Hola Mallorca!

I have officially arrived at my final destination! Thanks for all the prayers and well-wishes. The flights were fine and there were no complications at all. I'm definitely running on empty though. It's been a sleepless 24-hours or so. But I'm here!

Due to my lack of sleep and the general hassles of having to set up life out of a suitcase here, I haven't had all that much of a chance to explore yet. I arrived in the late afternoon and by the time I took a quick nap, called home, and did some basic grocery shopping, it was nearly 8 pm. From what I can tell, though, the place is beautiful. The sun was shining today and the water is incredibly blue. From the airport to my hotel, the taxi drove right between the coast and the city center, so I was surrounded both by ports full of boats and seagulls and palm trees, as well as towering Gothic city architecture and open-air cafes. I must say, there are a lot of aspects of this place that remind me of where I lived in France. However, the language isn't one of them. I've been pretty good at understanding what people are speaking to me, but I still can't produce much of it. I really hope that changes soon, but I think this is going to be a great opportunity to experience what it's really like to be an "outsider" or a "foreigner" who doesn't know the native language. And, after all, isn't that exactly what I'm here to study?

I'll update again soon, and hopefully include pictures next time, but for now I just wanted to say hola from the other side :)

Meanwhile, here is a post I wrote in the airport in Germany during my layover but didn't get the chance to publish before I boarded the plane:

Well, I had hoped to post an update one last time before I left America, but maybe this is better. I'm currently in Germany, waiting for my connecting flight, which arrives in two hours. So it's certainly as good a time as any to write a blog entry. I should put out a disclaimer, though, that I am severely sleep-deprived so if nothing I'm writing makes any sense or if I seem overly emotional....sorry in advance.

So far, here's what I've been feeling regarding this trip:

#1) LoVEd.

Over the past few days, I have been overwhelmed by all of the well-wishes, hugs, notes, emails, phone calls, messages, and even gifts, that I have received from family, friends, and co-workers to celebrate my trip and to bid me a temporary adios/au revoir/adieu. It all means so much to me and does not go unnoticed! I can't even express how touching it has been to be reminded of how special each of you is to me, and how I will miss all of you over the next month or so, even if it's just for a short while. And if I didn't get the chance to respond to anything you've sent to me, be assured that it doesn't mean I haven't read/listened to it!

#2) Blessed.

For a million reasons and in a million ways, I’ve just been thinking about how grateful I am to have an opportunity like this one.

#3) About Three Years Younger.

As I sit here in the Frankfurt Airport, my first experience on European soil in what feels like a very long time, I can’t believe how fast the memories come rushing back. I’ve never been to Germany before, but there are plenty of things about this airport that I think must be universally European: the kind of chocolate they sell, the smell of the mini airport cafes and cups of coffee, the minimalist design, the smell of the cigarette smoke leaking out of the “smoking zones,” the way the automatic doors open, and a million other little things. And it makes me feel a little bit like I’m back in France all over again. But in an indescribable way, it feels like I’m picking up where I left off, back in 2009.

#4) Tired... Wouldn't traveling be great if it weren't for the lack of sleep, jetlag, time changes, and airplane food served at non-specific and usually inconvenient times? I think so.

Feliz Cumpleaños

It finally hit me yesterday. I had been waiting for it. That moment when all of the excitement and fairy dust begin to mingle with the anxiety of packing (which I seem to be approaching as if I'm headed to a third world country), the stress of making sure that I'm at the flight gate on time, have enough Euros with me, have a way to communicate with the people "on the other side" in the case of an international emergency and/or conspiracy, etc. It's one part reality-check and one part Drama Queen.

I leave in 6 days and am determined to make the most of the the next week, spending time with family and friends before I go, and desperately attempting to retain some of the Spanish I've tried to learn this past year. Thus far, I am able to recite the following phrases in Spanish, only one of which may actually prove useful (I leave it up to you to determine which one):

Happy Birthday.
How many brothers do you have? 
I have three children.

Thank you, 15-Minute Spanish CD. I do, however, know a pretty good handful of Spanish nouns. And beyond that, I'm relying on my knowledge of universal hand gestures to get me out of the previously mentioned inevitable international emergency. Bring. It. On.

This Feels Familiar

Here we go again.

Although perhaps that's not the right way to start. Despite my being utterly American, I know enough to recognize that France and Spain are not, in fact, the same country. They don't share a language or a cuisine or a common history, exactly. Perhaps the only things they do share are a geographical border and the deep blue Mediterranean Sea. The comparisons between the place I once called home, and a place where I never expected to be spending a month of my life, remain to be seen.

In just two short weeks, I'll be boarding a plane and beginning a journey that will first take me to the Spanish island of Mallorca where I'll stay for one month while I take two graduate courses at an international school in Teaching English as a Second Language. My hope is to also have the opportunity to work with some of the native speakers there as I learn more about teaching English and receive first-hand exposure to the Spanish language and culture. Within twenty-four hours of completing my final class in Mallorca, I'll be hopping a second plane to Paris, France, where, for five days, a little part of my heart will be full again as I breathe in la vie française and, far more importantly, have the honor of attending a dear friend's wedding when she is married in July in the City of Lights.

I can't be sure about just how much time I'll have to update this blog while I'm away, but I promise to do my best. I am so very grateful to all of you who've expressed such sincere interest in following me on this adventure. Your support and shared excitement mean the world to me....the big, beautiful world.