“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” – Lin Yutang

Tags

culture shock, expatriate, spain, travel

3 good solid years of being an expatriate, traveling to foreign lands and giving life to a dream. Those were the days weren’t they? Or so they seem now. there’s no denying that at times I was miserable in Spain….missing familiarity, American coffee shops, my car and the ease of living amongst my native people. But I was happy to be abroad, everyday becoming a bit more española. Ordering cafes con leche, listening to my ipod on bus rides passing fields of olive trees and random gypsy camps along the highway, saying hi to certain coworkers in the little French I learned, conquering the metro, siesta time, weekends going abroad from my life abroad. I became a professional at living out of my comfort zone. I’m not sure I ever quite had one. I’ve always run solo, rarely with a pack. I look back on those years now and feel jealous of that girl….jealous of who I used to be, happy for who it molded me to be, and so so proud that she did something she said she was going to do. Props to my former self!

Moving on, to the “resting my head on my old familiar pillow” part of life. I can’t really complain much (even though i do). Life in America seems pretty natural and normal, despite spending the past several years abroad. My new “real” job is going well so far. I am once again teaching ESL, but this time to university students. (no one is throwing papers across the room. WHAT?)  It’s an intensive program and I’m still learning about all of the policies and having to grade papers for the first time in my life. At the moment I find it fulfilling though and I enjoy laughing with the students and trying to make it as painless for everyone as possible.

One vanilla latte and chocolate brownie later….finito