The wait is over!

Estoy en Espana!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday was a very rough day, my second whole day of sitting in an airport.

Only this time, it was in Madrid, and I was dissapointed that I was so very tired and sore, that I could not enjoy the airport more.

From what I saw (and remember), it was huge and had more shopping than any other airport I have seen. It had tons of different stores. Many were in English.

Only, I had no Euro, so I could not do any shopping.

John and I got home (HOME!) last night around 11 or so.

My luggage did not come in with my flight, but they called this morning to say that it came in, so we will go tomarrow to pick it up.

The dog did OK. He refused to eat or potty the whole 2 day travel experience, but he is fine now. That is just his way of protesting the long travel time.

He is more than fine, actually, as we have this huge yard, and I can just open the back door and let him out. It was sunny and warm this afternoon, and there are lil yellow and purple flowers in the grass.

Nima looked so cute exploring his yard.

John and I went grocery shopping today. It was nearly $300.

That is what happens when you have an empty house! It was so nice to get back to shopping in a commissary again. The prices are fantastic (except chicken), but also, I had gotten used to certain brands in Maryland that I could not get in California that I can get here!

However, the produce is pretty sad there, but John said that there is a Rota local who comes on base in a truck and sells fruit and veggies. How cool is that?

Farmer's market on wheels!!

I cannot wait to ask him where I can get happy chicken eggs. (Most of you know, I hate regular white eggs from abused chickens.)

The eggs in the commissary are from Danish chickens!! Haha! They must cluck funny. Like with the lil dots over the u in cluck. Haha.

Anyway, today I was so sore from sitting on airport floors and sleeping in funny airplane positions. I am taking ibuprofin, but it does not help much.

YIKES, I did not know there was anything ibuprofin could not cure! So I took a hot bath this afternnon and fell asleep after that. I did not want to, because I want to get on a normal sleep schedule here (even though John is not- he is working nights now).

Last night, I went to sleep at 2 and woke up at 5. All perky and wanting to play with my new house. So I did! Then I crashed so hard this afternoon, I hope I can get to sleep tonight.

The story of my life!

The base here is so pretty. It has tons of trees and we are close to the water. There are lots of bunnies as well. I hope they stay out of my yard. I am excited to get started on a garden. Right away. I want some plants in the ground, but there is so much patio space, it is just begging to have a bunch of potted plants as well.

Tomarrow, John and I are going to pick up my luggage and look at paint for the livingroom. If all goes well, we should have our normal furniture next week. I do not like the loaner furniture, and I am excited to see what will fit where.

The living/diningroom is going to take some creative placement, as it is so small. The kitchen is soooooooooooo big and beautiful. I love it in there.

I call it my room!

This is the first time I have ever had a pantry! And a deep freezer. It is completely empty right now, but that will have to change. I have to fill it with ham!!!

Mmmmmm....

I cannot wait to start sending pictures, but of course, I packed my camera.

(I was finally able to return the broken camera. But, naturally, when I took it in to return it, it was working!)

Today, I went to get my Spanish ID card. After I take the class all people take when they come on base to learn about the country (called ICR for InterCultural Relations), I will have a Spainish driver's license as well. Then, I have to get a different license to drive my Vespa, which I cannot wait to get.

Well, that should catch you up. Sorry I missed the Waste Your Wednesday feature, but I was too busy wasting my Wednesday in Atlanta.

Tails from Atlanta

What an airport! The biggest/busiest I have seen maybe.

In one section, I went on the 2nd story to sit and look over a large courtyard. It did not look real. It just looked like the background of a movie set where some people walk by, some stand in groups and talk, and some meet in the middle, smile, talk and part. So wierd. It looked choreographed. Everyone was evenly spaced and pleasently arranged. I could not hear a thing from where I was, so it looked like they were really not not talking- only mouthing greetings and words through fixed smiles so as not to talk over the main dialog of the movie.

Hmm. Maybe it was the 2 hours of crappy sleep I have had in the last 2 days.

Enigma has made lots of friends though. A little girl who loves smalls dogs almost as much as she loves to talk played with him for a while. She had what I would swear was an Australian accent, but she was on her way to Germany with her family from Georgia (no accent). Did I dream her?

Now, I know it was the lack of sleep.

Then, twin boys, maybe 3 years old, ran up to him and told him over and over that he was a cat. I kept saying, "dog", and one twin got especially sure of himself and screamed, "CAAAAAT!!!!" at both of us.

Now I could use that sleep.

But I don't feel sleepy. I ate, and now I sick. I have 3 more hours here, and then an 8 hour flight. I hope to sleep some on that flight. Nima wories me as he drinks a lot, but will not use the peepads. He loved them when Kiki had them. Now he looks at me like I'm crazy.

I'm not crazy, Nima. Just sleep deprived.

Oh, Nima also made a friend from Finland, and for the life of me, (even though I was learning all that Finnish a few months a go) I could not remember how to say in her native toungue: "Stop, my dog will eat your baby!"

Finally

Nima, Nino, and I are at a hotel. In less than 2 hours, I will be off to the airport. I should be more nervous, but I am so excited to finally get there!!

I will be laying over in Atlanta for 8 hours tomarrow, then an 8 hour flight to Madrid. Wish Nima luck on that one. It is his longest yet.

He is in the cabin with me. Whew!!

Type to you from the other side of the pond.

~~~BYE~~~

Last weekend in America

Today I took Enigma to the vet for his health certificate. I really hope this goes smoother than Moo's journey.

She said that she heard a heart murmer that she did not hear when she gave him the other health certificate to go back to CA late November.

That worries me, as it came kind of fast. The doctor before said he had an enlarged heart and wanted to medicate him for it, but I wanted to wait to get a second oppinion in Spain, as this Dr was not the most trustworthy.

Tomarrow, Mom,Grandma,Cole,Nino,Nessa,andI are going to Colorado Springs to have lunch at PF Chang's. I hear many good things about it, but I have never been there before. Then we will do a lil shopping.

Sunday, should be all about packing and deciding what I will have to mail to Spain.

Yay- almost there!

It is for real

I have an itinerary!

I fly out Wednesday at 6:30 morning. I arrive in Madrid at 9:15 on Thursday morning. John will meet there to help me get Enigma through customs.
He said getting the cat through was pretty difficult and he speaks Spanish!!

Then we fly to Jerez together, which is what is closest to us in Rota.






I do not know how I am going to get all my stuff to Spain. I have (seriously cute) luggage, but with the weight limit, I do not know how much I can take. I am sure I cannot take it all. I might have to have Mom send some stuff after I leave.
You know I have not been here all this time and not bought anything!

The furniture is all there but in storage. We want to paint before we put it all in. I will not live with white walls again- not this time!!
So I will have the house and the class they suggest you take that gives you the ins and out of living on the base there to keep me busy while we save up a lil for the language school. I will probably only go for 2 weeks. Kinda pricey.
Then it is job and school and plan our adventures!
Yay!

An end in sight.

I talked to John today and he said I should fly out

Feb. 26.

I wish it were sooner, but he said that was the recommended day

since I have the dog's paperwork to get together,

and John has to have time off

to meet me at customs.

Still inching my way to Spain....

Update on Move

Guess what?!?
I fanally got my pass port today! I sent it to John (email), so I should find out soon when I leave!
YAY!

One step closer!

My passport is in San Diego!!!! Yay! It exists!!

Now she is sending it to me

then I have to email a copy to John

who emails a copy to his old command in Bahrain

who then sends me to Spain!

Woohoo!!

Also, John said that our furniture from CA is already there!

It will probably be another week or so before I actually fly out,

but at least I see the light at the other end of the Atlantic Ocean!

Yet

some days I really feel that I am just

inching my way into that country!!

Anticipation

Just a couple of places I CANNOT wait to visit when I get to Spain:

1. ALHAMBRA.
It is the best preserved midieval Arab Palace in the world. It is gorgeous. Everyone I talk to who has been tehre says you just HAVE to go there. It is not that far either- about 300km. It is still in Andalucia, in the city of Granada. Most of it was biult in the 11th century, but it was started before that. The pictures I have seen are amazing. One neighbor I talked to said that the sky there looked like a Luney Toons cartoon, because it was so bright and colorful. One of the things that I think is so cool about the area that we will be in is the huge Arabian influence from when they had the country centuries ago. They left some amazing architecture.

Click here to learn more.

2. The CAVES of ALTAMIRA.

We learned about these in my last Art History class. They are cave paintings dating back to 25,000BC- beat that! They were found in 1879, and they are mostly of Bison and other animals. After a while of visitors, the caves started to deteriate and get grafittied, so they were shut to the public, but there is a museum there and a replica of the caves designed to look and feel like the real thing. There is a waiting list to see the real caves, but the waiting list is 3-4 years lone, so I might just miss it- DARN!

Click here to see more.

3. Morocco!!!!!!!!!

Bumps on the Road to Spain

Houston, we have a problem. Well, several actually. Spain is doing all she can to keep us riffraff out! But we will not be detered!

John and the cat have had several delays and missed flights and now they are both in Newark, New Jersey. John is supposed to report for work tomarrow morning, and now he will be late- and in trouble. He left 2 days early, but he only got as far as Newark. He spent last night there and will probably be there tonight as well.

Lancelot, the cat, has had similar, crazy dificulties. Now they will not fly him, because from Santa Ana to Newark, they lost his health certificate and want a copy. The vet does not open until tomarrow morning. John has been fighting with people to no avail. He is so tired and frustrated. He has only his backpack, because all his luggage made it to Spain without him.

I am so worried about both of them stuck there, but there is nothing I can do. The dog and I are here in Colorado waiting for my new passport, so I can get my ticket. I hope it is not Continental Airlines and is through any airport other than Newark!!!

Enigma and I delayed at Phoenix

On our way to Colorado Monday Night

This is Enigma's new plane travel bag. He is such a well traveled doggie!

Andalucia- Tourism

I read an article stating that even the rural places of Spain are becoming popular with tourists, because people want the "real" Spanish experience. The Costa del Sol is all resorts as I have said, but I suppose this means that our Costa de la Luz will be that way eventually as well. Not for a while though. So you need to come out and visit us while we are there, so you can say you used to "summer" there before it was cool!!

Here is a quote from the article:

Andalucía, lying at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula, is one of the most beautiful regions of Spain and a popular destination for people who want to enjoy the most beautiful spots of the Spanish countryside, as well as the traditional ways of life. Areas with spectacular mountain views, green valleys with orchards of orange trees, wild olive and cork woods, badlands and spectacular wed lands make Andalucía the preferred destination for rural tourism in Spain. Apart from the natural resources of Andalucía its Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild winters with irregular rainfall is a prime factor for its popularity with rural tourists.

Whole article HERE.