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Playing Catch Up: April Updates

Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Relevant words & a reminder to sigue adelante

Happy spring, everyone! I don't know about you, but so far this season has flown by. These past couple of months have been filled with nonstop travel, chaotic days at work, wine nights with friends, exploring Spain extensively, and enjoying Madrid on a tight budget. Balancing teaching, blogging, travel and friend-time has been a bit of a challenge lately, but I'm working on catching up, getting organized and reprioritizing. 

Coming Soon

I've got so many backlogged posts and stories to share with you, especially about my spring break trip to the Canary Islands! My good friend Amy of Restless Fork and I had a magical time exploring Tenerife and Gran Canaria (and tasting our way through the islands, of course). Between Puerto de la Cruz, Costa Adeje and Las Palmas, I fell irreversibly in love with the Canaries - and I can't wait to tell you all about it!

But that's not all! Tomorrow I leave for Santiago de Compostela, a lush hidden gem in the north of Spain. This stunning city in Galicia has been calling my name for quite some time now, and I can't wait to have my friend Trevor of A Texan in Spain show me around. Stories to come soon!

I'm currently working on a guide to Eating Gluten-Free in Madrid, which I'm excited to share once I wrap up my "research". (Man, taste testing is such a chore... right?!) In the meantime, I may have to sprinkle another post or two about Barcelona in the mix. That city has seriously gotten under my skin!

Black sand beaches in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife

So what's the plan for next year?

As some of you may remember from my quarter life crisis post, I couldn't decide whether to stay in Spain or go back home to the USA next year. Unfortunately, not much has changed since then. My heart still wants to stay in Madrid, but my brain is still telling me to go back home.

So, I'm leaving it up for the fates to decide. Out of the three teaching programs I've applied to in Madrid, at this point I'm only banking on one of them. If that program excepts me, I will stay in Spain for another year. If I'm rejected from the program, I'll move back to Seattle and figure out the next steps. (Which would probably entail grad school, a potential move to California, and lots of Chardonnay to cope with the inevitable Spain withdrawals.)

So, we'll see what the universe has in store! Since it's about a 50/50 chance either way, I'm trying to have an open mind and be content with both options. Advancing my career and reuniting with Kitty Purry, Whole Foods and my teal KitchenAid wouldn't be all too terrible, but the mere thought of leaving Madrid tears me up inside.

Time to take advantage of balcony picnic season in Madrid!

Adventures Ahead

A few days after I get back from Santiago de Compostela, I'll be headed to TBEX - Europe's largest travel blogging conference! This year TBEX is being held in Costa Brava, Spain - just a hop, skip and a jump away from Barcelona. Since it's so close to Madrid this year, I figured "why not?" and signed up on a whim.

Although my blog isn't big enough to compete with the mega-successful travel bloggers who regularly attend these conferences, I didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to grow my blog and make new blogger friends! And thankfully, I'll have my dear friend Erica of The One with Wanderlust by my side to calm my anxieties! Seasoned veterans, have you got any advice for us first-timers?

Following TBEX, my dad is finally coming to visit Madrid (hooray!), followed by one of my old sorority sisters. After that I'll be headed to Oviedo in northern Spain, and then Copenhagen. My mom is coming to visit again at the end of June, so after school lets out we'll be venturing to Granada and Mallorca!

Between those confirmed trips, I'd like to squeeze in a beach weekend in Cádiz, eat my way through San Sebastián, and make the most out of life in Madrid. My "Madrid Bucket List" is still a mile long, and there's about a thousand restaurants and rooftop bars I'm still dying to try out.

So much to explore, so little time!

Stay Tuned!

Whether next year keeps me here in Madrid or brings me back home to the States, good things are a brewing on this here blog. You can follow along in real time on Instagram, or on my recently inaugurated Facebook page. (It's about time I finally caved!)


So what's new with you? Any updates?
In the future, is there anything you'd like to see more of on this blog?

29 comments on "Playing Catch Up: April Updates"
  1. So many great adventures on your horizon! Have fun in Galicia! Where else besides Santiago will you be visiting? Our home is outside of Carballo, on the coast. Oviedo is lovely! Cangas de Onis and Gijon are wonderful towns as well. Enjoy! ¡Salud!

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  2. Courtney! This is all so exciting! You have such big plans coming up! I have to admit that I'm a bit jealous of your two choices! Well, the fact that you HAVE two choices. I've been very preoccupied myself lately about next year! It's just way too hard to leave Madrid!!! Good luck at TBEX! I know you'll be great and fit it just fine with all the megabloggers! We'll have to get together soon so you can catch me up on everything!! Miss ya chica!

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  3. Wowza exciting! Both choices sound like great options - look forward to seeing where the fates take you. And to reading about all of your exciting adventures that you have coming up - I hope you enjoy Copenhagen as much as I did!

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  4. I'm so excited to show you around Santiago this weekend, Courtney! Make sure to bring a hungry stomach (and an umbrella, of course). Looking forward to reading about your impressions of Galicia on the blog!

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  5. Can't wait to read about your experiences at TBEX! And to see if you stay in Spain move to Seattle! That's one of my favorite things about blogs - real life and you never know what's coming next!

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  6. Such great trips ahead! I'm excited to read about them all, yay :D Enjoy them all!

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  7. Have fun at TBEX! I'm sure you'll have a blast! Your trip lineup sounds amazing too :D enjoy them!

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  8. Maybe l'll run into you at TBEX, it's my first one too! I like the fact that you are getting all your trips in, just in case :-). The universe hopefully will be kind!

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  9. I hope the universe will be kind too! Fingers crossed :) Hope to see you at TBEX!

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  10. Thanks Marcella! I'm definitely excited for what's to come!

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  11. Thanks Madaline, I'm anxious to see how it goes too! But it'll all work out the way it's meant to, as it always does :)

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  12. Thanks Melanie! I'm hoping this approach will work out - it's still hard to keep the anxieties of the unknown at bay, but it'll all play out the way it's meant to! Or at least that's what I keep telling myself :)

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  13. Woop woop! You know I'm ready to grub on the best Galician food all weekend long! I'm even excited to try pulpo for the first time... which is a big deal for this seafood-hater :) Now if only I had some rainboots...

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  14. Thanks Jessi! I'll definitely be using your blog as a handy Copenhagen resource :) I'm hoping the weather will be nice (in other words, not freezing) when I go in June!

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  15. Gracias chica! Are you definitely headed home next year? Just the thought of leaving Madrid ties my stomach in knots... and this year is going by WAY too fast! :(

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  16. Thanks Kelly! I think I'm also taking a day trip to Ourense, because apparently the hot springs there are pretty neat! I'm really looking forward to getting to know the north better :)

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  17. What would you give for a steaming plate of papas arrugadas con mojo right now?¿? Such a great trip. Can´t wait to see how all your amazing pics turned out!!

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  18. If it's anything like our May trip, it'll be hot and beautiful... fingers crossed!

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  19. Wow so many amazing trips coming up!! Ugh I wanted to go to Oviedo! And Copenhagen! Ah!!

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  20. Gosh making future plans is so tough! It's hard to move back to the States and leave Europe, but it's also nice to be with family and the comforts at home. I feel your pain! Also I loved Copehnagen!! I think you'll really enjoy it. Can't wait to hear what you think!

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  21. It's beautiful; you will love it. And the weather is so much nicer in the summer. :-)

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  22. ...Wow--it's been so long since I've stopped by here!!...Whatever exactly fate has in store for you, I'm sure it will be nothing but awesomeness!!...


    And to answer your question, I'm still waiting to find out exactly WHERE in the Comunidad de Madrid I will be next year (here's hoping I'm at a DECENT school right in the capital)...

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  23. Never too late to come back to Europe ;)

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  24. I'd give just about anything!! Necesito mojo en mi vida!

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  25. So great meeting you at TBEX!! And your blog is so beautiful holy $@it. If I learned one thing from TBEX it's that everyone in this world takes beautiful DSLR pictures but me. "Lend" me your camera? ;)
    Also totally feel you on the stay-go dilemma. I finally decided to go, not so much for the Kitchenaid but for the friends/getting-a-job-i-like aspect, and I feel good about the decision. Hope you decide whatever feels best for you!! And I may have plans to visit Seattle sometime this summer if you're back :)

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  26. I'm so glad I finally got to meet you! You can definitely borrow my camera if you visit Seattle this summer :) I'll be there from July 10-August 31 before heading back to Madrid (I'm officially staying here - eeek!!), so please do let me know if you plan on visiting!

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  27. Thanks Betty! I'm happy to hear you'll be in Madrid next year. These past two years I worked at a school about an hour outside of the city center near El Escorial, but I still loved it. Unfortunately, most people don't get placed right in the center :( But still, fingers crossed you get something good! It'll all work out the way it's meant to :)

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  28. Thanks Sarah! You're right, it's so difficult! But at least both options are good ones :) Let me know if you have any recommendations for Copenhagen!

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