You Cannot Conquer Time

"But all the clocks in the city 

Began to whir and chime: 

O' let not time deceive you, 

You cannot conquer time. 

In the burrows of the nightmare 

Where justice naked is, 

Time watches from the shadow 

And coughs when you would kiss." 

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Time slipped through my hands. I can't believe it. However, here I am. On a train to Madrid. I said my final goodbye's. I didn't cry though a string pulled at my heart. 

Alright. Hold up. I skipped a day! Palm Sunday. Yesterday. Alright, let's do that day first, shall we? Also, I promise there are really cool pictures. Just keep going! 

Yesterday, Elisa and I enjoyed a slow morning in Teresa's house. Have I mentioned that Teresa is quite possibly the nicest most caring person I've ever met? Well she is. Every moment I'm with her I'm overwhelmed by love and tranquility that flows from her. It's amazing. 

Well it was Palm Sunday. Elisa and I headed into town. We went to the church to watch a bit of the service. It was packed. The aisles held people leaning against walls. Every seat was filled. And in the front, on the alter, were rows of children adorned in white robes. The children were all there because it was their final Sunday before their first communion. When we walked in, everyone was standing and singing along with a guitar. These songs went on throughout the service. It was very pop music sounding. One was even a remix to Disney's "A Whole New World." I couldn't help but chuckle. The priest dressed head to toe in full robes, the old men in the pews, the women holding the hands of children: they all looked like they wanted to enjoy the modern music but simply couldn't find the place for it in this baroque old church. The children, however, loved it. Which is good considering the music and new service format was clearly for them. Elisa and I laughed when one girl, right in the center of the alter, began to dance to the music. It was ... Different to say the least. But fun to see. 

Afterwards, Elisa and I stopped at a bar for a beer and shrimp. We talked for a while, then decided it was time to head home. We ran one errand, then met Teresa at home for lunch. Not only is Teresa incredibly nice, but she also is an amazing cook. Every meal is like finding nirvana. Such a treat. She's also the quintessential grandmother in that even when I say I'm not hungry, piles of food are shoved my way. I may be sad about leaving, but my waistline is saying thank goodness. 

Since we were all on food overload, we obviously had to sleep it off. That's how that works right? I was mid-nap when Elisa woke me up. She was a bit frantic as she explained the situation to me. Her mom had fallen down the stairs in Teruel and was in the hospital. Elisa had to go back. I would stay in Calatayud with Teresa. We both said quick goodbye's and "I'll see you in Alaska." Off she went. We later found out that her mom had multiple stitches in her head, a broken wrist, and a broken arm. While not ideal, could have been much worse. We are all thankful it is manageable. 

Teresa and I sat and talked for a while. She told me one of Paula's (Arturo's sister) friends was coming to get me in a bit. A processional was happening tonight that I was told I needed to see. So around 630pm, Ana and her family arrived at the house.

My Spanish really was tested in these days. No one spoke any English and I was forced to really work at my linguistics. I'm going to take a prideful route and say I nailed it. I was quite proud of myself. Anyway, Ana and her husband, Chema, showed me around Calatayud before we headed to the processional. Their two son's eyed me suspiciously as we walked along. Between Ana and Chema, I was overwhelmed with history and information about Calatayud. 

We all worked our way down the streets towards the start of the processional. I answered numerous curious questions about Alaska. In response, I received more than one "Oh madre mia..." We arrived at the start. I was introduced to the group of friends as "Una chica de Alaska." Which led to many more questions and many more "Madre mia..."-s. 

So the processional. Okay, I'll answer your question now. So it's the week of Easter. Also known to us as "Holy Week"- AKA "Semana De Santa." In America, Easter, in my opinion, is not a huge deal. We have painted eggs and a nice dinner and call it a day. Unless you are religious, it is not a big deal. Well in Spain it is. The kids have the whole week off from school. Every things is decorated. The traditions are abundant and everyone takes it very seriously. All around Spain the traditions are different. Here, in Calatayud, everyday of the week has a processional through the streets. Today was just the beginning. 

The members of the processional were dressed either in entirely white robes or entirely black robes. The exceptions were the police officers escorting the carried statue of Jesus and the marching band who played lent hymns the whole way. Let's start at the beginning. 

The start of the processional was a group of people dressed head to toe in white playing drums. The idea was they were solemnly making the streets aware of the coming of Christ. My favorite member was a boy who couldn't have been more than 4 years old. He was so into his drumming despite the fact the drum was almost bigger than him. Hands down adorable. 

Alright. I'm doing to address the obvious before you see pictures. Yes, my first thought was "Wow these are scarily like KKK people." I clearly was the only one a bit nervous about that fact. Nonetheless. Someone taps you on the shoulder and you see that? I jumped a bit. 

(In the picture above, see that tiny little boy? That's him! Ironically, not the boy in the picture below.)

Next in the procession was the statue of Jesus carried by six people, again, adorned in white. They were escorted by the police. I was informed that everyday the symbolism changes by how many people carry the statue of Jesus. 

On Good Friday, only three carry it. The explanations of the symbolism seriously got lost in translation. Sorry about that one. Nonetheless. The street was silent except for the loud drumming that echoed in against the walls. The people carrying the statue swayed in order to make it appear that Jesus was walking. Then they stopped to rest. As they did, the drumming ended and the marching band behind the statue began to okay lent songs. Then on command, the six members picked up the statue and began to slowly move forward again. Amazing. 

After they all passed, we all moved along. We went to the main plaza. We all nestled into chairs, enjoying the sun and cold drinks. I asked Ana what we were doing. She told me that we were waiting for the procession. I must have looked confused because she went on to explain that it looks better at night. So we waited. 

She was right. At night makes it ten times better. I felt tears well up in my eyes because it was so beautiful. They shut off all the lights in the plaza. The only light was from the candles illuminating the members of the procession and the statue of Jesus. It was unbelievable. The drums echoed and filled the corners of every person's heart that watched. I closed my eyes and let the power of the moment overwhelm me. 

We followed the procession. It wove along the streets. Let me just take a moment to applaud these people. Especially the kids and people carrying the statue. They walk the streets doing this procession for at least 3 hours every night for a week. It's incredible. 

Okay, back to the story. Nothing really changed except the location. The order of drums, statue, music was still the same. What was cool was they went into the church, then back out to go back onto the streets. People from windows above threw rose pedals onto the statue. Just added to the beauty. Man, it was incredible. 

Finally, we went home. I said thank you to Ana and her family. Then Teresa and I watched a movie. I snuggled up on the couch with the first kitty I've seen since I've been in Europe. Made me miss home a bit. But I quickly fell asleep before homesickness could plague me. 

(There really is a kitty there... See him next to my face?)

This morning Teresa and I talked for a long time. We walked around her backyard. Which is straight out of a magazine for weddings. Gorgeous. I've never felt so instantly close to someone. I feel as though I've known her my whole life. I can't believe how fortunate I am to have spent time with this incredible woman. I asked if I could write her letters when I'm gone to practice my Spanish. She said of course. And then... As I was putting my bags in the car, she came out of her room. She grabbed my hand and put the most gorgeous precious ring on my finger. She informed me she wanted me to have it because I'm family now. I couldn't believe it. I took a deep breathe and swallowed down tears. 

And now. Now I'm on a train. I am filled with the most mixed emotions. Tonight, I pick Johann up at the airport. I couldn't be more excited!! But I also leave a piece of my heart here. I feel so connected to Spain and especially the people here. But I'll safe my rant on that for when I actually leave Spain. Don't worry. For now, I have a smile on my face because I see my favorite brother and best friend today. But also because I have a ring on my finger that reminds me of the love that I've experienced in Spain. 

You Can Tell Because of the Way It Is!

The sun has finally come out! This morning I awoke around 7am because sun rays were beaming in the window. After a sleepy smile, I rolled back over and went to sleep again. Fortunately, the sun was still shining bright and warm when I did get up. Success! 

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Yesterday, Elisa and I packed bags of food and extra layers. Then we drove about an hour to a village where we met her friends. Elisa and Eva have known each other since they were small children in Teruel. While years have put them in different spots in life, they still get together every once and a while in order to maintain their friendship. Beautiful. So despite the looming clouds in the sky and the ferocious winds whipping at our skin, we all took off for a hike. 

Eva's boyfriend grew up in this village and therefore knows all the good hiking spots. However, this was a tricky day for hiking. Normally, as Eva explained to me, this area struggles with droughts. Yet now, for some reason, they were experiencing strange amounts of water everywhere. Flooding was almost a concern. So the trails that were normally easy hiking now needed to be carefully maneuvered between mud and flowing rivers of water. It wasn't difficult but required a little more attention then the normal trails. We went on two small hikes. The first was to a waterfall. For some reason, the only thought I had when I saw the waterfall was "You can tell it's a waterfall because of the way it is!" (I know only some of you will get that joke...) I scampered down the rocky edge to get a closer look. Rocky cliffs loomed over head and pine trees filled in the bottom of the mountainside. Quite the scene. 

We began the second hike. Eva and her boyfriend named plants and birds as we walked. This walking was a bit easier because we were going up the hillside instead of down into the water. It made it easier to avoid the flooding areas. Tiny flowers struggled to bloom. You could imagine how green and beautiful the area must be in the summer. We arrived shortly to the goal of the hike: The Arch Rock. Amazing. Truly a unique spot. This rock looked like someone had grabbed the center out of a big rock and just said "Yep, that looks better." It was practically a perfectly symmetrical rock with the middle gapping open to a circle shape. You could tell it's a crazy cool rock because of the way it is! 

On the way back down I left the group for a bit to go look at these cool rocks at the top of the hillside. Garmin, Elisa's dog, and I wandered up to the top of the mountain. It made for quite the view. The valley lay below us. Sounds of the rushing river, birds chirping, the wind blowing firmly through the trees below floated to our perch high above. Behind me a rocky cliff shot up into the sky. A cave was cut into the rocky edge that Garmin was very excited about exploring. I sat for a while just listening and observing. Finally Garmin let me know he was ready to go back down. So we raced back down to meet up with the group, who were all enjoying a water break at a fountain near the car. 

The other struggle with the hiking areas was if you went to high up, you'll get stuck in snow. We thought we'd give it a try. But we were no exception. The bald tires on the van quickly got stuck. Elisa laughed saying to me, "I bet you never thought you would be pushing a car out of snow in Spain." Nope, can't say I saw that one coming. But no big deal, eh? Pushing a car out of snow in Spain is just the same as everywhere else. Ah, the comforts of home. 

We headed back down the mountain. Also, let me take a second to clarify. This is not mountains like Pyrenees mountains or such. Mountain here is a generous term. Okay, moving on. 

On our way back down we passed an area where bulls are raised. I'm talking about THE BULLS. As in the bulls for all fights, street runnings, ect. This is them! Eva noticed three men standing there. Apparently, Eva and her boyfriend knew them. So we decided to stop. Elisa translated for me and said, "Apparently, these three guys are characters. I'm sure you having grown up in McCarthy it won't be a problem. Just wanted to let you know." 

Now, some of you will understand what she meant. I can honestly say it is rare in my life now when people are so out there that they surprise me. Well it happened. I was a bit taken back at first. After a couple minutes of adjusting, however, I realized how funny this whole scene was. I couldn't help but laughing pretty much continuously. Covered in mud head to toe. They were spitting in between talking with the thickest accent I've ever heard. It made it impossible for me to understand a single word. Elisa said she barely understood. They all spoke quickly and obviously in very crass language. They offered us a beer, which Elisa and I shared one. I don't know what that was, but it was terrible. It makes PBR (or anything on that level) seem like high class beer. All these things... You could tell they are, as they described to me "Spanish Cowboys" because of the way they were! 

When we arrived two of the men were watching off in the distance the other man. He was bringing in a calf who was born yesterday and had run away. Well he just picked up this little tiny bull, swung him over his shoulders, and brought him back in. He put the calf back in the pen. The calf angrily head butted the man. Which, honestly, was just adorable. 

We decided to have lunch there. The building there was, I believe, an old shed for birthing cattle. It was very dark with small windows. The walls were thick stone slabs. The ceiling was made of what appeared to be left over plywood in assorted random colors. Two card tables were pushed together with a dirty table cloth throw over them both. Empty beer cans covered the table... and the floor... and outside... and everywhere, if we are being honest. Trash got thrown onto the ground in one corner. The food that Eva and Elisa had brought was arranged on the table for us all to enjoy. Eva, Elisa, and I began breaking off pieces of bread with our hands. I couldn't help but laugh when I was handed a knife from one of the men. This was the same knife he had wiped on his jeans... the same jeans he had hauled a calf in from the muddy trails and such. I will never claim to be a germaphobic person. I know people even consider me concerningly unconcerned with hygienics sometimes. I'm a fan of the whole "build up your immune system thing." Let kids play in the dirt. Ect. But there is a line somewhere. Here it was. I passed on the knife. They throughly enjoyed that I couldn't understand a word of what was going on. I gave up on understanding anything at this point. Their laughter echoed in the tiny dark room with every question shot in my direction. I laughed along because, frankly, the whole event was ridiculous. 

After a while, the four of us loaded back into the car. The three cowboys offered for me to go say hi to the bulls in their pens. They swore the bulls weren't dangerous in the countryside. Not going to lie, really wanted to. But between Elisa and Eva's serious warnings, the knee deep mud, and the concerning joking mannerism of the three men, I never did go in. But I got some fun pictures! 

The rest of the afternoon the four of us explored small surrounding villages. Eva would explain architectural phenomenas in front of us. I would smile and say, "Oh wow!" But, honestly, I was crazy tired and architecture isn't exactly the most exciting thing for me. I am glad people appreciate it because I understand its important in the world. But I just can't bring myself to care. Especially when I had reached zombie stage of tiredness. I've no idea WHY I was so tired. But I was. So we explored these tiny villages for a while. 

Elisa and I headed home as the sunset covered the sky in beauty. We stopped at her parent's house to exchange cars. I said goodbye to them. They offered me a place to stay whenever I was in Spain. Her dad said he needed to give me a bottle of wine to take home with me for my parents. I laughed and said, thank you but I can't. Not only am I not going home anytime soon, but the moment I step foot in America I am not allowed to be hauling around wine. It would be a bit of a problem for so many reasons. I told him I would pass along the lovely sentiment. (Mom, Dad, this is me passing that along!) Have I mentioned I already can't wait to come back to Spain to spend more time with these folks? Well, I can't! They are all so great. I'm so honored they took me in with such open arms. 

This morning, I packed. Elisa and I will spend tonight and tomorrow at Arturo's mom's house. Then I'm off to Madrid to catch a plane to China! So this is my last day in Arturo and Elisa's house. How time flies... So crazy. A big "to be continued" stamp on this. But for now, I'm off to enjoy the sun. You can tell it's a sunny day because of the way it is! 

  

Calvin and Hobbes' Wisdom

"You know what's weird? Day by day, nothing seems to change, but pretty soon... everything's different." -Calvin from "Calvin and Hobbes"

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Why yes. I did quote Calvin and Hobbes for an introduction. Accept how great that is now.

Okay, ready to go now? Alright.

This morning, I said goodbye to Arturo. How odd that was. I can't believe my time in Spain is coming to a close! I felt like I just got here. How time flies... We ended our farewell's by saying, "I'll see you in Alaska." The ultimate place to reconnect. Or something like that...

Elisa and I headed to our morning adventure spot. Albarraćin is a town nestled in the mountains between Torremocha and Teruel. Despite being a crazy picturesque spot, it also is known for it's bouldering surrounding the town. As an especially boisterous climber always said to me, "Rinky dinky climbing." Still makes me laugh. Elisa and I drove to the area, parked the car, and began to hike around. The tricky part for us was finding a trail amidst the ice and mud. Either the path was ankle deep mud that would eat your feet, or ice that would eat any of your traction. See what I did there? It's okay. You can laugh later.

The red rocks enclosed the entire area. Everywhere you looked was obvious bouldering possibilities. We saw several groups of people climbing. Including, my favorite, two parents and a small boy, who was no more than three-years-old clambering along. Crash pads... Crash pads everywhere. It was super fun to see. Have no fear, my fellow travelers! If you are not a climber, you too will enjoy this hiking area! Why? Because on some rocks are cliff drawings that are apparent and easy to access. The trails, when not muddy or icy, are very well kept and easy hiking. It makes for quite the nice day in a quite, nature filled area. Elisa confirmed my suspicions by saying the weekends and summer time is quite crowded. I can imagine. So you're options are muddy trails or crowded paths. Either way, you will see a magnificent spot. I was quite taken.

We walked for a bit. The paths go on for kilometers on kilometers. We didn't have time for that, although we both agreed we could easily spend all day hiking around there. So we found a good lookout over the valley below. I gazed being eerily reminded of a certain lookout near my house overlooking Boulder. I had to pinch myself. You're in Spain, Rebecca. Gorgeous views every where in life!

Finally, we headed back. We went back to the town of Albarrćiin. I asked Elisa to stop at the climbing shop "Sofa Boulder." I desperately hoped they would have a sticker with that name. They did not. Oh well. A fun store nonetheless.

Continuing on, we explored the town for a little bit. It is a classic medieval town with narrow cobblestone streets, castle walls, cramped houses, and the like. What makes it so picturesque is where the town rests. Most, if not all, of the buildings sit on top of rocky edges and are made of vibrant red rocks from the surrounding area. The river runs at the bottom of the valley beneath the town. Across the valley, rock cliffs watch over the town. The town is busy during the summer I imagine. But now few people quietly walked around and their voices were heard less than the roar of the river. Beautiful.

We headed to Teruel, now. Since my time in Spain is coming to a close, Elisa's niece and nephew wanted to spend one last day with me. So Elisa dropped me off at their house for the afternoon. When I arrived, Carmen lured me into a game of Monopoly. I taught her the important rule of waiting a bit to buy things as to not lose ground quickly. We never found out the real winner because, really, does Monopoly end? Has anyone ever finished a game fully? It was very fun though because the Spanish-English got going full speed. A sentence would contain English, Spanish, and jibber-jabber contributed by Icar.

I had lunch with the whole family. Delicious. Jose took the kids back to school. Amparo and I cleaned up a bit, then headed into Teruel. We went to a bar for cups of coffee. We sat and talked for a while. I am confident my Spanish was not well presented. However, I felt like it was one of the most understood conversations I've had. I felt very accomplished. Her friend joined us after a while. We discussed differences in schooling between America and Spain, my upcoming trip to China, my job in Alaska, and so on. I remembered my first lunch with Elisa's family. I don't think I said one word. And now I was having a full conversation! I remember the introductions and now I felt like a member in this amazing family. Day to day, nothing seems to change, but pretty soon... everything is different. I'm so fortunate to have met them. Splendid people through and through. I already can't wait to come back.

Around five, after Amparo and I picked up the kids from school, Elisa met us back at the house. I said my final goodbye's and thank you's, then Elisa and I headed to our final stop of the day. The spa. Yes. Oh my goodness, so much yes. So here's how this works. It's a dark quiet room (no kids under 14 years old!) with a bunch of different pools. There is a whole route you take. Each pool is different. Some are colder, some hotter. Some have salts and such, some not. Some have certain jet streams that massage sore muscles. If you follow their suggested route, it's fantastic. They have it figured out. One has a reclining chair immersed in water with massaging jet streams lining the whole chair. Another has this thing that shoots water up at exactly the level of your feet so that you can float effortlessly. Get the picture? And you just relax and enjoy life. The last stops are saunas, a bed of hot rocks to walk across for your feet, steam showers, and finally warmed reclining chairs in an entirely dark room with "stars" above you. Whew. Amazing. Any sloppiness in my writing I'm attributing to the relaxed, sleepy state I'm in post spa.

I couldn't help think about how crazy fast my month here has gone. I know, I know. I still have a couple days. So I'll save my full on speech. But I just wanted to tag a few thoughts here. I remembered my first month or so in Europe. It was a lot harder than I'd like to admit. There were times I just wanted to go home. But I knew if I did, I would hate myself even more. So I toughed it out. And now? (Don't listen Mom...) The thought of going home seems kind of crazy. I love what I'm doing! How can I stop this?! And I look back. There was never a moment of thinking "Okay, I'm good now!" No. Instead, day by day, pretty soon... Everything was different. That scares me a bit. Life can so easily change without us knowing. But at the same time. Thank God it does. Because now I have my Spanish family who I play Monopoly and drink coffee with. Because now I know I can conquer any fear in my life. Because now I know I'm stronger than I ever thought I could be. I may not have felt the change, but I can see it now. Day by day, nothing seems to change, but pretty soon... everything is different.