Day 144 – A Quick Date Night (Monday 1/15)
We were on week 2 from coming back from our epic Winter Break vacation and we were just getting into the swing of things. Ironically, the flip side of the long family vacation, Kelli and I did not have any alone time in a month. Then I get a call in the afternoon, “let’s get the kids ready for bed by 8pm, let them watch some TV, and head to the bar downstairs for a quick alone date.” Sold!
We did it and it was fun, but yes we paid the price. When we got back, the kids were not ready or willing to head to bed. We had a late night for everyone, but we finally got back into the swing of things.
Day 145 – Trying out a Co-Working Space (Tuesday 1/16)
I decided the first step to my next chapter in Barcelona was to try working outside the apartment more. An expat I know recommended a co-working space which is about a 15 minute walk from my apartment. I decided to give it a go and work there for the day. It was 4 floors, including an amazing roof deck. I felt focused and at home, I was able to use a desk on the open floor and spread out my stuff. There were a lot of other people working and doing their thing, as would be expected. I left feeling that this was something I should try for the month. We will see.
Day 146 – Dinner With Forum (Wednesday 1/17)
By midweek, I was back into my new routine of double Spanish classes (group lesson at 8:45am, then a private lesson with Kelli at 11am), work, and the gym. Wednesday night I had a quick dinner with some members of my forum. I was feeling a little under the weather. In my head, I wanted to cancel, but I knew I should go. I committed to it and I went. It was a great time.
Day 147 – My First Spin Class (Thursday 1/18)
I was planning on going to the new co-working space, but got in a zone in my apartment and just kept working for hours and did not want to interrupt it. Our chef came by for the first time in over a month, and I was looking forward to what she had in store. I, of course, also wanted to practice my Spanish with her.
By 2pm, it was time to get out of the apartment and I headed to the gym. One of my goals this year was to try some classes at the gym. Before I knew it, I was in my first spin class in Spain, and only my second one in my life. I did not understand a word the instructor said, but loved every second of it.
That night Kel had plans for a friend’s birthday, so I picked up the kids from their art class, got amazing churros and headed home for dinner. Maybe that was not the best choice for the order of our meal. We had so much food in our apartment that the chef made, I could not believe it and I did not know where to start. The kids had homemade mac n cheese and her freshly made Tortilla de Patatas. I had a delicious curry and tofu dish with a rice/quinoa mix that hit the spot.
Day 148 – Off to Our First Ski Weekend in La Molina (Friday, Jan 19th)
As part of my chapter 2 in Barcelona, I decided to rent a car for the month for the first time since we arrived, to give us more freedom on the weekends. This weekend, we decided to head up north about two hours to a Ski Mountain called La Molina. It is in the Pyrenees and is the closest ski resort to Barcelona. I ended up getting the best deal by renting the car at the airport. I headed there with our two suitcases with the plan to pick up the kids and Kelli at school, and head off from there.
First win was talking almost exclusively to the taxi driver in Spanish on the way to the airport. That is until I realized when I arrived at the airport, he was not understanding a good amount of what I said. Oh well. First he dropped me off at the outside car rental location. Rolled my bags there, nope wrong place, I needed to drag my stuff inside. I went to the check-in counter. Whoops wrong terminal, I needed to take the bus to the other terminal. Finally, I got to the car. Trunk not big enough! Luckily, I could take the bottom off and there was more room.
I have learned that while on the go, the above is just par for the course, and I just took it with a smile. We finally left at about 5pm, and by the time we got close to the resort, it was pitch black. We were driving up a steep, windy mountain road with a thin layer of snow in the wrong type of car. But we made it there slowly and safely. One cool thing was the tunnel we went through to get there – it is in a mountain, and is the longest and most expensive toll in Spain.
After checking in we went to a local restaurant, went to our rooms, and got ready for our first day of skiing.
Day 149 – First Time Skiing in Europe (Saturday, Jan 20th)
I started the day off solo with Josh, as he could not get a lesson until 1pm. We did great on the top of the mountain until we pushed it a few runs too many on too difficult a hill for Josh, and he fell three runs in a row. The last run’s fall was hard enough that he was not able to do the lesson. He was exhausted and he wasn’t in the right mindset. Plus, we ended up on the wrong side of the mountain. Leila and Jonah did a semi-private lesson and I skied by myself. They had a great first day, as did Josh, he just needed some rest. That night, we ordered in pizza for the kids, and Kelli and I ate in the hotel restaurant.
Day 150 – A Windy, Windy Ski Day (Sunday, Jan 21st)
Unfortunately, there was too much wind in the morning and most of the major lifts at the slope were closed. On the plus side, it left a few easy runs that Josh, Jonah and I did together all morning, while Leila hung with Kelli in the room doing homework. It truly is so cute watching Jonah ski, and I think it was a good, easy way back onto the slopes for Josh. That afternoon they all had 2-hour lessons, and then we headed back to Barcelona. This time it was still light out and we were able to see the beauty of the Pyrenees on the drive.
