It’s been a year since I started this journey, and appropriately enough the time has come to start the next chapter where instead of packing and unpacking my backpack every few days, figuring out where I am and how to get where I’m going (where am I going?) I’m instead waking up in the same bed every day, walking out of my apartment, and biking 8 miles down the road past the Mediterranean sea to a desk and a computer and reports on how to environmentally and economically revive struggling farms across Spain and Europe. The timing couldn’t feel more perfect. Oh, there’s plenty of unfamiliar all right, my 5 coworkers speak Catalan all day, one of whom knows about as much English as I know Catalan (I’m planning to change my end of that deal very soon), and although the industry is one I’m new to, the issues are all too familiar. Then there’s the fact that even if I am excited to be there and am doing it without a pay check, it’s still a desk and a computer screen and frankly just not as much fun as being able to do whatever you want all day. But then I think back to Boeing and SNC, and there was definitely a significant “warm up” period before I had enough aptitude and thus responsibility to really love my job, and so I’m putting in my time, learning everything I can and doing my best for these generous people who are giving me the opportunity. I probably won’t be blogging as much for these next 3-6 months, not because I won’t be exploring with my free days but more because I want to focus on learning at work and taking language classes when I’m not, but I’m so glad I took the time to capture the journey over the last year… That way it’s proof that it all really happened and I can return with a click or a tap 🙂
Thanks for tuning in (Mom!)
Over and out
Valeda
Making traditional cookies (Panellets= with my boss, her mom, and her mom’s friends after my first day of work
Pictures of my new home (for now)… L’Ampolla, Spain
