first anniversary!

October One marks the one year anniversary to the DAY that I left the United States to come to Spain. Wow.Wow.So, of course, this anniversary also indicates a return to the blog.

I love thinking about how this year is so different... and improved.
New job...
Lovely changes...
Resurgence of a love for life in Europe...

For just a pinch of the flavor of life here... just enough to incite a little jealousy... for the anniversary of September 11, the Royal Orchestra of Sevilla gave a free concert in the Plaza de San Francisco which classically ended in a delightful autumn shower which sent everyone laughing and running for cover. It was one of those "in Europe even rain storms seem romantic and beautiful" kind of moments. This particular photo reminds me of the line "in the rain, the pavement shines like silver" from a song from Les Miserables. (I know... I'm classy and cultured.)

On a less chic and more domestic front, I've loved returning to the simple life in my piso with my Spanish family, ie roommates Mari and Sylvia who are more like sisters (BOTH of whom, by the way, are getting married in 2008... so not only do I get to attend two Spanish weddings - well, three actually counting one of the professors with whom I work- but I also get to help plan these two!) Anyway, I've had a GREAT time updating our piso and here we all are trying to figure out how to make our new TV work. We were clearly just hangin' around the house and lookin' rough. (They would probably kill me if they knew I put up these particular pictures. Other home additions include a new trading-spaces-esque wall hanging in my room and the wonderful, much-needed new covers for our couches (as well as the recently arrived Beth who is pictured sitting on them.)





On the work front, the job is incredible. I often find myself unable to believe I'm being paid to do it. Another great euro-perk... I ride my bike to work. Please. Anyway, I'll give more details later about the little activities and trips we do with are marvelous students (whom I LOVE.) Bu here are a few pictures just to give a little flavor. (Side note: I'm appearing less and less in the pictures as part of my job is to take picture of the students in their lives here in Sevilla in our fabulous program.)