Granada, te quiero

So, I've been here for about eight months, now. Every time I travel somewhere else, I come back to Granada and give a little contented sigh. *oh, the Sierra Nevadas...* I like that Granada is small enough that I see people I know on the streets, in the park, in a bar, at the library... I like that Granada is big enough that I can go salsa dancing, see Flamenco shows, meet people from all over the world. I don't like that Granada does not have very many green spaces. But I love that I can go 20 minutes out of the city and be climbing on limestone, high above the olive groves, watching mountain goats elegantly sprinting down rock faces, and the ever-present Sierra Nevadas as the backdrop, still snow-covered and ski-able in early May. (Though the temperature today in the city was about eighty degrees farenheit.)

The thought of leaving, picking up somewhere new, finding a job, finding a house, making new friends again was exhausting to me. And sad. I've loved my time here. I'm not done here... So I applied to do my same job again. And got it! So its off to home (New Mexico) for the summer, to do lots of projects with dad, translate a book, do odd jobs for a rancher friend, take an EMT course (???), visit friends and family in CO, and do the same in Ohio and IN. Then I'll come back to my dear Granada, find a new flat (one with a balcony, please!) and head back to my little school to see if a second year can get any of those kids past the present simple and "hhwut eees juur nayme?" Oh and I'll probably climb more and go to more ultimate tournaments. And maybe with the team from Granada we are finally getting together. :) And if I can possibly work out the scheduling problem I will apply for the Masters program here in either translating or Spanish. And go into yet more debt, woohoo! But a masters from the University of Granada would be pretty handy to have, I would say.

So thats the news from Iberia, friends. Enjoy your Sunday and hug your mother if she's anywhere near.