The end of January quietly marked the six month anniversary of our moving to Spain.
It has been a whirlwind---there were a couple of months living in a hotel, then we moved to our house in Rota. We thought we would get our household goods, as promised, in August. Instead, we got them in late October.
As part of my going-on six years adventure of living overseas, I'm learning over and over again that I can live without so much that we have.
Downsizing is a continual work in progress. As I am writing this, I have a car parked on the street because we still need to clear out some boxes (empty and full) in the garage.
My favorite moments so far have been the little things---enjoying day-to-day life in a small southern Spain town. It's learning the Andalus accent while trying to carry on conversations in Spanish. It's learning, after five years of being fresh food deprived in Cuba, that dinner does not come in cans or boxes or bags, but is made of fresh ingredients (and relatively cheap). It's small talk with our favorite waitresses and waiters, grocery checkout clerks, and our neighbors.
It's going to our next door neighbor's son's 16th birthday party and being the only American. I loved listening to them sing "Happy Birthday" to him in Spanish, French, and English. It's waving at our neighbors as I put laundry out on the roof line, and recognizing and saying hi to other neighbors as we go for a late café con leche at our favorite bakery daily. It's our 12 year-old saying, "I don't speak Spanish," and then walking up to a counter and ordering a pastry and drink in perfect Spanish.
It's walking to dinner a few times a week, the grocery store and café daily, and to friends' houses often. It's adventures with people we've met since we got here and with people we knew in Cuba.
The most memorable thing I have seen here in Spain happened in my first week. I didn't take a picture, and I'm sort of glad I didn't, because it's an image I selfishly like to keep for my own unique memory. An old, stooped, grey haired couple was shuffling down the street of what is now our neighborhood, each carrying a handle of a bag of bread between them. It was so sweet and endearing, and a scene I've seen over and over again---old couples, arm in arm (or in this case, handle in handle) walking to the grocery store, the café, a friend's house, or dinner together.
Here are a few of my favorite pictures of things I find rather Spanish and charming:
Little girls are often dressed to the nines when they go out with their parents, no matter if it's for an afternoon snack or dinner. We see a family come into our favorite café and the little girl, always with a big bow in her hair, pushes a pram with a baby doll similar to the one her mother or father pushes with her baby sister inside.
In a hardware store in Jerez, we found what every family needs---a butane outdoor paella cooker.
The first time I saw all the fresh produce in our grocery store for a fraction of what we spend at the commissary on base, I almost cried. It's spectacular.
Included in our culinary adventures has been eating a fruit we've never seen before, the chirimoya. The youngest kid and I loved it; the husband hated it. HATED it. Oh well, 2 outta 3 ain't bad.
It has been a whirlwind---there were a couple of months living in a hotel, then we moved to our house in Rota. We thought we would get our household goods, as promised, in August. Instead, we got them in late October.
As part of my going-on six years adventure of living overseas, I'm learning over and over again that I can live without so much that we have.
Downsizing is a continual work in progress. As I am writing this, I have a car parked on the street because we still need to clear out some boxes (empty and full) in the garage.
My favorite moments so far have been the little things---enjoying day-to-day life in a small southern Spain town. It's learning the Andalus accent while trying to carry on conversations in Spanish. It's learning, after five years of being fresh food deprived in Cuba, that dinner does not come in cans or boxes or bags, but is made of fresh ingredients (and relatively cheap). It's small talk with our favorite waitresses and waiters, grocery checkout clerks, and our neighbors.
It's going to our next door neighbor's son's 16th birthday party and being the only American. I loved listening to them sing "Happy Birthday" to him in Spanish, French, and English. It's waving at our neighbors as I put laundry out on the roof line, and recognizing and saying hi to other neighbors as we go for a late café con leche at our favorite bakery daily. It's our 12 year-old saying, "I don't speak Spanish," and then walking up to a counter and ordering a pastry and drink in perfect Spanish.
It's walking to dinner a few times a week, the grocery store and café daily, and to friends' houses often. It's adventures with people we've met since we got here and with people we knew in Cuba.
The most memorable thing I have seen here in Spain happened in my first week. I didn't take a picture, and I'm sort of glad I didn't, because it's an image I selfishly like to keep for my own unique memory. An old, stooped, grey haired couple was shuffling down the street of what is now our neighborhood, each carrying a handle of a bag of bread between them. It was so sweet and endearing, and a scene I've seen over and over again---old couples, arm in arm (or in this case, handle in handle) walking to the grocery store, the café, a friend's house, or dinner together.
Here are a few of my favorite pictures of things I find rather Spanish and charming:
Little girls are often dressed to the nines when they go out with their parents, no matter if it's for an afternoon snack or dinner. We see a family come into our favorite café and the little girl, always with a big bow in her hair, pushes a pram with a baby doll similar to the one her mother or father pushes with her baby sister inside.
In a truly "what the. . . " moment, I realized that an entire family of peacocks (and peahens---yes, the females are called that) live in a park right around the corner from my house. If I'm walking in that direction now, I make a point to stop and check them out.
Even on the cloudiest and coldest of winter days---and yes, we are experiencing winter for the first time since 2011--I love to go to my favorite nursery in Puerto de Santa María to look at their fantastic selection of gorgeous Spanish pottery. The best part? It's inexpensive. Our "yard" is a tile patio, so I'm also embracing container gardening.
There's always a celebration going on! You don't have to have much money to enjoy life in Spain. Here is a Three Kings Parade celebrating Epiphany. There have been parades celebrating religious, regional, and national holidays. Next week: Carnaval!
Ridiculously inexpensive and good wine from Spain, easily found at any grocery store. Like $4 cheap. Did I mention it's good?
That's just a fraction of what I like (so far). Looking forward to the next six months (and the next, and the next) and more small, charming reasons to love Spain.
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