Updates: an excuse to write an easy post

Since I am years behind on updates about Semana Santa, I figured I would do a little update post for now, instead of leaving you all hanging until I find some motivation.

- Life hasn't been terribly exciting since I got back from break, EXCEPT for the email that I got this morning. Just before I left for Spain, my aunt told me that we had distant relatives in Ireland. I had immediate plans to send them a letter once I arrived in Spain, and to try and get out there to meet them. Of course, being the class-A procrastinator that I am, that postcard didn't get sent until about 2 months ago. (Sigh.) It was kind of a hail mary move, I wasn't really expecting a response, but I figured I had to try.

Weeks passed, and I forgot about it. And then...........I got an email! The email was from the couple's niece, and she explained that her aunt and uncle are in their 80's, and not doing great, but that they would really love to meet me.

So now the problem is, do I go? Getting to their small town is kind of complicated and expensive, but.....let's be honest. How cool is it that I could potentially take a weekend trip to another country to visit distant Irish relatives? Pretty cool. I really want to make this work.

- In other news, I managed to only take 514 pictures over 12 days of traveling. That is a remarkable accomplishment on my part, since I am a chronic over-picture-taker.

- And finally, the 4th bedroom in my piso is once again free. Since I moved in 7 months ago, it's been me and Vicky plus 5 other various roommates. Algeciras sure knows how to cycle through people fast! I think a guy is going to move in, Vicky said he "seemed" normal. I'll keep you updated.

- Oh, and here's a toast to 'first world problems' -- I have so many weekend trips lined up in the next 2 months before I leave that I am running out of free time! Sigh. I might have complained a little a lot about my job this past year, but really, things haven't been so rough. Among those trips are weekends in Scotland, Bilbao, Madrid and Lanzarote!

- Speaking of the year not being so rough, it's really made me mature in a lot of ways. Before I left for Spain, an average dinner would consist of a microwaveable dinner. Yum. Quick. Fast. Perfect. But here in Algeciras, all the microwave dinners look (and taste) a little sketch. And since I don't have an oven, I actually had to start being creative and learn how to cook. And lately, I must say I haven't been doing too badly!