The Good Life Just Got Better!

I've mentioned before that my conversation Spanish is shockingly good enough to get me by in even the most foreign (pun intended) of situations.  Even if I don't know the correct word or verb tense I can usually jump around it enough until they know what I'm saying, but c'mon now... I live in Spain.  Time to get to it and learn it for all it's gross tenses and proper vocab.  It's been 13 years since I had any formal schooling in Spanish, so I knew that's what I needed.  Well, jolly ol' Universidad de Jaen is offering F R E E Spanish classes to all the international peeps living here this year!  The class is three days a week for 1.5 hours per day.  I LOVE IT.  My class is basically the European Union.  What a trip it is to be in classroom with Polish, Slovakian, Estonian, Italian, German, Greek, French and British students!  Our teacher, Sergio, has already dubbed us Americans as the delinquents of the class, but we know he secretly loves it!  In any case, it is SUCH an incredible experience to be back in a formal classroom, in a Spanish university with such colorful class roster.  Another prayer answered... thank you, God!


Tidbits: I am working on some fun Halloween activities for my students... they don't celebrate it here TOO much and even then, it's not like we do!  There are so excited to learn about American customs and I get to be the one to teach them!  Today, in music class, they presented me with a concert they'd been working on during my off days.  Most of the students were on recorders, while Eduardo (one of my faves!) played the violin and Jesus brought in his sax.  It was awesome!  Afterward, they all wanted to know how they had played and said they tried very hard to do well for me.  BE STILL MY HEART.


Teaching a foreign language is SOOOO gratifying.  I love catching on to students' insecurities and helping them to overcome them.  I pulled one of the shyest, least confident kids in the class (Luis Miguel) aside for some one-on-one and even by the next class, he had more pep in his step, raising his hand to answer and participating frequently.  He would look to me for approval and I would smile and nod and he would just go for it!  What a wonderful opportunity to make a difference in these kids' lives.  I think they are making more of a difference in mine :)


Oh, I may get to go to an IRISH WEDDING!!  My friends in Ireland are getting married and have invited me to the festivities, granted I am still around, which they think I still should be.  Can you imagine?!  I know what BB and Levs are thinking here and no, I don't think it will be the kind of Irish wedding with broken bones.  That's just a Blake/Rabbitt tradition...


I'm sure some of you are sick of hearing me gush, so I will try my hardest to think of some less than thrilling news to report.  Hmmmm... well, yesterday my clothes were hanging on the line and it rained...  I had to wait another day for them to dry.  Does that count?!


Love to you all!  Been loving the awesome convos/chats/emails... keep em' comin'!  I always want to know what's going on with YOU!