June Highlights: Hellos and Goodbyes
Hello to my Family!
After nearly 9 months of separation, I reunited with my family for weeks in early June. Being away from home for so long has been harder than anticipated, and I was looking forward to their visit for weeks before they arrived. Mom, Dad, and sister visited Barcelona on their own before moving to my neck of the woods, where I did my very best to be a proper hostess and tour guide, taking them through lovely Bilbao, San Sebastián, and Gaztelugatxe. I was also able to take some time off work and travel with them to Madrid, which I was really excited to share with them as well. It was especially nice to go to Madrid because I got to see parts of the city I hadn't visited before, including the incredible art collection at the Thyssen and a day trip to Segovia to see the Roman ruins and Aqueduct.
They were great sports through it all. (And I'm not just saying that because my mom is my main reader and biggest fan.) They stayed pretty upbeat despite dozens of bus rides, weird food, and crazy jet lag. I know it was a huge sacrifice of time and money, and I am immensely grateful that there were willing to make the trip and play along with all my adventures. It's quite a special thing to spend time with the people you love, no matter the frequency. And it is something altogether more special when you are able to share with those people the things and places that are special to you. And if I haven't made it abundantly clear already, Spain is extraordinarily special to me.
By sheer coincidence, luck, or perhaps through the crafty manipulation of our ancestors watching over us, our cousins the Scanlons happened to be in the area at the same time. They were kind enough to meet us for a very Spanish lunch (which is a standard 2-3 hours) and listen to me nerd out about Spain a bit. It was so lovely to see them, and I hope they loved Euskal Herria as much as I do!
Farewell to the Trails
One of my main motivations for choosing the Basque Country out of the other regions in Spain was its breathtaking mountainous landscape. I've loved hiking here, especially since it's so different than any hiking I've done in the states. In addition to its unique beauty, Gorbea Natural Park (pictured below) is quite important in Basque mythology. Legend has it that Basajaun, lord of the forests, inhabits the deepest part of Gorbea's forests. As does Mari, the main goddess. (That's right. God is a woman. You heard it here first.) When walking through this majestic landscape, it's easy to see why these mountains inspired a bit of magic.
Urkiola is equally beautiful and its reaching peaks offer fantastic 360 views. White jagged rocks poke through the grass like blooming wildflowers scattered up and down the mountain.
Adios to Castro Urdiales
As a final day trip, I took the bus to Castro Urdiales, a beach town just over the border in Cantabria. A lot of my high school students commute from this town so that they can learn Basque language, and they were always singing its praises. And rightfully so. You can enjoy lovely views and great seafood from port to promenade. There's 2 main beaches in addition to El Pedregal, a small natural pool, formed out of a cave when the tide is high.
Goodbye to the Basque Country
As I write this, I am sitting on a Spanish-style terrace in the Catalan countryside, surrounded by green hills and red rocks, while a particularly vocal flight of swallows dip in and out of the Vallclara's main (and only) street. In a month or so, I'll leave this quaint village and set out on the Camino de Santiago, a trek I've dreamed of completing since I was in high school. By time I finish walking, I will have lived in Spain for one full year and about to begin my second; this time in Asturias, a scenic mountain region of northern Spain.
How did I get so damn lucky?
The truth is, I don't believe in luck. "Luck" seems to insult hard work. But I do believe in gratitude. And I sincerely hope that everything I do, say, or post is delivered with a fraction of the gratitude I feel. I recognize what a hugely privileged position I am in, both in the U.S. and here abroad. Privilege that has been made possible in part by the support system of friends and family back home. When you move to a new country, a place you can't truly claim as your own, you can feel a bit lost. I certainly did. The comfort of knowing you belong somewhere is a privilege I didn't fully realize I had until I lost it. But in hard times, you shouldn't look for luck. You should look for gratitude. And I have so very many things to be grateful for, including the teachers and students at my school in Muskiz. Without them, I wouldn't have improved my Spanish, learned how to teach, or really felt at home in Bilbao. In fact, I would probably be flying back to the U.S. right now, feeling homesick and defeated.
Please don't just read this and think, "What a lucky girl. To visit these wonderful places and have people on both sides of the ocean who care." Luck has had nothing to do with it. I hope you read this instead as a call to action. If you have any amount of privilege, I hope you use it to help someone else just as the people of the Basque Country have helped me. Just as I hope to help my students. I hope you realize how humbling and difficult it can be to be away from home, to learn a new language, and navigate a new culture, even with all the resources I am fortunate enough to have.
Please have empathy for people living in the U.S. who look, sound, or act differently than you. Before you judge someone's English, please think of the patience I have been shown here with my Spanish and show them the same courtesy. They, like all of us, just want to feel comfortable in the place they are at, and we all have the power to make other people feel safe and welcome.
And I hope you use your privilege to help make others feel at home, wherever you are.
I know that most of my readers are related to me, or friends of my mom. So I know you just want to see a few nice pictures of me smiling on the beach. But it's incredibly important to me that I communicate just how much I have depended on the kindness and tolerance of others to adapt and thrive here. And if you have any loving feelings toward me at all, I hope you pay those acts of kindness forward.
Cheers to a great June and wishing all who read an even better July!
Agur,
Julia
Miss you Julia! Hope one day I can go and do the Camino as well… big bucket list item for me! As we are in our early 20’s it’s often common to feel pushed to get a normal job/internship coming out of college. But I’m so proud of your decision to travel and experience all our world has to offer. This post especially has affirmed a lot of my thoughts on opportunities I’ve had recently and I’m so grateful for you sharing! Love and miss you lots!
I am so happy to have someone with such a huge people centered heart part of my family. Well said.