Another flashback to my days in Spain…I do not miss bocadillos, but there are some things I wish I could go back to Madrid to experience. Have you been to Madrid? Spain? What do you miss about it there? What did you miss from home while you were there?
Adapting
I just thought I should post a good picture of one of the bocadillos of which I am growing so fond of. I don’t think I’ll ever like the jamon here though. Jamon York is what I prefer (which means the kind of ham that we–meaning people from the US– eat on sandwiches). The jamon they eat here is smoked or something instead of cooked. It will be funny if I end up missing bocadillos. The thing is, I’m pretty sure if you give me a BLTA from Red Robin, I will forget all about bocadillos. Boca-what??
So I’m definitely a country girl, but that doesn’t mean I like George Strait.
It’s funny how when you travel to a new place and live there, it’s like looking in a mirror. I’m starting to discover how much of a country girl I really am. I’m an odd mix–I must admit. I really like living in a city where culture, music, art, great food, theatre, etc. are at my disposal. BUT, I need a dosage of nature here and there. For example, in Kansas City, I can drive twenty minutes to see a ballet, a movie, go to a fabulous ethnic restaurant, or listen to some jazz; but I can also step out my front door, see green, see trees, walk more than twenty steps and not run into another building or another person. Or in Chicago–whew! The possibilities to entertain yourself with culture are endless! But the neighborhoods are spread out, with lawns even sometimes, or you can take a short walk and be standing with a seemingly endless body of water before you. Last night I was walking down a street in Moncloa (my neighborhood) with obras (construction) to one side of me and racing cars on the other. For some reason I looked up–this is a rare thing to do in a city where everyone stares straight ahead–and I saw the moon! And then I realized how long it had been since I had seen the moon! It was one of those nights where the moonlight is misty and the wispy clouds almost appear to be made of silver threads. It made me miss home, where I drive home each night, get out of my car, Cheyenne runs up to me, jumps on me and tears my shirt or scarf; the air smells so fresh it feels like you’re cleaning your lungs when you breathe in, and the moonlight is so smooth is seems to caress your head. Well, I’ll be back there soon, and I know I’ll be yearning for the ever-awake city of Madrid. I guess that’s how it is with everything in life–sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t. [By the way, I’m really excited for next Monday, because I have signed up to take a Flamenco dance lesson!! More about that later.]
