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Wow. What a crazy, full week! It started with the arrival of another Couch Surfer, Francesco. Francesco lives in Barcelona, but is originally from Venice, Italy. When we had time together, he spoiled me with his Italian cooking. He’s an attorney by education. But he works in hospitality and marketing. When I wasn’t in school…

I realized that it had been more than six months since my last dentist appointment. So, I checked my insurance and sure enough, it includes dental care. So I scheduled a check up. I got there Monday and learned that I get a free cleaning and check up every six months. Unfortunately, cleaning and check…

I have been hosting couch-surfers the last two weeks. The first was Abhi, a young man from north India, currently living and studying in France. He just completed his Master’s degree and will soon be starting his PhD in Nano Medicine. So he gave himself a vacation in Barcelona and Valencia. He was an ideal…

The last couple weeks have been godsends. First was my time in Bilbao with Eric and Dan last week. And this weekend, my former boss, turned colleague, and now long-time friend Jim came to see me. Both Eric and Jim have been roll-models for me. They came to Spain more than ten years ago to…

First, thank you to each of you who responded either privately or on the blog about the struggles I expressed last week. Sometimes, all you need is a compassionate, listening ear. Thank you. I’m home in Valencia after an amazing time in Northern Spain, visiting my friends Eric and Dan (from Boise) who go to…

What an interesting week it’s been. We had a big concert on Saturday night in Buñol, a small town about thirty minutes outside of Valencia. A lot of my friends said they’d be there. So I’ve really been looking forward to sharing my choir experience with them. We sang the 5th Symphony “Return to Middle…

My nephew Josh married his sweetheart Greta today in Minnesota. Last night, I called my brother Joel and was able to talk to Josh and his fiancé Greta, to wish them many blessings before their wedding today. Tonight while watching the closing ceremonies of the Olympics, Joel texted me. We were able to Facetime, along…

Greetings from Zaragoza. I have been wanting to see more of Spain. And lacking any friends that are willing to make a definite plan, I started planning myself. So a few weeks ago, I booked a weekend in Zaragoza…about half way between Barcelona and Madrid. I’m staying in an AirBnB with Jesus, a native of…

What an odd week. Last Saturday, I met someone with whom I really connected. We spent a lot of time together on Sunday and Monday. By Tuesday, we were agreeing that neither of us is ready for a serious relationship. We agreed to stay friends and I hope we do. He’s a smart, kind, courageous,…

The honeymoon is over. It’s been just over six months since I arrived in Spain. And I have six months more on my visa. Half way points are a good place to reflect and look ahead. What have I learned? What am I feeling? What am I thinking about the future? I haven’t told you…