Collect moments, not things

Spain, you really are more wonderful than I thought! I've been fortunate enough in my life to have visited Spain many times before on family holidays and with friends, but this year I'm discovering there is a lot more to Spain than the sun (which has finally returned, keeping my fingers crossed) and the sandy beaches. The truth is I love exploring new places and travelling, for me it's an important thing in life. I love disconnecting from busy life and escaping to a new place. I also love new adventures and finding things off the beaten track, there are lots of magical things in this world to see. Life is short and the world is wide. I think you have to appreciate the little things in life- like the sun shining over the sea or a cute little pretty building.  

These past 2 weekends I have made the most of having friends also on their year abroad. Last weekend I went to Granada and I fell in love. I was able to be a real tourist by going to visit Alhambra. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen and it truly captured my heart. It also made great photographs on such a sunny summer feeling day. It wasn't just the Alhambra that took my breath away,Granada as a city was incredible, although I still don't understand why it's called 'pomegranate' when there aren't any pomegranates in Granada. My friend and I made the most of international food options and went to an all your can eat Chinese restaurant, one day I'll learn that just because it called 'buffet libre' doesn't mean I have to try and eat everything 😂. We also went to the Nevada shopping centre, I love shopping but sometimes, like any young girl, I buy a little too many! I loved Granada so much that I didn't want to come back to Lucena, I could've lived in Granada quite happily, but of course I secretly love Lucena. 

Granada was such a dream that I thought i wouldn't find any other Spanish city that I loved as much. I was wrong. This weekend I've been in Cadiz to see another friend. I really love being able to see friends whilst I'm here in Spain, people who I can be completely myself with and have a genuine catch-up with. Also, both of these friends are also language assistants so it's nice to compare stories and have a laugh over funny stories we have; there's always something new with teaching  and no day is ever the same. Thank you for each having a unique character that makes each day new and exciting, you really are helping to make my experience in Spain a lot better!! 😌 please don't become rebels anytime soon!! 

I've been to cadiz twice before, I went in June when my dad and I came to see what Lucena was like. I decided to go for a solo day trip to Cadiz. That trip wasn't very successful because I got off at the wrong train station far away from the city centre and nearly missed my train home, but mishaps make stories eeey! I also went back in October to see my friend then, and we spent lots of time on the beach and talking about how being abroad is actually really hard. It's nice to see how much my friend has achieved and how she's built a new life in Cadiz since I last saw her. Unfortunately the weather this weekend has been awful, there was no beach opportunity, I nearly got blown away with the strong winds. We decided to explore a new place. We went to Puerto de Santa María. When we first arrived, there wasn't anything interesting to do, so we went to Aldi, it was very exciting and brought back university memories. But eventually we found the tourism office and discovered there were things to do. We went into the cathedral, saw the castle and a palace. It was a really cute place and I would definitely visit again. My favourite part about Cadiz was being able to see the sea. I love the sea, it's such a calming place and I love the sound of the sea.  

I hope all of you have had the most amazing weekends too, and enjoying the sunshine! I'm sure a lot of you are enjoying Araceli's pilgrimage down the mountain. Hope you're ready for another Monday! 

Friends are like 4 leaf clovers: hard to find but lucky to have!

I thought I would write a little about friendships for you all. The truth is that whilst I am here in Spain I really miss all of my friends from back home in the UK. I am fortunate because i have an amazing group of friends from all over the UK. I have met these people throughout my life; some at university through dance, some through charity work and some on my course. But i also have friends that I have grown up with, we've been through a lot together.

I have 4 best friends at home and they are really amazing and special people in my life. They always support me, have my back no matter what and make me laugh. They're the people I can cry and laugh with, they're with me through the fantastic times and the tough times. I'm not sure what I would do without my friends, they're the family we get to choose! 💕

I'm also very lucky to have made some great friends whilst being here in Spain, I didn't expect to meet so many super lovely people, and for that I'm very grateful. I think we meet people in our life for a reason and some of them become some of your best friends when you least expect it. It's great having new friends from different countries, of different ages and with different interests because I have learnt lots of new things, been given some amazing life advice and enjoyed myself. The friends I have made here have helped me to enjoy my time here even more and have given me strength in the moments when being abroad and away from home isn't the best year of your life (everybody always says that living abroad for a year will not compare to any other year in your life)   I'm lucky that I can make friends in new places, but as my dad always said to me: 'you attract the people you want to attract and if you're nice to people they'll be nice back, kindness gets your a long way in life. Oh, and never ever judge someone before you give them a chance' I think friendships are about finding people you click with and feel comfortable around, even if it isn't always plain sailing! 

I think friendships are one of the most important things to have in life, and I've learnt this a lot more recently! Friends are the people you can argue with and fall out with but then realise you can't live without and everything always goes back to normal. They are people that inspire you every day and know more than you do about yourself and your life. They are something that need to be cherished, because although I like alone time, my friends make the world a better place. I'm at an age where I'm meeting lots of new people in many aspects of my life and also drifting away from some people too, but I think as humans we constantly change and sometimes we just have to remember the memories we shared with people we once called our best friends, and remember what they added to our life.  What do you think makes a good friend? Do you think friendships are important?

As I am getting older I realise that true friends will always stick by you and that it's more about quality than quantity!

Life back in 'sunny' Spain

Well, where do I begin? It has been 2 full weeks since I have been back in Spain permanently. Firstly, I would just like to thank each and everyone of you for making me feel very welcome upon my return; I have kept all the hearts you have made me in a very special place. I am very lucky to be in a school like Clara with students that are so enthusiastic and try their best with English, even of you can be chatterboxes sometimes :P. Each and everyone of you have something special to bring to the school and the world. If you ever become famous and have to do interviews in English, lets not forget who helped you with that pronunciation :P. Let's just hope you have studied English enough to understand my praises to you all :P

Thanks to you all because Wow!! Spain, sadly you haven't been as good to me! I am going to be a stereotypical British person now and talk about the weather; in England we always talk about weather a) if you don't have anything else to talk about b) to fill awkward silences and c) because some British people like to moan. WHat has happened to that summer feeling I was expecting? I thought Spain was supposed to be tropical and sunny? I thought this would be the year I would finally get a tan (Sadly I am not blessed with skin that has a sun kissed glow) but it appears this will not be the year. I appreciate that the rain makes me feel like I am at home in England, but I would really like to not have to worry about my umbrella turning upside down or whether I can make it to school without getting completely soaked. The rain even stopped some of Semana Santa's processions, but at least the sun came out for a few days that week. I definitely took advantage of the sun with my mum and sister. We went to Malaga beach, enjoyed a sunny Cordoba and walked up the Sierra de Araceli. What do you think about this weather? Anyways, at least it means I can play some of my all time favourite songs 'Umbrella by Rhianna', 'It's raining men by the weather girls' ' Rain by The Script'  and 'set fire to the rain by Adele'  (There are some recommendations should you want to brush up on that weather vocabulary). But believe it or not, here are some positives to this awful weather and it is always important to look on the bright side of life. The countryside is beautiful and very green. It reminds me of home because I live near lots of green English countryside and the river Thames: I actually miss seeing water. Another benefit is that now when a sign says 'rio', there is actually a river there. Also, it makes you appreciate those sunny days a lot more.

Well, I am sure this lovely weather will fb be here very shortly, and then I will probably moan about the heat because it is too hot and still an unacceptable temperature to wear shorts :P

EASTER EGG HUNT

HI AGAIN!

 This time I would like to show you the activity that we did last Friday. As a "tránsito" activity within our Bilingual Project, students from 6th year at Araceli and Al-Yussana Primary Schools visited us in order to participate in a fun gymkhana that our students from 1st ESO, together with their PE teacher Ángel Cabrera, had prepared for them. It was called "Easter Egg Hunt", as we are in Easter time and Easter Egg Hunts are very popular in the UK when spring has just come. Both students from 6th and 1st ESO had a wonderful time together. Have a look at the photos and enjoy yourself as much as we did!:)