E.T. Skype Home.

I cannot say how much Skype has altered my stay here in Spain thus far. But I can say how much it has helped me keep my sanity. Mucho mucho. I have heard that the first month of living in a new and foreign place can be the worst month of your entire stay. I am not sure about this. What I do know is that I miss my friends and family more than I could ever imagine, but I am also loving life here. I feel that I have the best of both worlds and it is only getting better.
So, here is a quick recap of the past month here...
For the first couple of days I felt confused, excited, homeless, adventurous and hungry. These feelings were sparked by many things. First of all, I was constantly finding new and exciting things about the city...I liked this! But, at the end of the day, I did not have a place to live or a roommate...this made me feel homeless and confused. But I did make a new friend (Ruth! From Philadelphia!) who took me under her wing and helped me with just about anything and everything...I liked this too! Furthermore, I didn't understand why everything was closed around mealtime. Maybe this is why Spaniards are so skinny?
However, as I started to acclimate (and make some friends that could help me answer these puzzling questions) I felt a bit more settled. I learned that in Spain, lunch is eaten around 2 or 3 and dinner around 9:30 or 10. This helped solve my mini-famine. Siesta is from about 3 to 5 so the only thing you can do during this time is eat or sleep. And finally, everything is closed on Sunday so be prepared to do nothing, kapeesh?
So now that I had the eating thing sorted out, I needed to get the working thing/legal status to be living here thing worked out. I am in stage two of three of becoming legal and have been here for over a month. If I didn't know what the words "bureaucracy" or "red tape" meant before this moment, now I do. As some of you may know, I have been nicknamed "dial-up" for being a slow mover. I am considering changing it to "the spanish government".
As for my "homelessness", things took a turn for the best after Orientation for the language assistants. Besides the entire orientation being in Spanish and the jackhammer outside that was not only destroying the sidewalk but also my ability to hear (ever again) it was one of my favorite days so far! After a morning of construction and confusion, we headed to lunch. I was about at my breaking point after another lectora, "Kurt" approached me and asked me 'who I knew and what I had to do to get placed teaching in the same city as my boyfriend'? The question turned from nosy to really f-ing uncomfortable when I sensed his anger towards me 'because he and his boyfriend were placed an hour apart'. Tired of Kurt being all up in my bid-niss, I turn around silently and continue to eat my gazpacho manchego (a kind of beef stew with rabbit). But then when I least expect it, my prayers are answered when another lectora, Melissa, comes to my table and randomly asks if "anyone is looking for a roommate?" A sudden wave of relief rushes over me, and I nearly shout, "yes! me!" Melissa and another girl, Elena are looking for a third roommate as they have found a potential flat with three bedrooms.
A couple days later the three of us are moving into our new piso. It is amazing and hilarious at the same time. The location is prime time. The living room has green walls, an orange couch, and a chair that reminds me of Oktoberfest. There is no oven, dishwasher, or dryer. The decor consists of things like a black porcelain cat wearing a pink feather boa, proudly displayed trophies, and a soccer ball table cloth. Need I say more? My new roommates are wonderful and I love them already. Alas, I am no longer homeless. I feel like doing the running man or some other interpretive dance move to express my excitement.
I spend the next couple of weeks settling in and adjusting to my surroundings. And although my school is far away, I feel lucky to be there. The teachers are incredibly friendly, and even though we can barely communicate, they are always willing to help. Also, I love the questions and cultural differences that come up in the teacher's lounge. I assumed that I would always be the one feeling lost or confused, so it is a relief when teachers come to me for answers. The other day I brought a thermos filled with tea to school. At one point, I look over and one of the teachers is just staring at it. Incredibly confused, they looked at me and asked, "What IS that?" It was probably the cutest thing I've ever seen.
I am also starting to pick up the language bit by bit. I am not anywhere close to being fluent, or even conversational, but I am definitely starting to feel more confident. Even if I sound like an idiot (like the time I tried to tell someone 'I like this song' but instead said 'I like this exhausted'), at least I am trying.
Which brings us to November, and things are still getting better by the day. Looking back at my first month here, I don't believe it was any worse or better than I expected. I have felt happy and sad, fulfilled and useless, loved and lonely, excited and scared. Nonetheless, I am grateful for everything I have learned so far and excited to see what the future holds...