The Looong Trip Home (And Why Do I Do This Every Year?)

Aidan has a former teacher who is bicycling from Barcelona back to her home state of Oregon.  I think that while it will take her over a year to make it to her destination, I prefer her mode of travel over mine when going back to the States.  Yup, it is time for our annual pilgrimage back home to Boston.

Liam was understandably nervous all of this week leading up to the big day.  Not nervous about being in "Bosty" as he calls it, but nervous because he remembers that he vomited 11 times on the journey last year.  And hey, who can blame him - I was equally nervous for the same reason!!  But I was much more prepared for class this year with extra wipes, extra clothes and puke bags at the ready.

However, I didn't need them.  Nope, not one.  Ok, I used the wipes but that's only because he's a messy eater ;)  He was a superstar when it came to not puking on the whole trip.  I think it revitalized his love of travel.  However, it reminded me that at least when he's puking, he and Aidan aren't fighting which is what they did in all 3 airports we were in yesterday making for a looonngg trip home.

Here's the thing, as you probably know from previous posts, I hate to fly.  Like hate it.  It's strange because I used to just not like it but would deal with it, but progressively over the last year it has become a downright fear of flying.  I have no idea why.  I haven't experienced some horrific flight that has caused this.  But I really don't like to fly.  However, I do it because I won't let it stop me from living.  And normally when I fly just myself and the kids, I do pretty well because I have them to occupy my focus rather than on my fears.

But I can tell when I'm nervous because, like Aidan, I tend to act out and when I woke up on Tuesday morning, I was a total bear.  Lashing out at everyone and even telling the kids I had no desire to go home and that this was all for them.  Way to go right?  Proud mom moment there.  However, my guess is that I sparked an attitude in each of the kids and they became a bit on the moody side and fought the entire morning.

Instead of their usual excitement as we got to the airport I was faced with constant bickering and "he touched me, he punched me, he said something mean to me" battles.  Ahhhh, can't wait for this 16 hour day to get started!!!  The line in Barcelona airport to drop our baggage was probably the longest I've ever seen.  We were in the line for a good 45 minutes which is so not the norm.  However, it meant less waiting at the gate.  And in fact, we only waited about 15 minutes before we were able to board so at least the time went by quickly.

In Barcelona Airport, ready to go HOME!!

Puke free so far!!

We are going home!!

The flight from Barcelona to Amsterdam was uneventful.  I got a handle on my fears about 30 minutes into the flight and so no one was allowed to talk to me until then.  Ok, they could talk but they got laconic one word responses from me until I could get a grip on myself.  Why am I such a mess these days??  The kids were awesome on this flight - they watched their ipad and itouches and were perfectly content.

We landed a few minutes early in Amsterdam and for that I'm thankful.  I had flown into Amsterdam before but never connected there.  And I think this will be my only time (well except for our return flight of course) because it's a pain in the ass to travel thru.

While we only had an hour and a half to layover, we needed pretty much every moment of that despite the fact that it is a small airport.  I still say that Dublin is the best place to layover when traveling to Barcelona from Boston.  Heathrow you need at least 3 hours and Amsterdam was just difficult.  Why so?

First off, it's not well marked.  It took me a while to figure out where our connection was.  There was no master screen with all the flights and what terminals they were in.  You had to go to the start of each terminal to see where the flights were going.  I finally found a kiosk where you could enter in your info to figure out where you had to be.  But that was after a bit of walking before I found that.  We had to go thru customs, which is normal.  And for the first time I was asked where Mr. Marcus was - and thankfully he believed me (and why shouldn't he as I was telling the truth - but I'd heard once long ago that you should have a letter from the spouse giving permission to travel with underage kids out of the country and I did not have this letter from Josh).  He also asked if I had a visa to be in Spain and so I had to show him our Irish passports and thankfully brought copies of our NIEs (social security papers) with us.  Whew!!  That part was over, the rest should be easy, right?

Thankfully our gate was right after customs so in all, the walking we did thru the airport was less than 15 minutes unlike Heathrow where we need close to an hour to get from point A to point B.  However, at our gate there was a separate security screening where they pulled each passenger aside, inspected their passports, asked each passenger questions and THEN you still had to go thru security with your carryon AND go thru the xray machine AND every person was patted down.  I thought Heathrow was bad.  On the plus side, I felt pretty secure that if the plane were to go down, it wasn't going to be for security issues.

The kids of course, were acting out while in line.  An American couple actually spoke to them and said they should really listen to their mother.  I couldn't decide if I should be happy that they spoke up, thereby making my kids think twice (yeah ok) before acting out again since a stranger pointed out their behavior, or if this was a judgement on my (lack of) parenting skills.  Regardless, they continued on as is.  Fabulous.

So another thing I learned is that KLM is not as accommodating as British Air.  While technically seated all in a row on the plane, there was an aisle between myself and Liam and Aidan.  So Aidan was on his own in the middle section.  I told him this was good because both he and I got an aisle so we would both have lots of leg room and Liam wouldn't puke next to anyone since I would be the only one next to him.  However, that wasn't good enough for Aidan and so I asked like 5 different people between Barcelona and Amsterdam (I had realized this issue when doing the online check in the day before and even called KLM) and they basically said I just had to ask the people on the plane.  At least I felt good knowing it was a safe flight!!

In the end, there was a couple that was sitting in the 2 seats next to Aidan that agreed to change with myself and Liam.  And why shouldn't they?  They got a window and an aisle in exchange for 2 middle seats.  But somehow I still screwed myself despite taking one for the team and sacrificing my leg room.  Shortly after take off I leaned Liam's seat back only for the guy behind him to push it back up.  Um, excuse me?  I ignored it for the moment. But then I went to move mine and the woman (who was quite large) pushed my seat back.  Really?  She said they didn't have much legroom. Seriously does anyone in coach have legroom?  Why don't you pay for business class if you want legroom?  Not my problem. I did tell them I thought it was unfair that I pay for the seat and then can't put it back for the 7 hr flight.

And while I'm not a big believer in karma, I also was about to embark on a 7 hour flight across the ocean which I was already anxious about.  So not wanting bad karma, I sucked it up and left my seat upright but not without a look to them for ruining my flight.  Thanks to you old lady for the migraine I had the entire flight because I was unable to put my seat in a comfortable position...

We had only one other incident on an otherwise perfect flight (as far as the kids go).  The first 2 hrs were fine til I had to pee.  So I put my water on Liam's tray table and Aidan held his own as I climbed over him. That's when Liam decided he needed to get up too.  He was impatient and knocked my water all over my seat.  Then in the process of climbing over Aidan, bumped his too. Aidan of course let out a string of expletives only a mom could be proud of (yeah right) and hit Liam.  Awesome.  Just what I needed with almost 5 hrs left.  Thankfully they calmed down and the rest of the flight was fighting, tears and puke free.  However, during that moment of expletives spewing from my 9 year old's mouth, I was questioning why I torture myself year after year - not just with the kids but my gut wrenching fears. 

And as we arrived in Boston last night, I remembered.  The look of joy on both kids faces as they raced thru the concourse to get our luggage and to see Nana and Papa as they picked us up from the airport. To the look of happiness that I saw in Aidan that equals no other during the year.  As we drove home from the airport in 5 o'clock traffic, I did remember the pluses to living in Barcelona but as we neared my childhood home, I couldn't help but smile too... yeah, it's worth it.

Besos,

Julie

The Renter

Until Josh and I moved to Spain, it had been over 12 years since we had last been renters.  When we were 23 we bought our first home and never looked back.  So it was strange to be in a position where we wouldn't own the home we lived in while living in Spain.  But it was something that we knew we would adjust to over time.

Renting in the US is very different than renting in Spain.  I think it comes down to expectations.  In the US, I expect that for my dollar that I will get a certain quality, that there will be regular maintenance on the apartment/home, that the yard will be maintained, that appliances will work and that should there be a problem, the owner will take care of those issues.

In Spain, I set those same expectations only to find that in reality, renting here is not like renting at home.  First off, at home, the norm from a monetary standpoint is to ask for first, last and perhaps security if the renters look a little iffy.  Here in Spain, apparently there is a big concern for default or something because it's first, several months security and then what is called an aval or a reserve account that can be up to 6 months of your rent.  In the end for our new apartment, we fronted 5 months of rent. When we showed Josh's W-2 and contract the response of the new landlord was not that we were a low credit risk, but that we could afford to pay the aval and so therefore she would not waiver on it.

We have renters in both of our homes in the US.  We are most definitely absentee landlords since we can't be there if there is an issue.  However, we've worked it out with our tenants and so far things have been going smoothly, albeit a bump or two here and there.  But I think the difference between Josh and I (I can't say that this is the norm in the US because it probably isn't) is that our goal is that our tenants are HAPPY.  Happy tenants are paying tenants.  Something breaks, we immediately arrange for repair or work with our tenants to have it repaired at our cost.  This goes for appliances, heating/ac, yard maintenance, anything.  If it came with the house we accept it as our responsibility.  If it's yours, sorry, we can't help you there.  But if we provided it, we see it as our responsibility to fix.  Now, of course, if they broke something of ours, we would expect they would repair it, but I'm talking about things that happen from just general wear and tear.  For instance the tv stopped working in our cape house, turned out it needed a new bulb - we don't expect our tenants to pay for that.  However, if they threw a football thru the screen, that would be another issue....

In Spain, if it's not structural then the general consensus is that you pay for the cost of repair.  If my washing machine breaks, it's my responsibility to have it fixed.  If there is an electrical problem, then I need to fix it.  Our lock broke on our front door and I ended up out 300 euros to replace it, yes, ridiculous.  Just last week we had a leak with our hot water heater and I had to contact my realtor to find out if it was in fact our responsibility (because our landlord balked at the idea of paying and I wanted back up if she refused - she finally conceded.).  And our landlord couldn't really care less if we are happy or not as long as we are paying.  And we have no choice but to pay because the contracts in Spain are either long term or short term.  A short term is under 1 year.  A long term is 1-5 years.  Depending on the length of your contract, you are held to that amount and will need to pay out your contract no matter when you leave.  And speaking of leaving, giving notice is different too.  The norm at home is 30 days. Here the norm is 2-3 months!!

I expect after being away for a few years that there is going to be some general wear and tear in my house.  After all, it's been lived in.  When we do our walk through, I will take that into consideration. Here, we did a walk through in our old apartment and we left everything in near perfect condition with the exception of the walls which definitely needed a fresh coat of paint (they were white originally and well with boys and fingerprints, you can just imagine what they looked like after....).  Our landlord stated that all it needed was some paint and it would be fine - she would return all of our deposit back to us in full.  A month later, Josh was still emailing with her trying to get our second month back and then she came back with claims that the sofa had to be replaced, the oven was no longer usable (trust me, I don't cook much and it was brand new when we moved in - it worked perfectly fine) and painting of the entire apartment.  In the US this would not happen, we would have come to an agreement during the walkthrough and that agreement would be honored no matter what was found later.  You don't just go back on things because you decide later on that something is wrong.  You either state it right off, or not at all.  We lost a chunk of that second month because our landlord decided that she just didn't want to pay it back.

With this new (well, we've been here a year now, so not so new) apartment we are more hyper vigilant about leaving it the way we found it.  The kids broke a shelf today that we had installed in the wall in their playroom - something we'd eventually have to plaster over when we left - but they took out a chunk of wall with the anchors making it even more costly to repair.  The owner even supplied a CD of pictures.  However with 2 boys in the house, repairs could end up costly not to mention the amount we invested in the home to make it more livable (lights cerca 1970 are just not ok in my mind and had to be replaced).  It's frustrating knowing that a chunk of money is sitting out there that we will probably never see again despite the fact that we pay on time every single month and are responsible tenants.

It's just one more thing that makes life "interesting" here in Spain that I thought I would pass along.

Besos,
Julie

Sant Joan

This post is waaayyyy overdue.  Like over a month.  I've been really slacking with my writing lately and I'm not sure what's up with that.  But I need to get back on track.

Anyways, there isn't a ton to say about Sant Joan.  It's a holiday here where we celebrate the summer solstice.  There are festivities all around the city but the largest are held down by the water.  However, it's my understanding (never having been to them) that it gets a bit out of control between bonfires, drinking and well, you get the picture - those two just don't mix well.  So I'm not bringing the kids down there to add to that.

All around the city for the 2 weeks or so leading up to Sant Joan, little kiosks pop up selling fireworks of all types - firecrackers, roman candles, sparklers and so much more.  It is legal here for your average joe to purchase fireworks, unlike in much of the US.  And as a matter of fact, I often here firecrackers during fiestas or just when Barça is playing a match.  Because it's allowed, it's not abused and I suspect for that reason, there aren't many incidents involved with them - however, that's just a guess.

Josh was away in the US during Sant Joan and I promised the kids we would do something, even if it meant just walking around Gracia to see other people lighting off their fireworks.  Many streets take this time to do little barbecues - lining up tables along their streets, bringing out a grill and then doing fireworks with the kids.  It's nice to see different parts of the neighborhood come together to celebrate.

The unfortunate part of Sant Joan for us is that Aidan had been sick off and on for the few days leading up til the big day.  And so he wasn't really feeling up to celebrating or walking around.  Finally when his fever hit 104F, I made the decision to take him over to the ER to get checked out with my friends Eddy and Ricardo coming over to watch Liam.

However, while waiting for my friends to come over, I took the boys for a quick jaunt around the block with some sparklers because when in Rome.... (or in this case Barcelona).   I can picture my mom shaking her head and cringing at this one.  They both loved the sparklers and I have since hidden the rest of them for future use.  Til next year on this one...

Liam thought the sparklers were the best thing since sliced bread...

Aidan wasn't feeling so great but he still had fun using them...

Did you know sparklers also make great light sabers??

Besos,
Julie

Third Time is the Charm - Michelle is Back to Visit!

This is the "year of the visitors" for us and I, for one, couldn't be happier.  First Josh's parents, then Caryn and Urs and now Michelle has been here (and we still have more visitors to come!).  With this being her third visit, it feels more like she's coming home rather than coming to visit.

While we were always busy with things to do, the pressure was off since she's been here before.  That doesn't mean we didn't have adventures though and it doesn't mean that we didn't keep busy.  And the little over a week that she was here absolutely flew by.

I love that when you are with close friends how easy things are.  There is no pressure.  You pick up where you left off and where you left off could have been weeks, months or years ago, but it doesn't matter.  And while talking on the phone is great, there is nothing like seeing each other face to face and spending quality time.

And of course, when Michelle is here, we always have some kind of adventure.  The cool thing, for me at least, is that as the years have gone by, I'm less fearful of what those adventures might be - I'm ready to face them head on.  I remember her first visit 3 years ago.  We had never rented a car here (we'd lived here 6 months) and I just had no idea how to do it.  Seriously.  Did not know how to rent a car.  I know, I'm an idiot.  It's not that complicated.  But having her here pushed me to go outside my comfort zone and not only did we rent a car, but we drove to France, something that has now become old hat.

So while our adventures didn't include any fear inducing car rentals ;) we still had a great time!  Our first few days were totally low key and mellow with Michelle recuperating from a whirlwind trip to Rome and Munich before coming to Barcelona.  And on my end, I was semi stuck around home because of a leaking hot water heater (which eventually became more of a river of water instead of a little leak).  But once fixed, we hit the ground running.

Speaking of hitting the ground running, one of the things we did that I really loved was work out together.  It was a challenge getting her set up with a membership for just a week but we did it - and now at least I know how to do it when my mom comes this fall.  She got to meet a bunch (though not all) of my friends at the gym and it was fun having someone to compete with - motivating in fact.

Before coming to Barcelona, Michelle and I had talked about a get away trip just the two of us for a day or two.  However, I will admit, I'd been in a bit of a funk and wasn't super motivated to organize anything before her visit.  So I felt bad that we were kind of scrambling to find something to do but in the end, it was Josh who came up with the winning idea.  Andorra.

Now Andorra isn't top on my list usually for places to visit.  Unless you are going to be focused on outdoor activities in the mountains, it's not really a place to just go explore.  Not like going to Prague or Granada or San Sebastian for instance.  However, Josh reminded me of the awesome spa he and I had gone to a few years ago for our anniversary.  And we were sold.  Who says that we had to go explore a new city to get away for a few days?  Why not go and spa for 2 days instead?  So I looked up the hotel on booking.com and booked us a room for Friday, just 2 days away.  The next day we booked our spa selection.

After dropping off the kids on Friday morning we headed up to Andorra.  Now the temps have been in the upper 80s here (I know, nothing like home so no, I'm not complaining, just stating a fact) so it was soooo nice to drive just 2 1/2 hours north into the mountains and find temps barely at 70.  It was fresh and clean and so incredibly green this time of year.  Not to mention super cheap compared to the peak season!

Ahhhh spaaaa!!  It doesn't get much better than spa time with your best friend.  Just total relaxation and pampering and lots of catching up.  It felt like a week rather than just 2 days and we were sad to leave on Saturday to head back to the heat of Barcelona.  And while the rain slowed our journey down just a little bit, it was a time that was well worth it.

View from our room - you can't see it but behind the first row of trees there is a small river rushing by.

Another view from our room

Our balcony overlooking the mountain

This is pretty much the town... yup, it's small...

Our hotel, the size is deceiving as the rooms go down in the back along the mountain so only the top floor is visible on this side.

We debated taking Michelle to France for the day on Sunday or perhaps up to Cadaques in Costa Brava, a destination we still have not made it to.  But after almost 3 hours of driving the day before, I really wasn't in the mood to head back in the same direction again for even more car time.  We decided on the beach, or so I thought... Aidan decided that we would not be going to the beach but instead to go zip lining.  And so off we went on another adventure to Jalpi Adventura.

Now, I know this seems wimpy but in a way this was our big adventure.  Neither Michelle nor I are fans of heights.  And I admire her for taking the bull by the horns and climbing right up with Aidan and Josh.  I, initially, opted to "help" Liam out, who for this time didn't need as much of my help as before - apparently all that fine motor skills tutoring is paying off!  So after Liam finished his course, Aidan asked me to do it.  I'll admit, I balked and tried to find an excuse not to do it... but in the end I did.  And I'm glad that I conquered that fear.  I also managed to fall as I finished my last zip to the net, falling off the net with less than a foot to go, yes, barely one foot from the ground.  Pathetic I know :)

This is sooooo not fun....

Monkeys in the trees

He makes this look so easy

I love zip lining!!

Here's Michelle!!

Michelle about to get to the rock wall while Josh just climbed it

Josh doing the course

Conquering the rope wall

What I thought would be the hardest part of the course was actually one of the easier ones...

Videos:

Aidan:  http://youtu.be/3nUxExLufLw

Josh:  http://youtu.be/32Oh8MRjosM

Julie:  http://youtu.be/gQ25XmCJ86U

Liam:  http://youtu.be/ZfjiEn7CRDo

Michelle:  http://youtu.be/gYa5UCmRhj8

At this point almost a week had gone by and Michelle and I had yet to hit a beach.  On Monday we rectified this with a trip to Gavà, a beach town just outside the city that we had actually never been to. And it was a great beach, slightly reminiscent of our beaches at home - not over crowded, little to no amenities and significantly better sand than the Barcelona beaches (though still not as nice as you get further out from the city).  Parking was easy and free and this will definitely be a beach we try again when the kids and I get back from the US.  We capped off the day with a great dinner out with Josh at Boca Grande, a restaurant he had been raving about but I had yet to join him at.

Peaceful beach in Gavà

Tuesday was our last full day and we hit the gym and then we were off to Sitges, one of Michelle's favorite places.  I was only able to stay a few hours since I had to get back to get Liam to an appointment but she spent the whole day and got quite a bit of shopping in too!  We had dinner at Da Greco with some of my friends - I love that she was able to meet more of my friends before she left. And the fact that she remembered Da Greco was impressive too since it had been 2 years since the last time she was here.

Wednesday sadly, I had to say goodbye for now.  The good news is that I'll be home next week and we'll catch up on American soil.  It made the departure a little easier for me knowing that I will see her in the immediate future.  But like everyone who visits, I hope she knows how much it meant to us that she came to see us again and how much I'm looking forward to the next visit :)

Besos,
Julie

PS - we were terrible picture takers this week...

Choices

Every day our lives are filled with choices.  The black shoes or the brown?  Peanut butter or turkey?  The highway or the back roads?  Go to the gym or eat that ice cream?  Down to the simplest things.  And where there is choice there is always a consequence.  Consequences can be both good and bad as a result of the choices we make. 

Josh and I made the choice to move to Barcelona.  We did this for several reasons - a change to the routine in our lives, new experiences and challenges, new job opportunities, and most importantly, for our kids to grow up with a perspective that very few ever get to experience.  And with that there have to be consequences and never are they more obvious than when we are getting ready for a trip back to the US. 

As the kids and I prepare for our annual trip home to Boston, we talk more and more about what we want to do when we are "home, home" and who we want to see.  But I've noticed more of late that this conversation is primarily with Aidan and I, not with Liam.  It's not that Liam isn't trying to participate, it's that he can't.  We made the choice to move to Barcelona when Liam was only 2 1/2  years old - he has lived here more than half of his life, longer than he ever lived in the US.  He has little to no memory of his life before Barcelona. 

We constantly show him pictures.  We talk about family and friends.  There are some he remembers and many that he doesn't.  And it saddens me.  He doesn't remember our house or our neighborhood.  While Bost-y (which is what he's calling it these days as everything must end in an "y/ie") is home to him, Barcelona is actually "home, home".  Consequences to our choices - our child has no memory of what Josh and I would call home.  Do we have regrets?  No, I don't think we have regrets.  It makes me sad that he doesn't have these memories or relationships but instead, he's had the Europe as his playground.  He's made friends from all over the world, many of which he will hopefully have for life.  My hope is that someday when we are settled back in Boston that he will make new, special memories of a place that he knew about but didn't really remember at one point in his life.  

The same choice of us moving to Barcelona 3 1/2 years ago has impacted other relationships as well, both in good and bad ways.  I've seen some friendships just dissipate as time has gone on - out of sight, out of mind.  Some I expected, others I did not and I feel the pain of the loss of those but maybe they weren't meant to be.  Others have become stronger.  Some have stayed the same.  We took a risk when coming here that not all would necessarily stay the same back home and it's true.  Things have changed.  

While I don't regret much, this I do - I know that our choice to move here has meant that the kids are missing out on important time with our family.  They are the only grandchildren and our parents won't be around forever.  Our siblings are missing out on time with their nephews.  I wish that they have more than just a few days per year with their grandparents.  I know this would be similar if we lived in California so it's not just a move to Europe thing, but a distance one - but it's still a choice we made that has changed that bond.  Yes, the kids still get along wonderfully with our families - but there is something about spending time with them that is extra special.  Maybe being away with strengthen that bond because we all have to work harder for it, but the point is, it is time lost that we can never get back.  A choice.

Aidan has grown so much in the last 6 months alone - maybe it's his age or maybe it's his environment, or maybe it's a combination of them both.  This one thing makes this choice to move here worth it. Would he have grown at home?  Of course, but I don't know that he would have made the choices that he's made of late or that he would have been mature enough.  He's been able to spread his wings a little differently here than he would have at home.  He's fast becoming bi-lingual and is confident in his own skin - something I'm incredibly proud of.  

But the choices we've made aren't just related to the kids.  Josh took a chance coming here.  He left the comfort of a position he had held in the home office for years, but it was an opportunity for him to take on new challenges with work, an opportunity that I don't believe he regrets for one moment.  And while there have been several ex-pats that have gone back to the US office, the transition has not been successful for all, something that we knew was a risk before we came here.  But we made a choice that it will be worth it, no matter the outcome.  It's a gamble on our future but Josh has worked hard to get to where he is today, incredibly hard and the hope is that it will be worth that choice we made.  

There are times when you cannot predict just how significant the consequences will be on any choice you make moving forward.  We are forever changed by our choice to live a life less ordinary but yet we live this life in limbo of our "other" life, not fully belonging to either and not knowing if we ever will again.  

Again, do we have regrets?  Well I think it depends on the day.  As we get closer to our trip back home, I feel lost.  Not sure where many of my relationships stand, hoping that things will be just as they were before we left to take on this new adventure but knowing realistically that much will never truly be the same.

Today though, I will make more choices, just like I do every day.  And while the choices today won't be of any significant consequence like moving to Barcelona was but those choices will still shape who we are and who we are destined to become.  And I, for one, can't wait to see what's next.

Besos,
Julie

Appreciate What You Have

Josh went home a few weeks ago to the US for both work and a few days of vacation, armed with a HUGE list of things to purchase for us (that will fit in just 2 suitcases).  While he was there I was reminded once again about learning to appreciate what we have both here and at home.  It's also taught me that perhaps I have a little too much choice at home.  And not all of it healthy.  But it doesn't mean that I don't miss all that good American food, clothing, toys and more.  Because I do.  But I've had to learn to be patient, flexible and even to be strategic at times.

Today I went to the grocery store, like I do almost every day.  They didn't have steak fries, a recent addition to our store.  However, they did have sour creme, something they almost never have - I usually have to go to a different grocery store if I want sour creme.  It's days like this where I have a moment of let down and disappointment; I really wanted those steak fries followed by a total high with my moment of victory; Yes!  They have sour creme today and I only had to go to one grocery store!  Weeks later with no luck on those steak fries, I finally found them at El Corte Ingles.

Life is different when you live abroad.  Over time, you get used to having to go to a plethora of grocery stores in order to find what precious item you are looking for but it takes time to get things down pat.  Perhaps it's hummus and chips (only at Carrefour and no longer at the one on Las Ramblas, but at the one in the Glories mall), tomato sauce that's savory and not so sweet (at the Italian store on Travessera de Gracia), specialty cheeses, fresh sliced turkey or jamon (certainly not purchased at the grocery store, but instead at the xarcuteria/butcher), fresh baked baguettes at the corner bakery, fruits and vegetables at their own shops and of course, let's not forget, our American goodies at our few shops that sell my precious American crack items.

And know that despite all these stores at my fingertips, they often don't have something I need, that perhaps they did the week before, or it doesn't exist here in Spain.  Like those french fries or creme fraiche.  And what I wouldn't give for more than 5 flavors of yogurt.  Yoplait, I can't imagine the market share you could have here just with your innovative flavors!!  I look thru recipes online and just laugh - where in the world am I going to find buttermilk???  Soft caramels? More than one variety of cake or muffin mix (unless I go to the American store, where I pay about 5 euros for a box of cake mix)?  Crescent rolls (do you know how many recipes call for crescent rolls)?  Yeast specifically for pizza?  The list goes on and on...

However, I will admit, not having quick easy access to many things has prompted me to have to try baking and cooking more often if I want to actually have the things I desire.  I suppose this isn't necessarily a bad thing and it's good to know exactly what is going into the food we are making rather than doing a quick pick up of that item at the grocery store without having any idea what's in it.  So far I've made homemade pizza dough regularly, so much so that I don't need the recipe any more, pretzels like Auntie Annie's in the mall, brownies and more.

When we moved last year to a new apartment, it was imperative that we stay within a certain radius of our old place.  Why?  Because it had taken me the 2 1/2 years we'd been in that apartment to get the hang of the shopping routine.  In the beginning I found I had to go out every day to hit one shop or another.  But over the course of time, I've managed to do most of my "specialty" shopping in just one day, usually Saturday while the kids are at tennis and during the rest of the week, I can go to my regular grocery store for staple items with the occasional trip to the fruit and veggie stand.

The other challenge is remembering where I've found things.  I found cereal/granola type bars that Aidan really liked.  Couldn't remember for the life of me where I bought them.  Three stores later, I found them again (they were at our old Caprabo but not our new one).  Because often times you won't see them in different store chains.  It's not like going to Hannaford's and Stop n Shop where 99% of the products are the same.  Sure, there are some things you can get at one and not the other, but the good majority you can find at both.  Not the case here.

The point is, appreciate what you have in your American supermarkets - your one stop shops with more variety than I can even imagine.  I certainly do now.  I never thought I would see the day when I am happy or sad based on what is available in my local grocery store, but yes, that day has come (many times in the last 3 1/2 years).  And be thankful they are open pretty much 24/7.  Everything closes here on Sunday.  EVERYTHING.  So if you run out of chicken or really want to make hamburgers on Sunday, you better hope you already have things at home.  Preplanning is a must.

What we do have here that is plentiful is fruits, vegetables, fresh meats and foods that don't have GMO's.  Even the products that are US based but made here in Europe have better, healthier ingredients than those at home.  Coke for instance... yes, it's soda and not anywhere near healthy.  But look at your ingredient panel - I guarantee the one in the US says corn syrup first.  The one here... sugar.  It's more natural than that we get at home, less processing.  Sure there isn't a lot of variety in what we can choose from but you can bet it's healthier than what we have in the US (despite my desire for said goodies).  But it doesn't mean you don't miss things that you've grown up with, superficial as that may be.

And so when we go home or when we have visitors, we are armed with a long list of must haves, needs and would likes.  These are of the food, clothing and trinket variety.  Toys are significantly less expensive at home.  Same for clothes.  There is no GAP here.  I know, I know... there are worse things in life than no GAP.  But when you are used to shopping at certain places and know the quality and fit, you just want what makes you happy.  So when we know someone is coming, we often order goodies for them to bring in their suitcases.  It's like Christmas time :)

Even though Josh just got back from the US, as we get ready for our own trip back in just a few weeks, we still have a long list of goodies, our American crack, that we will pick up.  And I'm already planning for what I can leave behind for our fall visitors to bring with them.  If we can't be home, we will be here with all the comforts of it :)  As my friend Michelle told me a few years ago... it's hard to remember you are in Spain sometimes when you spend a bit of time in our "American" apartment.

Besos,
Julie