I promised myself I would blog at least every month, and I intend to keep that promise, so as April comes to a close, I thought I’d get my most recent thoughts out there. I have a bunch of silly teaching stories I’m accumulating, adventures from new cities, and a deeper dive into my own town, but I haven’t been able to write any of those recently. In part because my future (or at least my next year) feels more and more uncertain and as I wait to hear back from things, I’ve felt completely frozen. Between my frustration with the uncertainty of my future and the dread that fills me every time I think of leaving Spain in June, I’ve been thinking more and more about what I’m grateful for right now and this year.
I have to start with how my year started, which is with Fulbright for giving me this opportunity (I promise I’m not pandering here, and I assure you I have my frustrations as I do with most institutions). One of the best days of my life will forever be the one where I got the email notifying me of my Fulbright grant. I have learned more about myself and about the world than would have been possible otherwise. Fulbright has opened new worlds to me and I will be forever grateful. I am also beyond grateful for my family. For every 3am text I send (their time), for FaceTimes where I don’t really have anything to say, but want to keep talking anyway, for not freaking out when I send pictures of allergy swollen eyes and for helping me figure out solutions from over 5,000 miles away, for accepting my globetrotting ways without question and for loving me through it all. I am always reminded of how lucky I am to have a family who loves and supports me the way mine does. I also can’t imagine my year without my friends from home. Friends who’ve texted out of the blue or taken time to Skype or FaceTime with me, making me feel a little closer to home. I’ve also been one of the luckiest people alive because of all of the friends and family who have actually made it out to visit me this year. I marked the first half of my time here by who was visiting. It got me through the tougher days and nothing has thrilled me more than sharing a city I love with people I love. It means the world to me that people travel from across the world to come see a little bit of Northern Spain with me. Speaking of little bits of Northern Spain, despite the frigid-nearly-seven-month winter, I’m grateful for this little place called Logroño. I’ve lived in many cities in different states, and there are few places where I feel as at home as I do when I walk the familiar streets of Logroño or when my bus rounds the corner back into the city. I felt this way nearly instantly upon arriving in September, but I’ve only now begun to appreciate exactly how special that is. Plus, as I was told before coming and then repeatedly when I arrived “it feels like a small town, but it has everything.” What could be better? With Spring coming, I run along the river and can’t believe how lucky I got to have been placed in the city that, when I read the name on the Fulbright email and consequently googled it, I thought to myself “jeez, should I really do this???” I’ll add here that I’m also grateful to be in the seven villages. These last two weeks have been tougher than usual, with inefficiencies and wasted time that makes me want to pull my hair out and teaching classes without teachers who speak English. As I said at the beginning, I’m working on a blog that turns all of these frustrating stories into the hopefully funny anecdotes I will look back on. Still, even with the difficulties, I do love the villages and am grateful for my unique experience in them. In those villages, I’m grateful for the teachers I work with who were patient with me as I learned how to be a more effective teaching assistant and who continue to be patient when I make mistakes and who help me communicate to students who often literally have zero idea of anything I’m saying. I’m also grateful for the students for similar reasons. Shout out to the kids who still asked me my name this week and who still think I’m from France or England. Beyond location and support from home, I can honestly say I don’t know if I would have made it without the friends I’ve made here. The fact that the people I talk to the most are people I didn’t know existed nine months ago never ceases to amaze me. They’ve been there, to be completely cliché, for the lowest lows and highest highs and I couldn’t be more grateful that. I’m grateful for small things too, like technology and podcasts which keep me informed and entertained in a dire world. For good food and wine and for locals who show you how to find both. For the days where I feel *almost* Spanish and think in Spanish without effort. For a living space that feels comfortable, safe, and friendly. And I could go on, but I will spare you. Mainly, and sorry to get so sappy, I’m grateful for this opportunity. I’ll be frustrated when I get an email tomorrow saying I have to wait yet another week to know what my next year may hold, but there’s zero question in my mind that it’s worth it. How could it not be with all the good happening here?? Okay, it’s nearly 3am (my time) so I’ll call it quits on my sentimentality and hopefully get you some funny/adventure/misadventure stories soon.
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AuthorWelcome to the blog portion of my blog Archives
November 2018
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