Living Abroad

So, as I'm sure you've gathered from my first post, I am a Canadian living abroad in Jerez, Spain. Friends and Family are always asking how I am dealing with the big change and what my biggest likes/dislikes are. Here I will share a few of them.

                                                      Likes:

-Being with my husband, Fernando. Who is Spanish, of course. 

-The weather! The coldest it has been mid day here was 14C. What a dream! It does drop to around 5C at night though...Lets see how hot the summer is!

-The language. Although I complain about it quite often, I am really enjoying the challenge of learning a new language.

-Adventure. I love living so close to so many beautiful cities and countries. There is so much history in such close proximity.

-New Friends. When I first left for Spain, one of my biggest concerns was loneliness. I was surprised how easy it was to make friends. Of course, I miss my friends and family in Canada dearly, but I have made many friendships with very interesting people from all over the world, all living here in Jerez. They have definitely helped with the adaptation process.

Dislikes:

-Being away from friends and family! Skype and Facebook have been a big part of my daily life since moving here. I cannot describe how much I miss everyone, but coming back to Canada several times a year has been helpful!

- Not working. Wow, I can't believe I said that! But if you know me, you know I loved my job as a piano teacher in Windsor, Ontario. I do have my piano here in Jerez, but I miss the interaction, students and the excitement they had when they finally played a song right! I hope to teach piano here soon.

-The food! Although many people travel to Spain every year only to eat the wonderful food, I am not one of those people. With dishes made of primarily meat and fish, I find it very difficult to find things to eat. No, I am not a vegetarian, but I am very picky when it comes to meat. As far as the fish goes, I refuse to eat anything from water (don't ask). Apart from the meat and fish issue, I have to say I did not appreciate the selection in the grocery stores in North America. I had no idea that some of my favorite foods were only a 'North American thing'. Mac and Cheese, Lucky Charms, bagels, salad dressing, etc just don't exist here. Thanks for the care packages Mom & Dad.

-Siesta time. Now that may sound strange to everyone back at home but really, it drives me crazy! All shops close from the hours of 1:30pm-5:00pm.  I mean yeah, I COULD nap but I am so used to being able to go wherever I want whenever I want because shops are always open 9:00am-9:00pm in Canada, if not later. 24 hour anything, I love you.

Sara xx

Como estoy segura que habeis intuido por mi anterior post, soy una Canadiense viviendo en Jerez, Espana. Mi familia y amigos siempre me preguntan como llevo el cambio y que cosas me gustan mas y me gustan menos. Voy a compartir unas cuantas.

Cosas que me gustan:

- Estar con mi marido Fernando, Espanol por supuesto.

- El tiempo! Lo mas frio que hemos tenido a medio dia ha sido 14C. Vaya sueno! No obstante, baja hasta 5C por la noche... Vamos a ver cuan caliente sera el verano.

- Aventura. Me encanta vivir tan cerca de tantas ciudades y paises. Hay mucha historia en muy pocos kilometros.

- Nuevos amigos. Cuando me mude a Espana, una de mis mayores preocupaciones era la soledad. Me  ha sorprendido lo facil que es hacer amigos. Por supuesto, echo mucho de menos a mis amigos y familia en Canada, pero he hecho amistad con gente muy interesante de todas partes del mundo, todos viviendo aqui en Jerez.

Me han ayudado con el proceso de adaptacion.

Cosas que no me gustan:

- Estar lejos de familia y amigos. Skype y Facebook han sido una gran parte de mi vida diaria desde que me mude. No puedo describir cuanto echo de menos a todos, pero volver a Canada un par de veces al ano ayuda.

- No trabajar. Wow, no me creo que diga esto! Pero si me conoceis, sabeis que me encantaba mi trabajo como profesora de piano en Windsor, Ontario. Tengo aqui mi piano pero echo de menos la interaccion, los estudiantes y lo contentos que estaban cuando tocaban bien la cancion que practicaban. Espero ensenar piano pronto.

- La comida. Aunque mucha gente viaja a Espana cada ano solo para comer la maravillosa comida, no soy una de esas. Con platos hechos principalmente de carne y pescado, es dificil encontrar cosas para comer. No, no soy vegetariana pero soy especial a la hora de comer. En cuanto al pescado, me niego a comer nada del mar (no pregunteis). Aparte del problema con la carne y el pescado, no apreciaba lo suficiente la variedad y exclusividad de productos de los supermercados de America. Mac&Cheese, lucky charms, bagels, salad dressings, etc. No existen aqui. Gracias por los paquetes Mama y Papa.

- La siesta. Esto puede resultar extrano para la gente de Windsor, pero realmente me repatea! Todas las tiendas cierran entre las 13:30 hasta las 17h. Quiero decir, podria hacer siesta pero estoy tan acostumbrada a ir donde quiero cuando quiero que echo de menos el 9 a 21h de America.

24 horas todo te quiero!

Sara xx