Menorca Part 1 in Review

Note to friends and family: I know I've neglected my blog lately, but it really wasn't all my fault! I wrote this one my last night in Menorca before Christmas break, but couldn't get internet on my laptop in order to post it. So, consider this my December post, and I'll put up January soon!
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As of right this minute I couldn’t ask for much more. I am currently staying at the LaSalle school in Palma de Mallorca, from where I will catch my flight home tomorrow for Christmas. The LaSalle in Palma is huge, with a sports center, pool, café and residence area home to the 10 or so grandfatherly “hermanos” (Brothers? Clergy? Religious dudes?) who work here. Since I am currently a LaSalle employee, I have the advantage of staying for free in any LaSalle school across the country that has rooms to offer. And let me tell you, it’s an amazing deal. I have a nicely heated room with a large bed, a bathroom, and an office, and I just had a delicious buffet-style dinner with the hermanos. They’re going to call on me tomorrow morning as well for breakfast and show me around the LaSalle campus before taking me to the airport to catch my flight. Can we say…spoiled?

Despite the royal treatment, I’m also happy to have a night to myself in order to reflect on my time so far in Menorca. I’ve been there 2 ½ months now, and can honestly say that it’s been quite the experience so far. It’s definitely been a challenge for me to leave my happy home in New Jersey and venture to this tiny island where I knew absolutely nobody. Not to mention that people love to bring up the fact that it “must be so difficult for a girl from the US to come to this rural little island” that they say is “just so sad and boring in the winter” and then ask me “how do you stand it?” before telling me about someone they knew who moved to Menorca but had to leave because they felt too trapped. These conversations tend to make me sad because they bring to mind the negative aspects about Menorca. Like, for example, the lack of shops. There is really only one well-known women’s clothing store called Mango, a popular European chain that’s just reaching the US now. One day Natasha wanted to buy a new sweater and we were joking that she just HAD to get herself to Mango because of ALL the clothing stores it was by far the best. But really, lack of shops may give us the opportunity to break free of the materialistic values unwillingly thrust upon us by contemporary culture in order to achieve a greater appreciation for the intangible beauty of life. How’s that for digging up a silver lining?

And yes, Menorca may be small, geographically speaking, but once you give in and adopt the island mentality it actually becomes quite large. For example, Mahon and Ciutadella are situated at opposite ends of the island about 40 km apart. Now, that’s about the length of a marathon, so technically speaking, I’ve RUN the distance between the two cities. If you have a car, it takes about 25 minutes, which was roughly my commute to high school every day. However, to us Mahonians, a trip to Ciutadella is quite the journey. It’s important to fill your gas tank, use the restroom, restock the first aid kid and pack a sandwich before you are ready to embark. And once you get to Ciutadella it’s important to keep in mind the cultural differences. From what I understand, people in Ciutadella are weird. They’re more close-minded, more politically conservative and they even have their own word for “bicycle.” I can’t fairly judge them myself, but from their reputation in Mahon it looks like I’ve ended up in the better city.

So this experience has had its challenges and I’ve had to adapt to the island mentality and way of life, but in addition to justifying the negatives I’ve had to focus on the positives. And when all is said and done, it boils down to one truism: a place is just a place, with inherent advantages and disadvantages; however, it’s the people you’re with that make an experience what it is. With that said, my time in Menorca has been truly a blessing.

For one, I’ve been lucky in terms of living situation. We’re 3 in the house now, Natasha, Aimee and I, and we have a really good time together, despite the language barrier. I’m being serious! I never realized how different American and British English are until I lived with English girls. They call eggplant “obajean” and underwear “knickers” and they use adjectives like “gorgeous” to describe tasty food. One day, Natasha and I were in the kitchen and she asked me to “turn the hob on.” The hob? It took a few minutes, but finally I realized that she meant to say “stovetop.” Since I am an English teacher these days I’m always offering to give her free lessons, to which she always replies, “Natalie, it’s called ENGLISH for a reason.”

In addition to Natasha and Aimee, I have a solid friend base. There’s Patri, who’s an English teacher, and loves to ask Natasha and I questions so she can compare British and American English. There’s Juan, Patri’s boyfriend, who moved all the way from Andalusia to be with her because he’s her “media naranja.” (“Soul mate” in Spanish, which oddly enough directly translates to “orange half”). They’ve been together for 7 years, although I think now that Trevor (the other American here teaching English) is on the scene they might have some problems, because he and Juan LOVE each other. Of course us girls just find it so cute that the two of them get along so well. I’ve also stayed close to Eva, who in an unbelievable gesture of friendship prepared an entire Thanksgiving dinner so I wouldn’t miss out. It turned out really well, despite the fact that we couldn’t find cranberry sauce and had to improvise by using cranberry jelly and mustard. Believe it or not, it tasted better than it sounds. We ended up having an awesome time, with the Spaniards enjoying their first Thanksgiving, and me being extremely grateful for such a special day despite being so far away from home.

And then there’s LaSalle, which I’ve already written about. I loved it from the start, but now I love it double. No –triple, with a cherry on top. How can you not love a place that makes you feel like such a rock star? The kids are still so excited to see me every day, and there’s no better feeling. I don’t know when they’re going to realize that I’m really not THAT cool, but I’m going to milk it while it lasts. I met a mother of one of the 1st graders the other day, and she said to me, “Oh, you’re Natalie? I’m so glad to finally meet you. Abril talks about you every day. She told me she thinks you’re really a princess.” With compliments like that, it’s impossible not to feel good. I’ve also become close to the teachers I work with. They’re very diligent about inviting me places so that I can see the island, and I never turn down their offers.

Today was my last day at LaSalle before the Christmas break, and when I was saying goodbye to the students they became distressed. “Natalie, you’re not leaving forever, are you? Are you coming back after Christmas?” I was happy to answer honestly that yes, I will be back in January, and that I can’t wait to see them next year.

My Life as a Foreigner

Before this trip, I never really thought much about what it means to be a foreigner. I’ve met a lot of foreigners. I’m friends with a lot of foreigners. And I’ve had some passing thoughts concerning the difficulties of relocating to a strange place where the language and customs are entirely unknown. But I never really got it until now.

Let me start by acknowledging the fact that here I’m really not THAT foreign. Being American it’s hard to be truly foreign anywhere. American culture has spread throughout the globe; when I walk into a bar the people are dancing to Beyonce. When I go to the movies it’s packed with kids lined up to see High School Musical 3. The #1 TV show in Spain is The Simpsons. (This fascinated me the last time I was here being that The Simpsons is basically a satire of American culture. The jokes don’t even translate well.) And EVERYONE is discussing the US election. I walked into class the other day and the kids started chanting, “O-ba-ma! O-ba-ma!” Do you think you could even find ONE 6th grader in the states who can name the president of Spain? Can you? I know I couldn’t until I got here.

So yes, being an American automatically gives me an edge on the Continuum of Foreignness, so it’s been much easier on me than somebody relocating to say, Tonga, originally hailing from, I don’t know, Uzbekistan or Turkmenistan or Mars. You get the idea. Nonetheless, on Menorca I am still a foreigner, and I FEEL like a foreigner. It’s true that this isn’t my first time in Spain. I did study abroad in Madrid, but it was different. Madrid is a very cosmopolitan place, crawling with American students and tourists. On Menorca, however, I’m seriously the first American most people have met. The US isn’t a common travel location for Menorquins, just as Menorca isn’t a popular vacation destination for Americans. The other day I was talking to Aimee’s boss, who owns a bar near the port and thus meets loads of tourists during the summer. I asked him what he thought of Americans, and basically he said he hadn’t met enough to give a fair description. He said that the Americans who venture to Menorca are of the same type; a type that is curious and adventurous, and likes to explore unusual places. I understood what he meant, because honestly, if I hadn’t been sent haphazardly by the Spanish consulate to this random little strip of land in the Mediterranean I never would have even thought about coming here.

So all in all it’s a nice exchange: I get to learn about a place I wouldn’t have otherwise explored, and at the same time I get to play Cultural Ambassador (although I think Hollywood is doing just fine without me). But I will say this: being a foreigner isn’t easy. First of all, there’s that whole language barrier thing, even though I do speak Spanish. Most of the time I understand everything people say to me and can respond appropriately, but in a second language it’s difficult to show your personality. While I’m outgoing back home, in Spain I’m shy. When all the teachers are talking and laughing together in the teacher’s lounge, I’m too nervous to throw in my 2 cents. When I run into an acquaintance around town I find it difficult to start up a conversation or make small talk. When speaking with someone new I’m always worried that I’m going to say something wrong, or that they won’t understand my accent. It’s like your personality is filtered through the language barrier, leaving you less intelligent, less quick-witted and less secure.

And when you’re a foreigner, everything is a little more difficult. Going to the supermarket, checking out a book at the library, finding the right bus to catch… it’s like you consistently feel like the clueless kid at school who always says or does the wrong thing. I find that here most people are patient with me, but I’ve definitely gotten the “I’m struggling not to roll my eyes at you” look a few times. I’m sorry if I heard you wrong when you said the bus was at platform “doce” (12) and not “dos” (2). I didn’t realize it was such a MAJOR offense. And no, I wasn’t born knowing that I had wait for the shop attendant to HAND me the sandwich on the shelf arms-length away, when I could just as easily take it myself. So sue me.

But anyway, despite these minor complaints, the truth is that my experience as a foreigner has been positive. The teachers at LaSalle make an effort to talk to me and understand me, and correct my Spanish if I say something wrong. And because of their kindness, I’ve been feeling more friendly and confident, more like myself. And then there are those few strangers who make the extra effort to help me out. Like Sara at the gym I joined. My first day there she walked me through everything, introduced me to the teacher of the aerobics class, and reserved a spot for me in front so I would be sure to understand everything that was going on.

Which brings me to the overall point of this post. In our area of the US, we have the unique opportunity to meet foreigners all the time –and interesting foreigners too. Foreigners who are much braver than I am, meeting a cultural divide much greater than what I’m experiencing. After all, a temporary US-to-Europe relocation is really not all that dramatic in the grand scheme of things. Not to mention the fact that I was INVITED here. I came here with a job lined up, a job that basically ASKS me to be foreign. Really, think about it, it’s like, “Natalie could you just hang out with a bunch of kids all day, tell them about yourself and what you do back home, and speak in your native language?” I mean, I have it made.

So all in all my mere glimpse at the life of a foreigner has made me really appreciate the people I’ve met back home who packed up and moved, immersing themselves in a language and culture completely unlike their own, many without a job or a set plan let alone an entire school willing to take them under their wing. And really, that’s just amazing. It takes a rare kind of courage to take that step in life, and I admire it immensely. This experience has made me re-examine the way I interact with foreigners I meet in the US: Do I take the time to understand them and make sure they understand me? Do I put forth the extra effort to make them feel welcome? Would I be like Sara at the gym? I like to think so, but I can’t say for sure. I do know however that when I’m back home in the US I will be sure to follow in the footsteps of the wonderful people I’ve met here, the people who have made Spain for me a home away from home.

LaSalle

My official title at LaSalle is “Auxiliar de Conversacion,” (direct translation = conversation assistant), although no one really knows what this means. I don’t even think the people who invented the program really know what it means, or what an “Auxiliar de Conversacion” is technically supposed to do. Apparently, LaSalle received a short letter saying “Natalie Sous is coming all the way from the States to be the “Auxiliar de Conversacion” for the year, so have fun, learn some English, catchya later – oh, and she gets 700 euro/month, okay thanks bye!” So here I am, among the 1st group of American conversation assistants ever sent to the Balearic Islands, which is exciting yes, but which has also led to mass confusion. For instance, the Spanish consulate has decided to issue us student visas, so the local police department doesn’t understand why it has to grant us “tarjetas de residencia” (kind of like green cards). Furthermore, nobody really knows from where my paycheck is supposed to come. The program directors say it comes from LaSalle, but LaSalle says it comes from the Spanish consulate. I check in with the receptionists every few days, and they’re very sweet, but they’ve been “calling the Spanish consulate” for about 3 weeks. In all honesty, I’m not too worried about it, things just move more slowly in Spain. I just have to relax and be patient, and things always work themselves out in the end. (Could it be? Have I developed a Hakuna Matata/Don’t Worry, Be Happy typical relaxed island mentality? And yes, I did just make a Disney reference thank you very much).

But despite all the boring details, and despite the confusion, I LOVE auxiliar-ing conversaciones, whatever that may mean. I think I lucked out, because the teachers in the English department at LaSalle have been very welcoming, and eager to entrust me with projects of my own. They’re having me take out a group of 8-10 students in each class to work on an age-appropriate project so they can practice English and learn about the US. For example, the 1st graders are coloring the American flag, and the 6th graders are working on a poem to recite for their parents at the Christmas festival. So far working with small groups has been so much fun for me, although I’ve had to readjust my thinking a little bit. When I first started I was determined to speak only in English, right from the start, and the kids were just going to understand, and we were going to have lots of interesting conversation, all in English. Yeah, right. This approach resulted in a chorus of “Natalie, es que no te entiendo.” (Natalie, it’s that I don’t understand you), with eventually the James or Jenny of the class translating everything I was saying. (There are a lot of British people living on Menorca, and every class has at least one student who already speaks English). So I’ve eased up a bit, and sometimes I repeat in Spanish what I’ve said in English if the kids really can’t understand me. So far it’s been easiest to work with the youngest and oldest kids. The youngest kids hardly notice I’m speaking a different language, and the oldest kids are less shy about attempting to form sentences. But I’m enjoying every class, although I do have my favorites of course.

Like 5A. I love 5A (5th grade, class A). They’re crazy, and not well-behaved but I love them. I have them twice a week, for Art/English and for just plain English as well, so I’ve gotten to know them pretty well. The first day I was there the teacher (Carlos, incidentally) had them ask me questions all class. Some were normal: “Have you been to New York City? Are there Supermarkets in New Jersey?” And some were funny: “Do you live in the White House? Do you think Zac Ephron is handsome?” And then there were the questions about sharks. Sharks, of all things! The conversation went something like this:

Juan: Are there sharks in the ocean in the US?
I thought it was strange question, but I answered as best I could, saying that yes, there are sharks but that they don’t usually come near the coast. End of story, or so I thought.
Clara: “Natalie, how old are you?”
22.
Victor: “If there are sharks in your ocean, can you still go swimming?”
I tried to explain it again.
Maria: “Natalie, are you married?”
No.
Jose: “So have you ever seen a shark?”
Um… maybe in an aquarium?
Gemma: “Have you seen a great white shark?”

Finally, Carlos had to say “okay, no more questions about sharks.” I would say that 5A was yanking my chain, but when I went to 5B right after, THAT class started with the shark questions. $100 goes to whoever can develop a plausible theory as to why Spanish kids associate sharks with the US. I would blame JAWS but I think that’s a little outdated for this age group.

So anyway, long story short, the truth is that at LaSalle I’m just plain cool. To the kids I’m someone new and different who will pay attention to them, but won’t give them homework or call their parents. (Although to be fair, I think I lost some cool points when I had to falsify a rumor circulating the 4th grade that claimed the Jonas Brothers were my cousins.) They all yell my name when I walk down the hall, and the little kids give me hugs and kisses and fight over who gets to hold my hand. And I’m totally shameless about it, as you can already tell. I love every second of it. One thing I’ve noticed is that in Spain, teacher/student boundaries are definitely less defined, but in a good way. It’s not uncommon for teachers to kiss their students on the forehead if they do a good job, or hold them in their lap if they’re feeling sad. I know I’ve never worked as a teacher in an American school, but I feel like the boundaries are much stricter. And maybe they’re stricter for a good reason, I’m not trying to judge. But I know that in my position I love that it’s okay to show affection to the children, because I think it’s a basic instinct on my part and a basic need on their part.

So my job at LaSalle has turned out to be the best part of this experience so far, which makes sense I guess, that is why I'm here. I want to do my best to teach these kids some English, but I think I'm starting to recognize my limitations. There's only so much I can do with an hour each week per class, so I've decided that the least I can do is make sure the students have fun with me. That way these kids can hopefully develop positive associations with English class and thus be more motivated to learn in the future. Idealistic? I hope so :).

The Cast

So, my suitcases have officially been emptied at 543 Jose Clave Anselmo…wait, no 345 Jose Anselmo Clave… something like that. I don’t actually know my address but I have it written down somewhere, and I always manage to find the house. I guess street signs aren’t that important when you live on a small island and you don’t have a car. But yes, I decided to move into the house with three other girls: Zipi, Aimee and Natasha (a Spaniard, a Brit/Spaniard, and a Brit, respectively), and thus far I think it’s working out pretty well. I do enjoy a more social living environment, and being natives, Zipi and Aimee seem to know everybody on the island. In fact, one of the more entertaining things about living on Menorca is access to the island gossip.

Like for example… Zipi went out with a doctor from the main hospital here, who’s actually the husband’s brother of one of Aimee’s best friends, so Aimee can’t know she’s still in love with him, and this doctor is buddies with one of the nurses from the hospital who goes out with Belen (one of the English teachers from my school) but they broke up Friday because apparently he’s a big manwhore (well she called him “enfermero caliente” or “horny male nurse”), although Eva doesn’t trust Belen too much these days because she’s ditched her sister Meribel ever since Meribel got illegitimately impregnated by the brother of Belen’s ex-boyfriend.

You just can’t make up stuff like this.

So since I seem to be in soap opera mode, I thought I would make a cast list of the important players in my life on Menorca:

THE HOUSEMATES

Aimee: If Menorca were high school, Aimee would be the prom queen. She grew up on Menorca, but her parents are from England, and thus she speaks both perfect English and Spanish. Everyone here seems to know and love her, and she’s been really nice and fun to live with. She was living with her boyfriend, but they separated because he’s a (insert British accent) “stupid ass,” and so she inherited a fairly large house and four crazy dogs that live in the backyard. On Friday night I went with the girls to an art exhibit in Ciutadella (the sister city to Mahon on the other side of the island) where Aimee was actually the featured model. Apparently a local artist had spotted her, and paid her a ton of money just to pose for him for an hour. How cool is that?

Natasha: Natasha is also an English teacher in the same program as me, although she’s from England, and she certainly fits the bill as the true Brit of the house; quiet, dainty, polite, but with an underlying typical British dry sense of humor popping up every so often. She’s my ally of the house, also being a foreigner and also years younger than Aimee and Zipi, so it’s a comfort to have her here. One thing I've noticed about spending time with Natasha is that my English has become more proper. I think it might only be a matter of time before I start using phrases like "Do you fancy him?" or "I'm going to have a wee" (which sounds much less crude when Natasha says it).

Zipi: Zipi is the mother figure of the house, probably because she’s the oldest (about 30). She took me and Natasha to the movies on Sunday, and it was obvious that her maternal instincts were kicking in (“Natalie, you have to eat a sandwich before we go because you only ate crackers today.” “Natasha, make sure you bring a sweater because it’s cold in the theater.”) When it comes to foreigners it seems there’s a presumed sense of vulnerability, so I think she feels responsible for my and Natasha’s comfort and safety, which I appreciate in all honesty. And Zipi is so SPANISH; loud, emotional, dramatic, expressive, but at the same time so warm and funny. All in all, a good person to be connected with on Menorca.


FRIENDS

Eva: Eva was the girl I was living with before I moved into the casa. Eva was so sweet right off the bat, but I wasn’t 100% comfortable in her apartment at first, so I searched for other options. However, by the end of the week I got attached to her, and ended up second-guessing my decision to move out. I think I learned a lesson: in a new living environment it’s best not to judge it until after at least a week. In the end I think it worked out well however, because I’ve met more people, yet Eva and I are still good friends. She told me that I should try things out at the new house, and if I don’t like it I’m always welcome to come back and live with her.

Maribel: Maribel is Eva’s sister who’s 6-months pregnant, yet in true “only in Spain” fashion went out dancing with us on Saturday night until 4am. She’s lively and funny, and proceeded to hit on every attractive guy in the bar (I guess when you’re 6 months pregnant inhibition is not an option). Her boyfriend left her after he found out she was pregnant, and she expresses fears about being a single mom (understandably so). But she’s a strong woman, and with Eva’s help she knows she’ll be okay.

Carlos: Carlos is the headmaster at LaSalle and probably one of the nicest people I have ever met (any guy who says his children are beautiful and refers to his wedding day as the happiest day of his life automatically wins my heart). In one week, Carlos has shown me around LaSalle, helped me plan activities for the students, given me a bicycle, invited me to go with his family on Sunday to a pretty site on the island (which I’m so excited for), and recruited me for his running group (which has been really great so far). He and his wife are determined to make sure I enjoy my time on Menorca, and I’m not going to lie, I’m loving the personal attention.

So that’s a description of some of the people I’ve met so far on the island, and there are plenty more to meet. I feel much more adjusted to the life here now then I have over the past two weeks, and I’m really starting to enjoy it. Most of all, I love my job at the elementary school. The teachers are now helping me develop my own projects with the students – they might even have me organize a short Christmas play with some of the older kids, which I’m really excited for. I have a lot more I want to say about my job, but I’ll save it for next time. Hasta luego…

On to Menorca...

The rest of my vacation in Mallorca went smoothly, although I was anxious to get to Menorca so I could stop living out of a suitcase. Which I still am at the moment, but I´ll get to that later.

I ended up meeting a lot of really fun, interesting people on Mallorca. I went to an orientation session for all the language assistants on the Balearic Islands and ended up connecting with a group of American and French assistants. (Oh yeah, and I also learned more about my teaching job. But really, after the excitement of the "moving to another country" thing, the whole "oh wait, I also have to earn a living" thing was kind of an afterthought.) One of the American guys from the group, Tony, found this gorgeous apartment (I´m jealous, I admit it) with one of the French girls from the program, JoAnna, and a French student named Maxim. We all ended up going out that night, along with Elizabeth, a fun French couple - Sven and Matilde, and a few other people. It was a very multicultural experience, given that we were a group of Americans who don´t speak French along with a group of French people who don´t speak Eglish, all communicating in Spanish. But we had a really good time together. The French people were so funny and down-to-earth, completely defying the snooty nose-in-air stereotype, partially because they were from a modest, outdoorsy region of northern France. We did acknowlegde the internationally known French-American rift, but agreed that as a group we all seemed to click very well.

Our last night there we had a a little fiesta at that gorgeous apartment I would love to live in (for only 300E a month!). It was exactly the type of get together I find particularly satisfyig - just a group of good people enjoying stimulating conversation, ranging from topics such as why Americans have "French fries" and "French kisses" to the upcoming US election. Apparently I am capable of having an intelligent political discussion in Spanish, although that was a few glasses of wine deep. (I know from my first time in Spain that there´s a positive correlation between my Spanish fluency and alcohol intake). So anyway, it was a relatively low-key night until we decided to go to the discoteca at 3 in the morning. So I ended up doing the typical Spanish "marcha," which got me back to the hostal just in time to pack my things and head for the ferry to Menorca at 7am.

The ferry ride into the Puerto de Mahon was just breathtaking. I´m not going to try to describe it here, but I have about 1,005 pictures, and I´ll try to figure out how to post some in this blog. Long story short, I had been told on Mallorca by locals that Menorca was actually the more beautiful island, but I didn´t believe it until I saw it. So, yes, Menorca is more beautiful, mostly because it is considered a biosphere preserve, and thus it has strict regulations in terms of construction (no buildings over 2 stories high) and environmental consciousness. However, this also means that Menorca is VERY "tranquila" as they say in Spanish. It is just what you would expect island life to be - peaceful, calm, quiet, with most things shutting down before 9pm. The city of Mahon is small but charming, and I´m happy because I can walk everywhere. I´ve heard through the grapevine that there is an undercover nightlife, so I´ll have to check that out when Friday rolls around. I´ve done most of my exploring with another language assistant from the program named Trevor. He´s a super-chill, hippie type from Denver who´s so laid back that he makes me look like such a spazoid. Before this trip he had only spent a week in Spain, although he had studied in Italy for a year. Trevor had been here for a few days when we arrived, so he had already scouted out the important sights, i.e. a free wireless zone and the true gem of the island: a deli where you can get a large sandwhich and a drink for only 2 Euro.

One thing that is great about Menorca is that the locals are so welcoming, and have thus far insisted on taking me under their wing and making sure I feel comfortable here. I started my job yesterday, and all the teachers at the school were so helpful and excited to meet me. The language program here is different: the kids do have general English classes, as well as Castellano (typical Spanish) and Catalan (the local dialect). However, they also split up the other subjets by language as well (science in Castellano, math in Catalan, etc.) Which is how I ended up being the assistant to all the general English classes, as well as the Art/English classes, even though I´ve never been much of an artist. (Although I´m not expecting 3rd grade art to be too challenging). So, all in all, I will be working with all grades in the elementary school (1st through 6th), 2 classes per grade. So far the kids have been just adorable. They all wanted to know if I have been to Hollywood, and if I know Hannah Montana. At first I thought they were asking if I know OF Hannah Montana, and then when I said yes I could tell from their excitement that they thought I was like, FRIENDS with Hannah Montana. So I had to clear that up, to their disappointment. But I did say that if I ever ran into her I would be sure to say hi for them.

So why am I still living out of a suitcase? I am living with Eva, who used to be an English teacher at LaSalle (the school I´m working at). She´s super sweet and more than accomodating, but I have decided to look for a different housing situation. I´ve arranged to stay with her for the week, but I am openly searching out other options. And I´ve had some luck. I looked at a room last night in a house with three other girls, 2 of them are locals and 1 is from England. It is a very appealing option, and I think it will work out. I will be happy when this week is over and I can finally unpack! I will keep you all posted...

First Impressions

Well here I am in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, taking a mini-vacation before heading over to Mahon, Menorca where I plan to be for the next 8 months. It truly is beautiful here. The town of Palma is quaint yet lively, with windy cobblestone streets barely wide enough for cars to pass through. Right now I’m sitting on a bench along a path that hugs the Mediterranean Sea. The shoreline is breathtaking, overlooked by classic island-style houses and mountains in the distance. The focus of the city is a gigantic cathedral that towers over the city. The cathedral (Cathedral La Seu) looks more like a fortress, with its gothic architecture giving it an ominous feel, strange for such a sunny place. (I know I sound like a guide book, but I’m just trying to do this place justice)

The flight over here went smoothly. One thing I noticed was that all airport personnel addressed me in Spanish, which of course made me think I had them all fooled. Not that I’m ashamed to be an American, but it does evoke a certain sense of satisfaction to know you don’t stick out like a sore thumb. Thus, given that I was clearly disguising myself so well, I was afraid Elizabeth would have a hard time recognizing me at the airport. Elizabeth is the other language assistant placed on Mahon for this year. We made contact late this summer, and arranged to share a hostel in Mallorca. We planned on meeting at the airport “by the baggage claim,” which we hoped would be specific enough for such a small airport. I panicked a little when I saw hundreds of people claiming their luggage, but nonetheless it took about three minutes for her to spot me. (I guess you just can’t take the American out of the girl. She said the Jansport backpack gave me away.)

Even though I liked Elizabeth right away, my first few hours in Palma were a little unsettling. I was feeling tired and homesick, and simply unable to appreciate all the beautiful sights. My emotions seemed to cloud my vision; an effect I hoped would subside. And it did. Within hours Elizabeth and I had unpacked, settled in, grabbed a drink and had a solid heart-to-heart. It’s funny, I feel like kindred spirits seem to surface at unexpected times, yet I wasn’t surprised to feel so instantly connected to Elizabeth. Maybe it’s because we have an unspoken alliance as 2 American girls taking on a small, unfamiliar island city. Or maybe because logically speaking we had to have some kind of common fundamental ideals in order to end up in the same situation at the same time. So we talked about our hopes, fears and dreams about the next 8 months, coming to realize that we were at a similar crossroads in life. I just got my bachelor’s degree and am unsure of what to do next, and she just got her master’s and appears to be in the same boat. I was surprised (and comforted on a selfish level) to know that Elizabeth has the same reservations I do about this trip. Honestly, I had expected to feel somewhat out of her league. (This is her third time moving to Spain, she has a master’s degree in Spanish literature, and has been teaching college level courses for the last 3 years). I thought she would be so breezy and self-assured that I would be left in the dust with my doubts and insecurities. However, like me, she really isn’t sure what she got herself into, and like me, she questions her decision to take on such a romantically impractical experience. We ended up resolving to take this experience day by day, determined to make the most of whatever comes our way.

After our talk, Elizabeth went off to finish some translation work while I headed out for a walk along the shoreline. It was amazing how much lighter my step was and how much more breathtaking my surroundings looked. I guess I just can’t deny my need to feel connected to people in order to truly appreciate life. Not to mention that I’m finding it very easy to feel at peace amidst such beautiful scenery. As much as I enjoy Elizabeth’s company, I was itching to get out on my own a bit, just to try to understand how I’m feeling. And right now I feel good. I don’t feel so alone, and because of that I can truly appreciate where I am right now – just an American girl (yet a potentially Spanish-looking American girl) watching the sunset behind a mountain in the distance, on a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea.

Dear family and friends...

Hey Everyone! As many of you know I am off to Spain for 8 months, teaching English in the Balearic Islands. I figured a blog would help me stay connected to everyone... so stay posted for some updates!