I'm baaaaaack!

I can't believe it...I am back in the states! And while it is not forever, I am going back, it is certainly a change and the close of another part of my life. Over a year ago I made the decision to do the program at middlebury, with much contemplation and anguish. It proved to be a very smart decision, albeit expensive, but despite the accumulating debt, I wouldn't change my mind if I had to do it all again. The experience was something I needed and wanted in my life. I feel like I have done something I am proud of and am not still in AC doing what came easy. Still, change is hard. I know that when I get back to Spain it will not be the same experience. Many of my friends will not be there, I will not be at "la Sede Prim," I may not be living in the same house, and I will be working. As I was packing up my room I actually suffered quite a panic attack. Silly, I know, but change is hard. I will miss this past year.

So what am I going to do this summer? Good question!

Right now I am in Florida visiting Kim and Elliot, and most importantly Owen!!! I just love this baby to pieces. Check out his blog and you will see why. (http://owenwilliamdoerle.blogspot.com/)
Later this afternoon I head over to the west coast of Florida to see Chrissy and her new house....how exciting! Chrissy is on her 2nd grown up house...what a big girl!

Then it's to Philadelphia to see my boys! (jack, owen and lucky!) Yea!!! I have missed them! My parents and I will be babysitting for the weekend. The following week I will be with Amy before she jets off to Italy for 3 weeks, and then to Pittston. That's about all I have planned. Once I get to Pittston it's living with mom and dad with no job and a bicycle as my main means of transportation. That ought to be fun.... I guess I will be waiting and planning until Paco comes for the big tour of Northeast America in August.

I probably won't write much over the summer, but don't worry if I happen to do something super-exciting, I'll post it.

Thanks for visiting....until part 2 of The Life and Times of Julie and Lucky in Madrid

Viva la vaca! Ole!

Last weekend I took the opportunity to procrastinate, put off my ever so important work on the ever so enlightning chapter of the much anticipated book we are writing with my teaching English as a foreign language class and I went to the mountains of Madrid for a little hiking and relaxation.

Obviously it was a holiday in Marid...another Puente....when isn't it? Monday was the day of San Isidro which celbrates the patron saint of Madrid and the official start of bullfighting season. As I was on our 5 hour hike up (and down) the mountain I got the opportunity to do a little bullfighting of my own. Ok, I didn't actually fight and it was a cow, but it had really big horns and who really knows the difference between a cow and a bull anyway. I was still afraid he was going to gore me to pieces for invading his stomping grounds (yes, pun intended.) Thaksfully I made it down the mountain alive and well and the only pains I had were some sore rear end muscles.

And the award goes to....

Christy and Lindsay!

The first (and only) non-family visit in Spain!

Last weekend marked the event, and we even had really nice weather, so we were able to take advantage of some sangria and tapas outdoors in the plaza and a nice naperooski in the Retiro. A little Sexy Back entertainment by -I'll let you guess who- rounded out a quite "gustatory" weekend. I had a great time, got a good ab workout from all the laughing, was able to relax a bit before finals, and most of all had the opportunity to catch up with 2 of my favorite PSU'ers.

Let's see who can top that!

Windsurfing

Here are some pics from my windsurfing adventure in La Manga. La Manga (which means "the sleeve" due to its geographical shape) is in the province of Murcia in southeastern Spain and makes up part of la Costa Calida (the Wam Coast.) They say that it has 320 days of sun, which menas that while most of Spain was rainy and crappy, it was warm and sunny in La Manga...THANK GOD!!! It wasn't hot summer weather but warm enough to be on the beach in a bathing suit (check out mine for the 2007 beach season...i can get you one if you act fast!!) and many people were. I actually got a little red, but am now on my way to bronzed godess status. La Manga is a long skinny strip of land that separates the Mediterranean from the Mar Menor (the Little Sea, which is really a large salt water lake.) The Mediterranean was a bit chilly (think water in Jersey in July) but the Mar Menor was like a nice tepid bath. Because it is not very deep and very salty, combined with the sunny days it stays pretty warm all year long. It's a very popular watersport area, and there were lots of people windsurfing and kite surfing...I don't think I can really count myself among those who were actually doing it, but I tried! I managed to sail for a record of 10 seconds (one mississippi, two mississippi...) - pretty impressive! It's hard, but fun. I'd be willing to try it again. (ok, i really just only want to wear the wetsuit!)