America Ferrera, ate Thai Food every day, took a boat ride in the Thames River, saw Big Ben, Parliament, The Abbey, London Eye, Platform 9 ¾ at the Kings Cross station, walked the streets of Camden Town, visited Sherlock Holmes, spent a morning with the Royal Guards at Buckingham Palace, shopped on Oxford Street, and drank tea every day. I am completely smitten with London, and hope to go back with our dear friend, Liz and spend it with a true English native. After all, she is from SurreyJ



The Abbey..just a little late for the Royal Wedding:)



Big Ben and Little Fran!

Royal Marching Band

Double Decker Bus!

Camden Town!

English Breakfast!!

Garrick Theatre!

Chicago Feat. America Ferrera

Royal Carriage!!!

Best seat to watch the Changing of the Guards!

Royal Guards!!

Changing of the Guards

Going to Hogwarts!!

Strolling in Hyde Park

Oh hey, London Eye!

Look the other way! You are in London, darling!

Oxford St. at its finest!

Haley and I on the Westminister Bridge

Cherrio!

Gorgeous, cold day in London!

Shopping on Oxford St.

Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park!

After falling head over heels with London, we checked out around 4am to catch our train to Glasgow, Scotland. Little did we know it would be the longest day of our life #2! Sadly we went to the wrong station first and had to take another taxi to the right station, then a few hours later and a few more ups and downs...we finally were on the train to Glasgow!! To be honest, we were so exhausted that it was hard to act excited about going to Scotland in that moment. As most people know, I am NOT a morning person!

After about an hour and a half, we were informed that there was extreme flooding on the way to Glasgow, and the train was called to stop at the next station. We stopped, and they processed to tell us that there was another train going to Edinburgh in 5 minutes at a different platform. Edinburgh is about 45-60 minutes away from Glasgow, but close enough in this situation! So we got on that train with everyone going to “Glasgow”.  

After about 40 minutes, we were informed that yet again that train was being terminated. There would be a direct to Glasgow Central in about 45 minutes. So, we freshened up in a train station bathroom, somewhere in Scotland!! Then eventually we were on the train for good, and the water has fallen from the tracks.

What we didn’t know, and learned on the train was that there was a severe high speed wind warning from 2-6pm in Glasgow that same day. It was said to be over 100 mph, and I do believe it was!! We thought we could walk to the hostel, yet we were very, very wrong! Haley was pulled into the street by the wind, and little ‘ol me went after her to save her…yes there was a car coming too! So, when I tell you severe high speed winds, I mean severe high speed winds! And Lubbock, Texas, had nothing on those winds!!! I was not prepared, nor was I ever in Lubbock…I became best friends with light poles on windy daysJ

So clearly our first day in Glasgow was not the best, but we decided to see the town the next day and prayed for better weather. And the next day, there was SUN, Starbucks, and gorgeous nature!!! Scotland is really breathtaking, and I am glad we got to see its true beauty while we were thereJ

gorgeous church near the park!

silly faces and starbucks!

On our second day in sweet Glasgow, we took tons of pictures around town, the park, the university, and so much more. We also made it in time for a Christmas play! If you are even in Glasgow, you must go to the Oran Mor Theatre for “a play, a pie and a pint.” Yes, its not great for people that are gluten and dairy free like me, but there is wine and the play is so funny!!! I would highly recommend it to everyone traveling through ScotlandJ The play showing for Christmas was “Snow White," how precious! We got some great laughs and we had so much fun with the theatre family we made!

 

A Play, a Pie, and a Pint

We saw Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs, so of course we took pictures!

After the show, we window shopped in the centre of town. Glasgow has some cool vintage shows, and there were some fabulous things in every store! In Glasgow, it gets darker earlier so that was new for us. We got to take more fun Christmas pictures, and enjoyed a nice dinner in a traditional Scottish restaurant in the centre of town. This precious restaurant included….waiters wearing kilts, Christmas crackers for every guest, and amazing food (gluten free pasta)!!!! We were even there when it was a 16 year old girl’s birthday, so the whole restaurant sang to herJ

Here is my very first Christmas cracker!

Our last day of being tourist, started off very rough. I was completely dead and it took me foreverrrr to get out of bed. The week before leaving for our trip, I went to the doctor and found out I had bronchitis. I guess the cold weather and being an intense tourist wasn’t the best way to recuperate..but I like to live my life in the momentJ I literally felt like I had a building on my back pushing me down haha! Poor Haley was sick with this horrible man cough, so she was a trooper to deal with my morning blues! Needless to say, I finally got ready and we headed to the train station for our day trip to precious Edinburgh!!!!

Guess what??? It was snowinggg!!! It was like we were in Harry Potter going to Hogwarts and it was breathtaking! (thank you Haley for not giving up on me on that morning!!) It was a fabulous day seeing the famous Edinburgh Castle, shopping, walking the cold streets with millions of people, and simply enjoying our sweet Merry Christmas in the snow!!!!

Haley and I in Edinburgh

In the streets of Edinburgh on a Cold day

Our Knight in Shining Armor:)

Kilt Making Machine!!

Oh yes, we definitely took advantage of the Scottish Whiskey Experience in the freezing cold weatherJ They say a picture is worth a thousand words….

Nervousss!

Super Strong, but warms you right up! haha

Haley's turn!

After a fabulous day in Edinburgh, we returned to Glasgow just in time for the next showing of “New Years Eve”!!!!! If you haven’t seen it yet, GOOOOOO!!! So goodJ But then again, I’m a sucker for a holiday movie. On the walk home, we stopped in this Indian BBQ Chicken restaurant to eat. Surprisingly, fabulous food!! Loved their spicy sauce, and lots of locals were there so we knew we were in good handsJ

The long journey home was definitely something I don’t want to repeat, but so happy we are home. We had to take a 4am bus to the airport to catch our 9am flight, because there was not another option to be there before 9am. Then, we played the waiting game for our flight for a couple of hours, since the bus was only an hour ride with not the most sober people in the world…

After napping on the plane, we arrived in Malaga and headed to the train for a quick 15 minute ride to the bus station. The next bus going in the direction of our town was in about 40 minutes, so I grabbed us some McDonalds for the bus ride since we had not eaten yet. This bus was to Algeciras, which is an hour or so away from our town. There was not a direct bus in the middle of the afternoon, so we had to take what we got. After arriving in Algeciras, we discovered that the next bus to “La Barca” (the bus stop 15 minutes from our town) was not until 8 or 9pm, and it was around 5ish so we were going to have to play the waiting game yet again in the San Bernando Bus Station. Thankfully, we connected with our Spanish friend, Pedro, and he did not want us to wait and he drove an hour to pick us up and another hour to drive us all home to our town. We really did well on making great friends!! We got home sooner that if we waited for the bus!!!

To end our fabulous Merry Christmas trip, we got home just in time for our friend, Liz’s Thai Dinner PartyJ As if I didn’t get enough Asian food every day on our trip; I got to end it with MORE!!! Liz, if you ever want to cook more Thai food, I’m coming over!!!

Clearly, I had a wonderful time visiting London, Glasgow, and Edinburgh for my “Merry Christmas” trip to myselfJ I am still in awe that God placed me here this time in my life, so I can love on precious Spanish babies, make incredible new friends from all over the world, and really get to see the world. This girl is so blessed!

Although, I have missed a lot of things at home since I have been here in Spain. That was the sacrifice I made when I said YES! I have missed brother’s birthday, Thanksgiving, new babies being born (Congrats Girl Scouts and old neighbors!!!), weddings (Annie, Allison, Kasey, Rachel, and more to come!), Patrick’s 16^th birthday, sweet Donovan (you are precious, and I love you), Kaitlin’s Graduation for Tech, and so much more. But please know that I am thinking of you always, and I dearly love you all!! Thank you for caring about my life and wanting to know how I am doing a million miles away, you have no idea how special it makes me feelJ

I am truly and completely blessed, and I feel it every day. I have received not 1, but 2 Christmas packages this week for friends!!  Thank you oodles and bunches, you are precious!!!

I love this quote from one of my favorite movies, so I will leave you with this...

It’s funny, the human race can really surprise you sometimes.  It slows down just enough for all the pieces to fall into place. Fate works it's magic. And you're connected.- The Switch

love love.