midyear

MidYear

As MidYear has been creeping ever closer, it’s been a good reality check for me to acknowledge just how quickly time is passing. It is also funny to think about how far we’ve all come – orientation was great, but we were all so scared and had no friends and really had no idea what any of us were doing. So, I had been looking forward to MidYear and seeing and reconnecting with people both inside Galicia and in other regions! Of course, Grandma’s death the night before leaving left me emotionally exhausted and overwhelmed. Amanda, Caroline, and Lindsay came over and sat with me for a bit that night, and it helped me recalibrate. My regional contact at the commission, Michelle, was so gracious and kind when I emailed her, and I was assured I would have all the space I needed during the conference to talk to home or just take time alone.

I will be emotionally exhausted and overhauled for a while, but I am so glad I had somewhere to be where my days were scheduled, meals were provided, and a plethora of company was present. My roommate, Arantxa, has been especially supportive, and she made sure I got out the door with everything I needed. I panic packed at 2am (my poor father sat on the phone with me and tried to reason with me about how many clothes I was said to be bringing but to no avail) and brought about half of my wardrobe to midyear in my hiking backpack, which was just absurd and I regretted every minute of carrying it around.

Amanda, Caroline, and I made it to the train station and then we just took a taxi to the Santiago airport with another Fulbrighter who was at the station at the same time. We met up with a larger group, and it was fun to have a good number of us on the plane. Then, literally all of Fulbright España gathered at the Atocha train station and prepared to board our train to Murcia. Our seats and such were assigned, and I literally think we had 99% of the train bought out for us. I was in Car 9 and it was hands down the best car. The 5-6 hours went by so fast, thanks to pre-prepared snacks, lots of games, and maybe the beverage car as well. It was like being on the Hogwarts Express.

Once we arrived in Murcia, we got our things and hopped on our buses to the hotel. Ana, a Fulbright friend from the Canaries, was my roommate, and it was so good to catch up with me! We had dinner and such and it was a good way to settle in.

The two days are best summed up with we had official activities, punctuated with breaks, followed by free time and lots of camaraderie and fun and then a brief period recovery at the scrumptious breakfast the next day. The hotel I was in had a bar/discoteca thing on the basement level, which provided a convenient opportunity to relax after the day was done. Really, the sessions were quite interesting and I was impressed by my peers’ research and presentations, as well as the breakout sessions we got to attend. I have been thinking lots about what I learned at MidYear, and I’m really grateful for all who worked to put these neat topics and presentations together.

We had the talent show on Thursday, which was such fun to see, and then a Cocktail Party on Friday, which was a blast and set the stage for a fun evening ~out on the town~

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On Saturday, I had signed up for the Scavenger Hunt, and my friends and I somehow made it there on time after quickly packing our bags. It was a fun way to see Murcia, and I enjoyed getting to know my group members! After that was done, we grabbed lunch and then hopped on our bus to Alicante.

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Flights back to Galicia were difficult to come by in Murcia, so we headed up to Alicante, which had a much better flight selection. We spent the afternoon, night, and a good chunk of the next day in Alicante, and it was really nice. I visited Alicante during my semester abroad at Glasgow, and it was good to see it again for another short weekend. Saturday evening we went the Santa Barbara Fortress overlooking everything, and it was beautiful at sunset/night. We all needed some rest, and I think we were successful in obtaining it. Our Airbnb had incredible views, and it was such fun to share it with Adam, Alexa, Amanda, and Caroline.

The next day I went to church, especially as it was the day of GK’s wake. Alexa went with me, and it was wonderful to have company. After that, we HAD to get breakfast, and then of course we grabbed some delicious and highly-rated gelato on our way to meet friends at the beach. Elena and Brook were also in Alicante, and we met up with them at the beach. What a glorious couple of hours we spent there! The sun was warm but not too bright, and the Mediterranean is always pretty. The others went to lunch, and I stayed to have some time to myself. It was really important and quite nice…no better place to have that moment, I think.

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I met up with the others and we split taxis to the airport, where we had no trouble at all getting to our flight and heading back to Santiago. It was TIGHT to catch our train home, so we split a taxi again on the way back to the station. Fortunately, we made it and I was home in time to chat with family before the services began for GK.

musings

• I think maybe might biggest takeaway from Mid Year is the sense of community that I have found in my cohort. It’s just such an incredible group of people, and I’m very lucky to know each of them – especially especially looking at my regional/Galicia cohort. Thank you all.
• Despite everything else happening, Mid Year was such fun, and I felt so much joy and life with these people.
• I have come so, so far as a person since arriving in Spain on September 2nd, 2019. I cannot ever repay the good that has been given to me, so I hope I can continue to be aware of it and work to pay it forward in my life.
• I really, really miss GK, and she was so excited to hear all about MidYear. We’ll all keep doing our best I suppose, and there is such comfort in knowing and realizing just how much she was/is loved.
• I have a lot more energy, and I have also learned really great ideas to bring back to my classroom in Sanxenxo. It’s a good reminder to shake things up and push myself to continually be creative, and I’m excited to get back to my students next week, even though it’ll be a short week before Carnavale/Entroido begins!