“…Journey of changing one’s mind, heart, self or way of life…”

Sums up my life in a nutshell right now. I feel incredibly drained at the moment . Not that things are going bad, but the small town mentality is starting to get to me.

I wouldn’t say I am bored but feel very UNINSPIRED and UNEXCITED by all around me.

To everyone here I am the “Guiri” that “teaches English”.  The experience, funny enough, is no different than South Korea, the pointing, the laughing, the stares. It all exists for ME here. But I just ignore it. In fact some of the teachers keep calling me “Letisha” in reference to their last auxiliary. It is  annoying to have to tell someone your name every week for the last three months!

The other day I was walking with one of the sisters (nuns) from my school in our neighborhood park. There is a fountain in the center that has a replica of an obelisk on top of a stone platform.   Amused by this  discover I stopped in my tracks and tried to explained to the sister about the sculptures implications and importance. She told me that it wasn’t important and that it is “just a fountain in the paseo”.

*sigh*

I wanted to go on and explain about the grand and powerful obelisk that stands in the National Mall in D.C. ( Washington Monument) and the many that I’ve seen ornate with hieroglyphics in Egypt. But I knew it would fall on deaf ears. And unfortunately I didn’t have my dictionary and couldn’t think of some necessary words to translate in Spanish.

At the moment I crave being around forward thinking people who desire to seek out life’s adventures and hidden secrets (I haven’t met any here…yet). I don’t remember feeling so much like a hermit the last time I was in Spain. But granted I lived in Madrid and weekend travel to explore the world around me was easily had.

#IcantsitSTILL

—>I’ve been trying to read more and am learning to knit. Last saturday I stayed in a finished a book…started it that morning 🙁

My current location isn’t so forgiving. While I can hop on the train and go to many places around Spain…it is REALLY expensive.  For example a ticket recently purchased for a weekend getaway to Barcelona was 112 euros! That’s expensive  for just a 3-day weekend. The high speed train ride from my town in Korea (Ulsan) to Seoul was about $49 (in 2012).

I spent (or wasted) 18 days of winter vacation and now I am ready to get up and go. I realized I was getting too comfortable with the “small town” life. Now that I have my updated 2014 school calendar with ALL of our days off, I’ve been looking ahead and planning all my trips.

My wanderlust nature is tormenting me.

Travel and movement excites me. I’ve been sitting still for far too long here!

In Spain I hope to visit: Galicia, Ibiza, Figueres/Girona, Bilbao and Alicante

I’ve already been to: Madrid, Barcelona, Cordoba, Granada, Valencia, Guadalajara, Malaga, Salamanca, Alcala De Henares, Avila, Segovia, San Sebastian and Toledo.

(Here is a link to my 2014 Pinterest travel board: https://www.pinterest.com/travelinnatural/travel-destinations-for-2014/)

While in Europe I plan to visit: Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden (still debating), Iceland, back to England and France, and maybe Prague.

I’ve been trying to live off the funds I make with private lessons and saving my salary. But I have to stay on a very tight budget so that all these trips happen.

I was trying the Fully Ray Kristina 21-day raw challenge, just to add some spice or excitement to life right now AND to regain my healthy eating habits. But…ummm Yea! It’s kind of expensive for the volume of food you are required to eat. But not impossible.

 I failed already 🙁

And it just became difficult to say no when invited out (well usually to peoples homes for lunch or dinner).

After all I am an expat!  I need the interaction  to meet new people!

The Raw Til 4pm lifestyle is more appealing to me.

Anyways just checking in…I don’t know if this is a rant or not ha ha.

I’ll be back soon after some much needed inspiration.