Coming Up for Air

I (Kelsie) have honestly been so daunted to even start writing this post as there is such a volume of events and transition to concentrate from the last 2+ months! But the opportunity to be connected to all of you is too important to pass by. John and I have really been in "go mode" and are now finally starting to find some normality and rhythm once again (relatively).

I will start with our recent highlights and then move into unpacking more detailed segments of our journey for those interested in reading further.

I wrote this in my journal on Friday:

"I forgot the intensity of the peaks and valleys of being abroad. The anxieties and stressors are fierce, but the joys are rich! It feels good to be so Alive! God feels so much closer. Maybe because so many layers of comfort, security and regularity have been shed. In the midst of it all there is not a day that goes by in which I don't feel like I belong here. This is an amazing feeling - being where I feel I am meant to be AND loving it."

July through today have included stints in Israel, Minnesota and then Spain. Now both John and I have been in Spain over a month now! I left Minnesota with four suitcases and many sweet although rushed goodbyes. A kind Minnesotan/Spanish couple (Amy + Abe) based in Barcelona took me in for my first 10 days as I started Spanish classes and searched for apartments. I succeeded in finding a petite and perfect flat in the middle of the old city off of the famous walking street "Las Ramblas". 

Since then I have established where to get groceries, medicine and household supplies. My new method of transport is a French electric-blue racing bike I have named "Bluebelita" in honor of her predecessor. 

John and I were happily reunited after 3 weeks of long distance on September 8th. We celebrated our 2 year anniversary at a rooftop restaurant overlooking our new city. Classes now have started in earnest and I am currently studying leadership, accounting, marketing, decision analysis and business problems. Midterms are already next week. John has taken a two-year sabbatical from Terra Firma, maintaining his co-owner position, and hopes to return to work there once back in MN. For now he is still looking for work in BCN but in the meantime has joined an Ultimate team, which is a great relief amid the mire of bureaucratic challenges he has been navigating for us.

Phew! That is the abridged version. Read on, my friends, for those interested in more detail! If you are ending here - thank you for reading this and staying in touch! We welcome texts, emails and post-cards (we are still operating off of our US phone numbers and emails) so we would love updates from you and how you are doing. It's always a gift to hear from someone we love. And, of course, we have a spare bedroom and/or a nice hotel across the street so visitors always are welcome. We have been lucky over the last couple weeks to have John's sister, Erika, staying with us as she reapplies for her Turkish work visa after being denied entry upon attempting to return home. We also enjoyed a very special visit from my sister, Kristina, and my mom at the end of September.

MIDDLE EAST

John and I once again returned to the Middle East in July to be a part of Ultimate Peace, an organization that brings together youth from differing backgrounds through the beautiful sport of Ultimate and it's emphasis on sportsmanship, or Spirit of the Game. It was incredibly tiring as we were faced with a very divided, very reserved group of girls, but as the week went on, walls fell and we witnessed unbelievable bonds of friendship begin to form between the Arab and Jewish Israelis on our team, and it became incredibly inspiring and rewarding. Ultimate Peace naturally breaks down all forms of segregation, not just racial or cultural; I was able to facilitate an incredible on-the-field moment of friendship and camaraderie between one of our Jewish girls and several Arab boys during a co-ed scrimmage, following a blatant act of sexism (due to ignorance, not to malice), which was addressed and reconciled! John's favorite moment was seeing one of our girls waving our team flag, which the girls created, from the stage in the front of the dining hall, while the whole camp danced! Previously, this same girl stubbornly refused to participate in anything expressive, vulnerable or fun. She would become the first to share at every session from then on and the most willing to cross cultural lines.

KISSING MN GOODBYE

We enjoyed a very sweet last 3 weeks in Minnesota this summer before departing for Spain. We shared some especially fond memories with immediate family and closed off the summer with a North Shore camping trip with the Schmits. It was a very sweet and beautiful last taste of Lake Superior for awhile. 

John and I completed most all of our bucket list which included climbing the Witch's Hat Water Tower, paddling on Minneapolis lakes, BWCA camping with friends Nate & Jane and eating some of the World's Best Donuts from Grand Marais. We also were totally honored by and loved the goodbye party my mom and dad hosted for us - so special to see so many loved ones from our community there. Made us feel very grateful and also a bit sad to be leaving of course! But also very, very loved.

IESE

The school is even better than I expected. The staff does a tremendous job of catering to our every logistical and practical need we have and I can't help but feel like an honored guest.

I have tremendous respect for my colleagues. Hailing from 65 countries - their backgrounds are rich and varied. I am clear I have a lot to learn from each of them. As different as we are, we do have some similar qualities that tend to compound each other for better or for worse. For better - most here are wildly driven, adventurous, value-oriented and accepting. For worse - we mostly seem to be the sorts that over-commit, suffer from FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and worry too much about the future.

The campus is small and a perfect mix between classic and modern. Sleek wood paneling, expansive windows and tall ceilings seem to be the main features of campus. Big screens decorate the hallways, bringing us CNN and BBC. There are many overgrown terraces for socializing and overlooking the expanse of Barcelona.

The schedule and course load is demanding. My current professors are from Holland, Germany, the United States and Spain. They do a remarkable job keeping our classes lively and stimulating. I have been very impressed by the curation of content thus far as well. There is a heavy emphasis on highlighting cultural nuances amidst all of the coursework. Every class is presented through the case study method - in which we analyze a real-world business problem and collectively solve for the best approach if we were at the helm.

BARCELONA - OUR NEW HOME

Everyone said Barcelona was a tremendous city, and we had no idea how right they were! I would describe this city as Romantic, Relaxed, Clean, Welcoming and Festive. Our new apartment is in the heart of the old city on a square. We seem to be in the "arab quarter" - and have a lot of shawarma shops surrounding us. Every Sunday we watch from our balcony as hundreds of people file in and out of the Catholic church across the way. Right now as I type this it is raining and we have the terrace doors open letting in the cool, fresh air. 

We have also learned to enjoy the Barcelona beaches which are lined with beautiful boardwalks and restaurants. The food overall has been quite affordable and delicious. John has been cooking more and more for us, and we both feel quite lucky to be only a couple blocks away from Barcelona's largest outdoor market - La Boqueria. Huge variety of fresh fruit and veggies available for probably 1/3 of the price at grocery stores at home. Definitely encourages healthier eating. We both have been also pleasantly surprised by the lack of highly processed foods here - and have both lost weight here without really trying thanks to the plethora of healthier options. 

Barcelona has come with plenty of challenges too. John and I are both learning to navigate the language barriers and strange mix of Catalan and Spanish and other languages (Barcelona is a very international city so its not unusual to hear french, arabic, turkish, english among others). The relaxed nature of this city has made navigating some of the bureaucracy here a little interesting - businesses only tend to be open 5 hours a day and everything takes 2-3 times longer than expected. Everything here is done "boca a boca" basically meaning by word of mouth - so it is important to "know" people here if you want to get something done. John is still in the process of looking for a job. Good news is, however, that he has found an ultimate community to plug into and the "Bravas" team has already invited him to come and play at Beach Ultimate Spanish Championships with them this weekend.

DENMARK

We spent the last weekend in September visiting distant relatives in Denmark. What an amazing weekend it was! We were reconnected with our Danish "cousins" who all are descended from the same great, great grandparents as we are. They treated us to 5 star hospitality--taking us all over the country and serving us the most delicious home-cooked meals (each often with 4+ courses). The food in Denmark was amazing and I filled myself with as much pickled herring, salmon and fresh fruit as I could!

Highlights included: visiting the church 3 of my ancestors were pastors in and where most all of my Danish relatives were baptized; visiting the original home my great grandmother grew up in, driving through the Danish countryside, walking along the Danish coast and visiting the museum and house of the famous children's author Hans Christian Anderson. Photos are all below.

The air was so fresh here and the sky such a brilliant blue! There were wind turbines everywhere and John and I were so happy to be surrounded by crisp - cool air like the falls we love in MN. I felt eerily at home in this new land and feel like I know myself much better after having visited the sacred places of our ancestors. I feel like I understand my grandmother so much better now. Some of her mannerisms, her grateful, strong and kind spirit, her art for presentation, her commitment to quality and work ethic: all these things and more were reflected by the Danish relatives we met.

We are still learning more about our new city, community, and culture everyday, and we are loving all of it! We look forward to the next time we can share your company, wherever and whenever that may be.

-FIN-