June 14, 2018

The Importance of Valencia

Here is how my boyfriend gets me to go on an easy weekend trip to Valencia: Step 1: One month prior Bring it up and dutifully listen to me as I spend two hours debating if “we” (read: I) have enough time to go. Step 2: Two weeks prior Wait for me to bring it up again and change my mind about if “we” (see above) have enough time to go. Suggest we look at train tickets at some point just to get an idea of price. Step 3: One week prior Look at train tickets. Remain patiently waiting as I change my mind between two and six more times….

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written by carolineschley@gmail.com - Posted in travel fabulous

May 18, 2018

Burning the Midnight Oil

Burning the midnight oil is truly an idiom designed for the Spanish spring. Here’s why: In Spain, May marks the beginning of the 9:30 PM sunset.  The country is in the wrong time zone, a result of the alliance between Franco and Hitler during World War II.  You can read more about that here, but know that when you hear about those “late Spanish dinners”: Late Spanish Dinner Facts It’s true.  In the summer it’s not unusual for 11:00 PM dinner reservations to book up before anything else. It’s not our fault! It’s nice if it’s actually dark out when you’re having dinner.  7:00 PM is the middle of the…

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written by carolineschley@gmail.com - Posted in live fabulous

May 14, 2018

Throwing Baby Showers: It’s a Girl!!

You know what it turns out is really fun?  Throwing baby showers! What? I’m serious.  Hear me out. First of all, it turns out baby showers are very American.  As with all US-related holidays, I enjoy a certain, heightened patriotism when I get to celebrate overseas and fabricate embellish upon the importance of various customs.  Like celebrating the 4th of July in New Zealand, when I convinced all the Kiwi’s we had to wear towel capes and salute each other each time we spoke.   (In my defense I was 22, and everybody was totally into the towel capes.  I think.) Anyway, it turns out that people in other countries (or at…

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written by carolineschley@gmail.com - Posted in randomly fabulous

May 5, 2018

My Interest with Nature: Climb Mallorca

My interest with nature started in high school.  I lived in a cabin in Maine for four months when I was fifteen, plucked up off the streets of Manhattan to participate in an intensive environmental science program in Wiscasset.  I learned how to feed a horse, drive a tractor (the first and only vehicle I knew how to drive for many, many years) and how to enjoy camping/boating/hiking/surviving in the wilderness. One of the capstone experiences of the program was a two-night “solo camp”.  This meant the exhausted, well-intentioned staff dropped off all the students in the woods near the school and left us to our own survival devices.  This…

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written by carolineschley@gmail.com - Posted in live fabulous

April 18, 2018

The Worst Part of an MRI

This will come as no surprise; the worst part of an MRI is sitting in that little machine. The problem is that I’m claustrophobic. It started when I was in my 20’s. I’d been living in New Zealand for nine months, desperately avoiding the ‘real-job’ thing most of my friends got into after college. Finally I’d run out of farms to wwoof and patience for backpacker conversations (and money) so I boarded a plane in Auckland bound for California. Right before the door sealed, I had this crushing sensation that all the walls were going to collapse in on me. I took some ambien deep breaths and talked myself through…

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written by carolineschley@gmail.com - Posted in live fabulous

December 29, 2017

Expat Return to the USA

When I return to the USA for the holidays, there are always some surprises in store. Expat Return to the USA Observations First, I continually forget how desensitized I am to background conversation.  In Spain, I need to really concentrate to eavesdrop, on the streets of New York it is as easy as hailing a cab.  And I LOVE eavesdropping! No Susan, you shouldn’t call him again before he calls you back; yes little 22-year-old Morgan Stanley intern, your boss does think you’re a total idiot; no bro-bra-bro, those girls from Whiskey Ward are definitely not going to call you even though you spent ‘like $200’. It’s so nice to…

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written by carolineschley@gmail.com - Posted in live fabulous

June 4, 2017

Ex-Pat Problems: Medical Grade Spanish

 doctor in white coat holding red stethoscope

As an American living in Spain, I deal with a variety of ex-pat problems. Lack of familiar food. Different cultural customs. And of course, everything is rooted in ex-pat problem numero uno: the tremendous language barrier. I try not to let it bother me. Instead, I consider it an engaging challenge. It’s like talking to people is a puzzle with lots of moving parts that don’t fit together. I get to smile and laugh helplessly. Fun! (See vaguely related post here.  And here.)   But after some stupid attempts at Spanish hospital visits during my first year in Spain, I realized something. I draw the line at my medical appointments….

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written by carolineschley@gmail.com - Posted in live fabulous

April 27, 2017

Spanish Cooking: Vegetarian Croquetas

 hands holding dough over bowl

I have a vague obsession with Spanish cooking projects.  Note: This does not mean I am obsessed with cooking. I cook things once, just to prove I can. Then, I go back to eating take-out falafel oven-roasted vegetables for dinner until I feel “inspired to do something more complicated”. In my kitchen, complicated equates with “using more than one pan”. Over the weekend I achieved a milestone of la cucina española: my first batch of Spanish croquetas. Croquetas, or olive-oil-soaked fried dough, are a famous sort of Spanish tapas/bar food.  See the photo from hogarmania.com for a visual, except you should imagine little vegetables where the jamon is. (Note-this may be…

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written by carolineschley@gmail.com - Posted in live fabulous

February 4, 2016

The Little Things in Life

 vitamin bottles on glass shelves

Gummy vitamins fit squarely into the category of ‘The Little Things In Life’. That doesn’t change the fact I’ve been obsessed with them for the past thirty days. It all started at Christmas, when I made my semi-annual pilgrimage to CVS.  There is simply no equivalent to a CVS/Target/WalMart in Spain, or really in Europe for that matter.  Usually, I don’t mind.  I do understand that CVS is full of moderately useless crap.  There is no need for 17 different kinds of band-aids, or an aisle for toothbrushes or 32 shades of red lipstick. However…. I find a meditative peace in wondering through the vitamin aisle. I enjoy considering what…

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written by carolineschley@gmail.com - Posted in live fabulous

August 22, 2015

Hello from Bilbao

 Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao

Hello from Bilbao! I am back in the land of small meals, copious wine and terrible coffee.   Spain! It feels wonderful to be home. More accurately, it feels wonderful to be holed up in a 4-star hotel room at Abando Bilbao, where I have been placidly binge-reading on my Kindle, drinking powdered cappuccino and half-heartedly considering if there is anything else I would rather be doing with my time.  Conclusion: there is not. That is not to say I have not explored the town.   Bilbao Explorations: First, I went to the Guggenheim Bilbao and met Puppy (picture below).  Second, I strolled through a captivating exhibit on the life, times and art of Jean-Michel…

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written by carolineschley@gmail.com - Posted in travel fabulous