poco a poco. (little by little.)

my heart may rush everyday. my mind. my soul. but i'm in no rush. no rush to figure everything out right this second. no rush to make sense of this new spanish world right away. no rush to watch all of this new amazingness fall through my fingers. i'm taking it little by little. little by little.

yes, now the extra work begins. (i've been hired to teach at two new concept pre-schools during my "free time.") but i am not going to rush. i am not going to over-anything. i am going to enjoy. i am going to savor. i am going to devour every last delicious bit.

that is why i am here.

below are a few pictures. the first one is a glimpse into my typical day--trying a new piece of cheese (this one is one of the many sheep's milk varieties) and an italian apple at the mercado nuevo. no, the ones of me are not good ones--since i never ask anyone to take a picture of me. (it's a lot easier to talk to random people about deep life issues than to ask for a picture! that's just me!) they are pure randomness from my past week.

i may stop and enjoy. but i never, ever slow down. and i never will! (that could be an answer to #1. don't slow down. why?)

6) daniel. (danny.) (valencia, comunidad valenciana. spain.)

(as i came across this guy adventuring around a Pamplona square, i noticed all the bicicleta stations around pamplona--prompting me to rent a bike in the future for my own aventura)

1. enjoy every bit of the world--all while respecting its people. we are different, yes, but very similiar, no?
2. change the mentality of people who prefer to be close-minded. value everything that you have--not just the physical but also the mental, emotional and spiritual capacities.
3. have my own huerto, farm, to grow everything i need to sustain myself and my family. and, of course, my house and farm would be located near the beach!

5) begoña. (valencia, comunidad valenciana. spain.)

(as i wandered around to find my own almuerzo, lunch, i met this chica eating chips and ham for her own lunch--all while i drooled over all the fresh fish in the little shops everywhere.)

1. take advantage of the little time that this life gives you. each moment is a miracle.
2. respect everyone--the whole world. i try to reflect that attitude with myself and others that surround me.
3. travel all through south america. it would be a grand tour around all the countries!

4) jesús. (pamplona, navarra. spain.)

(i met this man in a little café outside the museo de navarra. the streets were even brighter and bolder than the museum's paintings.)

1. true love. having my daughter opened up a whole new love that i never knew i had within me.
2. jobs for everyone. too many spaniards--too many people around the world--without them. but with life as it's going, who knows? it's so hard to find employment for everyone. 
3. have my own bar. complete with a full spread of various seafood to chose from. i would talk to people all day long. feed them well and be well-fed.

3) martina. (pamplona, navarra. spain.)

(this 87-year-old woman was zipping by me as I tried to find pamplona's cathedral. it turned out that i was standing right by it--as well as a cozy little flower shop that made me miss and picture my mom in her element.)

1. my native basque tongue, euskara. (the other language spoken in navarra besides spanish.) for a time, it was forbidden to speak it. but my roots are in our language. i am in our language.
2. that everyone takes care of each other. i would like to see us respect one another. respect our ideas. respect our religions. respect our personalities. respect our differences. we can learn from one another.
3. i'm so old now that it seems that my ideas and dreams are leaving me. i would just like to never lose who i am.

2) julie. (santiago, dominican republic)

(serving me a pincho, Spain's savory and varied mini-sandwiches, and a caña, any beer on tap is called this, for a light lunch, this lady told me her stories of living in spain for over five years to make a living and find a new life for herself)

1. commitment. marriage teaches you the value of it very quickly! it also shows you that faithfulness is vital for everything. especially for your most important relationships.
2. so many rich people. so many poor people. so many people with so much to eat. so many people with so little to eat. i don't get it. i wish there wasn't so much hunger in this world.
3. return to my country, the dominican republic. the warmth of the people. the way of life. the hot climate. i would buy a ticket today and see my whole family if I could! that's what I really miss. my whole family.

rainbow blessings

as it turned out, monday in pamplona was rainy. yet striking. with practically everyone pulling out their bright umbrellas, vibrant scarves, and yes, their winter jackets. the streets were still alive and lovely. yes, it's still chilly here. especially with the rain. but on the bus ride back to my zuasti home (there is free transportation to and from pamplona--yeah to cutting down city traffic!), God bestowed upon me the most beautiful blessing. the skies opened up. the sun beamed down. and the most enormous rainbow extended over the entire city.

there is no picture of the rainbow. but God did leave His imprint on my heart. reminding me that He never stops blessing us. He never stops surprising us. and He never stops loving us.

i pray that you are seeing, feeling and trusting in the rainbow blessings of His compassion.

1) toby. (rosebank, johannesburg. south africa.)

(this guy, all the way from south africa, was visiting his cousin in pamplona. quite the mind on him.)

1. fortune follows the bold. be bold. adversity comes along to show you what you're made of.
2. anything is possible. i want to put all kids through school. i want to give everyone a true education.
3. ask my girlfriend to marry me. she's the woman of my dreams. (fear will stop your loving. love will stop your fear.)

my personal view of spain (from my bedroom)

"i lift my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from? my help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." (psalm 121:1-2)

i'm here!

God is amazing. what more can be said? safe. sound. happy. thrilled. and soon to be jetlagged. but most of all. thankful. you all have pushed and encouraged me along the way. and our God has guided every single step.

hello, Pamplona. it's me. joel. nice to meet you. this is the going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. a beatiful journey. me & you. you & the world.

david. (crystal lake, il USA)

(yup, that's my dad!)

1. be joyful always. be happy on your journey.
2. to witness more kind and caring people and try to model that kindness, compassion and love.
3. see more of the USA--especially Alaska. and after that, Australia, Asia and Japan definitely rank up there. i just want to see new places.

deb. (crystal lake, il USA)

(yeah, this is my beautiful mother...)

1. don't be afraid to tell and show people that you love them.
2. to see that people are more loving towards each other. reach out to others for all of their needs--not just the physical ones.
3. go to germany and take in the mountains and castles--all while finding out my own heritage. play the guitar!

soon.

soon. soon i will be in spain. meeting people. making connections. getting to know their journey. asking some questions. taking some pictures. this is just the beginning.