We woke up on Friday with a few hours before we had to get ready for the train ride back to Madrid. Kevin was still a bit under the weather, so Michael and I decided to go to the grocery store for some last-minute items that would make great reminders of the trip. In...

This morning, Michael and I went out for breakfast (Kevin was a little under the weather) on a hunt for breakfast, and we both agreed that we missed the concept of an American breakfast here. Scrambled eggs, grits, and coffee were just what I needed, but nowhere to be...

Birthdays: Today is Michael’s birthday, and we did our best to celebrate with him throughout the day. We visited a huge market in the Ruzafa section of town, which is more of a working-class zone that includes a wide variety of people. The evening found us at an...

So, my connections with the American School of Valencia meant that I was able to visit the school while I was on holiday. What an incredible place! The location is sublime, but the people were even better. While I was there, I met with several teams of staff members...

We were all feeling a little more subdued after our late night on Saturday, so we decided to get started later (around noon), and then take our time wandering. The weather was perfect, the birds were chirping, the fireworks were going off, and all was right in the...

There is nothing like European coffee for making me feel continental. I don’t know if this stuff is made from the crushed dreams of small children (quite delicious!) or ground fairies mixed with unicorn horn, I absolutely love the little cups of rocket fuel used to...

Pics upcoming. How about this for starters? The turtles in the train station concourse area of the Madrid-Atocha station: Human jet fuel…

Note to self: When taking the shuttle to the airport to the metro to the train station, start earlier. I woke up this morning 45 years old. Whoop-de-do. Actually, it is kind of fun being another year older, and kind of significant as a milestone, especially in Spain....

Okay, let’s be honest. Long plane flights are not the most fun. The flight over was harmless and the flight attendants were very pleasant, but the length of the flight was the pits. We were lucky enough to have seats with extra leg room, but even that did not ease the...

I’m not afraid to admit that I am afraid, but there are some things that have emerged as a surprise and a joy over the last few months. First, I AM learning some Spanish. I’ll make no bones about it - the Fluenz product is outstanding as a learning resource. The...

So, lately, I have been suffering from irrational fears that I am not on track with language learning or with my studies to graduate in my hope-charged expectations. True, it seems like I am floating somewhat outside of normal space and time, because the schedule is...

A friend of mine at work and I were talking, and I mentioned that I was moving to Spain in a short while. He noted that a friend of his used to live in Spain, and he offered to share my number and contact information with her so we could talk. Surprisingly, she worked...

After a few emails, I am planning to meet several of the folks at a school in the Valencia area. Not an interview, specifically, but since I am going to be there in the spring, I might as well see some people in person. I have already been warned that there are no...

The interesting thing about planning to make life changes and making life changes is that one is about potential, and one is about action. Like building a house, I would rather make lots of small but significant changes on the foundation before build the rest of the...

This past month has been a little nutty - I completed a 160-page paper and took some time to write a proposal for my next paper on human development. Now that it’s accepted, it’s time to write again! With that said, here are some things that I learned during the...

My dear friend Deb asked me to come visit her in DC, and I have been here for a couple of days already. We have visited two art museums, eaten at a tapas restaurant (advertising “Tapas y más!"), gone to both the Virginia and Maryland sides of the Potomac rapids, and...

So, earlier today, I had a job interview via Skype for a position in Valencia. The reality is that it was not the right time, but perhaps the right place for me to work. The conversation was excellent, and the interviewer was very pleased with what I could provide to...

Last week, I sent a couple of packets to a potential employer in Valencia, including a copy of my resume, a cover letter, and my book. I did not expect to hear back, and certainly not with the following message: ========================= Dear Christopher, I was most...