Monthly Update: November & December

If you've been following my blog closely (If this applies to you, I'm sorry haha), you might have noticed that about two months ago, I stopped posting. I had a few series here on my blog, a monthly update with Spanish mistakes and a travel series. I kept sitting down to write the November update, I even have a draft still saved here on the blog, but every time it never felt quite right. I also never posted about my trip to Logroño/Madrid. The last two weeks of November and the first two weeks of December hit me like a ton of bricks. It was SO busy and SO crazy. I went to Logroño in northern Spain right before Thanksgiving. While I was there, I caught an AWFUL cold, and it just went downhill from there.

I returned to school the week of thanksgiving (after missing a day for my trip), only to have to take another day off because I was that sick. The week went on and I had to continue with high energy through Thanksgiving programming. Those weeks flew by. I was so busy being sick, doing my classes, preparing for the arrival of my sister. Those weeks were also very sad. I kept going to write my blog, and I would type something up and it just didn't sound right or I just didn't have the energy to finish it. I was constantly tired, feeling down, missing my family and friends. The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas were the HARDEST. I definitely wasn't expecting that, especially because we're not even huge Thanksgiving people in my family. I remember calling my dad at some point, trying to make small talk. I couldn't even handle that. One sentence in I started crying. He told me Hannah, stop worrying so much. These things you're worried about, the struggles you have, are just part of learning to be an adult out on your own. We agreed I would have the same feelings even if I was in America, and that helped A LOT. Learning to be out on your own in the world is hard.

After having my sister visit, I feel so refreshed emotionally. It is so great to see a familiar face. I also can't remember the last time I spent that much time with my sister- even in America. While I am tired (and no surprise- sick again) from traveling, I am SO READY to return to my students tomorrow, and get on with 2020! I really, and truly feel like it is MY year. Thanks for following along with the my journey, I hope to fill you in on all the traveling my sister and I did sometime soon!

October: Update & Spanish Mistakes

Hello All! We're back for the monthly addition of all the mistakes I've made in Spanish. First of all, I have made WAY more mistakes than just these, but here I am going to share the funniest errors I make. The ones that were so giggle-inducing that they will forever be a memory. I also share these to be transparent, especially for all past, current, and future students I have had, do have, and will have! Learning a language is hard work, and so many people live in fear of making mistakes when speaking (I use to be one of them FOR SURE- just as my high school Spanish teachers). I've learned you just have to do your best, and try to learn from your mistakes. While I hope that as each month on the island goes by I have fewer and fewer mistakes to share each month, it is an important part of the process!

1. I was talking to my roommate who only speaks Spanish about the medicine I was taking. I had a headache so I ran to my room and grabbed some Ibuprofen. She asked me what I was doing and I said "Es ibprofueno para mi calabaza" (Its Ibprofuen for my pumpkin). Halloween and pumpkins have been on my mind a lot this month, especially at school. BTW, what I meant to say was "cabeza" (head). We both had a good laugh.

2. I was telling my roommates (who once again only speak Spanish) about my life in America. I was explaining that when I went to University I lived about two hours away from my parents. I was trying to tell them about driving back and forth between school and my parents house and I said "Cada vez tenía que traducir casi dos horas entre la casa de mis padres y mi Universidad" (Every time I had to translate (as in translate languages) two hours between my parent's house and my University). I meant to say "conducir" (drive). I feel like this is an easy mistake because they are both irregular and follow a similar pattern when doing conjugations, so I always group them together for studying purposes. This was the first time I really got to hangout with my other roommate so the timing on this error wasn't great, but at least he had a good laugh about it.

Just two brujas (witches)

I can't think of anymore really funny ones, so here we are! (I really need to start writing these down when they happen, and not trying to remember them all until the end of the month). As far as the monthly update, things are going great! If you read my previous posts, you know I was feeling a pretty homesick, due to some situations I was in with housing and paperwork. Things have resolved, my paperwork is coming together (I apply for my Spain residency card next week, please send prayers/good vibes that everything will work out!). I got a little tingle of homesickness on Halloween, when I was with my five year olds and they were showing me all the 'spooky' snacks their parents packed them, and also when I was talking to a co-teacher about how this was the first year I wasn't going to be celebrating with my friends. It took my back to when my dad would pack my lunch everyday for school, and holidays he would put something special like candy on Halloween or a cupcake on Valentine's Day (I miss you Daddy-o). It made me miss my mom and our annual shopping trip for my Halloween costume. I reached out to my friends and they have agreed to Skype me into the annual Halloween Bash. I was also able to go out and celebrate Halloween last night with a new island pal. All is good!

Beetlejuice and a Dead Tourist

Vacation Vibes: Mars

Okay, you caught me. I didn’t actually go to Mars, but when I landed on Fuerteventura after a 45-minute flight it sure did seem like it was Mars. Before this trip, I had NEVER travelled internationally with a group of people. I met 10 other Fulbrighters on the island, and during the course of our trip we connected with the 5 Fulbrighters living on Fuerteventura. Almost every expense I had on this trip was shared with the other 10 people staying in the Airbnb. Speaking of housing, one of the other lovely Fulbrighters (shoutout to you Eleanor, you’re the real MVP) rented us a villa in the middle of the country outside of Puerto de Rosario. The house was MARVELOUS. It was big, spacious, with lots of common areas for us to hangout. It had a pool, a nice terrace, and the MOST incredible views. 

View from a beach bar at Playa de Correlajo
Peep our group in the background!

The one thing that is unfortunate about Fuerteventura is that you really need a car to get around. The public transportation is spotty, and it does not go to a lot of places. For example, we would not have been able to get to and from our Airbnb without the use of a vehicle. We relied exclusively on the use of rental cars and/or taxis to get around. Taxis aren’t expensive on the island, but if you have to take them everywhere that you go, it can add up. Luckily, myself and a few other people on the trip have our International Driver’s Permit. This is not required to rent a car (at most agencies, we used CICAR), but it helps protect you against liability. I’m so glad that I finally faced my fear of driving in a foreign country. Fuerte was the perfect place to start because there is not really much traffic anywhere, and it was mostly highway driving. 

Dinner time!

We all got in on a Thursday afternoon, so we got settled at the house, and we cooked a dinner to share together. Then we really just enjoyed each other’s company. The second day, most of us got a late start getting up. Then per recommendation from some co-teachers, we decided to have a beach day on Correlajo beach in the north of the island. It was very beautiful, with very clear, turquoise water. It was difficult to swim there, especially because throughout the day the tide continued to recede revealing more and more rocks (although these were also very beautiful and cool to look at). It was cloudy the day that we went, but we still got plenty of sun! I also had some time to walk along the town/beach strip in Correlajo. Not a lot of clothing souvenir options if you are a bodacious lady like me, but also that is not uncommon in European countries. One thing that they had a LOT of in this are designer fakes! 

Now if you've ever been to Spain you might be thinking that this is very common, and it is. What was unique about this area was it wasn't just people selling fake purses, sunglasses, etc. in the street illegally, they were in almost every store I went to! They were plentiful and they were the best looking fakes I have ever seen! Some members of our group bought some fake Ray-bans, and I honestly couldn't tell that they weren't real until I picked them up and could feel how flimsy they were. I was very impressed by this! After we got back from the beach, I ran to the airport to rent a third vehicle (with the size of our group two was just not enough), and we shared the MOST incredible tacos and homemade salsa at our village in the country. We once again enjoyed each other's company and it was lovely.

Rocks at Playa de Cotillo

The second full day we got kind of a late start (for obvious reasons that I don't need to divulge lol). Three of us headed back to Correlajo to catch a 4 hour boat tour. Since I didn't personally complete this, I can only rely what they told me. They really loved it, even though it rained half the time, so it was kinda cold. The rest of the group headed over to Playa de Cotillo (Cotillo Beach). There were lots of cool rock formations to climb on and look at. 

There were also these little gathering areas made with piles of rocks. The best way to describe them is like mini igloo looking things with no tops, but made of rocks. They were really cool! Even though once again the sun did not want to cooperate, I went for a swim.

Eleanor and I at Playa de Cotillo

Surprisingly, the water was not as cold as I thought it would be. It was also very beautiful, the most clear/turquoise water that I have ever seen in person. There were rock formations that were pretty close and I am a strong swimmer, so I decided to swim out to them. While this was a very cool experience, I'm not sure if I recommend it. I pulled myself up and I was sitting on the edge of the rocks. I wasn't paying attention because I was trying to get the attention of everyone on shore so that they could take my picture. This was when a huge wave came through and knocked me off the rocks. I scraped the entirety shin/calf of my right leg, and it was a little bruised the following day. There was no lasting injury or damage (I was just a bit sore) so I can't really complain too much.

View from the lookout that we stopped at

After spending the early afternoon at Cotillo, my car loaded up to head south. We stopped and got supplies to have a lunch of sandwiches and snacks in the car on the way. We headed through the mountainous highways toward Playa de Ajuy. It was really cool to be able to drive through basically the entirety of that side of the island on our route. Some highlights of the drive: we were able to pull off at the overlook that looked down across a valley (before we drove through the valley) it was so cool and I felt like I could see for miles and miles. This was were some of my companions invented the game of rocks, which kept us entertained quite a few times while on the island. We also saw a camel.A REAL LIVE CAMEL, as well as a few other animals. 

Hiking down to the Caves

We headed to Playa de Ajuy because this is where you can hike down to some cuevas (caves). It had lightly rained during the drive, so this climb, while verily easy made me kinda nervous. It was well worth it because there were SO many cool views of the waves crashing into the rocks, cliffs, and the cave itself! Most of the group was braver than me so they hiked further into the caves than I did, but it was so beautiful. After returning to Puerto de Rosario (the town next to our airbnb), we decided to go out to dinner. We worked very hard to find somewhere that was a non-chain that was affordable, and able to accommodate such a large group (8 of us from the trip and 4 Fulbrighters living on Fuerteventura). It proved to be too difficult, so we ended up meeting at Cien Montaditos in the Mall in Puerto Rosario (admittedly Cien Montaditos is absolutely my most favorite chain restaurant in Spain. I LOVE it.) So while I wished we had gotten to try something unique to the island I was satisfied, especially because I was exhausted from the day. I slept good that night. 

The next day, most of my group left in the morning (almost all of them were traveling to the same island). I didn't fly out until the late afternoon. So after getting the last of the group to the airport and to the Ferry, one of my Fulbright Pals (shoutout to you James) and I drove down the coast to the Betancuría, the historical district/town of Fuerteventura! We also saw a camel on the drive down, and were were able to stop at a lot of roadside attractions/look out points and it was such a nice, peaceful way to spend the day. Betancuría is very small, but there is plenty to see! We spent almost 2 hours slowly exploring the town. 

We ended up having coffee and a tapa of papas arrugadas con mojo (wrinkled potatoes with mojo sauce, a Canadian delicacy). We ate a cafe at the bottom of the town, I saw bottom meaning at the base of the small hill in which the town was located. What I loved the most about Betancuría was the incredible flowers and plant life. There were so many stunning flowers and cacti, and I forgot how nice it was to see flowers. After our nice little snack, we headed back to the car and took the scenic route back to Puerto de Rosario. We spent a little time hanging out, and then I had to head to the airport and return my rental car to catch my flight. Figuring out how to pump gas in my rental car was fun while everyone at the gas station stared at me like I was an idiot (I figured out how to open the gas cap after about 5 mins). Overall I highly recommend visiting Mars! There were a lot of things that I didn't get to do, but I hope to visit again someday!

The Dirty "H" Word

You might be thinking that I've gone off the deep end, because there is no swear word that starts with 'H'. Well this is one of those blog posts where sh*t gets real. The 'H' word I'm talking about is homesicknesses. I use to think of being homesick as being such a dirty word. I didn't want to think about it, I most certainly didn't want to feel it and if I did feel it, I never wanted to admit it.

It's hard to adjust to the idea that you can't just drive a few hours to see the ones you love. It's a weird feeling to be on a different continent than almost everyone you've ever known. When I lived in Madrid, there were times I missed home. But I never felt like I was 'homesick'. I had always felt as thought it was a bad thing. I use to think that if I admitted that I was homesick or felt lonely that would mean that I was not having fun.

As my mentor so eloquently put it (shout out to you Phoebe), there is an immense pressure to feel like you are having a good time ALL the time, especially since you feel like it's been long enough now that you should feel settled already. But it is OKAY to not feel settled. And that's how I've feeling. Unsettled. I miss the convenience of living with my parents, the feeling of 'ease' because it's my home, and most of all I miss feeling safe with them. I miss the luxury of having my best friends down the road, just a 5 minute drive away. Because when you move to a new place, with no family around, it feels like no one is obligated to love you. I know people on the island care about me and that they would help me in a heartbeat (that's just how they are). But there is nothing like the obligation of love that your family, and your friends that are like family offer you.

I am having fun. I am enjoying the island, or as I would say in Spanish "Estoy disfrutándola", but I have still felt an ache in my heart. Sometimes, especially lately, it has been enough to make me cry. It felt like things were just piling up, one after the other. From the stress of finding an apartment, moving (again, for the third time), being sick (who doesn't want their mom and dad when they're sick??), navigating documentation, and continuing to learn my away around the city I was spent. I felt like I had nothing left to give. I felt so alone. I also felt like I couldn't share this with anyone, once again, because I felt such a pressure to show everyone that I was having a great time (because I am living my dream after all).

I was, and I am, far from alone. From my friends and family in America who are just a phone call, a snapchat, a text away. To my many friends that are spread across Europe, who continue to check in with me. Other Fulbrighters that are all over Spain, who have become some of my closest friends and confidants in the world (because they get it). And most importantly, to all my friends, co-teachers, students/parents, Fulbrighters, Fulbright mentor and so many other people in the Canary Islands who have cared about me during my time here. Without all of them (you) I would be nothing, and nowhere. So thank you to everyone for supporting to me, listen to me complain, rant, cry, and most importantly offering me love and support. Thanks for holding me down during the best, craziest, and most intense adventure of my life. I am beginning to feel more at adjusted and at home, and I can't wait to see what the rest of the year holds.

Hasta Luego Everyone!!

Also PS: If you would like to send me anything or be penpals, here is my information below:

I have gotten myself a PO Box here in Spain. The address is: 

Hannah Turk
Apartado de correos nº 3
38080 Santa Cruz de Tenerife 
España

Tips for mailing to Spain:
-use flat rate envelopes, not boxes
-on the customs form, state that the items contained are “used goods of non commercial value” and do not have a value of more than $40
-try not to send food (if you do send it in a separate envelope just the food items together) 

These tips help limit the possibility of the package getting caught in customs (I have never had this happen but better safe than sorry) 

Vacation Vibes in Costa Adeje

I live on Tenerife, which is the biggest island in the Canary Islands. Big is a relevant term, because you can drive from the northern part of the island to the summer part in 45 minutes to an hour and a half depending on where you're going. I live in the capital of Tenerife, Santa Cruz, which is on the north eastern side of the island. Santa Cruz does get some tourists and cruise ships, but it is nothing compared to the amount of tourists that the south of the island gets.

I was not really prepared for the culture shift that would happen when I took the hour bus ride down to the south for the weekend. I used my Tenerife public transport card to take the bus, and it cost me 6.50 euros (about $7) each way. I went on a Thursday afternoon after work, getting to/from the south is very easy with public transport, with the direct bus leaving every half hour. When I got to the south it was like I was on a completely different island in a completely different place. I have never been somewhere that is so dedicated to tourists.

Swimming/Snorkeling

I booked this trip originally because I wanted to start to enjoy everything that island life has to offer. I decided I really wanted to do some sort of boat tour, so that I could enjoy the water and hopefully see some wildlife. The only place there was to do something like this was in the south. I ended up finding a company called Roulette Charters. They offer many different tours and I ended up choosing a three hour whale and dolphin sight seeing tour, which also included snorkeling with turtles near the end of the tour. I was very skeptical of the tour because it was the cheapest tour of its kind that I could find at just 45 euros (about $50) per person. Disclaimer before I tell you about the tour and the rest of my trip, right before I left I got a HORRIBLE ear infection. So I really tried my best to make the most of my trip but I did not get to do everything that I wanted to do.

I wish I had more pictures from the boat,
even though pictures don't do it justice

The boat trip was absolutely breathtaking and incredible. My only regret is that I did not prepare myself for the possibility of motion sickness. I was absolutely fine until about 40 minutes in. We had just seen some dolphins and all of a sudden I realized I wanted to puke. I did puke on the boat (twice in fact) but the staff could not have been more friendly or compassionate. They had me sit on the back of the boat near the steering wheel, splashed water on my forehead, neck, etc. After the second time of my blowing chunks (I don't recommend eating candy and chips before boarding the boat like I did) the man (who I think his name was Jon) told me that when he was a kid he would get really sick on the boats too, until he started driving them. Yes, you guessed it. He showed me how to steer the boat and he let me take the wheel until we got close to where we were going to go swimming. I drove for about 20 minutes and it actually really helped my sea sickness. With my ear plugs and the supplied snorkel gear I was able to swim with wild fish (no turtles unfortunately). After swimming they fed us lunch (a sandwich- I saved mine for later) and cake! The lunch and all the drinks were included in the prices. I saw numerous dolphins, 4-5 different whales (of two different species), and a wild turtle! Beyond the wildlife, the views of the shores and the knowledge I gained from the staff was incredible. It was definitely worth every penny of the 45 euros. This price even included them picking me up from my hostel driving me to the port, and the return ship. The trip also ended up being about 4 hours rather than 3. All in all I 100% recommend this company and this trip!

Other than the boat trip, I kept a pretty low profile because I was feeling under the weather. I stayed at Endless Summer Hostel for about 20 euros a night ($25). It was the perfect place to recuperate while I wasn't feeling well. I stayed in the 5 bed mixed dorm, but there was only 4 beds. It was easy to sleep, the bed was very comfortable. They also provided free breakfast (which is a luxury in the hostel world). They had the most awesome patio to hangout on. The location of this hostel is very close to the tourist area, and about a 15-30 minute walk to plenty of beaches in the south of the island. I also walked to the very touristy strip (which includes things like malls and the hard rock cafe) which was about a 25 minute walk. It is admittedly an uphill walk when you are returning to the hostel, but still very worth it.

Something I did not plan, but decided to do was to go to Happy Feet Fish Spa. I've always wanted to do the thing where you put your feet in the fish tank and let those special fish nibble all your dead skin off. I don't think I have ever encountered another place where I was able to do this, and if I had, I would've been too scared to try. At first, I was scared and I wasn't going to do it, but I took the leap. I'm glad that I did because it was very cool, and relaxing. I paid 8 euros (about $9) for 20 minutes. I have trouble describing what it even felt like. It felt very weird at first and it made me ticklish, but over time I became accustomed to it and I didn't want it to end. I was lucky that they seated me at the front of the spa and I was able to enjoy the view of the sea during my spa treatment. I highly recommend this place! I just happened upon it while I was walking back from dinner one night, but there are other places in the south that have similar services.

On my last day, I spent the morning on the beach. I found a beach called Playa Honda, which was a small beach in the "Playa de las Americas" area. I rented an umbrella and a lounge chair for 6 euros (about $7). Normally I would forgo the umbrella to save money, but I was a little burnt from the boat ride (it is hard to care about sunscreen when you are trying not to puke). They also had an option of two chairs and an umbrella for 9 euros (about $10). What I was not prepared for was the structure of the beach. The beach near Santa Cruz, when you rent a chair, you usually can pay 20 euros (about $25) but then you can put that money towards food and drinks from the restaurant/beach bar. Here, there was no beach bar. If you plan to spend time at any beach in the Playa de las Americas area, I recommend packing a lunch, snacks and plenty of drinks so that you can really get the most out of your chair rental (if you choose to rent one, of course you can go and pick a spot in the sand for free). It was a beautiful day. I got very tan even while using 30 spf sunscreen multiple times during my few hours there, and the views were beautiful. While I did not swim, there were some areas where you could sit in small puddles that had collected by rock formations. This water was warm, and I saw many people lounging around the larger puddles. You can also climb over the rocks to get to the waves, which where quite strong that week. I saw quite a few people surfing.

There were plenty of things that I did not get to do on this trip just due to time constraints and being sick, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Almost all the places had English speaking staff and the other things that you expect from a high traffic tourist area. If you ever find yourself on Tenerife, I recommend spending a few days in this area. It is worth it, though if you are looking for a more authentic experience there are other places to see on the island, though that is a post for a different day.

Sick in Spain // Enferma en España

Well, one of my worst case scenarios has come true, I'm sick enough that I needed to see a doctor. As I mentioned to some of you I had what I thought was a cold last weekend, but I could not have been more wrong. When I was living Madrid, I was never sick enough to need to see a doctor, so I never had to figure out how to navigate doing that in Spain. I was really, REALLY hoping that it would be just like that this time around as well, but alas here we are.

Outside of the Hospital

A few nights ago my ear was hurting. I realized I would probably need to go to a cliníca to see a doctor, so I began looking into clinics that would take my insurance that I could go to the next day. When I woke up, my ear pain was 10x more intense, my ear canal was practically swollen shut. My jaw was swollen and whenever I opened or closed my jaw it sent searing pains through my ear. I realized then that I needed to go to the Urgencia, or Emergency Room. I picked a hospital off a list from my insurance. The info page stated that they had both Spanish and English available. 

I prepared to spend a long day of waiting. I loaded up my external battery for my phone, made sure I was dressed in comfy clothes and I went. I called a taxi and arrived to the hospital in about 10 minutes (the ride cost me 6 euros about $6.50). When the taxi dropped me off, I thought for a second maybe he dropped me at the wrong place. Nothing in there area looked like a hospital. I went in, and I saw the sign for Urgencias and I went up and explained my problem. All I really knew how to say was "my ear is really hurting me" (shout out to my high school Spanish teachers for teaching me the phrase 'me duele'). They had trouble figuring out my insurance, but after about 15 minutes of waiting in the lobby, they sent me back to see a doctor. This was like no emergency room I have ever been to in the US. The room they took back to was the doctor's actual office, and my bed was in his office. I sat down and repeated that my ear had been hurting me for a few days, and he asked me if I had been swimming etc. The nurse took my vitals, the doctor looked in my ear, and then he wrote me some prescriptions. (This was all done in Spanish, the doctor told me he knew some English but that he wasn't very good at speaking). He explained all the Prescriptions and care steps in depth and made sure I understood. All in all this took about 20-30 minutes or less. Now apparently the ease of service I experienced still isn't always the 'norm' in Spain, because I went to a private hospital (per my insurance requirements). I haven't filed claims with my insurance yet, but including my hospital 'stay' and my medications I paid about $90.

 The prescriptions were the
weirdest I have ever seen
The Farmacia also let me keep them afterward

The doctor told me I should start feeling better in the next few days, and that I was not allowed to seem for 2-3 days. A few weeks ago I had booked a trip down to the south of my island, with a boat tour to see dolphins, whales, etc. I was feeling okay, and since it was non refundable, Thursday night I went ahead and headed down south, especially since it was non-refundable. Once I got down to Costa Adeje I had dinner, and my ear started to get so much worse. I couldn't hear anything, the pain was much more intense, and my other ear was starting to hurt. I went to my hostel and decided I was going to try to sleep off whatever was going on. Well my worst nightmare got even worse when I woke up at about 2am with a bad fever, and even more intense pain than anything I had experienced. There was a hospital about a 7 minute walk from my hostel, so I got up, got dressed and decided to go.

When I got there, I could barely hold back tears. I told the secretary what my problem was (in Spanish), and that I was in so much pain. I told her that I had insurance and I showed her my card. That was when she told me that the hospital couldn't see me unless I paid 250 euros or I had preauthorization from my insurance. I tried to explain to her that my insurance allows me to go to a public hospital in the case of the emergency. She insisted that I needed the authorization. So I went outside and I tried to call the insurance (my call wouldn't go through), so I called my emergency contact from my grant. She told me to go ahead and pay whatever I needed to and we would take care of it later. When I went back in the secretary realized I had a NIE (a special code on my passport that means I'm not a tourist but also not a resident per say) and she allowed me to get the discounted rate of 74 euros plus the cost of whatever pain medicine I needed in the ER; which ended up being 10 euros for the shot I got in my butt for pain. They took me back to my 'room' which again, was just a bed in the doctor's office. He took a look in my ear and in English (this hospital was slightly bilingual) "Wow is big infection". The nurse gave me my shot for pain in the next room, and the doctor gave me my new, stronger prescriptions then they sent me on my way. I walked to a nearby store, bought some water and some snacks (my stomach was a bit upset from the pain medicine), and I took a taxi back to my hostel which cost me about $7. This whole interaction, including the insurance debacle took no more than 30 minutes, and this was a public hospital. I was shocked, because once again it was nothing like any hospital I had been to in the US. Overall, out of pocket, including my ER visit, shot for pain, and the new stronger prescriptions, this visit cost me (before being reimbursed from insurance) approximately $120.

I ended up feeling much better after leaving and the next day. I was even able to go on my boat tour (keep your eyes out for the blog post on my trip). While this was so scary, and extremely painful, I'm proud to have figured out on my own. I still have to now figure out how to make claims with my insurance. I also plan to find a regular doctor's office so next time I can hopefully avoid the emergency room visits. But it turns out, being sick in Spain is not the worse place to be sick. 

Morning Routine and Spanish Mistake of the Month

Morning Routine and Spanish Mistake of the Month

I'm sure some of you have been wondering a lot about how my day to day life has changed since being on the islands! I've been working for two weeks now (I only work Monday- Thursday), but now that I have some experience under my belt I thought I would share my morning routine with you all. 

This is the view from the bus stop I get off at each
morning to go to school. 

On work days, I'm usually up by 6:30-7am (about the same, maybe a little later than I got up for work in the states). I get ready and I am usually out the door to catch the bus by 7:30. I try to catch the bus by 7:40. It is ALWAYS dark when I get up and leave the house. We don't really have much of a sunrise or sunset in the city I live, it's more like the sun just appears and disappears. 

Tostada con tomate

For breakfast there are a few options I have made a habit. Many days, since I have been learning my routine I have gotten breakfast at a cafetería near my school. When I eat at the café I always have a Barraquito (Coffee from the Canaries), and I also always have tostada con tomate (toasted bread with tomatoes). They toast the bread on their stove, then they add this tomato paste and some olive oil (imagine using a tomato on a grater, to create the paste). It is so refreshing and delicious. If I get the large toast (which I usually do) the total for this breakfast is 3.40 Euros. 

My homemade breakfast

If I am eating breakfast at home, I usually make toast with white bread, butter, honey, and bananas. It is something I picked up from staying with my host family. A common food for them was bread, butter and honey, for breakfast, a snack, anything really. I added the banana as a way to get some extra fruit into my diet. I like bananas but for some reason I have never really enjoyed eating them by themselves. 

The next thing on my list to try is gofio. Gofio is a local product made of flour. It is grain like and there are a ton of different recipes out there, one of these days I'll get around to trying it. I've heard it's delicious!!

Spanish Mistake of the Month*

*I'm sure there are more mistakes I've made, but this is my favorite.

After training in Alcala de Henares, a group of friends and I were walking back to our hotel after eating some tapas. We got flagged down by a small group of Russian tourists asking us "Do you speak English?". They were trying to get back to their hotel, but they could not find a taxi (they are hard to come by in Alcala) and they didn't have data so they couldn't use Uber. I offered to call them one. I went into a local shop, found out our address and called for them, then my friends and I went on our way. 

Right before the lost vs. fired incident

Well apparently the Russian tourists got into the wrong cab, because the cab driver called me, asking where I was. He wouldn't stop calling me, so finally I picked up. I tried to tell him in Spanish "I'm sorry the cab wasn't for me, it was for some Russian tourists that were lost" (Lo siento el taxi no era para mí, lo era para algunas touristas de rusa que estaban perdidos). What I actually said in Spanish was: "Sorry, the taxi was not for me, it was for some Russian tourists who were fired." (Lo siento el taxi no era para mí, lo era para algunas touristas de rusa que estaban despedidos). My friends had a good laugh, but in that moment I was MORTIFIED. I learned a valuable lesson, and now it's a great story/anecdote that I'll remember for the rest of my life.