MY GIFT TO YOU—GET YOUR FREE EBOOK—“THE 5-DAY JOURNEY TO CULTURAL AWARENESS”!
We just lived and walked through the “Days of Lasts.” Not fun, but we will carry those precious days and moments in our memory box as we cross the bridge into our new “Land of Unknown.”
After landing on the other side of the pond, we battled jet lag—with a 6-hour time difference between North America and Europe.
We also entered a new time zone—the “Days of Firsts.”
Everything is New. Everything is a Beginning. Everything is a ‘First.’
It’s like saying “hello” to our new country!
—First Spanish soccer practice for kids
—First bocadillo (Spanish sandwich)
—First “real” paella in a long time
—First tapas bar in a long time
—First time to drive our new van
—First “fender bender” in our new van . . . a “hit and run” (first time for that too!)
—First time to drive around our new town
—First time greeting our new neighbors
—First time meeting our new boss and colleagues
—First time to the town hall for our residence papers
—First time to visit the house where we will live for the next year
—First time to meet our Spanish landlord
—First time for Pierre to play in the neighborhood park
—First time to get groceries at our local “mercado” store
—First ice cream out with our new friends
—First time Pierre plays with the Spanish neighbor boy
—First Spanish bakery—oh the smell!
—First parking ticket in Spain because we couldn’t read the “no parking” signs
—First time Vincent pays a parking ticket in Spain
—First little Spanish girl wanting to practice English with us
—First night’s sleep in our new house
—First glass of Spanish Tinto de Verano (wine spritzer)—here’s a recipe!
—First time Bernie runs around his new yard and “marks his territory” everywhere!
—First yummy churros and chocolate in a long time!
—First time David meets his new classmates
—First housing contract in Spain
—First walk in our new neighborhood
—First lizard climbing up the wall
—First time going to our new international church
—First youth group night for David
—First swim at a friend’s pool
—First day hanging the laundry in our courtyard
—First attempt at a full-blown conversation in Spanish while trying to buy tools at the hardware store—my Zumba class Spanish lessons didn’t help!
—First walk in the neighborhood for Bernie and meeting other “dog friends”
—First time to buy air conditioning units because we cannot stand the heat!
—First time trying to navigate Amazon in Spanish
—First visit to the neighborhood open market down the street
—First potential Spanish friend
—First morning coffee on the back porch
—First birthday celebration in Spain and first “Happy Birthday” song to me in Spanish
—First thunderstorm
—First soccer game for boys
—First Fiesta
—First “Running of the Bulls”
—First Fireworks
This is my “Days of Firsts” list—Part 1. It’s just the beginning. So many more “firsts” to come!
It’s like saying “hello” to our new country! “Hola, Spain!”
—The Cultural Story-Weaver
MY GIFT TO YOU—GET YOUR FREE EBOOK—“THE 5-DAY JOURNEY TO CULTURAL AWARENESS”!
Let’s Weave Cultures!
Have you ever moved to a new area or country? Do you remember living in the “Days of Firsts”? What was on your list?
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures”! Write about them in the comment box below.
