A hiker, teacher and dreamer

There are many ways of describing a person. And when you move to a new place the adjectives build upon one another. Starting with the basics. Brunette, short, Californian. Maybe add singer, talkative. While I was in Bolivia I tried on the adjective of Vegetarian, and Backpacker. And here they have been piling up as well, to build the A.Tianna of Spain. Of course most of the adjectives are the same, but with each new experience we emphasize one or share another. Maybe we grow out of adjectives or a new environment allows you to add a new one. And after graduating college, these is the crisis when you lose the adjective student. These past two weeks I have tried on a few new adjectives, and I feel like they are fitting very nicely. A hiker, teacher and dreamer.

I have hiked nearly everyday this past week. It has become second nature to toss a sandwich, apple and snacks into my fannypack, along with some sunscreen, hat, book and waterbottle... and away we frolick into the countryside. I have visited (by foot) a couple of the smaller neighboring pueblos. Whitewashed buildings, tile roofs. Nothing terribly new, but beautiful nonetheless. Most of the hikes have been simple walks along dirt roads in the general direction of a town in the distance with a little tresspassing now and again through an olive orchard. Tiptoeing past a man sunbathing by his pool in his backyard. And stopping to eat our lunch and read a while, before contuing on. They average about 4 hours. Up and down through valleys. Yesterday I went with a hiking group that goes every weekend on different hikes around Ronda: Pasos Largos. It was a bit of fantasy fulfillment. One of my little visions of post college/young professional life included being a member of a weekend hiking group as a way of meeting people outside of work, and getting out into nature on the weekend as a refuge from office life. And here I was with an eclectic group of hikers, acting out my vision! Of course, my vision had always taken place in DC and the countryside of Maryland, but Spain was certainly great too. We hiked about 10 kms, a group of about 20 people, all ages and all spanish. As it goes in Ronda, one of the leaders knew of me from one of the teachers at the language school and said he was hoping I would come out to one of the hikes, since he heard I was interested in the environment.´You are the American that arrived in the rain, arent you?´ Ah, small town! There have been many encounters with the same people already around town. Whether you run into a coworker while sipping tea at a cafe, or see the same woman you asked directions from the first day several times since, or that guy who hit on you at a pub one night you run into again at a pizza parlour with your roommate, and he turns out to be your roommates cousin! I cant imagine what this will be like 8 months from now. But back to the hike: It was great. At one point we all ran through the trees and hugged a tree for a photo op for the website! Good spirited people. And then when time started getting tight to make train back to town we walked a little faster, until we realized that our trial run at taking a different route was too long. So what did we do? We scaled the mountainside of course, tearing through thickets of bramble and alongside wild pigs. We made it to the train just in time. And I have a feeling I will become a regular of this weekend hiking group. Now that I am a hiker.

The school has been absolutely wonderful. All the teachers are so kind and energetic and love being there. Since it is an afterschool language school the students pay to come as a kind of extracurricular and are committed to being there. And it is just a great cheerful atmostphere. It is also small. There are 6 english teachers, 2 german teachers, 2 french teachers and 3 administrative people. I am the only native english speaker. Which makes me a very hot commodity! And essentially my job for the next 8 months is to talk. I am being paid to talk, as one teacher put it. I am going to each english class and just talking with the students, so that they can hear my accent and so that they can practice speaking themselves. This past week we just talked about Santa Barbara, my family, the differences between spain and california, arnold schwartzeneger, food, music, sports, weather, and whatever else they came up with. My job will also include planning cultural lesson plans like for halloween, and christmas carols in english. The students range in age from 14 to 60 and there are many teachers in the classes themselves hoping to improve their english. My job is actually being funded by the spanish government as part of their new scheme to increase english in all the schools. Many of the teachers are learning english as part of this billingual project too, so that they can teach their subject in both languages as well. Needless to say, having so many teachers as my pupils is very humbling as I am as new to this post as can be. Although I feel very comfortable standing in front of a class talking for an hour and a half straight. Its like performing.. I have a shoe in. I am very much enjoying my new role as a teacher, and look forward to taking on this responsibility with zeal and creativity.


Even while having these new experiences I still have much time on my hands. Working three evenings a week and all doesnt exaclty fill up my days. So I have found much time to read and process life, my next steps professionally, little snippets of self improvement. I have found myself writing mantras of improving patience, generosity, as well as the more tangible goals of saving money and applying to graduate school. A family friend had given me a bracelet for graduation with the beatles quote.. you may say i am a dreamer, but i am not the only... and yes, I am a self proclaimed dreamer. Sometimes I take a moment to reflect on the fact that I am in Spain, teaching english. A path I never would have imagined for myself, and just smile softly to myself. Being here has broken boudraries of my daydreams to other fantasies. I mist admit I was looking up paid opportunities to teach english to buddist monks in nepal in a monastary today as a possible post spain plan. While I feel at time like I am flailing in my search of different and perhaps more concrete adjectives, jumping from idea to idea, in hopes of forming an adult identity... I prefer to define it as a young womans quest and exploring. Along my path of exploration I hope to add the adjectives of flamenco dancer, writer, traveler, entreprenuer, maybe even photographer, guitar player, seamstress. And eventually something along the lines of Oral Health Educator, or even Environmental Advocate and Politician. But for the time being my life as Hiker, Teacher and Dreamer, perhaps with an occasional afternoon as a Pastery Connoisseur is suiting me just fine.