recovery / back to reality: january and early february

I was still pretty exhausted a few days after getting back, but it was so nice to get back to school! My students are even more WILD than usual, but it’s understandable since they just had two weeks of freedom and family time. We’re doing some pretty fun lessons, and it is good to see them and interact with them. They are so funny, but nobody tell them I said it. The other teachers are so much fun to chat and spend time with, and I’m just so grateful to be a part of this community.

Additionally, it is good to see my clases particulares students! Once a week, I meet with them for an hour for English lessons, and they have all gotten new games and such for Christmas and are SO excited to show it all off. It is so fun, and I always look forward to my time with the two sisters B and A, and then my lessons with R and then M later in the week. I leave each session having learned something new, and I hope they can all say the same!

some events / activities: january

Our first Friday all back was a special occasion, as we had lunch at Caroline’s culinary school. She works with Formación Profesional students, and the school has a really good restaurant. The food was exquisite, and the atmosphere was nice, but still relaxed and fun. We’ve been hoping we could make this happen, and it booked out pretty far. Absolutely worth the wait!

At some point in January Kai came to visit for the afternoon from Vigo and it was such fun to show of part of Pontevedra. Then, we successfully started planning a trip to Malta for the puente – or long weekend – in mid-March. How exciting! It’s a place I never dreamed I’d be able to visit, and excited to see how our plans evolve.

My friend Sydney and I went on a little adventure, sponsored by a late Monbus of course, to O Grove. This is a stunningly beautiful area/peninsula further out along the ría. It is maybe my favorite place in Galicia. We wandered around the town for a bit before deciding to hike/walk/journey up to the mountain-like outlooks. It was a walk and certainly showed us we should maybe do this more than we already do, and it was such a good way to spend the afternoon. The outlook we ended up at was breathtaking. The ocean is all around, with the strip of land with the Lanzada beach connecting O Grove to the rest of the peninsula tucked in the back. The sun was still in the sky, and it was so peaceful. We sat and rested and enjoyed our snacks, all as the sun slowly began to move closer and closer towards the water. It was a beautiful sunset; as I watched, I decided this is where/how I want to spend my last night in Spain when my grant and time here is up. Suddenly, we realized that because the sun had just set, it was now dark. Probably not a great time to try to wander our way back down the highway to the town without a real flashlight (oops), but fortunately we saw that the Nature Center was still open. A very kind Galician woman named Teresa told us about a mountain footpath, and we decided that was the safer route back to town. Literally as Syd and I were about to disappear into the forest, Teresa ran outside and told us that she would drive us back to town! It was so kind of her to help us out, and it was much, much faster to go by car. Once back in town, we found a really fun little neighborhood bar and managed to check out the main street and its shopping as well. Fortunately, Monbus was on time to leave and we didn’t get stranded.

That next day we also went on a hike with our lil hiking group, and it was beautiful. I’m reasonably confident that the area/trail was called Fornelos de Montes, and it was really beautiful. We were so lucky this whole weekend and the weather – two clear, warmish days in a row! We improvised the trail a little bit and managed to make our excursion a little bit longer, and it really added to the fun of it.

The next weekend, Lindsay and her boyfriend Alex introduced Amanda, Syd, and I to the glory that is a furancho. This is apparently a very regional special, and it is basically a family-run restaurant that gets a special permit to function as a restaurant for a few months…to effectively sell and serve their excess wine! Of course, Galicia has delicious wine, and each furancho has a slightly different one. We went to Alex’s village and went to the second favorite furancho, as the first one was not open that evening. It was so good, and it was so much fun. The wine is served in bowls, and it is so fun. The food was great, and it was such a good evening. Then, we went to some fun bars and such, and then ended up out in Pontevedra. It was still early to bed by Spanish standards, but quite late by American ones.

I had a hike the next morning that I had been so excited to go on, and while I was still ~recovering~ from the night out, I am so glad I managed to go. No better way to spend my time then in the stunning natural scenery of Galicia on a little mountain, with a cool breeze and clouds keeping the sun mercifully away from my eyes. Also, no sunburn! It was really, really beautiful and actually pretty hilly and rocky, so a little bit different than ones we’ve done in the past. I think this was called the Zobra trail, near Lalín. I very much enjoy these Sunday hikes!

Of course, between all of these events, I’ve been keeping up with sports – Creighton basketball and the KC Chiefs are always my teams, but they’re both having such exciting seasons! I can’t catch every game, obviously due to the time difference, but I’m doing my best. It’s so fun to have to look forward to, and my students seem entertained when I show game highlights (especially for the Chiefs – American football is significantly more exotic). I cannot neglect to mention the season of the Bachelor that has started – I’m delighted that my friends and I are doing Bachelor Wednesdays. It is always a time to look forward to spending together laughing and eating dinner.

I went to visit one of my teacher friends in Vilagarcia, which is a short train ride. It was such fun to get to hang out outside of school and see another Galician city! It was a great way to end January.

more events/activities: february

I went to Santiago de Compostela for a little staycation for the first weekend of February to catch a basketball game with friends Adam and Alexa – the professional team there is called Obradoiro. It was a blast! How I miss being courtside, either at local high school games or (especially) Creighton games. The fans are extremely dedicated, and it was a really lively atmosphere. I crashed at Alexa’s apartment, and we were able to hang out for a while the next day as well.

Of course, the Superbowl was the first weekend in February! Growing up, if the Chiefs were playing on a Sunday, the TV was ON and we were watching. It did not matters if chores were done or not – the Chiefs were playing! KC sports fans have had it tough for quite a while, but we’ve had grand moments of victory over the last few years. I have been really lucky that the playoff games were the earlier time slot, meaning I didn’t have to adjust/sacrifice much sleep to watch them. I went to Caroline’s apartment to watch the Chiefs/Texans game with Ben, who is from Texas. Then, for the Superbowl, we had a party planned for Monday evening (yes, after it aired but we wanted the social aspect, and that simply was not going to happen at 3am on a Monday before we all worked). I knew that I woould never forgive myself if I found out the result before watching the game, so of course I stayed up to watch it! It was TENSE but wow what a game. I was obviously tired the next day at work, but since I had told my students about the cultural phenomenon that is the Superbowl the week before / that my team was finally playing in it, they all came into class so excited to tell me that KC had won! It was so, so cute and just another way that they make me feel so accepted and welcomed.

That evening, we had our Super Bowl party and the food was so good. I was excited to watch the game again, but the food and friendship was the main hit for the group. After we won (again!), I went home very tired.

I had a day off thanks to testing schedules, and I was able to go to the beach and read a book. It was so nice and I still cannot believe that this is an activity that I can casually go and do. It was warm and sunny and just beautiful.

A few of us decided to go to Ourense over a weekend for a food festival and just a way to shake things up, and I ended up staying the night to go to Xinzo de Lima the next day. I went to the hot springs in the evening with some friends, and then went back into town and rested before the first event of Entroido (Galician Carnavale, more or less) in Xinzo. The dress theme of this particular event was “old lady” so we arrived in dresses and skirts with scarves and shawls to find an entire down decked out in similar garb. Grandma Kathy has gotten really good at WhatsApp, and she thought the photos I sent of today were absolutely ridiculous and funny. Thus, my attire was grandma approved! Xinzo is a tiny town near the border with Portugal, and it really knows how to throw a party. Regionally, it is well known for this time of year. At one point there was an elderly man singing “chiquitita” – like from the Mamma Mia soundtrack – into a street karaoke setup, and it was an experience to witness. The main event of the day was the pot breaking! Literally, trailer-cart-wagon-things were loaded with urn-like pots, and a large area of the main square was roped off. Local men lined up around the inside of the ring and began tossing the pots? urns? back and forth. Some were empty, some were filled with flour, and others with wine. Some were caught, others shattered on the pavement. It was wildly entertaining – sometimes when I wonder what people did hundreds of years ago for entertainment, I really will never have to think further than this again.

some thoughts

Post-holidays have been a little tough, and the weather has been really hit-or-miss which does take a toll on all of us. However, I’ve kept myself busy and tried to really focus on lots of little moments that bring such joy. I mentioned the beach, and I’m extra fortunate there since my school is maybe a 5 minute walk from Portonovo’s main beach, and then about 15 minutes from Sanxenxo’s. I’m trying to make myself take different routes home and such, and allowing myself to get a little lost in the Old Town. Pontevedra’s river walk is really beautiful, and there is always somehow a pleasant amount of people out walking/running/jogging on it. One side is more hike-friendly than the other, which is better paved and running-friendly.

I’ve managed to play with some research stuff, and it’s just all really interesting. I’m hoping to get on a better schedule with trying to get into the local archives more, and I’m slowly finding better secondary sources and such (thx to former and current mentors!!!), so that is helping me gain some traction. For now, I’m continuing to be get excited by what I find and I’m asking a million more questions after reading / translating most of them.

I got a bike right before Christmas break, and I have loved having it. It has maybe become my entire personality, so thank you to my friends for putting up with that. However, misfortune struck and it was (sort of) STOLEN. In fact, the entire street sign it was locked to had disappeared! After a couple of days, the local police mentioned they had it in custody, as the street sign had been damaged by a storm and its wind. So, I was so happy to get it back! Sadly, it was stolen for real at the start of February while I was at a café. It was locked, but alas. It was gone. I’ve decided that if it is found, I will sell it and purchase another because it has bad luck associated with it and I just don’t need that in my life. Stay tuned!

There are days where I just really miss home, either a physical place or a person/group of people. and i’m learning that it’s okay and normal, and that just because I am thriving where I am does not mean that I can’t miss other things and people.

I will say that in thinking about this, I am struck by how grateful I am to my community here. I geniunely enjoy my carpools with different teachers (Alba on Mondays, Xosé on Tuesdays, Uxía and Alejandro on Wednesdays, and Jorge on Thursdays) and it’s so funny to chat about different things. They are all endlessly patient with my Spanish and my many random questions. Right before Christmas break, I baked no-bake cookies (lol) and gave them to them all as thank you’s, and they seem to have been a hit. I’ll have to think of something extra for the end of the year! For now, I’m practicing gratitude and enjoying each day as it comes.