Farewell España...

Well, I'm sitting in a hostel in Málaga making my last entry to you and saying goodbye to Spain.  Tomorrow I will fly to Germany and stay with Andreas and his family for a few weeks before going back home.  It's all very exciting!

Looking back, moving here was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life and not because it was all fun and games.  I did have fun but there was a serious struggle going on in me at times to find happiness in a culture that I found to be surprisingly different from my own.  To start, I was very unfulfilled by the work at the high school.  It was difficult to find a rhythm or pace that gave me the sense of satisfaction I get from being a teacher in NYC.  Perhaps it was the fault of my always eagerly high expectations or that I was placed in a school where it was difficult to make solid plans with the teachers for the 12 different classes I co-taught every week.  Who knows but one lesson I most certainly learned is that work culture is culture and it varies from country to country.  If only I had realized this before!

What made me the happiest here was the struggle to learn the language.  With this I was much more patient and enjoyed the process of babbling like a two year old and now chatting away in a blabla (rideshare) car for two hours across the south of Spain.  Like a yoga practice or healthy eating change, I am determined to keep up the Spanish language learning when I return.  I'm open to some tips about how I can do this or hearing about what works for others who maintain their foreign languages. 

Other great things about life in the south of Spain: the beaches and weather!  I was lucky enough to spend an entire month living in Cádiz which has beautiful beaches like the one below and great weather everyday.  Too bad all the tourists know it.  As summer approaches, the tourists flock by the thousands to enjoy the nice and easygoing lifestyle of the coast.  It's bitter sweet for the Spaniards who live there because they have to share their land but it boosts the economy (hypothetically).  

The beach just a few blocks from my house (and a plug for EWald, great Brooklyn based music)

Day trip to Conil.  This is after spending time huddled in a little rock cave with Andreas and our friend Ferran while a giant thunderstorm blew over us. 

Horse Feria of Jerez!  The tradition lives on!

And another great thing was the traditions and simple beauty of Andalucía.  I will miss walking on century old cobble stone roads and stopping for a rest on a bench in one of some hundreds of plazas surrounded by well kept gardens in every city and town here.  It was really something for me to be surrounded by many old buildings with so much history.  Sadly, with the economic crisis, some of the most treasured places like the cathedral in Jerez is slowly deteriorating as there is no money to keep up with the maintenance.  My Spanish professor explained during one of my classes that this is a very critical time in history for Spain as the country fights to restore the quality of life that existed here not so long ago.  Certainly, it´s a topic worth following. 

During the feria it's the custom to wear the traditional dress of Andalucía.

Just outside of my apartment in Cádiz is this beautiful theater.

This is a plaza just outside of the Alcazar of Jerez.  The Alcazar was a fortress and palace built in the 10th century by the Moors.  My favorite thing about this plaza are these trees with vibrant purple flowers that you cannot experience from this photo...too bad. 

So, this is goodbye to Spain but not forever.  Andreas and I made some nice connections and friends here which will motivate a return soon enough.  ¡Vamos a ver!

Saying goodbye to Jerez after Andreas's last concert with his buddies.