Some good things have happened since my trip began.  And I've already learned something very important. Os cuento...

On Monday I went to the Portland airport.

I befriended the woman standing behind me in the security line who, as it turns out, I already knew.  We talked and I told her about my trip.  She told me it was going to be great even though I was scared that everything would fall apart.  She also told me I would definitely organize more...

On Tuesday I arrived in Madrid.

It was sunny and the sky was blue.  I was in Spain and happy.

Now I am in Jerez.  It is rainy and the sky is grey.  I am still in Spain.  I am still happy.

After all of the nervousness, all of the sadness I felt about coming here alone.

Yes, I felt sad and nervous about coming to Spain.  I know, stop feeling sad you lucky girl!

Even knowing that the group would join me soon.

Even knowing that Ricardo would come get me in Madrid.

Even knowing that Melinda would come visit me in Jerez.

I still felt sad.  I still felt nervous.  I still felt scared.

Flash forward to Tuesday night.

That was my first night in Spain.  Ricardo, Marcos and I went to see Manuel Liñan dance at Tablao Villa Rosa.  I did not know we were going to do this.  None of us did.  I had never heard of this tablao. It was recently revived, after having been a discoteca and before that a sala Rociera. In was established in the early 1900s as the first flamenco tablao in Madrid in what previously had been a chocolate mill.

So, anyway, we went there to see my best friend dance.  Now, just as my boyfriend is not actually my novio, my best friend is not actually my  mejor amigo.  That is just what I call him, but not to his face.  There is a story to go with all of this, but it is for another day...

So, we went to the tablao.  And we weren't the only ones there, obviously.  There weren't many people, a spattering of tourists.  Then the flamencos started arriving.  Coming in to see the show.  Different compañeros of Ricardo.  A chica who dances clasico español, Marco Flores, David Coria...

I want you to know what it was like watching Manuel Liñan dance on the small tablao stage.  I want to describe it to you, but I'm not even going to try.  Because I don't know which words to use to accurately describe what I saw.  So, I'll just tell you that he danced por tarantos and he was fenomenal.

Que forma más buena de empezar mi viaje.

And let me tell you a secret... After the show we talked about the possibility of him coming to Portland.  Yes. yes. yes.  ¡Sí!

And, Ricardo and I also talked about him coming.  Him being Ricardo.  Coming in mid-November for workshops.  After I come back from Spain.

Okay, but back to my trip for a moment.  I've learned something big, been reminded of something important, since arriving here.

It's the idea that even amidst all of the fear, I still need to act...

Because I was scared to come back to Spain.  To plan this trip.  To come on my own.  To...

But thank goodness that amidst all of the fear I was still able to listen to that voice telling me to do it anyway.

There is always this voice telling me to do these things that I want to do.  These things that the fear tries to tell me I don't want to do.

Thank goodness for all of these instances this week reminding me that the fear will show up, but that it needn't stop me.

Some Spanish

Os cuento - I'll tell you

novio - boyfriend

mejor amigo - best friend

What about you?  Fear stories?  Spain stories?  Leave a comment below.