Urban Chic(a) Meets El Espinar

OK OK OK already! I am sending more stories! I am actually pleasantly surprised that so many of you find my stories and experiences so fascinating. I have to admit, aside from missing my friends and family, I don´t regret my move to Spain one bit. I feel like this change in life has really developed and challenged me. As Anabella put it, “you have explored your professional side…now you are exploring your feminine side” (referring to the cooking & cleaning, & husband dependancy). Even Ángel chuckles when he sees me in the kitchen and almost always comments “I wish I had a video camera, your friends in the states would not recognize you behind that apron with the wooden spoon in your hand”.

Adventures in Moving
After a quick jaunt home for a visit to the Spanish Consulate in NYC at the end of October (another step in a long line of bureaucracy for my resident´s card), a visit with family & friends, a massage (thanks Pretty Patti!!), a haircut & manicure, a visit to WYBE, and of course the mandatory salsa dancing at Brasils(Thanks for the party Chris T!), I returned to our home in Gandía to spend a week packing for our move. Of course the best laid plans are always foiled as I was called to Madrid for an interview midweek (Wednesday) which shot three days of packing (I was hired and started the following Monday). On Friday, friends Xema and Silvia came down from Valencia to wish us well (and help DH load the washer and fridge onto the truck). Their anticipated two hour visit turned into nine hours as DH met his match in Xema...the only other man I know who can talk as much as him. Needless to say, most of the packing got done Saturday morning and at precisely midnight, hubby and I pulled out of Gandía with all our worldly posessions in a Spanish style U-Haul It. 10 hours later, after 4 cans of Red Bull, countless expressos, and a couple of hours of shut-eye at a roadside gas station, we pulled into El Espinar, our new hometown.

Urban Chic(a) meets El Espinar
El Espinar is a charming town in the province of Segovia, about 35 miles northwest of Madrid. Yes, it´s cold here, we are nestled in the foothills of the mountains in a valley. Our house has beautiful breathtaking views of the mountain ranges and pine forests. If Gandía was small, El Espinar is tiny with about 2,500 residents. We can´t get away from the breadmaker...our landlord was the town´s breadmaker...now retired. One next door neighbor is the town´s retired wood chopper, and the other neighbor, formerly the town butcher, is building a mansion of a house next to ours. Fortunately, they aren´t gossipy like our Gandía neighbors. (The Segovian personality to the Valencian personality is like comparing the US east coast and west coast peronalities). Our house is on a cañada, a street which is a designated cattle route used by the heardsmen when they move the cattle from one pasture to the next. Not sure when this spectacle will take place, it promises to be mighty interesting. I was excited to hang my first load of wash out to dry (doesn´t that sound frightening)...couldn´t wait for the aroma of fresh moutain air in the clothes. Was I in for a rude surprise when I pulled the sheets off the line, plunged my nose into them and got a nice whiff of...COW MANURE. I forgot about the pastures that were just around the bend from our house at the town´s back entrance. According to the townsfolk, the cow dung is excellent kindling for the fire. Hmm...no thanks, in my sheets is bad enough, I don´t need it in the house too!

Spreading my wings
I have thrown in the towel (temporarily) and accepted a part time position teaching English with O.E. Academy. Native speakers of English are in high demand as teachers. Certainly doesn´t hurt me to have a training background. It´s great to get out of the house and meet people. I clock about 20 – 25 hours a week and my students range in age from 8 – 50+ years. It really is giving my gradeschool grammar a run for its money...and I have learned a lot about the differences between American English and British English. I cover the northern suburbs of Madrid (can you say suburban sprawl and soccer moms?). Of course the families that I teach are all rather well to do and their homes show it!! I am mentally taking notes of how I want our future house to be!! I will also be getting a car in a couple of weeks...which means that I will have to break down and learn to drive stickshift before taking my driver´s exam here. Be prepared for great stories of me being overtaken by cows!

Holiday Wishes
Unfortunately, we won´t be home (to the US) for the holidays this year. After three trips to the US in a period of 6 months...prior to me working, our economy has told us to slow down a bit...be prepared for our visit late winter early spring! In the meantime, warmest holiday greetings to everyone! With much love from me & hubby.