In case you're wondering why the blog has been quiet for a while, there are two main reasons. First, I have been focusing my writing time recently on turning the blog into a BOOK! After more than a year in Spain, I realized I had a wealth of knowledge to share with newcomers-- not just about travel and food (the main topics of my blog), but also about the base itself, where to find things, how things work here, and just Spanish culture in general. So, I am currently about 75% finished with a book called 'Welcome to Rota: The Unofficial Guide to enjoying Southern Spain.' It is a 4-part book, currently almost 100 pages as a Word document, which should be close to 200 pages when published. Part I is about the base itself: what to pack when moving, services offered on base, housing and school options, official business to getting settled, etc. Part II is about Spanish culture: the daily schedule, local holidays and festivals, where to shop, and cultural differences. Part III is about food, featuring many of the tips, adventures, and recipes that are presented in this blog. And Part IV is about travel--again excerpts from this blog, and from my previously-published articles in the Coastline newspaper. I have enjoyed hearing from friends and strangers who found the blog helpful, and wanted to make it more available to the Rota community. There are many more people moving here this year, and I wanted to find a way to share with them all that I learned (often the hard and frustrating way!) in my first year. I have compiled the ideas of many people in the Rota community to make the book as factual and informative as possible. I plan to self-publish through Amazon. I don't have a publishing date yet, but I am trying to finish it as quickly as possible, because...
I am currently 8 months pregnant with our 4th baby! It's a little girl, and she will be born after Easter, at the end of April! We are very excited, and looking forward to her arrival. The pregnancy has gone well, overall, but it has definitely slowed me down and put a damper on our ability to travel. Happily, I have already gone to most of the interesting day-trip destinations in this area, and was able to blog about them last year. My pregnancy project has been writing the book, instead of working out and traveling. Since the fall, we have not traveled as much, with one big exception: my husband and I spent a couples-only weekend in PARIS in January to celebrate my birthday, and as one last hurrah before the baby's birth. It. Was. Amazing. Truly some memories to treasure forever. After she is born, we will be getting her a passport quickly because we already have plans to go to Ireland with my family in the summer. So I'm sure there will be plenty more adventures ahead, with FOUR children! Thanks for all those who have left positive comments, and I hope you will patiently stayed tuned for more!
