the rain in spain...

Actually, it's been dry and beautiful these past few days. But it is supposed to start up again on Wednesday...something about rain here isn't as enjoyable as I recall. Perhaps because I am forced to trudge around in it without the cozy comfort of my car and cd player taking me from Point A to Point B, and maybe because my room has no windows with which to hear the rain pounding at night...
But I can't help but compare the recent changes in our country to the weather here. Right before the election I was scared for my father, running for judge as a Democrat in the middle of a blood-red state, and for the country as a whole. This was our chance to take back the government that had been hijacked by nutty right-wingers who bore no resemblance to the country I knew and loved. And it was a dark week here as well, rainy, grim with little chance of light shining through.
But all that changed last Tuesday, when the people seemed to have awoke from a six-year slumber and really made a statement about where we want this country to go. Then it seemed the rain stopped, all was brightness and light again, and my beloved city and country were filled with a new hope.
There will be tough times ahead for the new government. There is more rain on the horizon. But the Dems, though they might lack the cohesive vision of the conservatives, have the country and the world's best interests at heart. And sometimes a cohesive plan isn't the best option, especially when you must stick to it at all costs without considering all options.
Enough politics. Yesterday my friends and I went to Toledo for the day, the city in which I studied when I first came to Spain. It is a wonderful, enchanting little place and I love returning. Something about it is not the same, though, perhaps it is my missing friends who I can see coming through the door at Boveda, or jogging down the hill on the other side of the mountain, or sitting outside at Enebro. New friends are wonderful as well, and have made this trip better than I imagined it could be. There is always something nostalgic about the past, and we see it with hazy eyes, as Fitzgerald says.
In the spirit of the upcoming holiday, here are 10 things I am thankful for. (For which I am thankful?)
1. Sunny days in November
2. Walking out of my apartment and seeing people sitting in cafes below my house, at any time of day or night
3. My good fortune in meeting great friends upon arrival
4. The calendar my roommate has in our bathroom...British firemen without shirts.
5. The ability to postpone the "real world" for at least another year
6. My train rides in the morning, which allow me to read and listen to music
7. Free three-course meals at school
8. Good cheese and avocados in the stores at very low prices
9. Music in Puerta del Sol at all times of night
10. The Christmas lights going up all over Madrid

That's all I have off the top of my head. There is much, much more, of course, but only time for a bit now. I am not thankful, however, for bratty Spanish children who take advantage of their poor teacher!

An Autumn Ode to Freedom

It's my sixth week in Madrid; feels like six months already. How different life is now than three months ago, for one thing, and worlds away from this time last year. Now that I've lost the feeling of an outsider trying to make their way through a maze of new experiences...all in a different language...I feel settled and at peace.
Such a clíche, I know, but how lucky am I to wake up each morning to the sights and sounds of one of the busiest capitals in the world coming to life? My apartment is a dream come true, right in the hub of the city, plenty of character, and no elevator.
Today was a mild November day, didn't even need my demin jacket. Spent the day with Marc, a Canadian and fellow traveler, as we explored Malasaña and ate crepes. I had ham and cheese, he had butterscotch. Then we meandered through the nearby park with a view of Madrid and the Royal Palace.
The thought of joining the race back in the States to get a job, get married, have kids and settle down is not even in my realm of possibilities right now. I find the freedom to make my own decisions perfectly exhilerating...why on Earth would I want to compromise that for what someone else wants? I know I've said it before, but this is the only time in my life I can be completely and utterly selfish. Do I want to sleep until 3 p.m. today? Why not?
Without responsibilties, without having somewhere to be at all times, life is glorious. I am completely happy wandering the back streets around Gran Via, discovering new and interesting shops, cafes and architecture. What a great place to be discovering freedom! Everything around me speaks to this idea...the weather, the carefree attitude of the Madrileños, the friends I've met, the ease with which you can fall into conversation with a perfect stranger and find that you have plenty in common, though you come from different times and places...Ahh, to be young and free in a city where everything is within reach!