Trevor's Rant about T.V.

I’m not entirely sure (yet) how to explain it. We moved to Madrid, and suddenly there are more hours in the day. I know that the 24 hour clock doesn’t actually change anything since the morning/afternoon 12 hour division is exactly the same, but something is definitely different. The fact that the sun hangs around until 10:30 pm and provides an intrusive wake-up call each day before 7:00 am is probably a factor, but I still think there’s more to it. We are more active yes, but there are many more events to attend, both within the theme of my career (networking, branding, guest speakers, etc) and without it (meetups with expats, rock climbing, rafting, hiking, dancing, etc). There are dinners to share with friends, strolls to… stroll in Retíro, and corners of Madrid yet unexplored. Yet there is still one HUGE factor that I cannot forget.

TELEVISION

Yes, that mind-numbing, munchie-inducing, cellulite-precipitating rectangle so many of us (myself included) stare at for hours at a time, like a swarm of gnats flying obliviously into the blue light of their demise. Thankfully though, I can now use the past tense – I stared at it. But no longer!

I don’t care anymore. (oh, and my wife had a little something to do with this by the way).

I don’t care about that new drama series that came out with that actor that I just have to watch. I don’t care about how many pixels they can squeeze out of the latest screen tech, how thin they can build the box, how high they can coax the refresh rate, or how ridiculously bent my brand new $4k+ television can be. Don’t get me wrong, these things are definitely cool but I have better things to do than sit mindlessly before the TV wasting my time, energy, and talent.

Tell me something: when is the last time you remember watching something on TV which resulted in a positive difference in your life? Be honest! I’m not asking about the time you felt more sentimental and generous when Ty said “MOVE THAT BUS!” or the time you thought to yourself maybe I should get in shape as you watched multiple morbidly obese people gasp for air as their muscles rescinded effort and went into failure mode on an episode of “The Biggest Loser.” I’m talking about a lasting difference. One that resulted in a real, positive change in your life. When I asked myself this question a few days ago, I could not come up with an answer. Not one.

I know there are exceptions. I know that there are a handful of people out there who could argue the benefits of television viewership to the ends of the earth. But I bet they’re the minority. I bet most people, in fact almost all people, if they are entirely honest regarding their affiliation with TV, will be similarly confounded when trying to find a good answer.

There are good shows, there are good programs, good documentaries, and films that push the boundaries of the genre and of the art itself. And they can provide tangible, positive benefits to viewers that range from self-improvement to the exhumation and stimulation of raw creative thought. But not during typical circumstances. Most of the time people passively stare at the TV, cognition utterly disabled while they shove over-processed foods into themselves like pigs being fattened up for slaughter.

I have better things to do now. More exciting, more interesting things which require my time, my talent, and my attention. Don’t misunderstand. I wasn’t wasting days and weeks of my life watching TV before. I had a great job and my wife and I lived in a great place where we enjoyed hanging out with friends, hikes, museums, sporting events, etc. But those few hours a week of viewership could have been better spent doing something else. I know this now, and as you may have been able to tell, I’m bitter. I want my time back. I guess I’ll just have to make up for it now. Since I haven’t discovered a method of exacting revenge on a category of inanimate objects, these long hours of sunlight may come in handy after all.

Still not convinced? Then I have another question for you. In twenty years what stories will you be telling? Will you be telling someone about that time that you watched a program about something that somebody did? Or will you be telling them about a time that you did something?

Think about it. And then destroy your TV.

Tired and happy- Guest post from Trevor

I am tired and unfortunately, I need to get used to this feeling. Turns out that earning an MBA is actually somewhat difficult. Even more so when you intend to do so in one year, instead of two. My current schedule is from roughly 7:30 am every morning to 12:00 am every… morning (not including time spent prepping for bed or for school). I don’t really know how I’m doing it right now, outside of just enjoying being in Spain, meeting so many new people, and actually enjoying what I am doing. I can’t emphasize this last point enough – I actually enjoy what I am doing right now. This a very different story from only a few months ago. Put nicely, I didn't enjoy what I was doing. It is truly amazing how much this simple difference has affected my energy. Long days? Yes. Am I tired each morning? No… Okay, yes. But it’s okay. Somehow I make it through the day and it doesn't seem to bother me like it used to. Before the recent change in geography, any physical inadequacy of any kind would annoy me to no end. Tired in the morning – “Ugh, I really don’t want to go to work today.” Moderate to mild sunburn covering between 12 and 14 percent of my exposed dermis – “Ugh, the car registration renewal can wait! Like, less than one fifth of my skin is in slight discomfort!”

I did not expect this sort of turn-around in my ability to overcome the intellectual equivalent of running a “super” Iron Man race (if you don’t know what that is, it is worth googling). The power of enjoying your work and being passionate about the activities that use up your precious resource of time is astounding. I wasn't the biggest believer in this concept before. I was wrong.

Now, time to pursue another precious resource. Sleep.

Madrid is a Little Bit Warmer than Warm

Before we moved here I read a lot about Madrid. I wanted to know about the climate, what we should be looking for in apartments, what there was to do and well everything else you want to know about the anyplace you are going to live. In my research I kept seeing one thing over and over again. When looking for an apartment "make sure it has air conditioning, because of the hot Madrid summers." I would always skim over this and not think too much of it. I have been in Corpus Christi, Texas in the summer. Surely it can't be any worse than that, right? Well let me tell you it may not be Corpus Christi but is sure is close, and it is only the middle of May! I am telling you they weren't joking when then said it was warm here. 

I hail from from two very arid cities, Denver and Salt Lake City. Those cities can get rather warm, but they are still dry. Humid heat is a whole different animal. You are moist all of the time. Constant pit stains, elbow and back sweat. Forget about sitting on a leather couch in your home because you will just heat up and stick to it. Lovely right?
That is another thing I did not mention. You pay for all of your energy and water bills here, separately from your rent. From what I understand that includes businesses, and energy is not cheap in Europe. So while Texas can get really quite hot and humid, you have the luxury of just going inside. If you don't want to pay to cool your home just go to any of the nearest stores and you will experience the industrial strength air conditioning, and at times you might even feel cold. Not here. The average temperature is 80 degrees or above...everywhere. We are still holding out though. We have not turned on our air quite yet. If this is only May heat then we have to acclimate. We have, though, started taking cold showers, and living in our underwear at home. 

So lesson learned, when anyone says Madrid or anywhere else in Europe is hot, just believe them. I don't care how far north you may think Europe is, it still gets quite toasty here too.

It is Time to Talk Food

It has been a good minute since I last posted, and I have lost track of the days we have been here, so I thought it was about time I finally gave up the day count and also I wrote a little something down again.

So I decided this officially will be my first food post. I can't believe I made it this long with out posting anything substantial about food. I say this because anyone who knows me knows that I am self proclaimed foodie/ food snob (or person who is just OBSESSED with food). I am so obsessed I studied Dietetics at Colorado State and got a degree in how food works. Everything about food fascinates me. From the growing to the eating and digesting. It blows my mind, things that come out of the ground literally make life possible. How cool is that! Sorry I get a little jittery when I talk about food and I could ramble about for days... okay maybe weeks or months (ask my friends and family).

Moving on. So when we first moved here I was stoked to try all of the new food. I mean Europe is know for its food, right? When we first arrived we didn't have any gas for our stove at our Airbnb flat so we didn't do much cooking. We also wanted to experience the food Spaniards ate, so we ate a lot of bread, tortillas (for people who don't the know the difference between Mexican tortillas and Spanish tortillas. Tortillas here is Spain are basically a potato omelet/ quiche thing with no crust), bocadillos (Spanish sandwiches), and meat (chorizo and the famous jamon). Now back in the U.S. we ate a pretty healthy flexitarian diet, that often contained meals from around the world. So needless to say after a week of eating our limited Spanish diet we were not feeling so hot. It was then I learned that Spaniards don't typically have a very healthy diet. Since then I have been trying to reclaim some of my past foods, while still enjoying the Spanish cuisine occasionally.

Earlier last week I was feeling pretty down and out about food. I was just not having any luck finding the whole grains I wanted and meatless options I was craving. In Denver I was involved in Farmers Markets, sustainable foods, and urban gardening. I was starting to feel that even though I love Madrid so much I was going to be unhappy here because half my heart was missing (I get a little dramatic about food. I told you I love it) It was then I walked into an eco store. This is typically organic or eco-friendly store. It had a large variety of foods I wanted and all of their foods were minimally processed. I even found veggie burgers there. Since that day things have started to get better. I am making my healthy again. I started a Meetup group, where I hold nutrition workshops (my first group was today, and I think it went rather swimmingly), I met people who are part of or have connections to the grassroots farmers markets of Madrid, and I found stores that have supplies from Asia and the Middle East. There is a whole community of people obsessed with food in the same way I am, and it makes me feel like I fit in again. So overall I would say this past week has been one of the best here thus far. I love the international community of Madrid and it is so fun to find people with your common interests, people that can bring different experiences, cultural influences, and knowledge to the table.

Truthfully I have a lot more to say but I don't want to make the post too long so I will save it for tomorrow.

Day 23 – (another Trevor guest post)

Well, it’s over. It was inevitable, predestined even. The culprits? Those pesky, annoying little pieces of yourself that you can’t see, and you can’t control. It’s a shame too, since they can certainly control you. Yes, I’m talking about your genes. Mine just stole my hair.

I guess I shouldn’t say that they just stole my hair. They’ve been shamelessly destroying my follicles and making off with their folly for years. It’s just that now, they’ve finally won the war. I can no longer fend off their advances. I can no longer cover up their plundering with creative hair stylings – they were fairly desperate in the end. I felt like the captain of a nineteenth century sea vessel full of cannon fire destruction and condemned to a cold water grave, still trying to convince my battle-worn crew to fend off the intruders to the end.

Now, here I am. Already the outsider in a foreign country. We didn’t really fit in at first, but we were doing better, learning how to dress (even what clothes we could buy to dress more homogeneously), learning what to say, how to act, etc. Alas, I’m afraid we have no hope now. Well, I should say I have no hope – Kierstin still has a chance. As if my blindingly white skin wasn’t enough, my shaved head is enough to gawk at. I look like a human Q-tip. Seriously. Tall, lanky, white, big-headed (literally).

I guess it is just another aspect of the challenge here. Another personal hurdle that I am meant to overcome. I think I can do it. Despite the fact that I now look like a giant personal hygiene device, no one seems to mind. Of course, they don’t actually gawk. Again, I am impressed with the Spaniards.

Check another few days of our foreign adventure off the list. Today we discovered that when Spain declares a holiday, it is really a holiday. Almost everything closed. Almost everyone relaxing or enjoying the day somewhere in the countryside. Next time there is a holiday, we will be sure to stock the pantry beforehand. I can’t really complain though. Yet again, I am in awe of the Spanish way of life. It seems like they really know how to live it, not just endure it.

Now, what shall we do tomorrow?

Day 17 - Guest Post from Trevor

Hola, ¿qué tal? Time for a guest entry from me.

Woke up this morning per the usual schedule – sometime between. Went back to sleep a few times only to find myself rolling out of bed at about. Kierstin was already awake of course (after three years of marriage, it’s safe to say we know that she needs less sleep than I do), working on changing some of the blog formatting. You know what I love about Spain? We can go to a cafe at and people still say ¡Buenos Días! It makes me feel like one of those morning people. Like I still got a head start on the day despite not setting foot outside our apartment until after the midday solstice. I think I’ll fit in nicely here.

The food was unique but very tasty. I tried a Spanish “tortilla” for the first time and it was delicious. It was wedged in a baguette, sort of an egg and potato patty drizzled with olive oil. Very, very good. I love how relaxed and laid back most Spaniards seem to be. I ordered for us both in my broken, grammatically incorrect Spanish and the waiter didn’t seem to mind. Like most Spaniards we have encountered, he at least seemed to appreciate that I was trying. That is encouraging, especially since most days I feel as though I’m never going to be fluent enough to have a real conversation in the language. And I would really like to. It’s a beautiful language.

We spent the afternoon in the Prado Museum. Interesting fact: Picasso was the curator of the museum for a few years. Several of his paintings on loan from a museum in Switzerland were on display. He is still one of my favorite artists. Reading the descriptions of many of the museums more permanent paintings made me wish I knew more about the history of Spain, so much so that shortly after we arrived back at home I performed a quick Amazon search for The Spanish Inquisition, the Spanish Civil War, and books about Spain in general. You know what I am most interested in? Where did this culture come from? Everyone here has been exceptionally helpful. Everyone here has been pleasant. It just seems like Spaniards know who they are, what they stand for, and they are totally comfortable being themselves. It’s a far cry from the United States, where everyone seems to know who they are, but are not satisfied, not comfortable in their own skin. Americans know where they are but also where they would rather be, and they are desperately trying to get there. Maybe it’s the media; movies and TV shows which constantly portray images that the general public desperately tries to mimic. Maybe it’s the keeping up with the Jones’ culture, where everyone is enamored with the thought of outdoing one another, and acquiring more material goods, better cars, houses, clothes, jobs, better schools for their children and better more eloquent sounding titles and resumes. You know how many movie theaters I have seen here in Madrid? Zero. Out apartment isn’t even furnished with a TV. You know how many billboards there are for cars, home loans, credit card companies? None.

I like it here.

Day 16... I think.

I have not posted for the past week, because apparently setting up WiFi takes a long time, two weeks to be exact. We finally got our hands on a hot-spot so Trevor can do his homework with out having to walk to the school and now we can talk to the family back in the states.
P.S. Just so you know I had just written a whole post and of course the internet went out again... and I lost it all. Sad day... I guess I will begin again.

I lost count of days we have been here now. We have been in our new flat just over a week and I can't believe how nice it is to officially have our own place. Madrid feels a little different now. It doesn't feel like another country any more,and even the plugs don't seem odd these days. It is still big city which I am not used too but it almost feels like home. With everything slowly coming together we have less and less stuff to do every day and our to-do list is now very short. It feels fabulous. We are now exploring the city more and more. I have never been a city girl and I always thought I would absolutely hate living in a city but I find I am adjusting quite well.

Let me just say the public transportation is awesome. I know some people prefer to drive themselves around but I am actually a terrible driver. I am a bit to spacey for it, and I really dislike the fact that nearly every U.S. city is mapped around the use of cars. But about a week before we moved to Spain I nearly killed me and my dog while going 80 mph through Wyoming. After that experience I was more eager than ever to give up my car, and I have found not driving suits me extremely well. I would never go back if it were possible. Truthfully as I stand now can only really see only two big downsides to the city.

1. Total lack of Nature- We moved into our apartment because we really liked the area. After further reflection into why we like the area so much we discovered that it is because there are trees on our street. It gives us sense of homeyness and privacy that on a whole Madrid is really missing. I find man made architecture fabulous and it can be very beautiful, but it really, in my personal opinion, is nothing compared to what can be found in nature. And aside from the trees there really is no other sort of greenery outside of the city parks.
2. Dirty Streets- Dog poop is everywhere on the side walk. Now I would never claim myself as a clean freak. I like a clean home and I wash my hands. But I rarely use hand sanitizer (only in dire circumstances such as port-a-potty use) and am not a stickler about wiping off the kitchen counters all of the time. I do, though, have to to draw the line at poop germs being dragged into my house on the bottom of shoes. I shudder at the thought of the floor in my bedroom being covered in them. Gross.

Well even though I could say a lot more and there has a lot that happened between now and my last post (including the discovery of deception about taxi cab fares and lugging our bags a cross the city and back during our move) I will keep things short. I know that reading an epic novel posing a blog post feels like a chore so I will close now.
Tomorrow we visit the art museum. I will give a report tomorrow.