Where the hell have you been?!

And what the hell are you still doing in Spain?! Two questions you might be asking, if there's anyone out there to still ask questions after my heinously long hiatus. 

To answer the first question, I've been a lot of places - Scotland, Cordoba, Champagne, Normandy, Amsterdam, Asturias, Turkey, Portugal, and most recently the States. I actually had to scroll through my instagram to remember all of those, which I realize makes me sound like a complete privileged snob/asshole. But seriously, it's been a whirlwind spring and summer of travel, as we've tried to pack in as much as we can. And in my defense, I'm still slightly jet lagged. 

The second question is a little more complicated. Graham's 3-year orders to Spain were up in May, but we're still here. And that's because...HUGE NEWS...CAPS WORTHY NEWS...

May - not just for feria!

I'm not going to lie...the last few weeks have been a whirlwind of polka dots, rebujitos, dancing, long afternoons, and late nights under the lights at the feria grounds. Starting with El Puerto, followed directly by Rota then Jerez, the first part of each week has been spent recovering from the previous feria and the last has been spent doing it all over again. This Americana has loved every minute of it (and there are still more ferias to come, but for now my dresses and dancing feet are happily taking a break) but it has certainly made for a lapse in blogging.

And May hasn't just been filled with feria, it's been a busy month in general. Especially for Graham...

Little America

Sometimes I think about how (relatively) easy our transition to living in a foreign country has been. Of course, every move has challenges, and moving overseas can be a huge endeavor. But my experience was a bit different...

Unlike true expats, there were no visas to apply for, no jobs to search for, no red tape to cut through. Graham received orders (that we actually wanted!) and within a few months one of our cars was shipped and our household goods were packed, all at no cost to us. Upon arriving, we received assistance in getting our driver's licenses, other identification, and with getting the car registered and renting a house.

The movers delivering all of our worldly possessions at our first casa.

The Mini in España and complete with (obscured) Euro-plates.

A change for 2013...

from Meghann:

Because it's a new year, and it's the time for resolutions and starting fresh, I figured this was the best time to make a little change to the blog...

From now on, it will just be me, Meghann, blogging from my point of view. And here's a little secret, it's been mostly my project the whole time, although Graham does help with proofing each post. You might have noticed the "from Meghann" in the top left that shows up in many recent posts (including this one). That will disappear, but just know that it's my writing that you are reading.

When we started this blog it was simply a way to keep in touch and share pictures while living in España. As time went on, I started to really enjoy taking photos and writing posts (it's the only type of journaling I've ever been able to keep up with, and there are plenty of empty or barely written-in fancy notebooks around the casa to attest to this). But I started to feel limited by using "we" all of the time (not to mention "she" makes me feel totally third-person creepy) and trying to stay universal in describing experiences.

Don't worry, there will still be a good amount of "we" because we do so much together. Graham will be around in plenty of photos (especially since I'm the photographer of the familia) and stories. He may even stop in to do a post of his own at random times.

Some things may change though...

I will be trying to blog more and would like to include some of the smaller details of our daily life, as well as some things that are unique to España. Personal opinions, thoughts, emotions...there will probably be more of those since I'll be writing from my own point of view and not for both of us. The content of the blog may change a little as I am freed up to write about whatever strikes my fancy, without having to worry about "speaking" for Graham. (Which is also a perfect example of something Graham would never say - "strikes my fancy".) 

Also, I want to try to increase the readership. I love each and every one of you for taking the time to read, comment, give a thumbs up on facebook, or mention the blog in person. For a long time, I was pretty convinced it was just our Moms clicking over and over again (hola Moms, love you too!). But I think this little blog might be ready to get out into the world more (not like move out and get its own apartment, but just big enough to go to kindergarten and finger-paint for a few hours). Maybe I'll even do a little giveaway now and then...

What won't change...

Overall, the blog will continue to have a positive tone. I will do my best to keep it real (not loving a particular city, for example), but I won't be sharing every single crappy thing that happens, and believe me, they do. Overall, I am just so grateful to have this overseas opportunity and wouldn't want to give the impression that I am not. 

I won't be negative, use potty language, or heap on the sarcasm (although I do plenty of those things in "real" life). I won't get political or talk too much about the military. One reason is because I want to respect Graham's professional life, the other is because it's just not in my comfort zone. Plus, there are already plenty of other great blogs that cover those issues.  

Also, it may be a strange thing for someone who has a blog to say, but I'm a bit of an introvert, and just can't imagine putting everything out there. This isn't an anonymous or secret blog (although I don't use our last names) and the initial audience was our family and friends. Anyone and everyone (ha!) can read it if they choose, so I will be maintaining a certain level of privacy. If you have any specific or nitty gritty questions about life in España, living and traveling overseas, or being a Navy wife (or just want to commiserate), feel free to email or message me privately. 

This blog began as a way to share our newlywed life in España - travel, food, culture, and pictures of tiny dogs. It's a lifestyle blog, a journal of sorts, and that's the way we I intend to keep it. 

So, any thoughts? What would you like to see more/less of? And did anyone notice that I completely avoided using the phrase "big news!" or "big announcement!"? It's dangerous...

Go Navy!

Bite Army!

Hope you had a good weekend! Two of Navy's biggest smallest (and furriest) fans got to watch their team beat Army for the 11th year in a row.

We watched the game at our casa with friends and plenty of beer, fatty snacks, and even some Hanukkah latkes. It was a perfect night of futbol Americano!

Home es...

We are home from our (belated) honeymoon! Paris and Mauritius were amazing and we will be doing a post soon (after we go through over 1500 pictures and get settled back in at the casa) but it got us thinking about something. Where is our home? It's a simple question we get asked all the time, but it's getting harder and more complicated to answer.

The longer Graham is in the Navy (almost 8 years!) and the more we move (too many times to count!), the more difficult it becomes to define where "home" is. We can go home to the States and also home to Spain. There is the place where we were born, where we're from, and where we live. And there are many clichéd ways to define home:

Home is where the heart is.

or

Home is where you hang your hat.

And of course, in this lifestyle, the ever-popular:

Home is where the Navy sends you.

The truth is we have a collection of places that are special to us. Here's a quick rundown of some of the places where we have hung our sombrero, where the Navy has sent us, and/or where our heart is.

Dining Out? Que?

We mentioned going to a Dining Out in our last post and then realized that probably means absolutely nada to just about everyone, or at least anyone that is not in the Navy. A Dining Out is a Navy dinner where the service members can bring their significant others (a Dining In is the same thing, but without dates). Everyone gets spiffed up, has cocktails and dinner, and is required to follow all sorts of "traditions" and "etiquette". Classy traditions, like drinking out of a toilet. So, the Thursday after returning from the States, Graham put on one of his (seldom worn) dress uniforms, Meghann cut the tags off a nuevo dress she had picked up while in Maryland, and we headed to a hotel in Rota. 

Here we are, looking pretty and enjoying cocktail hour:

Graham's Trabajo

From Graham - 

So it's about time I write my own post, and tell everyone what I do on a daily basis.  It's not all tapas and tinto drinking, but I get plenty of that anyway.  I usually get up with the sun (although it's not that early -- sunrise here is about 8) and leave Meghann and Chloe sleeping.  And I usually get to leave around 3 or so in the afternoon, leaving plenty of time for fun Spanish activities like the beach, siestas, and golf.  

While at work, my official titles are "Air Operations Facilities Manager" and "Detachment Coordinator."  For facilities, I'm in charge of over 10 buildings' upkeep -- exciting, I know.  I don't actually have to do the work, just decide which jobs take priority, ensure we have money to pay for them, and make sure they are finished.  Most of the work is done by Spanish nationals, which is one reason I plan on taking Spanish classes.  But, I'm with you, and I'd rather read about fun travels in Europe than fixing leaking pipes and broken toilets, so I'll leave it at that.  For Detachments, I am responsible for any planes and their crews who come through Rota for operations, not just on their way somewhere else.  While I am not in charge of any of the day-to-day flying that the Air Force's AMC (Air Mobility Command), I do get to see them all the time.  AMC flies all the "MAC flights" you hear about, as well as moving military cargo, aircraft, vehicles, and personnel around the world on a daily basis.  I know, I thought it was funny that the Navy at a Navy base was in charge of the USAF, too.  I guess the government knows who actually is the better service.

Overall, it's not that exciting.  At least compared to landing on the boat at night.  But, it's a good job with great hours.  I get to live in an amazing place with my new wife.  I get to experience a lifestyle and culture that I otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity for.  I'd say I'm winning.

A shot of the base.

C-5 Galaxy - The USAF's largest cargo plane.  A lot of these come through every day on different missions around the world.