Fall in Madrid

Hmm... I just bemoaned all the things I miss from the States about fall, in part because I'm a little down and in part because I just got a package from my mom, just made popcorn, am cold (because it's fall and there's not any heat until Nov), and, yeah.... SO, I'm going to make a list of the things I love about the fall in Madrid and specifically the fall, not the winter or some other season.

I DO love the beginning of the semester and all the excitement of getting things going again and seeing God at work in my life, in the lives of students, etc.,

I LOVE walking around the streets anytime of year, but the fall is nice. I did love Saturday, just two days ago, when I bought some new plants and potted them and had the windows open with the fresh, cool (but not too cool) air.

I do love making popcorn and snuggling under a blanket because it's just a little too cold. I love tea and making apple cider. I love walking through Retiro park any time of year, but the fall and spring are probably some of the best times. I need to do that more often. The fall is nice to run in because it's finally cool enough to wear pants again, really, but just a tank top or t-shirt. And I LOVE to run when it's cool out.

I don't much care for when it rains, but we haven't had much rain this year, at least not yet, nor actually do we usually.

I like that the leaves do change some, at least more than they used to (during the 2 or 3 years of drought). I like that people are around again. Summer vacations have ended, so the city is full again and life is back to normality, back in motion. I DO like fall cleaning and fall changes (or at least some of them).

Well, that's at least the beginning of a list. I do like spring more. And I am still a little down. But that's okay. It's okay for a time.

fall...

I just made some popcorn (I know I just said that below), but it got me thinking about fall and all the things I miss. Yes, it's fall here too, but somehow this year I feel more nostalgic and am more aware of all the things I miss.

I have always missed the changing leaves. The leaves DO change here, a little, but not like in Missouri, with the brilliant reds and oranges and yellows, with the piles of leaves all over the ground to be raked or jumped into or collected temporarily. I LOVED fall at Mizzou when I was in college. I'd always come back from class with a pile of leaves to put in a basket or something. I LOVED the rainbow of colors and still do... or that's what I miss.

Apple picking, making apple pies from the apples in my parents' backyard,... hayrides, campfires, fall camping trips,.... pumpkins, carving pumpkins, pumpkin pies (and being able to make pumpkin pies from canned pumpkin instead of either having to get someone to ship it or bring it over or making them from sweet potatoes or finding a pumpkin and boiling it),... chili, cornbread,... winter soups (okay, that i do make here. i make a ton of tasty winter & fall soups and do make chili on occasion. it's just not the norm and no one else is making chili.).

So, that is my bemoaning about nothing. Fall is the one season (okay, and maybe winter) that I miss here. They were never my favorite seasons, but I miss the snow, the changing leaves, and probably the trick-or-treaters too. I don't actually have any reason to complain. I live in Spain. You can't really compare with that. Yet this fall I'm melancholy and a little sad, not overly nor excessively just a little. And, if you must know, it has to do with a boy that I'm still getting over. (Which probably helps explain a lot of my emotional-ness as of late.) Somehow it seems like it shouldn't take this long, but it is. So that's why I'm all nostalgic and missing home a little more than normal.

a few little thoughts

one, I love doing campus ministry in Spain. somehow it makes me come alive just being on campus, but even more so actually talking to students about things that matter, or being in their midst when this happens.

this week we're repeating an outreach we did last year called, "What do you see?" (although it sounds way better and catchier in Spanish.) basically we've advertised for a few weeks on campus with fotos and the phrase, "What do you see?" and we've also just put plain black or white flyers with the same phrase. this week we've had tables up on campus with 50 fotos that they can choose from to answer questions about life, the world, hope, brokenness, God,... they answer with pictures, which actually makes them more honest and more willing to answer deep, personal questions. they then have the option of telling us in words why, but either way it gets them thinking. and to me it seems obvious that a picture is worth a thousand words. somehow a picture sticks with you longer. so, i'm excited. it's been to hear students talking with their friends about deep things and it's been fun to see them come back and bring friends just to find out what they would have chosen and why. i've been in some of the conversations, but the majority i've just been a fly on the wall.

today in the midst of another long day, basically 6-7 hours standing up and interacting with people, i was looking around and remembering how much I love just being on campus. recently we've been organizing activities and getting things going, so while i've been with students, i haven't actually spent as much time on campus. it's been nice the past few days. it reminded me again why i love what i do.

it's very much a side note, but it's also been curious, or interesting, to see the huge change in fashion this year. the past few years there were quite a lot of dreads and hippies on campus and then just normal euro trends. this year we've taken a huge swing back to the 80s. big hair is in. the hippies are much more hard core in their dress, with dog collar bracelets and such. tons of heavy metal or hard core band shirts, tons of black, but all black. lots of bleached hair. lots of leggings and leather pants. lots of aviator glasses. i've been people watching and told tyler (a friend on the campus team) that i can picture people stepping out of back to the future, fame, flashdance, dirty dancing, family ties, etc., it's definitely euro-80s, with a bit more style than the US counterparts, but it's still 80s all the way.

i have some good reflecting i was going to blog, but i need to run out the door. so i'll have to do that another day.

Otoño - Fall

i love the fall. while there are no fallen leaves or leaves that have changed color quite yet, there is so much i like about the beginning of a school year, the starting again. i guess it is the beginning of a new year and the hopes of what that year will bring.

i love the energy of people getting ready for new classes, the new semester, and all that comes along with that.

and after summer break, i am always ready for the hustle and bustle of the university campuses to return to normal, to come back to life from the quiet, deserted days of summer. you can just smell the excitement of fall in the air.

Mi Día Espectacular

So... today was a great day! First, I went to take my written driving test and... first of all, they let me take the test (something not to take for granted after last week), second... i think that it went well, very well, in fact it really wasn't that hard since i practically have all the questions they could ever ask me memorized along with the choices they might give me and the answers. So, if all went well, I passed and can move on to phase two, actually driving. :-)

Second, I went and talked to my friend and it went well, actually really well. I won't go into detail, but things are pretty much back to normal and we understand each other a little better. I have my best friend here back. Praise the Lord, really, it was totally God's gracious hand.

Third, the semester began on university campuses around Madrid and my life is returning little by little to normality.

Fourth, I was showered with love in terms of notes and text messages of encouragement or ánimo for my driving test. And then on the way home a friend asked, "So, are we going out to celebrate or not?" I, of course said yes, even though I didn't get home until 21:00 (9pm), so we went out for tapas which was great - my friends Nora and her husband, Carlos, my roommates and me. Great fun.

And I'm sure there are other things I've left out, but a very full, but very good day.

Life & such

So... I haven't had much time to blog as of late (and really don't now). Unfortunately I am still studying like crazy for my driving test (you would think it was a college final or something a bit more weighty, but it is such a tedious and tricky test (and I really don't want to have to take it again)). Beyond that, I've been planning out the fall, meeting with people having to do with that, (and all the other prep work associated with that) preparing for both Oct 1st & Oct 6th - the first days of school on college campuses here in Madrid.

I definitely can't wait until students return to campus, so that I can spend much of my time meeting with people and doing things, versus just planning it and doing more admin stuff.

Beyond planning for the fall and getting things ready (which is the main thing I've been doing), I've been grabbing bits of time to work on the most recent seminary class I'm taking, dreaming of having a car again, and all the other things I used to associate with July/August. While I've been back in Spain for three years now, Sept/Oct here still takes some getting used to for me. I always am so anxious just to get things going and to return to normal life. Granted, I don't really stop until September from the previous school year, but still.

It's SOOO nice

It's sooo nice to have some semblance of a team, to have others who are on board with my vision for reaching college students here with the Gospel and who are both fully capable and fully available to help.

Up until now I've been a bit cautious and haven't wanted to expect too much of them, in part for fear of being disappointed. Yet after our first two meetings of the year I am SOOO happy that we are all on the same page and I finally have some people with whom I can process & flesh out where we are going and how we are going to get there. And they are not just passive listeners, but active participants and co-laborers. Yippee!!! It is sooo nice. And it is much more easy to be motivated and to be excited about doing this together instead of always having to be self-motivated and know that most of the time I am headed toward a huge mountain. There are still a lot of areas where I'm not quite sure where the resources and people will come from, but at least there are some others with whom I can trust God for these giant things and who can remind me what is true. Thank God for my little, but very existent team this year. And, God-willing, there will be others (spaniards) who will join us in reaching the campus, madrid, spain, and the world with the powerful and freeing Gospel of Jesus.