Ah Ibiza. A little over a month ago, I was wearing my sundress in Ibiza. The weather was absolutely perfect. Now I sit in my apartment in Granada and it is quite cold outside! Winter has arrived in Spain! And while winter here will be way more mild than what I am used to in the United States, winter is here nonetheless. I am for sure excited to wear lots of boots and tights with my dresses. However I will miss all my sundresses. They are comfortable and easy to wear. This one is one of my favorites.
When I was in Ibiza with my friend Shola, we thought this made for a lovely backdrop. I am a big fan of green, after all. If you wish to read more on my Ibiza adventures, you can check them out here and here.
In summer 2015, I spent about a month in Nicaragua. I was supposed to be there for a year, but had to return to the United States for some personal things with my family (a story for another time). However when I was there, I was in the mindset of living there. I made a nice group of about 3-4 friends … and they all spoke English. I remember about 3-4 weeks in stopping and thinking about it. What the heck? Why did I move to an entirely different country only to make friends who are either from my country or speak my language as their first language. I had three Americans and one Scottish girl in my group. And while I still consider all of these ladies friends to this day, I knew I didn’t want to end up in the same situation in Spain.
Upon moving to Granada, Spain, my biggest goal was to immerse myself in the culture as much as possible. Practicing my Spanish was a big one, although I came here with a pretty high intermediate level (which has honestly made immersion easier). Moreover, I’m in Spain to learn about Spain. I have plenty of English speaking friends in the United States and frankly, I didn’t need a big heaping group here.
The English bubble, as I like to call it, is so easy to fall into as an expat, especially if you live in a large city. In Granada, we have something like 80-100 or more auxiliaries (other English teachers in my program). Plus we have lots of English academies that employ British and Irish teachers, and we have a university that draws expats. Basically if I wanted to, I could fill my entire circle English speakers. And while I do not think people move to a foreign country specifically to do that, many end up in this trap. After all, it’s comfortable to stay with people from your culture. You can speak your language and they get you. And you see this all over the world in different expat communities. And if this is where you are and you like it, I’m not knocking it at all. I just knew that for me, I wanted to meet and befriend more Spaniards than Americans this year. If you too would like that from your overseas experience, here are my tips.
5. Make friends with Americans who don’t live in your town
So I might have slightly lied. I have American friends who live in Spain. In fact, we are all a part of a group chat together. I love technology. This summer, I joined several Facebook groups for my program. I met and befriended different people. One of my closest new friends is a girl named Shola who lives in a town an hour or two north of me. We’ve become travel buddies and chat all the time on WhatsApp. And if she lived in Granada, I’m sure we’d hang out all the time. Which sounds like fun, but we’d never practice Spanish together if we did this.
Here are some of the ladies in said group chat. This was from that olive oil tour we went on (wrote about it here). Everyone in this picture lives at least an hour from one another. And it’s great.
When they visited this weekend, we were those Americans all together and speaking loudly. It was fun and relaxing. And it was also something I knew I didn’t come to Spain to experience every single weekend.
4. Go to intercambios
If you live in a larger city, there are tons of intercambios. What is an intercambio? I’m glad you asked! An intercambio is a weekly event where you can practice languages. They are usually held at bars and are pretty relaxed. Spaniards come wanting to practice their English and English speakers come wanting to practice Spanish. Often times connections are formed and people decide to hang out outside of the intercambio for further practice. It’s a fantastic way to meet some nice locals.
3. Make a few English speaking friends in your town … y ya esta.
So again, I do have a few. But literally like three. When in a foreign country, it is nice to have some people right there with you would you can complain about crap with. Your friends for home don’t get it and your Spanish friends don’t either. So it’s good to have a few.
And then you can invite them out with your Spanish friends and it’s not awkward because you don’t have like 20 people (flashbacks to freshman year of college and hanging out with your dorm floor all the time).
Here my American friend Cassie and I are with some new friends on Halloween. She’s the one in from in white. She later joked that this is the one and only time she’ll ever be a giant. I’m in the back looking a bit …
2. Live with Spaniards
It took me a week to find my piso and crying was involved. I came to Granada at a time when everyone was looking. It was like we were all vying for the same spots. And sure, I could have found a nice English-speaker or two to go find a place with. But I held out. I knew that my level of Spanish could only go up if I lived with Spaniards. And lo and behold, I found these lovely people to live with. This photo is them mixed in with my American friends when they came to visit. We made them American breakfast.
An olive oil tour in Granada, Spain is the perfect way to spend a girls weekend! This past weekend, I saw a new side of Granada with three of my fellow English teachers who live in different parts of Andalusia. For those of you who are first timers to A World of Dresses, I’m an American girl who now teaches English in Granada, Spain. Granada is a nice city in the South known for free tapas (with the order of a drink), the Alhambra and the beautiful architecture. That is the city that I live in. However Granada is also a province with many cute towns and lots of olive trees. My fellow English teacher friend Sharifa organised a little outing for us and I could not say no. I’ve always loved olive oil and olives.
Through an online search, she found Olive Oil Tour in Granada. The tour includes a bit of history and a bit of tasting. And for a little extra, you can sample some Spanish wines and eat tapas.
Part 1
The tour starts out in Granada. They will arrange to pick you up somewhere central in the city. There were four of us Americans on the tour and a family of three New Zealanders. The tour was led by a nice French woman and she gave it in English. According to the website, the tour can be given in English, Spanish and French.
From Granada, we drove outside of the city for about 30 minutes. Our destination was the lovely town of Niguelas, Spain. However we first stopped to take a look at the olives and the view.
Tasting a bitter olive
So has anyone attempted to taste an olive right off the tree? Apparently they taste horrible. What we eat is after it has been cleaned and prepped. However she opened it up for us to try. Sharifa stepped up to the plate. She said it was way more awful tasting than she had thought.
So pro-tip if you find yourself in the countryside of Southern Spain: don’t just go grabbing olives off of olive trees.
The olives and the people
Many Spaniard families in this area have a group of olive trees that have been passed down through the generations. A plot of maybe 20-30 is sufficient. Here is an example. They are watered through and old but efficient irrigation system.
The xv century oil mill
Next, we all piled back into the van and drove into the town of Niguelas. I just love little Spanish towns. They are so cute and so different from the bustling city life. Once in the town, we parked and walked over to the old mill where they use to make the olives and olive oil up until the 1920’s. It’s so neat being around things and spaces that were used long ago.
Here is where they separated the olives by family.
Then we walked inside where they’re created a small museum. We got to see how the oil was broken down and processed many years ago. They would use these huge stones and would work for many hours. They even had a few beds for when people wanted a quick siesta.
It was neat to see what they used so long ago and just imagine life in the mill. I’m sure it was such hard work.
Time to eat and drink
This part may have been my favorite. I love any opportunity to eat and drink. I was especially excited for some olives and may have eaten a few too many black olives.
The tasting was guided. Each participant had a placemat and little cups of olive oil numbered 1-5.
We each got a few gifts to take home. I’m excited to try my olive oil. They also had various wines, olive oils and other olive-based products available for purchase.
Overall, the wine tour was a fun experience. If you are in Granada for a bit, it’s a neat way to see a different part of the region. Oh and I snapped a few photos of the town on the way out.
Did you know about Spain’s history with olive oil? Did you know that olive oil in Spain was such a big deal? What do you normally eat olive oil with?
Oh and if you find yourself in Granada, Spain, here are the details of the tour:
My friend Shola and I came to Ibiza to attend a Kizomba dance conference. For those of you unfamiliar, Kizomba is a style of dance similar to salsa only in that it is a partner dance. Kizomba, however, actually originated in Angola and has had significant popularity in Africa. My friend Shola is a fan of dance in general and thus various dance conferences and events are always on her radar. When she saw that this one was happening in Ibiza, she jumped on the opportunity. After all, she was going to be living in Spain like me and teaching English. She needed a buddy and I said “why not?” It was my first time learning Kizomba and both of our first time in Ibiza.
The hotel
Upon arrival, the hotel seemed decent. It is situated on the beach and is within walking distance of shops and restaurants. It has a pool, tennis courts, a restaurant and other such typical things of a hotel. Had I seen more elaborate hotels? Absolutely. But it seemed nice and was definitely worth the price we got through the conference.
The room
We noticed a stark difference going from the lobby to the second floor where our room was located. In fact, we both took a look around and were like “well, this hallway isn’t as nice.” Don’t get me wrong … the hallway was clean and all. It just was more basic and felt like we were back in the 1970’s. I suppose I’m used to hotel chains in the United States and their pristine hallways.
The room was nice. I was loving the balcony! We had a nice view.
The layout of the room was nice. It was generally clean and comfortable.
Spain vs. the United States
As I’m adjusting to life here in Spain, I’m of course noticing all of the differences between the two cultures. In the United States, a majority of hotel rooms have carpeted floors. There is normally one bed that is either queen or king-sized. And in this hotel, you had to put your room key in this slot to activate the electricity.
My friend Shola and I initially burst out laughing when we saw the two beds pushed together. However it did allow for each of us to have our own space, which was nice.
No two countries are alike (okay maybe the US and Canada come VERY close). So when moving from one to another, it’s normal to miss things about your home country and fall in love with other things that your country does not have. One of my goals as a blogger this year as I live in Spain is to paint an accurate picture of life as an expat. This means that sometimes it’s all sandy beaches, Instagram photos and red wine. Sure, it often is amazing like my weekend in Ibiza. However if I were to pretend that it’s always amazing, I’d be lying to you. And I hate lying to my readers or anyone, for that matter.
There have been some things that I’ve had to adjust to here in Spain. At the end of the day, I do want to stress that I’ve moved from one developed country to another. These are things that yes, I miss. But overall, life is still pretty comfortable here in Spain. So without further ado, here are the 5 US comforts you’ll miss in Spain.
5. Uber
Uber, the super easy ride-requesting service, does not exist here in Spain. I’m not sure all the details, but I heard that they tried it in some of the bigger cities and the taxi drivers got mad. Where I live in Granada, we have taxi stations. Sure, you could also flag one down but it’s often easier to just go to one of the stations. They usually have about three lined up at said stations. However there’s nothing like just touching a button on your phone to request a ride.
I really could have used an Uber the day I moved my suitcases from my airbnb that I stayed at while I searched for a piso to my new piso. The closest taxi stand was a good five or more blocks away and I had to lug it all through the streets. And sure, I could have called a taxi company and requested that they come to my door. But … I just miss Uber. Also being able to pay with your card is amazing. Luckily most taxis are under 5 euro and aside from my move, I rarely take one.
On the upside
All of Europe has something called BlaBla Car. It’s a ride sharing app that makes going from one city to another easy and cheap. I’ve started using it a lot. I wish we had this in the United States.
4. Different shop hours
Now I want to start by saying that I live in Andalusia, the Southern region of Spain that observes the siesta. This means that from the hours of 2-5 the entire town shuts down. People go home to be with their family or nap. Then at 5, you back to work until 9, which is when you eat dinner. Not all parts of Spain observe the siesta but they do all eat dinner at 9.
A scheduled in nap sounds great, right? Before I lived in Spain, the idea of the siesta sounded amazing. However now that I’m here and am programmed to think that business hours are 9-5 like back home, it can be a challenge. Want to go to the bank at 2:30? Nope. Want to by groceries on a Sunday? Nope. And on holidays, literally everything is shut down. The only businesses that don’t close are some of the Chinese-owned shops. It’s not their culture to take a siesta and they probably make a little business by staying open.
On the upside
I love naps.
3. No coffee to-go
I love coffee and have to have it every morning. In the United States if I’m running late and have no time to make some at home, I can just stop by any gas station or go through a Starbucks drive-through. Here in Spain, coffee to-go is not so much of a thing. Spaniards do love their coffee just in a cafe where they can enjoy it out of a mug and have a nice chat with their amigo. So either I make it at home or I try to quickly drink a coffee in a cafe. And trust me, I’ve become real good at sitting at the cafe bar, ordering a cafe con leche (coffee with milk), gulping it down and asking “cuanto es?” (how much) in about 10-15 minutes. I think I’ve even done it in 5.
While I love the culture of enjoying your coffee, I also miss my home culture where I think if we invented coffee IV tubes, they’d sell out.
On the upside
Maybe I don’t need huge cups of coffee in my life? Also less littering this way.
2. The hot water not always being on
In the United States anywhere I’ve lived, you just turn the faucet over to the hot side if you want hot water. In my piso here in Spain, it’s not that easy. We have this tank of gas called a bombera hooked up to the water system (and I apologize if this is not the correct lingo … I’m literally just describing it). I then have to turn the switch over to the gas side and hit this button to ignite a flame. Then I have to wait about 30 seconds (I usually just scroll through Instagram) with the gas button pushed in. If I let it out too soon, I have to ignite a new flame. Once it’s lit, I can go take a shower.
One morning the tank ran out of gas in the middle of my morning shower. Like I’m showering like normal and all of a sudden cold water. The funny thing was that I went back to ignite the flame and it stayed … then it would go out when I was in the shower. So after two times of re-lighting the flame with no success, I just washed my hair in the sink and made do. And I was late to my carpool that day.
that silly flame you have to ignite
On the upside
There is none. This was my worst morning in Granada thus far.
1. No clothing dryers
So if you want to buy a dryer, I’m sure you could. However the majority of the people here only have a washer. They then hang their clothing out to dry. In the US, I never realized how last-minute I would do laundry. You take it for granted that drying your clothes takes maybe an hour. Here if I need to do laundry, I have to plan ahead to ensure that the clothing I want to wear is dry for when I want to wear it. That has definitely taken a bit to get adjusted to.
Washers … in the kitchen
On the upside
Save energy? That freshly-dried smell? Who knows.
Have you made the move to a foreign country? What were some of the things you missed from your home country?
Hi everyone! I have not written as many posts as of late. That is because I am moving to Spain tomorrow! Like tomorrow in the early afternoon, I board a series of flights which will eventually land me in Málaga, Spain. I am currently staying in a hostel in Chicago with my bags all packed. And let me tell you … it was hard to figure out what to take and what to leave behind. A fashion blogger preparing for a year of living overseas … that’s some entertainment. But I made it and am happy with what I brought.
I also realized that I never told you guys why I made the switch from living in Jaén to living Granada. So here goes.
My Granada story
I am teaching English in Spain for a year (and maybe a few more) through a program sponsored by the government. They take everyone on a first come first serve basis and placed you at a school all year long. You give them your preferences on where and how big of a city, but they kind of just do what they want anyway. So I ended getting my first choice location: Andalusia. I however got placed in a small town rather than a big city like I had asked. I’ll admit that I was crushed and also just worried about how I’d get to work and out of the town if I wanted to travel. So I e-mailed my school.
They responded right away and told me it’d be best to live in Jaén, a city of like 115,000 about 35 minutes away. So it was doable. I began keeping an eye on apartments and in general was thinking about life in Jaén.
Then in August my ride to and from school changed because the one teacher I was going to ride with switched schools. Another teacher was commuting from Granada, so that became an option and I jumped on it! Here are some reasons I’m excited to live in Granada
Many bars offer free tapas if you’re drinking
Flamenco dancing
It’s 250,000 vs. 115,000
It’s closer to the beach
It’s beautiful
EVERYONE says amazing things about it
So folks … I’m living in Granada. Yes, this will mean a longer commute but that’s okay! More time to practice Spanish. And … guys … I’m going to live in Granada!
The last days
I wanted to round up some photos from my last days here. It’s been fun and real.
mmm Eli’s bbq
My best friend!quick Tennessee trip
I’ll have a whole weekend in Tennessee post coming soon folks! The next time you hear from me, I’ll be in Spain!
Today is Wednesday. In just two weeks, I’ll be either in the air or on a layover somewhere in Europe. Spain is actually getting close and real. It’s both scary and exciting.
For those of you who do not know, I’m moving to Spain to teach English. All summer I thought I was moving to the city of Jaén. Instead I’ll be living in Granada and plan to tell my lovely e-mail subscribers the whole story this Friday. Speaking of, have you subscribed to my Spain list? I’ll be sending out two e-mails a month with exclusive posts about my Granada and Europe experience, travel tips, travel deals and lots of beautiful photos. You will not want to miss out. Click here to subscribe.
Anyway, so the look I’m going with today is my mint green dress. I found this on Poshmark. I’ve actually been poshing a lot lately as I cannot take all my clothing with me to Spain. Honestly, packing lighter is better. They have most of the same things we do here and I know I’ll shop over there. So for now, I’m getting rid of dresses, shirts, accessories and a few scarves. You should definitely go take a look! Any money earned on Posh funds all my big moving expenses.
I initially downloaded the app back in I want to say April or May. This dress was so stinkin cute and from Modcloth. Modcloth dresses are normally $60 or more. I got this one for $25. That’s one of the coolest things about Poshmark. If you like a certain brand, you can follow that brand and find things on there. Like it’s great for people who love more high end brands like Kate Spade and Michael Kors. For me, I love looking for Modcloth stuff on there.
My mint green dress
My favorite thing about Modcloth are the vintage looks they create. I can spend hours on their website searching through their dresses and shoes. It can be addicting. My favorite thing about this dress was the neckline.
This is the only thing I’ll be buying from Poshmark for a while. As I said before, I have so much that I need to downsize (ps. you can shop my closet over there on the sidebar!). I know that I’ll still be left with having to leave things behind.
I have goals …
The other day, I wrote out a long to-do list of all the things I need to do before I leave. I’m sailing through it but still know I won’t be able to think of everything. That is okay. I need to keep reminding myself that all will be okay. I’ll arrive in one piece. I’ll find a wonderful apartment and I’ll have the time of my life. It’ll be one of the best and most challenging experiences of my life. I’m ready, or so I tell myself.
In short, I’ve learned that life is also about goals and self growth. One of the things I dislike about myself is my disorganization. I see it all over the place with my blog. I set a schedule and then I don’t stick to it. There are a million things I want to do and then don’t. I see it in my car and in my room. And I’ve known for some time now that it needs to change.
It’s happening
So right here on my blog, I’m proclaiming that I will be better. I want to note that better does not mean perfect. In this new chapter of my life overseas, I’ll be more structured with my life. I’ll run more regularly, keep a tidier room and stick to a better blogging schedule. I’m so excited to see where it takes me. And if I fail a few times, that’s okay.
Do you like turning over new leaves? What are some of the biggest changes you want to make in your life?
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Also photos were taken by Paige Dunn. Check out her work on Facebook here.
Ah your late 20’s. Your late 20’s are when you’re supposed to be getting married, getting pregnant (random aside … Pinterest keeps having pictures of pregnant women in dresses pop up on my homefeed. What on Earth are they telling me?), going to grad school, making the big bucks and generally feeling confident in where you are in life. I only have one of those five things on that list (no I’m not pregnant and no, I’m not making mounds of $$). Instead I’m fleeing to Spain.
This fall, I’m fitting all my things into two suitcases and moving to Jaén, Spain in the Andalusia region. I’m basically fleeing to Spain. Excited does not even begin to describe what I’m feeling. I’ll be turning 29 in only a few short weeks and could not be more ready to make a big, international move. Now is the time in my life when I can and will do exactly what I want. And there’s nothing more that I want in life right now than to live in Spain, drink wine, eat tapas, speak Spanish every day and spend my off time seeing all the parts of Europe I haven’t seen yet. Also, cobble-stoned streets and old Spanish cathedrals make for great photoshoot locations. I’ll just need a good photographer … know of anyone in Jaén, Spain? Jk but not really. The blogging struggle when moving far far away will be so real.
But enough about my worries because they will keep coming. I’m moving to another country … of course I will not completely stop thinking about all the things I need to make happen. This is intended to help me breathe and also help anyone else out like me. Maybe you too want to take that big adventure, whatever it may be. Do it!
Anyway, here’s why I’m fleeing to Spain at 29 (almost!)
1. To really experience a different culture
One of the best ways to expand your mind is learn about other cultures. There are over 200 countries in this world. America’s way of doing things may not always be the best way. But how would we know unless we really experience how the rest of the world works?
When I move to Spain, I want as much immersion as I can get. I want roommates who speak no English so that I’m forced to communicate in Spanish every day. I want a group of friends where I’m the only English-speaker. I want to befriend my neighborhood barista. Understanding a new culture through relationships with others will give me a unique perspective I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.
2. To travel
Right now, my heart is to be seeing the world. While backpacking through Europe sounds great, in reality I do not know when I’d actually have a month worth of time to just go or the money. Furthermore, I want to go now.
When you’re already living in Europe, a weekend trip to Portugal, Morocco, France, the UK, etc. is not too shabby. It’s also pretty inexpensive. I’m excited to see where my travels take me. If anyone has any tips or a couch, feel free to let me know!
Me in Barcelona about a year ago
3. To relax and work less
My job next year only requires me to work 12 hours a week. On top of that, many people teach private English lessons for extra money. All together, I doubt I’ll break a 30-hour work week. I’m so ready. We work too much in the United States. Our culture focuses on careers too much and I often question why.
4. To eat and drink
Spain is a wine country and the food is amazing.
5. To really, truly speak fluent Spanish
You know it’s hilarious, really. At times I do start thinking “oh, maybe I should go to grad school. Maybe I should worry about my future. What job will I get if and when I return?”
Then I stop and think … I’ll be effing bilingual when I return. Like for real. Like right now bilingual appears on my business card and I have a lot of conversations in Spanish. But I mess up grammar tenses, misunderstand things, etc. at times.
However after several years of total immersion in Spain, I’ll be good. I also read that the Spanish-speaking population in the US is predicted to be around 138 million by 2050. Job security? For sure.
So in short go after your dreams. Live in a foreign country and eat the tapas, if that’s what you want!
High school. You remember it well. The sound of a slammed locker door, gross cafeteria food, trapper keepers and cliques. It was fun while it lasted, but you would never want to go back. Well … you’d probably physically want to go back …
However you’d watch Lindsey Lohan and Rachel McAdams play high schoolers any day. That right there is where we will kick off my 5 amazingly fetch favorites from the week (fetch … it’s like slang … in … England).
5. It’s like I have ESPN or something …
I seriously think I have lost count on how many times I have seen Mean Girls. I can quote it frontwards and backwards. Yet it also never gets old. So when a friend invited me to a Mean Girls movie night, I of course could not say no. My only regret was that it happened on a Wednesday and I forgot to wear pink.
Watching this movie is also such a flashback for me. It came out April 30, 2004, which was the Spring of my junior year of high school. I literally cannot believe that was 12 years ago! Here are a few of my fashion observations from that time period:
There were LOTS of mini skirts
There was a fair amount of midriff showing
Flared pants were still a thing
Hoop earrings
Also this meme is just great:
4. The long-lost friend catch up
Everyone, this is Kendra. Kendra is a close friend and one of the original ladies I featured on the blog. Back in the fall when I had no idea what I was doing, she volunteered to let me feature her and her amazing dresses. This is one of them and it is adorable! Who doesn’t love a good spring floral (ps: have you seen my floral dresses Pinterest board?)?
Yesterday we caught up after several weeks of not seeing each other. It was good just to catch up.
3. I finally made it to improv
Little known fact: I’m in an improv comedy troupe. I’ve been a part of Highly Improvable, a local Cincinnati improv comedy group, for the past three years now. I love it. It’s especially empowering being a woman up on stage in a world that is often dominated by men.
However when life hits, you sometimes take a step back. My mom passed away in January and I just was not in an “improv” place when it happened. So from January until last week, I did not make it to Monday night practice. And my first Monday back was AWESOME! I enjoyed myself so much. We came up with the most ridiculous stuff and I just enjoyed it. Also, I missed all my troupemates.
2. Rest and relaxation
My weekend was full of lots of rest and downtime. It was great. I tried to use that time wisely and work on my blog.
1. Spain!!!!
I got word last Friday that I will be moving there to teach English somewhere in the province of Andalusia. So now I can go find my Spanish husband. I joke but I’m maybe … serious.
This is me in Andalusia last summer. I was at a beachside restaurant in Malaga, my favorite city in all of Spain.
That was my week. What fetch things happened to you this past week?
