The countdown is on! We have passed the halfway point, which means there are less days remaining than there are days that I have been living in Madrid if that makes any sense. These first two months have flown by so fast. Which means I am closer and closer to seeing my wonderful family and friends. I am so excited! Although like my mother pointed out, I will probably be ready to come back to Madrid by the end of the two weeks! I don't know about that one! This weekend at the retreat, we did talk about the ups and downs are moving to a different place and then what happens when you return and how it is a never-ending cycle of the honeymoon phase, a gradual decline that eventually leads to a crisis or being homesick, then a steady climb of adjusting and adapting. Only to have the cycle repeat itself when you go back home. It's called the W-curve. Even though this was my second time to Madrid, it was still hard and there were some times where I caught myself crying after I finished talking to or Skyping with my family and close friends. Those days are gone, but there are still some days that are hard. Like missing out on family events. Or like yesterday when a good friend of mine got married and I wasn't there to see it. But that's just part of moving away....
Today was quite exciting because I got a package at school today from my Uncle Bart. It was full of Halloween candy, a bag of potato chips (regular size bag!), blue cheese dressing (now all I have to do is find some hot wings), and some other things. Oh, and a package of golden oreos, which are my guilty pleasure. I felt like a little kid in a candy store! Since I have a replenishment of goodies, this means I can go ahead and open up the package of sour patch kids and golden oreos that I have been holding out on. I am going to gain so much weight when I come home!!!! I have a long list of food that I cannot wait to eat upon my return. If anyone wants to treat me to breakfast, lunch, or dinner, let me know! I'm great company! Only thing is you will have to pick me up :) I have been craving the following: spicy chicken wings and pink lemonade from Indi's, fajita nachos and or/burrito from Qdoba, General Tso's chicken from Double Dragon, a Chicken Philly Club from Penn Station (with a large lemonade), unlimited chips and hot salsa from Tumbleweed, a Caramel Appled Spiced Cider and White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks, a frisco or chicken fingers salad from Rafferty's with extra Garlic-Ranch dressins, Pasta Carrabba from Carrabba's, Bang Bang Shrimp (or the tacos) from Bonefish, omg a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts, hot off the belt, a Cinnabon, Homemade Pie Kitchen, and whatever else I can get my hands on. This is in addition to the Thanksgiving meal Mimi will be cooking at dinner. Yes, I know I sound extremely fat right now, but ask me if I care....NOPE!!!! (My poor stomach will be having a terrible time however, eating all of that processed food! But since I only have two weeks, I need to make the most of it!)
So, according to msn.com, the minivan is making a comeback. Excuse me, I thought the minivan was always in style! My mother has been pushing one around for the past twenty five years or something like that! I mean come on, we have had every style of minivan there is. The old school kind with the ladder on the back door. (That was the first one I remember, the light blue one.) Then there was the maroon minivan and the gray one with the double dutch doors. Or was it the maroon one with the dutch doors and the rear wiper? We thought we were big stuff with those suckers! And then there is the current one, the tan one. I remember when we first got a van with rear air. And now the tan one has rear air AND rear heat. Boo-ya! How you like those apples?! (In the words of my best friend, Ronnie George.) So excuse me, MSN, minivans have always been in style. The Trainor family was at the forefront of vehicular fashion, thank you very much. Actually, I've never known anything but a minivan. I mean, that's what I learned to drive in after all. And that's what I will be driving when I come back for Christmas, because my stingy father will not let anyone drive his beloved new car. How rude. Although, to be honest, I'm a little scared of driving now, because for the past two months, I have been watching Spanish people drive. And trust me, they take driving to a whole new level. Actually, I'm not scared of driving. It's just that I don't want to drive. I'll just be a bum again like I was for the last three weeks I was at home in August. Being a bum is so much fun!
I had a really good day today. Still on a high from the retreat. I invited one co-worker (the lady who I had the discussion about church with and who asked me if I was atheist during our conversation when I was helplessly explaining the meaning of being non-denominational) and her family (two of my students) to the Thanksgiving dinner our church will be having in a month! Not sure if she is a catolica practicante (practicing Catholic or not, but God put it on my heart to invite her! I also had a conversation with another co-worker, who had previously asked me about meeting every once in awhile so I could help her with English and she would help me with Spanish. I prayed for her this weekend at the retreat because I knew she had to have asked me for some reason to do this exchange, but I wasn't sure why. Today in our conversation, I found out that she is a Teresian, which is kind of like a nun, except she doesn't live in a convent or anything. She and the head of the school are both Teresians. Which means they actually practice their faith. Which is extremely hard to find someone who does so in Spain. I am really excited, because this is my first Christian friend outside of church! Plus not to mention she completely understood me when I told her I am a non-demoninational Christian! So exciting to see how quickly God works in our lives!
Quote of the Day: "If you want to leave your footprints on the sands of time, be sure you're wearing work shoes"
Spanish Word of the Day: Comporta - behavior. (This is a word I learned quickly....Have to remind my students they need to have good behavior)
Prayer Request of the Day: Pray that my co-worker and her family will really come to the Thanksgiving dinner!
to clarify, yes I have been driving a Chevrolet Astro mini van since 1987. One of these days I'm getting my orange vw bug!
ReplyDelete