Santander... YAYYYYY!

Hello from the North of Spain!

Sorry for the delay on writing this one. I have been slacking with the blog since I arrived here a week ago. Anyway, things are fantastic!

I slept in the airport last Saturday night... with about 100 other people! I fell asleep at 3:30 and woke up at 5:37. I should have set my alarm for earlier because I almost missed my flight! I frantically packed up my sleeping bag, and went to the Ryanair baggage drop area. They told me that I first had to have my passport stamped at the ryanair desk, so I ran there... the lady worked slowly and was not very bright. She checked my passport and ticket, and I asked her where to go next and she said go to security. I had a 30 pound backpack on my back, which she clearly saw. So I was standing in line at security and by now it was 5:55. I talked to someone in line who asked if I was taking my big bag on the plane and I said no, but the ryanair lady sent me here... so then I had to run back to the original ryanair baggage drop that I was at, where my bag only made it on the plane by 1 minute. I ran back to security and was in a large line at 5:58, and my gate for the plane closed at 6:00! The system was efficient in the airport so I was through the large line by 6:03, and then had to look at the screens to figure out where my gate was. I sprinted to the gate, which was the VERY LAST ONE and arrived at 6:08. They were just boarding, so I got on the plane. Phew.

Arancha picked me up at the airport in Santander. We were both tired when we got back to the house, so she showed me my room, I had some breakfast and then had a 3 hour nap. When I woke I met Jesus and eventually the 12 year old boy, Victor. Later in the afternoon when Arancha arrived home, I met the daughter Maria who is 9.

We all had lunch together and the rest is history! On Monday I was invited to surf lessons with Maria. There is a small group of mostly girls (about 8) who surf from 4-6 during the week through a program with their school. I have been attending the lessons where all the gear is supplied. The first week I went Monday, Thursday and Friday. This week I will go Mon, Tues Wed and then start my own private lessons at the end of the week. It is awesome!!! I love surfing! I was able to stand up on the board on my third wave, because I have such a low centre of gravity and good balance from my other sports. Sometimes it takes patience because you have to know when to paddle before the wave, wait for the right wave, stand up quickly, not get the leash tangled in your legs when you are trying to stand! Anyway I am loving it very much and am very excited to get better! Being in the ocean is so refreshing. It is 18 degrees here and we are in full wetsuits so it is perfectly comfortable.

Other than that, the family is great. They got a bike for me to use with a helmet, and I am using Aranchas rollerblades. I also have the use of their water sports equipment which is awesome, I look forward to using that when we spend more time together as a family. Maria is just finishing up school this coming week so things are still busy. This week we attended 2 of her dance recitals and a meeting with the other 4 families who go on vacation in the Mountains in July.

My job here is to speak English with everyone. I play card games and monopoly with the kids, and play other games like ping pong! Hopefully when all the other sports are wrapped up, we will go for bike rides and do more activities at the beach. Everyone snorkels across the way to a small island where the beach is less crowded!

The beaches are AMAZING here! I live 22 kms from Santander on the north coast of Spain, so it is the Bay of Biscay that we face. There is a group of 7 small villages. Three are coastal (Somo which is where I live, Loredo, and Langre I think) and 4 are in the mountains. They are all very close together, I have been to 4 so far by bike. The beach that stretches along the 3 coastal villages is 4 kms long and pure sand! My surf school is in Loredo which is about 1.5 kms from the house.

I have cleaned up my diet and am into a good exercise routine. I hope to lose 6 kilos (14 pounds) by July 22nd. That is my goal, so about 1.2 kilo per week over a 5 week period. I am off dairy products and sugar, and have very little bread/pasta so I will keep this up and see how it goes!

I just put my clothes on the clothes line with wooden pegs! haha! It has been years since my mom used to hang our clothes out on that clothes line that was held down by cement in the middle of a rubber tire. I never thought I would be hanging clothes with wooden clothes pegs but it is quite fun!

Tomorrow Victor goes to the national sailing championships in Valencia and on Thursday, Arancha and Maria are flying down to see him. Perhaps I will have some time to go take the passenger ferry (30 mins each way) into the city of Santander to check things out. I met one nice girl in the surf shop where I got my flipflops so I will also go see her and see if she wants to hangout. I keep pretty busy, and care more about my health than my social life, so I dont mind not having people to hangout with.

I have posted the pictures from my trip, some on Facebook and a bunch of webalbums through Picasa.. but I have to figure out how to share the link with everyone. I will ask my brother today so check back to see pictures!

Lots of love to everyone at home! Miss you too Leah!!!