ONLINE JOURNAL

five years ago

Sun, 5 Sep 2010 21:28:39 +0200

If you know me at all, you know that anniversaries are important for me, as is periodically taking time to reflect on what God has done in my life. Last week, I had an opportunity to both celebrate an anniversary and reflect on what God has done during my time in Spain. September 1 marked five years since I stepped off the plane at Madrid’s Barajas Airport to begin my life here.

First of all, I can’t believe it’s been five years since I moved to Spain! Second, I am in awe of the journey so far. The things God has done in my life, how He has changed me, humbled me, grown me, are all too much for me to grasp. And He has blessed me far beyond what I could have ever imagined in terms of friends and opportunities to experience Him in completely new ways.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: were it not for Him, I would not be here. It was His idea to send me here to study my last semester in college. And it was His idea to bring me back to what would be my new home beginning in 2005. He already had this crazy path charted for me, from beginning my work here with a faith-based non-profit organization, to my shift into the Spanish workplace in the field of international education (and who knows what’s next?). He already knew the people with whom He was going to cross my path and what they would come to mean to me. I love it!

A lot of my friends talk about luck, chance, fate, hopes and dreams. But for me, none of those things have any meaning if they are not attached to a person. And by person, I mean Person, with a capital P. One can believe in energies and destinies, but it is SO MUCH FUN to make this journey WITH someone--Someone who is completely and utterly faithful, wise, good and crazy about you. I simply cannot think that my life is unorchestrated! There is too much evidence of Jesus Christ’s presence in my life for me to think otherwise.

I realize for a lot of people, that is too simplistic, but there’s not enough space here for me to try to explain it. All I can say is that I have experienced Him, and I don’t want anything else. For me there is no other way to live than to walk with Him each day, to let Him direct my life, to anchor myself in His truth, hope and love.

Doing things on my own is much too difficult, joyless and pointless, because I have come to terms with my humanity and my propensity to fail myself and others. With Jesus, things have purpose and I am at peace. There may be a lot of other philosophy or human logic that tries to tell me otherwise, and I can’t explain it all because I don’t know it all. But I know Him. And that is enough. With Him, I don’t have to strive to reach a standard of perfection, be “good enough” or judge others against my harsh, human standards. To get the most out of life, I simply have to follow Him.

You as friends and family are part of the blessings I’ve received during this most recent leg of my personal journey, so thank you for joining me. Without your companionship, support, prayers and encouragement, I would be lost. Here’s to many more!

birthday reflections

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:58:35 +0200

Today is my birthday. Each year, August 25 brings back memories of celebrations past--all good, I have to say. But there are a few birthdays from my childhood that were especially memorable.

I distinctly remember at least one year where my parents created a scavenger/treasure hunt of sorts for my birthday. I woke up that morning, unaware of the surprise, but when I received the initial clue to begin the game that morning, I was really excited. (I think I had a very high need for challenge even at a young age, so I was thrilled to be made to hunt for my presents instead of them just being handed to me, haha.)

As I started the hunt, one clue led to another, strategically placed in different parts of the house. With the discovery and deciphering of each new riddle, the anticipation grew. What would I find at the end of the hunt? What had my parents planned? Cake? Ice cream? Presents?

If I remember well, they would follow me as I found each new clue, probably trying to suppress their own laughter and excitement at watching me discover what they had planned. Heck, they were probably even more delighted with the hunt than I was, because they were seeing me have fun and enjoy their hard work and gifts.

What's funny now is that I don't even remember what I found at the end! I'm sure it was probably all of the above (or perhaps, given the hour, a special breakfast and presents--cake at that hour can't be good for you).

For me, the lasting memory was the thrill of the journey. All I knew was that I was so excited to see where the next clue would lead and what it would say, because ultimately, I was sure my parents had something very good waiting for me. They love me; how could it be anything else? And in the meantime, I was having loads of fun!

In this, I feel like I have been extremely blessed to have such great parents--not only ones who went to the effort of creating something special for my birthday, but ones who I know beyond a shadow of a doubt love me and want the best for me. That's why even this little illustration from my childhood, to me, is somewhat of an earthly representation of my journey with Jesus Christ.

Every day, those of us who know, love and try to follow Him have the chance to wake up with a sense of excitement, because He is leading us on a journey. He is in control of our days. He loves each person more than he or she will ever know, and He has good things for us.

Walking with Him each day doesn't mean bad things never happen to us or that the journey is always thrilling or easy. But it does mean that, because of His love for us, we can trust He has something good waiting for us. And sometimes that something good is simply His presence, the reassurance of His hand on our lives, and that is a gift without a price.

If that's how He loves us and accompanies us each step of the way, can you imagine HIS delight at seeing us discover the good things He has planned for us along the way? Like a parent, I think He too delights in seeing us make the most of our journey and accept the lavish gifts He gives us in the form of people, time, abilities and even material blessings.

Being a Christian is not supposed to be a life of boredom. Instead, it is supposed to be a life of adventure, great satisfaction and an abiding peace because of the One in Whom Christ-followers trust. I hope that during this next year of my life, I can remember that birthday morning, and, on a larger scale, recapture that enjoyment of the journey as I seek to follow Christ each day.

my vacation

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:56:15 +0200

As I mentioned before, this August I was able to take some vacation days for myself (I could have taken the whole month, but as I also mentioned, August is a great time to get things done at work--plus, then I can take my remaining days during other times of year). I had a great couple of weeks!

Unlike most people, I actually stayed in Madrid most of the time, but it was wonderful (I got my travel fix in June, when I was fortunate enough to go to the States, Germany and Italy, so no complaints from me!). Unfortunately, I had to start my first day off with some paperwork stuff (updating my address with Spain's IRS and then requesting my public healthcare ID card), but those pesky errands went surprisingly quickly, and I shifted into complete vacation mode with no problem :)

To me, the most important thing about vacations--whether they involve traveling or not--is people. Yes, I need rest and alone time, but since I no longer create my own schedule, as in my previous job, time spent with friends is at a premium. August is the perfect chance for me to take advantage of the more relaxed pace and spend lots of time with the people I love here.

So I spent my vacation hanging out with as many people as possible. To an American, that may sound like I had about a million one-hour coffee dates, but in Spain, the concept of hanging out is much different! The best thing you can do when meeting up with someone is to throw away your watch. One hour for a coffee is never enough!

Since I've learned over the years not to overschedule my days here, I pretty much only planned one or two things a day during my break, to give ample time for fellowship, changes of plans and any number of unexpected adventures.

So one day, I had a very leisurely coffee/second breakfast with my former supervisor. I went to the movies. I had a day of shopping and pool time with a friend. I went rollerblading. I played tennis. I had tapas and late-night conversations. It was heavenly.

Smack in the middle of my time off, two good friends and I went to visit one of our best friends who moved to Frankfurt this year. When most people think of Frankfurt, they only imagine the financial hub of Germany--and I'd even heard that it used to be dangerous, dirty, ugly, etc. But we found it to be charming!

I have a special place in my heart for Germany, and so I thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes, we saw the financial district, but we also took a short river cruise (it was sunny!), hung out in the super-cool Sachsenhausen district, visited Goethe's house, and most importantly, spent quality time with our friend there. It always helps to have a local show you all the cool spots, and it was cool to see our friend in her new environment.

I started back to work this past Monday, but I definitely returned recharged. And since we're still down to a skeleton staff at the University, it helps to kind of ease my way back into things. Plus, it will soon be my favorite time of year: autumn--when the new school year starts and we meet lots of new students.

I'm grateful for my vacation time and will remember this as, quite possibly, my best summer ever in Spain.

the month of august in spain

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:53:39 +0200

August is a special month in Spain. Like most European countries, Spain takes an entire month off for summer vacation. Our month comes a little bit later (other countries seem more likely to take holiday in July), but since Spain has a later schedule overall, this is no great surprise.

What do people do for a whole month? Generally, Spaniards spend 11 months of the year dreaming of the beach, so the great exodus from Madrid begins the afternoon/evening of the final work day in July. Many do make it to one of the beaches; some go to their "pueblo," the hometown of their families; some take advantage of the chance to travel abroad.

The city empties out a great deal, which actually, is quite nice! Downtown stays active, but primarily because of tourists. But even with tourists around, things are still not generally very crowded.

All kinds of stores and restaurants close, although some stay open and probably do pretty good business, given that most everything else shuts down. Believe it or not, the government keeps functioning, although the staff is often pared down.

My university officially closed, but a handful of us have been working a few days during this month. I have to say, it's heavenly! This year I worked the first week of August and now and working during the last week, having taken the two weeks in the middle as vacation for myself. When only you and a few other people are around--and students have disappeared completely--you can really get a lot done!

The nice thing about August for me is that most of my friends stay in town for a lot of the month, so that means lots of quality time with them. I really like that, especially after going at such a breakneck pace during the rest of the year.

On the downside, August is definitely a hot month, and in a place where air conditioning isn't that common in homes and elsewhere (including my flat), it can get pretty sweltering. Thankfully, Madrid's is a dry heat, but it is still exhausting. (I'm still determined to take a raw egg down to the Puerta del Sol around 6 p.m., crack it open on the sidewalk, and watch what happens …)

So that's August in Spain. I wouldn't advise coming to visit me during the month, but for a resident, it's a pretty fun time.

the spaceship in my bathroom

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 21:46:06 +0200

Those of you who have been to my new apartment or have at least seen photos will have noted that my bathroom is a little strange. I think during the renovation they opted for some unique structural features, including making it HUGE, adding a built-in closet and opting for a split-level concept that makes part of the bathroom look as if it is on a stage. But now the room is even stranger because of the new water heater, which I affectionately refer to as a spaceship. Let me explain.

Thursday morning I woke up and began my normal routine when all of a sudden, water began pouring out of the water heater (which is mounted on the wall rather close to the ceiling). And I mean POURING, like Niagara Falls. I was still waking up and had no idea what to do. I desperately looked for something to cut off the water from the heater itself. No key. I tried turning the knob by the toilet. Nada. I pushed on the lever by the water meter. NOTHING. AGH!

My trash can had been conveniently located below the heater, so it was catching the water, but it was filling up fast. I ran for my mop bucket and made the switch as I began to mop up the water and finally called my landlady.

All this, and oh yeah, I’m supposed to go to work ...

Anyway, my landlady and I talked through the problem and I finally turned one of the levers in other direction, therefore stopping the water (duh). Of course this meant there was NO water, not just no hot water, but that would be better than flooding this apartment and the one below! (Thank God I was home when it happened, because if I hadn’t been, it would have been nothing short of DISASTROUS.)

We talked through the insurance and possible repairs and at first I had planned to call in to work and work from home while waiting for the insurance guys and plumber. However, she said they would actually call me and set up a time, so I could go on in. This was especially appealing because I am in a stressful time at work AND as usual, if a service person tells you they are coming at a certain time here, you can bet it will be a few hours later or even the next day. So, having shut off the water and gotten ready for work, I went ahead to our in-town campus as planned.

Thank goodness I was at our in-town campus, because only 20 minutes after I arrived at the office, the insurance person called and promptly informed me that he had been told it was an emergency and that he could not reschedule the appointment. So I quickly closed up at work, hailed a taxi and got there just as he did, only to have him say that the water heater would have to be completely replaced and the insurance didn’t cover anything.

I reported this to my landlady, who then said she was going to call her plumbers. Again, not counting on anything, but knowing I needed to be present, I stuck around at the house and began to work from here. MUCH to my surprise, the plumber called and showed up EXACTLY when he said he would. He took a quick look at the water heater, said it needed to be replaced (duh) and told me he was going to check his workshop for a replacement ASAP.

After he left, I kept working, but I was getting pretty hungry and thirsty, and not having water was beginning to wear on me. Just as I was about to head out the door for a coffee and breakfast, another guy from the insurance called. I explained that someone had already been out and asked if he’d talked to my landlady, and he said no, but that he was coming over. Uh, OK? So I had to postpone my break and wait for this guy to come and tell me what I already knew.

Finally, after he left, the plumber called back, said he had the water heater and that they could replace it that afternoon. I was a little perturbed, having basically lost the day at work and was looking forward to meeting friends that night, but he said at the earliest they would be here at 5 p.m., and it wasn’t going to take more than 1.5 hours or two, tops. Once again skeptical, but choosing to trust him since he was called by my landlady, I decided to head BACK to the office and work for just a few short hours at least.

I worked for a bit and at 4:30, hopped the bus back home. Once again, MUCH to my surprise, the plumbers showed up just after 5 p.m. to replace the water heater! I was in shock. That, AND they were friendly, honest, fast and had already worked out everything with my landlady so I wasn’t out any cash, even! They did a great job replacing the heater and were out of the apartment in just under 1.5 hours!

Now, why is my water heater a spaceship? Well, not only was my old water heater replaced--but it was replaced by something super fancy-shmancy. It’s a bigger water heater (major plus) BUT has so many different settings--including one that, if you turn it on, it records ALL your water usage tendencies during a week’s time (amount of water used, temperature, time of day used, etc.), and after that first week, it REPEATS all those same habits so that you save energy and water! Maybe that is old news in the States, but here it sounds pretty cool.

Plus, it has all kinds of fun lights and buttons. :)

So, that’s how the spaceship got in my bathroom. It was an adventure, but very tame compared to instances such as the door of my fridge FALLING OFF a few years ago :) Thank God I was home when the heater burst and that I have a great landlady with great connections who helped me get everything straightened out this time!