Thursday was another normal day at school, and although we received some thoughtful “Happy Thanksgiving’s” from the staff, everything else went as ordinary. For lunch, however, Alyssa and I were provided a lovely meal by our cooperating teachers. It was incredibly generous of them, and although there wasn’t turkey on the menu, we were still thankful for the delicious chicken curry and hamburger. We’ll take that over school lunch any day! Christa was able to show a quick clip from Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving to her 5 year-olds, who loved it! Who wouldn’t?! That night we also met up at Bonnie and Jim’s hotel for a special Thanksgiving dinner. Sam’s parents were still in town and joined us (even though Sam was spending Thanksgiving in Portugal with the futbol team). Libby’s family was also in town. After spending a few days in Barcelona, they made the long road trip down to Estepona to spend Thanksgiving here. Her mom, dad, boyfriend, and friend from France all joined us for the lovely meal! Because we were all starving Americans, we went to dinner at 7:30 (which was late in our books anyways). But there wasn’t anyone in the restaurant when we got there, so Jim’s voice seemed to carry even more than usual . Our 13 person table was the source of conversation and laughter all night. By the end of the meal (around 10:30) we noticed people were finally starting to fill the place up. The hotel restaurant was providing a unique Thanksgiving dinner that night, and man was it good! We enjoyed brie stuffed pastries as an appetizer. Turkey and potatoes in a delicious, reduced red wine sauce (that I could never replicate in a million years). And scrumptious pecan pie for dessert! Even though we were in Spain for Thanksgiving, we still partook in the tradition of stuffing ourselves to the brim and then proceeding to fall asleep.
In the tradition of the holiday, we decided to name some things we have been grateful for throughout this trip:
• Each other! We seriously have had such a great time getting to know each other this trip. Not like we haven’t spent the last two years in the same classes or anything, but we have learned a lot about one another, and a lot from one another during this experience. And I think this goes for everyone when I say this, but living together has actually brought us closer. We do still have two and a half weeks left, so I don’t want to speak too soon
• Our teachers! They have been so tremendously helpful throughout this whole experience. We’ve learned a great deal from both the school and our classrooms. It’s been such a unique and valuable experience, and we can’t wait to take back all we’ve learned here and apply it to the schools in the states.
• Our advisors! We want to thank them both for visiting us here across the ocean. Thanks for setting up this whole experience and helping us become better teachers. Also, thanks for the great meals. We always eat so well whenever we have visitors here!
• The location! Our apartments are seriously amazing here. We love waking up every morning to the sun rising above the Mediterranean Sea. We love falling asleep to the sound of the gentle waves crashing against the shore. And we love the tranquility of watching the sunset down by the pool. We are a bit spoiled here! Oh yeah and there’s none of that cold white stuff-what do you call it again?!? Snow?!
• The kids! They keep us young. Whether we’re in Spain or in Minnesota, we absolutely love spending time with our students. They always keep us on our toes and make our days brighter. Christa was explaining to her students that she would normally be at home on this day, enjoying a big meal and spending time with her family. So she was a little homesick today and a missing her loved ones. The kids were so sympathetic and cheered her up, saying, “But Miss Chreeesta! You have us!”
• Lastly, we’re thankful for the whole new culture we’ve been able to experience here. The laid-back, casual style. The timeless attitudes. Eating dinner at 10:00 at night. And putting Nutella on EVERYTHING! It’s been an incredible experience so far! And we’re all very grateful for this opportunity.
-ASHLEY
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