2013 has been pretty crazy. I kicked off the year by accepting my first teaching position in a local elementary school. I later quit that teaching position and accepted a new one in a different country. In the end, that is what led to the creation of this blog with which I share every little whim that goes through my head. Thank you for reading these whims.
As for Spain, I feel that I have grown into a brand new person. Which is strange for me because I was pretty sure I knew who I was before coming to Spain. (Ah the joys of being a 20something.) These are a few of the things Spain has taught me...
Spain has taught me how to enjoy.
This is something every Spanish person I have met really knows how to do. They enjoy food. The weather. Friends. Family. Too much wine. Music. Cleanliness. The list goes on and on. Now you may argue that Americans enjoy too. But we don't do it like the Spanish. Why do you think their lunches take anywhere from two to six hours? It's because they don't want to rush but rather enjoy their time eating good food and being with good company. And while siesta still remains the greatest concept in history, why do you think the Spanish follow it so liberally?? It is because they want to give their brains a break to enjoy more things. When you're tired, it is very difficult to enjoy and appreciate things. Siesta solves this dilemma. Stress is a rarely an acquaintance of mine here in Spain as well. I attribute it to this new lifestyle.
Spaniards are the slowest people I have ever met.
Oh my goodness. Let me tell you that seriously Spanish people have little to no concept of time. This can be seen when they're walking as slow as snails. And the sidewalk is only big enough for two people. So you're stuck behind the two Spaniards in front of you. And there is no way around them.
And while I am typically frustrated, this isn't their way of being rude. It is rather them enjoying a conversation with a friend or taking in the scenery around them. Again, I reiterate, the Spanish enjoy EVERYTHING. They also thrive day to day on what I like to call "Spanish time." Spaniards are never early. Rarely on time. And always late. Again, they don't like to rush through life both figuratively and literally. Also, they love to talk. So walking on the street means you are inevitably going to run into someone, and the norm is to stop and talk to them. Saying, "I've got to run, bye!" doesn't exist here.
Good ol' Siesta.
Siesta time literally forces you to relax. With everything closed from 2:00-5:30, you have no other option but to go home and relax. I read. I sip coffee. It's my "me time."
I made the right decision.
Most importantly, Spain has taught me that I made the right decision by coming here. This is not some glorified, crazy, travel adventure. This is me. And it's totally okay for me to be doing this. Society, in the United States coerces you into believing that to be successful you need to always be go, go, go, go, go. In the United States, being busy and involved is the only way to achieve the things that you want which then leads to your potential enjoyment of life. For example, as soon as I graduated high school, I went to college at 18 years young. I worked hard and graduated in four years and post graduation, I immediately obtained my first job. There was no time to think between any of those transitions. A typical day for me in the past was to wake up at 6:30am, get ready for the day, head to work, coffee in hand. Then work from 8:30-4:30/5:00. Head back home. Work some more. Maybe fit in some gym time if I have the energy. And last go to bed around 10:00pm.
I tell Spanish people this, and they look at me like I have five heads.
Firstly, because I go to be at 10:00 pm and here an early bedtime is midnight. Secondly, I have no break time in my schedule. Thirdly, I am always working.
Here, the Spanish finish high school. They then take their time to figure out what they want to do with their lives before jumping into going to University. They then take their time completing their degree. Here, it is okay to not finish you're degree until 25 years old. Here, you're not technically an adult until you're 26 years old. And after their degree, it usually normal to find 30 year old Spaniards still living at home. And don't even get me started on the normal age to get married (30) or the normal age to have your first kid (33).
I could be home pursuing my teaching career right now. But I got to thinking about how I have so much time to do just that. If I die tomorrow, at least I could say I died in Spain doing something I love. If I die in a year, again, I can say I lived in Spain. If I don't die for another 50 years, it's God's way of giving me more time to share my Spain stories and experiences with others.
I'm not avoiding real life by taking this journey. I'm enjoying real life. I've learned to appreciate it more. It might be hard for others to understand this, but Spain taught me how to not care about what others think. Particularly when it comes to my decisions.
Here, my day involves me waking up at 8:00/8:30. Taking a lovely walk to work. Working from 9:00-2:00 with a 30 minute coffee break in the middle of the day. Returning home and relaxing from 2:00-5:00. Teaching a few private classes from after siesta. And finally relaxing and socializing from 8:00pm until the wee hours of the night.
Jealous yet?
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