tra la la la la!

I now have a fan in my room! GLORY!!!! I unplugged my desk lamp so that I could have it plugged in full time, because otherwise I only have one free outlet, and I have to share that between charging my laptop, my phone, my camera, and then fan. Not cool.

Cheers to not waking up bathing in my own sweat anymore! Cute, I know.

Amanda's mom and aunt came to Madrid this week, and on Monday night they bought us so many drinks that they wouldn't let me go home at 2am, they made me and Amanda stay at their hotel. In the morning we were hung over and still dressed in all our Spain glory, but by Tuesday morning things were getting back to normal where people actually went to work again (so therefore weren't wearing jerseys like us), so walking out of the hotel wearing obviously last night's clothing made us look like the walk of shame. But we were staying with her MOM. Ha not worth the embarrassment.

Tonight we're going to take them to the cave bars "las clandestinas" which were where people sold booze during Franco's reign (think speakeasies), and they're small and cramped and really fun in there, plus the sangria's cheap. Lets see how it goes with Agnes and Ilene tonight!

hace mucho calor

This metro strike is seriously cramping my style. I live an incredible walking-distance from my job sites, and I don't even know the way on foot. The bus network is very confusing and I wouldn't even know where to look it up. And taxis just aren't a viable way to get to work. My bosses told me not to worry. So therefore I missed the sexual-health workshop today. The only one I'll be able to attend, seeing as it was the closing session, and kind-of a party, and therefore less formal and personal as the other ones. (I definitely understand the confidentiality thing, from volunteering at The Ear.)

Yesterday I met with Mariana about how she works with these ladies regarding sexual health and general well-being. She was very helpful answering the questions I already had regarding the workshops, and she seemed very interested in what I am studying, and how I told her I wanted to learn more about the FMP and how Women's orgs work. Mariana seems like an extremely kind-hearted young woman, and I think I want to be like her when I "grow up."

The more I think about it, the more I can see myself working in a Women's Rights Org. I was telling my mom about it on the phone; I am extremely and utterly grateful that the FMP and other women's orgs provide these resources for women. From the inter-cultural workshops that I always attend (that provide social areas for women), to the immigrant legal services, and the groups for health and well-being. I think these are incredibly important resources to have, and I can't imagine them not existing. Therefore, I think that I could feel extremely happy and useful if I were a part of organizing and facilitiating these workshops in a future career path.

Speaking of future career path and "growing up," I need to be honest with myself. I am graduating in 6 months. December. At the end of this year. These thoughts and speculations about future careers aren't just daydreaming. I need to actually think about this and get the ball rolling. I need to decide what I want to get out of life, and what I want to do with myself.

So far I think a viable option is for me to move to Washington DC when I graduate. There are a plethora of Women's Rights Organizations there that are international in scope, and I feel that my time in Spain has definitely helped me (not only with my Spanish, but living cross-culturally), and I would be able to sell myself to a prospective position. I would like to go there with a job already lined up, yet I do know that since I have so much family in the area (about an hour or so away) I would have a decent saftey-net while I try to set up a life. I also have a bunch of friends that live there from Elementary school. Man, that would be weird to call them up. "Hey, so yeah, remember when I moved away 10 years ago? I'm back! Lets have that sleep-over that we were planning way back when." I also adore the East Coast, and I miss how pretty it is.

It is currently very warm in my room. Yikes. And it's hotter outside. But if I really wanted to I could walk to somewhere air-conditioned and hang out, like Corte Ingles or BurgerKing. I'll have to think about it.