Top 10 Things I Miss the Most About America

I can hardly believe that I've lived in Madrid for exactly one month now. How did that happen? Don't get me wrong, I adore living here. Truth be told, I'm falling more and more in love with this city as each day goes by. Yet, as magnificent as Spain may be, there are still some things that I really miss about home. Here are some of the things that I miss the most about the United States:

1. Brunch

Brunch is my favorite thing in the entire world. Brunch is my favorite meal, my favorite time of day, and my all-time favorite tradition with friends. Unfortunately, most Spaniards don't believe in breakfast. This puts me in a rather uncomfortable position. The lack of brunch here in Spain is heartbreaking, really. If I think about it too much I start feeling depressed, so I'm going to stop right now.

Delicious brunch from 230 Fifth in NYC: get in my belly.

2. Football

I die a little inside every time I miss a Huskies or a Niners game. "Fútbol" only means one thing here, and it's definitely not what we know as America's greatest sport. Sure, I love Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo as much as the next expat in Madrid, but following soccer in no way fills the hole in my heart caused by the inability to watch UW and 49ers games.

Husky Stadium, my happy place.

3. All Pumpkin Everything

Europe hasn't exactly gotten on board with the pumpkin trend that has seduced America and all of our gourd-loving citizens. What is up with that? Where are my pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks? Why is there no pumpkin bread at my favorite gluten free bakery? Why can't I find pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cream cheese, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin curry, or even regular pumpkins to decorate for Halloween? I'm devastated.

¿Dónde están las calabazas aquí en España?

4. Baking

The lack of baking products here in Spain is not conducive to my compulsive baking habits. I have a serious case of separation anxiety from my KitchenAid. I even dream of baking cupcakes at night. The things I would do to teleport myself back to the Celiac-friendly baking aisle in Whole Foods!

Gluten free red velvet cupcakes for Valentine's Day - by far my prettiest creation yet.

5. Friendliness

Although Seattle is notorious for the "Seattle Freeze", it's also a city where you can make friends with your barista every morning, strangers hold doors open for you, neighbors wave to one another, and passerby's will most likely say "I'm sorry!" even if you're the one who accidentally bumped into them. The principle of customer service is alive and well in America; waiters actually wait on you, sales associates are eager to help you, and saying "Good morning", "How are you today?" and "Thank you" to strangers isn't considered weird.

6. 24-Hour Grocery Stores

Because sometimes you just need a bottle of wine and a bar of chocolate past 11 pm. This also includes grocery stores that are actually open on Sundays. Grocery shopping on a weekend... what a concept!

You can't just do this kind of stuff in Spanish grocery stores.

7. Quality Toiletries

When I first arrived in Madrid in the sweltering month of August, I thought everyone on the Metro smelled so bad because they didn't wear deodorant. My mistake - they do wear deodorant, it just doesn't work. Same goes for finding quality whitening toothpaste. Where the Crest be at, ya'll?!? (Thankfully I'm a chronic over-packer and stocked up before my trip, hauling a plethora of American toiletries with me through England, France and Madrid. The extra ten few pounds were worth it.)

8. Cats

Okay, I know people in Spain have cats too. But - just like we do in the States - they keep their cats indoors (because they're still normal people and they don't walk their cats on the street like I tried to do when I was a kid. I'm really sorry about that, Scoobie Doo). Therefore, I never ever see cats. All I see are dogs who do their business in the middle of the sidewalk... and their owners never bother to pick it up. (Unfortunately, picking up after your pet is a duty thoroughly neglected by most Spaniards. I constantly feel as if I'm dodging land mines whenever I walk down the street.) Needless to say, I really miss Kitty Purry and Chairman Meow, and I just wish I could just cuddle and play with other cats in the meantime. Yeah, I'm a crazy cat lady. So sue me.

9. Fresh Fruits & Veggies

Fresh, quality produce is surprisingly hard to find here. It's nearly impossible to find a healthy vegetable dish on any given restaurant's menu. (And forget about affordable organic produce.) People tend to think that Spain embraces an extremely healthy diet because they are considered a Mediterranean culture, but that's not entirely true. Almost everything is fried, potatoes, bread and ham are practically considered their own food groups, and every time I go to a restaurant I feel as if I'm drowning in a sea of sodium. My Whole Foods loving, former Paleo, vegetable-obsessed soul cries a little every time I go grocery shopping. And don't even get me started on the lack of kale.

Dreaming of Larchmont Village Farmers' Market in Los Angeles.

10. Fresh Air

Maybe it's because the air quality here is just plain terrible, maybe it's due to the fact that everyone chain smokes, or maybe I just miss the good ol' Pacific Northwest and their glorious abundance of trees. But without fail, I constantly feel as if I'm on the verge of an asthma attack here in Madrid. I miss Seattle in all of its tree-hugging, non-smoking goodness.

Trees! Fresh air! Best friends! The Pacific Northwest trifecta right here.

I promise I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer, because there are a myriad of things I truly love about Madrid. (Stay tuned for my Top 10 Things I Love the Most About Spain!) But for all you folks back home, try not to take all of these wonderful things for granted. Sometimes America is cooler than we give it credit for.

Palacio Real

Confession: I love playing tourist here in Madrid. Although I've been here for exactly one month now, there are still so many sights I want to see, restaurants I want to try and places I want to explore. My Madrid Bucket List is growing longer by the day. 

Because Madrid is such a large city, it's impossible to run out of things to do. This, among many other things, is definitely one of my favorite parts about living here. Last weekend I finally tackled one of the top sights on my long list of must-sees... the Royal Palace!

I came to this palace three years ago when I visited Madrid with my mom, but I honestly didn't remember what it looked like inside. I'm so glad I visited Madrid's Royal Palace again, because seeing it for a second time was worth every Euro. Every room is extravagant and exudes luxurious grandeur. I wish I were a princess so I could attend banquets and dine beneath stunning crystal chandeliers, lounge in the resplendent throne room, and then play pool with King Juan Carlos I because he seems like a pretty cool guy.

It absolutely killed me that I couldn't take photos inside, because this place is truly incredible. Its lavishly ornate details rival Versailles', and its splendor is breathtaking. I guess you could convince me to live here.

Confessions Of An English Teacher

Today I celebrate having survived my first two weeks as an English teaching assistant in Spain.

Almost exactly one year ago today I sat next to a man who worked for National Geographic on my flight home from Buenos Aires. As we got to talking, I admitted to him that I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do with my life, but I knew that I wanted to travel and speak Spanish. He then suggested that I move back to Spain and teach English abroad. At first I shrugged the idea off, but here I am - one year later - working as a language assistant and helping adorable Spanish kids learn English. I would have never thought that life would take me in this direction, but I'm so glad it did.

My primary school in Galapagar

Here are some of the things that I've learned within my first 2 weeks as an Auxiliar de Conversación in Spain:

- There will always be questions kids ask you that you simply don't know how to answer. Some of my personal favorites these past two weeks have included: "What color is your motorbike?" (Such a European thing to say.) "What is your favorite sea dinosaur?" (Ummm... what's your favorite sea dinosaur?! Mine too! What a coincidence...) And best of all, "Why aren't you married???" (Good question, Juan. Gooooood question.)

- Improvisation is one of the foundations of teaching here in Spain. This is especially hard for Type A people like me who are obsessed with excessive planning and organization. Although going with the flow has at times been a challenge for me, it's also taught me to think on my feet more freely - and most importantly - have fun.

- The more teeth a kid has recently lost, the cuter they inevitably are. I'm serious. They're so stinkin' adorable.

- Pretending that I don't speak Spanish is one of the hardest parts of my job. The other day, one of my students told his classmates in Spanish that I looked like a grandma with my glasses on - and I totally called him out. Needless to say, I think some of them are catching on to the fact that I actually understand what they're saying en español.

- Something tells me that I will be making a lot of PowerPoint presentations this year.

- Teaching British English as a native American speaker is beyond frustrating. My jaw dropped the first time a student asked me for a "rubber", because apparently "rubber" means "eraser". Also, I have to teach certain grammatical phrases like "Have you got...?" instead of "Do you have...?", and vocabulary words like "chemist" instead of "pharmacy". Even telling time is harder in British English. (What in the world does "half 11" mean?)

- For every two little monsters, there are four angles that make your heart explode.

My Teaching Survival Essentials:

1. I kid you not, this is the most caffeinated I've ever been in my entire life. In the past month I've quadrupled my coffee intake, and quite frankly this is the only way I get through my mornings. (Despite the fact that school starts at 9 am, the school I teach at is quite far away. Hence, I have to wake up at 6:20 am everyday to get ready, scarf down some breakfast and make my commute.)

2. Kids will do anything for a sticker (or any other "prize" for that matter). They'll even behave! GENIUS.

3. I think it goes without saying that I need a large glass of tinto de verano everyday to quiet my mind from the persistent echoes of screaming children. I mean, when in Spain...

With all that said, I come home from work everyday exhausted but fulfilled. I'm already growing so attached to my little niños, and I love them even when they drive me crazy. Although there can be some challenging moments, at the end of the day I feel incredibly satisfied.