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Exciting update: We have a place to live!
We’ve been searching with the help of a relocation specialist in Sant Cugat (the town we’ll be living in—more on that later). She’s been visiting properties for us and sending walkthrough videos. Through her we’ve learned what’s realistic here in terms of size, air conditioning (not always a given), full-size fridges, parking spots, and all the little details. It’s been especially helpful to have guidance from someone who lives there and also immigrated herself not too long…
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Donating vs. Storing vs. Bringing
Donating I’ve been downsizing during my downtime lately. It started with myself—my closet, shoes, makeup and lotions, and homeschool materials. I’ve lost 60 lbs over the past year slowly and steadily, so I’ve already been donating a lot of clothes. Although, to be honest, what I’ve donated is probably equal to what I’ve replaced with “new to me” finds from thrift stores. But I do think choosing what to bring will be fairly simple: a few pieces…
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I Was Wrong
My own self from six months ago would never have believed this version of me exists. I have a vivid memory of whispering to Chris before falling asleep one night, speaking a quiet truth into the dark comfort of our room: “I can’t learn a new language. I’d never be able to make friends. I don’t want to move to Spain. I don’t want to leave Colorado.” At the time, we were planning a Thanksgiving trip so…
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Sometime between May and July
People have been asking perfectly reasonable questions, such as: When are we planning to move?Somewhere between May and July.Yes, that is a three-month window.No, we have not narrowed it down further. Do I know where we are living?Not quite. Are we selling our house?Uhhh… yes. Most likely. Is the house ready to sell?Absolutely not. Are we selling our cars?Yes, we’ve got to handle that too.Have we started?Nope. Are we bringing a lot with us?Not really.I am committed…
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A Tuesday in March…
On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, I teach at a nearby preschool program. It’s only my second year, and I had every intention of staying several years. Yet again, my teaching resume will show another short stint. It’s never my plan to stay just three years, but it’s happened often enough that I’m starting to accept it as part of who I am. I’m someone who moves regularly and changes roles. On a bad day, I worry it…
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Survival phrases
Lo siento, hablo inglés, pero estoy aprendiendo español. (I am sorry, I speak English, but I am learning Spanish.) Estoy tratando mejorar mi español. (I’m trying to get better at Spanish.) Soy nueva aquí. ¿Puede hablar más despacio, por favor? (I’m new here. Will you speak more slowly, please?) Estos son mis hijos. Tienen 9 y 11 años. Nos acabamos de mudar aquí. (These are my sons. They are 9 and 11. We just moved here.) No…
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Mountains to Miss
Chris and Colin are throwing a football and passing a frisbee in our beautiful backyard. I can see snow-capped mountains clearly, and Penny is sunning herself by my side. I’m committing this moment to memory because this season, the first days of spring in Colorado (¡Días de primavera!) is the beginning of a season of lasts. At some point, we’ll have our last Friday nature journaling session with a group of moms who value homeschooling, finding new…
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A Full Body Smile
Last November, while visiting Spain, I had a sudden and very inconvenient thought: Oh my god, Maggie. Now you’re going to move here. Nothing had been decided yet. Zero plans were in motion. I hadn’t even said this wish out loud to Chris. But the feeling that it was an inevitability was so clear it almost made me laugh. Have you ever had the sensation that your body knows something before your mind agrees? Over the past…
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Through me, not from me: letting my children go and grow
I have felt my heart burst many times. One of the first was when Colin crawled for the first time. He crawled and I felt so excited for him, then a sudden overwhelming surge of doom: he was crawling away from me. The thought took my breath away. I cannot protect him always- but why would I want to stop him from experiencing all that he can? That was years ago, but I just felt a similar…
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The Stuff of early motherhood.. and what we’re packing
Many folks are asking, “Wait, what will you do with all your stuff?” The George Carlin set comes to mind, about how we are managed by our stuff. When Marie Kondo’s minimalist book came out in 2011, I devoured it and thought it was an incredibly effective way to sort through materials. At the time, I mostly applied it to my closet. I was a newlywed and we lived in a small apartment, so there wasn’t too…
formerly in the city, in the suburbs, by the lake, and by the mountains
Maggie by the Mediterranean 