Move to Órgiva

A few days after celebrating Three Kings Day, we made our way back to the Barcelona airport to fly south. Walking through the airport again, we all commented on how different it was this time around; we were not quite as exhausted, for one, and everything was so much more familiar! We took our short flight south and gaped at the views that we could see from the plane window. Breathtakingly beautiful are not adequate words to describe the mountains, rolling hills, and tiny white towns tucked under blue skies.

As gorgeous as our scenery was, the first few days at our new little home were challenging, though it’s kind of hard to describe why.

For one, we were cold. There is only a small wood stove in the kitchen to heat the place, and we had never had to rely on a wood stove for heat before, so we didn’t really know what we were doing. I also was not prepared to be cold- I had come to Spain to escape the cold! So wearing two pairs of wool socks, shoes, two pants and multiple tops and jackets was a little too reminiscent of January back home, without the simple thermostat to turn up.

Second, the cultural and language barriers were starting to sting. It’s hard to always feel like an outsider, never really understanding the unwritten rules and not knowing how to ask for what you really want. Or, even the cultural difference of being afraid for your life as you drive on a seemingly one-lane road with no rail around the side of a mountain; it adds a bit of stress to life.

Also, we love each other, but after having lived with dear friends and family constantly for six months in a row to now only having the four of us for our constant companions, dinner-dates, playmates and conversationalists, we felt the need for a little more space!

It’s been two weeks as I’m writing this, and I can now say with confidence that we are living in a slice of Paradise. We conquered the wood stove, Paul can drive around the mountains without feeling like we will fall off, we have decided not to worry how touristy we look/sound/feel, and most importantly, we are learning how to truly enjoy our family time together. It took time, patience and trusting that we are here on purpose to be able to look out the window and absorb the tapestry of beauty that God had woven in front of our eyes.