Stuck in DC

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13 August, 2009

I'm doing it. Starting a travel blog. I figure this is the easiest way to document my life's beginning in Madrid (because obviously my 22 previous years were all just leading up to the Big Kahuna... Madrid. So, I'm going to introduce myself but be forewarned: I am neither interesting nor original, so if I bore you to death, hopefully you're in a free country that allows you to move on to the next blog.

I am a gypsy by nature. Born into a Navy family, I am used to picking everything up and moving every couple years or so, possibly the culprit of my obsession with languages, people, and the world. I was born in California and spent the rest of my life moving between San Diego, San Francisco, northern Virginia, and DC (with a couple years in Naples, Italy thrown in there for good measure).

I just graduated from college in Virginia, and was supposed to go to graduate school there to get my masters in secondary education (the original plan was to be a high school Spanish teacher), but I was never completely satisfied with this path. Don't get me wrong, I can party with the best of the Asher Roths out there, and I took full advantage of every highlighter party, double shot, and brown out that came my way, but come Spring semester of senior year... my restlessness started to kick in and I was not looking forward to that extra year (especially with all my friends graduating and leaving me behind). After living in Naples, Italy and graduating from high school over there, my obsession with Europe had all but fizzled. My real dream was always to teach English in Spain, marry a Spaniard and get dual citizenship (don't worry...I'll fully document THAT process in due time), and travel all over the world.

Around April I stumbled across this program, through La Universidad de Alcala that allows you to get your masters for a year in Bilingual/Multicultural education while having an internship teaching English in Madrid. Basically my dream coming true. I applied to the program, said a not so teary goodbye to JMU, hoolahooped my way through obtaining a spanish visa, bought my ticket, and the dawn of my departure is exactly 12 days away. I leave for Madrid on Tuesday, August 25th, and as this a has been the summer that never ended, I couldn't be happier. I guess technically you could say I'm a fake because I'm writing in my travel blog and haven't even tried a tapa yet... All I can do now is gush about my excitement, vent about the monumental tasks of packing and apartment searching overseas, and document my last 12 days in the US. Hopefully that passes me as a "travel blogger" and I won't get excommunicated from this website. Knowing my luck....

Hasta luego!

P.S. My blogger nickname is Rubia because I am told that will be my christened name among the mardilenos, and I might as well start getting used to the idea.

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Comments

[Spencer Wiggins]

Good luck Rubia!
It takes some guts headin' off to chase your dream.. and documenting it along the way for all to see is even more courageous! Good luck :)