Thanksgiving, Fleet Foxes, and more

Another couple of weeks have gone by, and I think I'm finally starting to get that familiar feeling. I have a routine (albeit a wobbly one at a 4 days work- 3 days weekend ratio), I know my way around, and although I don't totally feel like a Spaniard, I'm starting to feel like I live here. Being here now is a different experience than being in Barcelona for study abroad. I'm not studying, which is weird enough in itself, so the free time I have is basically mine to keep. Besides that, there's no firm expiration date on my stay, and I think that has an effect on my experiences here. I can't begin to explain the way time has been passing by for me... Sometimes it's fast and other times it's slow, but in the blink of an eye December is arriving, and that's pretty surreal.

I was happy that Thanksgiving came around last week for many reasons. Mainly, because I think it's my favorite holiday. Secondly, it reminds me of home. Thirdly, I got to teach the kids at school all about it.

1. Positive: We celebrated Thanksgiving on Thursday night with Americans, Spaniards, turkey, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cornbread, casserole, pies, and wine.
1. Negative: On my first attempt at making pumpkin pie filling from scratch, I forgot to replace the water while steaming the pumpkin and effectively smoked it instead. Goes without saying that I had to re-do it.

2. Positive: I got to skype with my family and see people I hadn't seen in a while (via my sister's iphone)
2. Negative: Even though I'm lucky to have celebrated Thanksgiving with my friends, I got a little homesick. First Thanksgiving away from home, I guess this means I'm growing up.

3. Positive: We made Pilgrim + Indian hats/headbands and watched a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.
3. Negative: I don't think many children actually understood the meaning of Thanksgiving, or even what I explained to them at all. Most of them thought I was talking about Pirates.

Thanksgiving pictures! (that Karina took)

Munchkins at school on T-givs

The night after, I went to Fleet Foxes with some other Americans that I knew from my hostel days, and they were so good. Helplessness Blues is a great album, if you haven't checked it out, and it was even better in person. There's almost nothing worse than a band who can't perform live, and Fleet Foxes was the opposite. The venue was packed, full of screaming Spaniards and also screaming Americans. I probably haven't seen that many Americans in one place in a while. And plaid- so much plaid. Felt a little like home. Exceeded expectations, and I even got to talk to a few of them afterward. One signed my ticket with a heart. So that was sweet. There's one advantage of being American in Spain!

Beards+Plaid= America?

This has been the most plaid-laden blog post ever... let's see if I can top it one day. 

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