Nature

I was able to hike in the mountains surrounding Murica this weekend. It was nice to be alone with nature for a while. I stumbled upon the ruins of an old castle too.

Castillo de la Luz. One of the oldest castle ruins in Murcia. Found it on my hike.

Bilingual Beggars

I started my Spanish class this week and I absolutely love it! There are people from all over Europe in it and it's so cool to meet all of them and attempt to speak Spanish together. I'm having so much fun in the class already, and the teacher is great. It's a really relaxed atmosphere and we laugh a lot.

After class tonight I was walking to the bookstore to purchase my book for class with a couple other people. When we walked by someone begging for money he heard us speaking English and switched automatically over to English. Aside from that he was relatively well dressed. I have seen several people that could fit this description. I can't imagine one of these people on the streets of New York.

I also think I have failed to mention that I'm taking guitar lessons here. A guy comes to the house once and week to give lessons to the kids and Inma asked me if I wanted to have lessons too. I said I certainly wouldn't turn them down so now I have been taking lessons for a few weeks.

Alas, it is the Lenten Season again. I'm giving up negative thoughts for Lent. Negative thoughts about others and myself. Who needs them anyway? Nothing but positivity from now until eternity! Or at least until Easter. Maybe the habit will stick.

Loretico at a museum in Murcia that were ancient ruins were discovered only 7 years ago.

My birthday present

For my birthday God gave me Spain! I get to stay...legally! Apparently if you play "higher sports" here you can do whatever you want. Well, that's not entirely true you need a piece of paper that says you play in Spain and you can stay for up to a year, and then have it renewed if you want.

We checked with the lawyer for the professional basketball team here because I won't get my papers until a week after I have been here for three months, and he said "no pasa nada"which basically means it's all good. He said as long as the process has started now (which it has) we are okay.

I have been here for 6 weeks now and I understand A LOT more of what people say now. However, I still find it difficult to piece together a proper sentence. But my Spanish class starts tomorrow so that should help, and I still study every morning with my friend.

What an INTENSE six weeks this has been.

Laundry

First Game

My first game went really well! I played the whole time and had somewhere around 17 kills and one ace. We won in three games. Not too shabby for the first game.

We also talked to a lawyer who specializes in foreign athletes here in Spain and he said the paperwork shouldn't be a problem if we are in the process of getting it, and I get it before I try to leave Spain. We are still somewhat unsure because of the "what if" factor. I hope to have this all resolved by tomorrow, but things move a bit slower in Spain that back in the states and everyday I keep being told "We will know for sure tomorrow."

To be honest I just want to know one way or another. If I can stay, great. If I can't, fine. But I need to plan for the next chapter if that is the case.

I need to take more pics, but have been preoccupied as of late.

4 hour practice

It's one o'clock in the morning and I just got home from an intense four hour practice. First game tomorrow. I'm exhausted. Still don't know if I can stay in Spain legally. More later.

Hitch in the plans

Well, it is funny how quickly you can go from feeling on top of the world to the depths of despair to somewhere in the middle. I know because that accurately describes my last 3 days.

Monday I practiced with the pro volleyball team again and it went really well. I played well, still not 100 percent, but I certainly held my own. I was very happy and looking forward to playing all the time.

On Tuesday I found out that I do not have the right kind of visa and I have to come back to the U.S. at the end of March. I was incredibly upset. I don't want to go back to the states. I want to stay in Spain and play volleyball and learn Spanish.

Wednesday I realized I have an opportunity to work somewhere fun for the summer months. I'm thinking the Florida Keys or something like that. I wouldn't mind doing another seasonal job somewhere I have never been before. And then I will fly to Slovenia for try-outs in August.

So all in all, while I would rather stay in Spain for seven months instead of three, it is not the end of the world and this just gives me an opportunity to do something else that is really fun. After Spain, on to the next thing I suppose. 2012 is still going to be full of new and exciting things...and now it's even more exciting because I don't know what they are!

I think I will just keep practicing with the volleyball team in Spain until I have to leave and then go somewhere I can play volleyball often in the states and work for 4 months. I think Florida sounds good. If you have any ideas or opportunities please let me know!

I suppose this is just a lesson in rolling with the punches.

A day at the museum.

Random Thoughts

This post, as the title suggests, is simply random thoughts I have had while in Spain. I may or may not expound upon some of these subjects at a later date.

- There are a lot of cats here.
- So I knew this before coming here, but I am a very "get shit done" kind of person, and it drives me insane when I am absolutely starving and someone is taking like a million years to sit down at the table. If it was my family of course I would say screw it and just eat, but that is not polite. Also, that would never happen in my family because when it is time to eat everyone sprints to the table.
- I love trying new foods, which is normally a good thing, but there are so many new foods here I am eating A LOT. At the candy shop today I put pretty much one of everything in my bag.
- My breakfast foods are extremely unusual here and my family laughs every time I sit down to eat breakfast. I usually have eggs, or an apple with peanut butter, or toast with peanut butter and an orange. Here eggs are for dinner and apples do not go with peanut butter...in fact, nothing goes with peanut butter. I eat peanut butter constantly and I wasn't aware that was strange. Although, I prefer natural peanut butter, and I haven't found a good peanut butter here yet.
- I had an entire fish head on my plate the other day and I didn't blink an eye. Fine, you put a fish head on my plate I'll eat it. I literally think I like every food ever produced, grown, or concocted. I ate cheese with visible mold on it the other day. No worries, the mold was supposed to be there. Octopus is a normal part of the daily diet, and there is a giant dried mountain pig's leg on the counter. And I'm the weird one for eating a peanut butter and banana sandwich?
- I have never eaten so much ham or olive oil in my life.
- If the temperature drops below 50 degrees it appears as though the apocalypse has taken place. There is no one outside. Same goes for rainy days.
- There is SO MUCH HISTORY here. Many of the buildings were built in the 13th century, and when I visit the places it's insane to imagine how it once looked, with people walking around and lounging about and what not.
- Life is so good!

On my way to Mass today.

Volleyball

Ok, so I had my first practice with the professional team here in Spain yesterday. I can't say that it was wonderful, but I also can't say that it was awful. I hadn't really jumped/run/played in nearly 2 and a half months because of my knees, so I didn't expect it to be perfect. I wasn't jumping as well as usual obviously and I felt like I was definitely a step slow. On top of that I was thrown in to drills where I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing with a team whose language I speak very little of. Oh, and they are freaking good. Haha, quite an experience. There first month or so might be a bit of a struggle, but I just really need to get back into playing shape and hope my knees hold up.

I will get better one day at a time.

Bridge. I have been so busy lately I haven't taken many new pics!

Great Perhaps

I just finished reading Looking for Alaska by John Green. And now I'm off to discover my own Great Perhaps.

Perhaps it will indeed be great. Perhaps it will not, but at least I will be able to say I'm out there fighting the good fight.

"About to walk the path I've gotta take
I am packing up - heading out
Cuz' I can't sleep I'm dreaming way too loud"

Limoneros and sunset