You have to take risks … We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen. – Paulo Coelho

I am letting the unexpected happen – I am moving to Spain in September and spending the next year taking risks and being adventurous.

For those of you who didn’t know, last December I took my first risk and left my secure job; I feel immensely fortunate to have been able to do that and to have received so much support from my family, friends and previous co-workers as I spent the first part of the year focusing on myself while going through the application process for my move to Spain. I’ve spent time traveling, visiting my family, hanging out with friends, cooking and taking more yoga, boxing and cardio classes than I have in my entire 28 years of life – any and all things to keep me from over-planning this new adventure and talking myself out of embracing this journey. I am not one to allow the unexpected; my whole life has been one calculated move after the other and I tend to over analyze, over-think, and stress over the minutest detail of my life. This entire process, however, has been an exercise in patience and trust; two qualities that I want to cultivate and yet constantly struggle to develop. And so, I’ve also spent more time in prayer and meditation in order to quiet my mind, listen, and live in the moment.

To that end, during the first part of my stay in Spain, I am planning to begin walking the French route of the Camino de Santiago. I am excited to take part of this pilgrimage that millions of peregrinos have walked before me, and I hope to be inspired by my solitary trek and learn from my fellow pilgrims. Completing the 500 mile route before my year in Spain comes to a close will be a physical and mental challenge – one that I don’t believe I’d be ready for if not for my amazing family, my friends who constantly challenge me with each new adventure and the support from my inspiring gym instructors at Endorphin. Thanks to all of you, I know that I can push my limits without fearing failure – I will think and pray for all of you as I walk the Camino.

You may want to ask me: Why Spain? The simple and more sincere answer is that I’ve wanted live in Spain for a number of years now; I’ve dreamed of exploring the regions that influenced Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote while living and visiting the cities whose architecture is echoed in many of Mexico’s towns. Of course, eating paella and drinking wine are also high on my list. It is therefore quite fortunate that I will be living in the city of Logroño, named Spanish Capital of Gastronomy in 2012 and located in La Rioja, the wine region of Spain. I don’t know, I may even learn to make a few authentic dishes. My bigger challenge while in Logroño will be teaching English to elementary and middle school kids – my job for this next year thanks to the North American Language and Culture Assistant program organized by the Spanish Ministry of Education. While I have tutored older students in the past, I have not worked in a classroom and am a little nervous about stepping into this new setting that, according to previous years’ auxiliares, is predominantly a learn as you go experience. I only hope that my new students learn as much from me as I know I will learn from them.

For all of you interested in reading about how I am embracing the unexpected in Spain and elsewhere, please check this page every few weeks. When not teaching and settling into life in Logroño and La Rioja, I plan to explore my new backyard and will keep this blog active over the next year (or more) of my journey as a way to document and share a few of my thoughts, adventures, and pictures. I’m so excited to start this adventure, but also a bit fearful and I am realizing that it’s OK and that I should embrace both feelings. For what is life if not a combination of mixed emotions? The one thing I need to remember is not to allow fear to take control and  prevent me from the risk of finding true happiness and purpose.