Fast Reminders That I’m in Spain
I’ve been in Valencia for 6 weeks and I’ve become so accustomed to living here that sometimes I forget how far from “home” I actually am. That is, until I experience one of the following – instant reminders that I am in fact abroad, and in Spain.
Meet Jennison: Valencia Yogi
Living in Marrakesh Taught Me About My Comfort Zone
As I boarded my flight out of Marrakesh, I felt a sense of comfort and relief I didn’t think was possible on an airplane, but compared to the month prior, the quiet, familiar environment put me at ease as I sunk into my seat. I thought I had broken free from all comfort zones when I left everything behind in San Francisco last September. I packed light, let go of expectations and was ready to travel anywhere. Little did I realize there is another comfort zone that we carry with us.
We’re all conditioned by the environment we grew up in and these lifestyle expectations come along for the journey. I don’t mean needing to stay in a 5-star hotel vs a 3-star hotel, I mean growing up in a developed country with drinkable tap water, roads that separate cars from people or the freedom to show affection in public. There are many elements of our environment that we take for granted until we feel their absence. I had never lived in a place as drastically different as Marrakesh. Not only did I have culture shock but I was surprised to see how the environment weakened me – how it clouded my mind, put me on guard and prevented me from regular everyday productivity.
My Fluency Level After 2 Months of Spanish Immersion
Countless times in my life people have spoken to me in Spanish without hesitation, assuming I speak their language. I find it to be the greatest compliment that anyone would assume I speak anything other than English. This assumption has always flattered me so much that I never stop them – for those brief moments I get to pretend that my dream has come true and I’m a fluent Spanish speaker.
My goal this year is to make that dream a reality and so on January 1st I flew to Mexico for two months of intensive Spanish school in San Miguel de Allende. While checking in at the airport, the airline attendant began speaking to me in Spanish very rapidly. I had no idea what she was saying. It had been too long since I’d heard so much and so fast, especially for the early morning of New Years Day, but she was delivering it with such confidence that I didn’t want to kill the illusion for either of us. I simply nodded and after her little speech when a question came up that I understood, I responded, unintentionally making it appear that I understood it all. That was ten weeks ago.
Love Your Body Before Anybody
Have you ever said to yourself “I love my body”? Until last year, I never had. I didn’t know it was something I should say. It’s a phrase I thought was reserved for vanity and ego. When I was younger, I thought that in the future I would love my body, at a later time whenever I overcame its imperfections. But now that it’s later and I’m in my 30s, I know what it means to overcome the flaws. It isn’t a matter of finding physical perfection, it’s really a matter of letting go of a false perception of your outer-self and valuing the profoundness of your inner-self.
10 Things To Do in Guanajuato
Just an hour away from San Miguel de Allende is Guanajuato City, the capital of Guanajuato state and another vibrant place to explore. Like San Miguel, it’s a colorful mountain town with narrow stone streets and views of the surrounding hills. Guanajuato is slightly larger, has a large university and overall feels less touristy. It’s known for its maze of one-way streets and underground tunnels.
Recipe: How to Make Agua de Sabor
After one month living in a Mexican home, I finally learned how to make one of my favorite drinks – Agua de Sabor, more commonly known in the US as Agua Fresca. Agua de Sabor makes a lot more sense in translation as it translates to “flavored water” and the name adopts whatever fruit is used. For example, using pineapple would make it an Agua de Piña, or sometimes, like in my house, it’s just called Agua.