Viva España!

Okay, so I know I said I got behind last time, but seriously...😒 [I noticed after I published that I actually had posted since 2017. I was looking at the old blog that I can't get into anymore.]

Since second grade, things did not improve at school. You had some decent teachers in among the ones who didn't care or couldn't spell. By your last year in US schools, you had more than half of your teachers that were coaches because the crappy Texas governor ran off all the good teachers. Fourth grade was particularly awful because you had teachers who argued that you should have hours of homework each night. I promise I went to bat for you. I lost. 

Then to top off the crap sandwich, Covid hit that year. I don't really want to get into that much, but suffice it to say, enduring a global pandemic is not anything I wanted for you. 

A few highlights (and lowlights) from the missing years here and then for the big move!

• Due to the pandemic, you missed the school sleep away camp (Camp Grady Spruce). Which was devastating for you because you had looked forward to it since your kindergarten year when you first heard about it. 
• I wrote a book during this time and you really want to star in the movie. At the time I wrote the book, that would have worked. And since I stole some of the mannerisms and things they say from you and your dad, you would have been perfect! At 15, I'm not sure you could pass for a 5th grader.
• You were in taekwondo for a handful of years and earned your second degree blackbelt. 
• We made friends with the Krauses and went to both Costa Rica and Dominican Republic with them. 
• You had a phase that shall not be named in 6th grade. (Mom, it's not a phase!). Luckily, you now have a new, very cute, passport pic. And your other one will always remind me of Deku from My Hero Academia. 
• You made the most of some very unfair experiences in theatre in middle school. In one case you were on painters stilts!
• You were on the homecoming court your freshman year, Lady Riley!
• Your closest friends were Landry Millican, Amyia Brown, Evie Moujaes, Chloe Hawley and Finn Plunkert. Somehow Grayson started as a bestie, but got the boot. As a family, our closest friends are the aforementioned Krauses and The Muscles. 
• Your favorite band is Twenty One Pilots. Your first concert was Arctic Monkeys followed by Foo Fighters and TØP. 
• You are The Blue Girl! For freshman year everything from your clothes to your backpack, lunchbox, pencil case, supplies, jewelry, hair accessories, Macbook/iPhone/AirPods covers, bedroom decorations, etc. were all a very specific shade of light blue. 
• You got braces. We had to take them off a couple of months before you were technically supposed to because of our move. But you look gorgeous!
  

And then the United States took a really terrible turn. Because too many people are too racist and misogynistic to elect a woman of color, the orange dip$#!+ won a second term when he should have been in prison. We knew right away when he had the House, Senate, Supreme Court and the Presidency on lockdown that it was over. 

Around the same time, I found out that Sabre opened an office in Madrid and we could try to move to Spain. We tried once before in 2023, but it didn't work out and you weren't ready for it yet anyway. 

So now I sit here in Benalmádena, Spain, writing to you for the first time in many years. We sold or donated almost everything we owned, shipped a palette of stuff (which will get here in a couple of months) and packed two big suitcases each to start over. We miss our neighbors (particularly Jeremy) and our friends, but I am putting out vibes that we get as lucky here with friends and neighbors. For now, we were able to bring your cat, Xena, but our dog, Elsa, is currently staying with my cousin Kara. Elsa was too big to fly in the cabin with us (Xena did surprisingly well with this insane experience) and it was too hot to fly in the hold. We miss her terribly, but Kara is spoiling her and I know she's in good hands. 

You're in a new (private) school where I am very hopeful that you'll get an actual education. So far, the teachers seem incredibly supportive and the administration talks about teaching students to ask good questions, think critically and creatively. All things that are being stifled in the US these days under a rising dictator. For the record, I hope you read this years from now and wonder why I was being so dramatic. But I think you'll read this and be grateful we had the foresight to get out when we could. 

Anyway, so far you've made a couple of new friends: Claudia, Renata and Miguel. It's only Week 1, so we shall see how it all turns out! 

Little side story: So our getting here experience was traumatic for me. So many things went wrong and I was so scared that I was going to have to send you back to Guyer (the gun threats alone were enough to send me over the edge). We finally got here and when I was told that our TIE appointment was on your first day of school, I started to get stressed again. But Miss Pamela, a woman at your school who has been so helpful getting you set up with what you need to be successful said my favorite new phrase. "Tranquila, no pasa nada." 

I've been doing my best to adopt this Tranquila lifestyle. It's part of why we moved here. We want to do more living, less stressing, less trying to keep up with the Joneses. It's only been 2.5 weeks, but so far so good. 

A few notes for posterity: 

• You claim you will never adopt the jajaja (vs hahaha).
• You started school speaking next to no Spanish, I'm just recording this to see how long it takes before you blow past me and are the official translator for the family.
• You were quite sure you wouldn't make friends at this school. I disagreed. I was right. 😂 In your defense, you're in a class full of "popular" girls and that just really isn't your people. But by Day 2 when you went to more classes, you found your little squad. 
• You're still a great eater, which comes in handy now that we're navigating a new country. 
• We're doing our best to integrate into this new country - learning the language and the customs. The one I just can't stand though is the smoking. I really hope they put some more laws in place for that. I'll dry my sheets on the terrace if they don't come back in smelling like smoke! 

Alright, well obviously that's wildly insufficient as an 8 year catchup. I'll try to think of more and add it. In the meantime, I know you're actually reading these now, so it's not just me throwing words into the ether. 

I love you kiddo and I'm so proud of the young woman you're becoming. You're smart and feisty, quick with a funny comment, you love animals, you've embraced whimsy and you're open to new experiences. 

Here's to a wonderful new life in Spain. 

Love, Mama

PS - Here's a picture of the amazing view from our Airbnb. We're still looking for longer term accommodations, but I overpaid to get our first month somewhere close to your school and get a chance to live my dream - waking up to a sea view!