A Few Really Good Reasons to Move to Spain

So we're back in Valencia Spain again, where we live half the year. Why were these people outside our door yesterday? We don't know, there are too many parades here to keep track of. 

And while we're still on the fence about going full-time, it's hard not to notice that there is a lot to like about living here.

I realize that not everyone is as alarmed as we are about the bizarre and horrifying changes happening in the Good Ol' U.S.A. I'll refrain from any sort of recap, because I don't have the thousand or so hours it would take to even get started. Let's just say the political climate is not to our liking.

I also recognize that we're coming from a place of privilege: there are not a ton of folks who can just pick up and move to new country. If you're just trying to make ends meet, or have overwhelming work and family obligations, it probably sounds like debating whether or not to hop on a rocket ship to the moon.

Of course this post will be followed by a bunch of Really Good Reasons NOT to Move to Spain, because I always have a long list of "cons" for any proposition more complicated than "shall I have another cup of coffee?" But let's start with just a few of the most obvious factors that make Spain an appealing choice when compared with the United States.

And Away We Go!

 

We've done this countless times before: wing off in to the wild blue yonder, headed for a distant land, often for months at a time.

Frequent-traveler types tend to have everything wired, and can toss a tiny carry-on bag onto a bed, and a half-hour later have everything they need cleverly packed and ready!

I am so not one of those people.

There is almost nothing about my personality that suggests living in two different countries would be a good idea. 

Why is Creatine Suddenly Trendy and Should We Be Taking It?

 

You've probably seen them too: those jars full of mysterious creatine powder in health food stores. They usually sit in what I think of as the "boys" section, where products often feature the word "Gain" instead of "Lose." Of course I know that's sexist of me. Because it's no longer just beefy lads still sweating from their Crossfit workouts who go in search of quick, easy ways to get more jacked after weightlifting, or to get some modest performance gains in intense excercise situations. These days more and more women want to be Biggest Gainers too, not just Biggest Losers.

But I was never that tempted myself. Mild performance gains didn't seem worth the money or hassle, especially since I am not a competitive athlete. Competitive athletes are those who perform athletics among and against other people. Wheras I would prefer that other people not exist while I am exercising. Competitive athletes are known to challenge themselves to the max, and endure a great deal of pain and suffering in order to squeeze out every last watt of power from their well-crafted bodies. And, well, screw that. A hard pass on optional suffering.

So why am I now dutifully ingesting a heaping teaspoon full of creatine powder every day? Is there more to it than cosmetics and a mild performance boost?

The Forest for the Trees

 

I've been craving the forest lately. A strange sort of craving, actually: almost drug-like in its promise to deliver me from my worries and gloom, to transport me to a place that feels a bit like a dream. It's like I need my fix. I feel a bit restless until I can get out there again.

We're lucky to live near a trail, and right now the glorious autumn weather makes the walk idyllic. In summer, it's full of fierce mosquitos, and a bizarrely persistent sort of fly.  We call them our "personal" flies because they will circle our heads for miles, laughing as we swat at them, helpless to dislodge them. So summers, we walk in town.

And in a few weeks, we'll be in Valencia, Spain for half a year. It's a beautiful city with immersive destinations of its own! But they tend to be cultivated, not wild, and crowded full of other people. I know other people exist, and have every right to enjoy the outdoors with me. But, and I don't mean this in a bad way: Fuck off, other people! You can come back later when I'm not in the mood for a solitary stroll.

All that's to say: these woods walks are precious, and I'm trying to enjoy the hell out of them these next few weeks. And as it happens, there's a bit of a trick to it.

Whichever Way the Wind Blows...

Is it just me? Or is anyone else feeling a bit... unsettled lately? Indecisive? Overthinky? Alternating between lethargic paralysis and impulsive action, quickly followed by regret, and then further paralysis, ad infinitum?

Do you have any important life decisions you just can't seem to make? 

Or maybe it is just me.

Case in point: this blog. I started it up again on a whim. You may notice I went ahead and changed the scope and the title, so I can post about whatever the hell I want, not just health and fitness. Chatty, my Cheerfully Incompetent Research Assistant, helped me construct a new header. Which, after many iterations, still came out looking super crappy. Too small and cramped and blurry. Oh well.

Will I perservere and fix it? Or maybe change the title again? Stop blogging? Write more fiction? Stop writing entirely and focus on trying and failing to learn Spanish?

Oh, and speaking of Spanish: Will we move to Spain full time? Maybe to San Diego? Or keep going back and forth between two lives in two different countries indefinitely?

I can't seem to make up my mind about anything. 

Actually, that's not quite accurate: I make up my mind all the time. Then change it. Then change it again and again.

So what's going on? I don't know for sure, but I do have a few theories.