So maybe by now, you've either seen some of my pictures, or seen the headlines about Storm Filomena! About two weeks ago, Madrid was hit with the largest amount of snow it's had in fifty years...about eight inches within twenty-four hours. It was absolutely beautiful to see and reminded me of Michigan winters. Of course, it started to snow the day that I was finished with my Covid quarantine, so maybe I was just excited to see the world again. A historic weekend indeed, and a unique opportunity to see so many Spaniards out and about, myself and most of the city was enjoying the change of weather. I spent the day with friends, sitting by the window of one of the very few bars open, sipping on Vermouth, and of course, ending our time with a snowball fight. :) Watching the snow fall is one of life's simple joys for me. However, beauty can also be dangerous...the snow caused a large amount of chaos, damage, and delay. Many trees had been broken throughout the city (blocking streets and covering cars), masses of people flocked to the streets (walking in the middle of the usually busy avenues and packing down the snow which later turned to ice), all public transportation was completely shut down for approximately three days, grocery stores were seen with empty shelves because deliveries could not be made, schools were closed, and garbage piles started to resemble garbage dumps. And the only thing worse than wearing glasses and a mask at the same time is wearing glasses and a mask together while there is a blizzard outside. Thankfully, I'm a hardy Midwesterner, but Madrid is not a snow destination and severely lacks the resources to handle snow in large quantitates. While the majority of the snow piles have melted, and we are finally returning to in-person classes after a week and a half delay, the next six days are predicted to bring rain...don't be surprised if my next post contains news of severe floods...
Another highlight from the past week has been meeting a new friend, Abby from Oregon: an aux just like me, and a lover of everything cooking and baking! We first met for coffee, and had such a lovely time! Within the week, we prepared homemade bagels, and met up a third time for brunch! The other thing I enjoy about spending time with Abby is that we have similar views about why we are here in Spain, what we hope to gain from the experience, and a shared pleasure of reading and crafts! Anyway, its a simple thing, making a new friend, but it really makes all the difference for me when I'm able to connect with new people, especially in such a large city!
Another very notable night was getting drinks with Alice, at a rooftop bar, and what I now consider to be the best view of Madrid. We both needed a girls night, and I am so thankful for her company! As a plus, that day was particularly sunny and warm, so we meet about an hour before the sunset, soaked up some sun with a drink in hand, and then admired the colorful sky and orange-pink glow of the sunset. I could have sat there for many more hours; the fresh air, the view, and the height left my mind with such ease.
Finally, like it is common for most of my weekends, I went on another hike on Sunday. We started in the small town of Colmenar de Oreja, walked a loop around the countryside, then continued along an old railroad line to the larger town of Chinchón. Fun fact: these towns are know for their wine, as well as the stone that is found in the area, and is in fact the same stone that the palace of Madrid is built of. As a result of the recent snow fall, everything here was still covered in a thick layer of snow! In every direction, all that I could see was a blanket of white. And on top of that, it was a cloudless day, the sun just shinning down on our group! While I haven't been able to travel around Spain as much as I would have liked, the restrictions have given me time to see and explore the community of Madrid, which is such a beautiful and diverse area. At the end of our eight mile hike, we went to a local restaurant and even saw the "large earthenware jars" where wine, and sometimes olive oil, were stored for long periods of time!
To end, I just want to say that I am finding things that bring me joy, even more so than when I was in Michigan. I know that teaching will not be my long term career, but it has created an opportunity for me to explore and learn in this moment (and while I can say teaching is not my favorite, I was incredibly happy to see so many of my students after weeks of no school...)! I am putting effort into and allowing myself to spend money and time on things that are meaningful to me...from spending time with friends, hiking, walking around the city, spending time alone, practicing my language skills, and trying new activities too!
Thanks for reading, and "chao" for now!
