I don't know if I'm an expat or an immigrant — and that uncertainty says more about privilege than confusion. This post isn't about untangling the terminology, though. It's about what actually happened once the excitement wore off: the tasks that suddenly felt impossible, the loneliness of not understanding or being understood, and the night I told my husband something I didn't mean at all.

The drive out of Granada was terrifying, the descent into Calpe was breathtaking, and the first look at our new terrace undid me completely. Then the heat and humidity introduced themselves — and we've been learning ever since. Groceries, siesta, bikinis, a 332-meter rock we're supposed to climb, and a dog who somehow became a completely different animal. Welcome to Calpe.

20 things Spain does differently (some will surprise you)

Our first full day in Spain came with three thunderous booms and a floor that wouldn't hold still. Meanwhile, back in Minnesota, a very sick Devante was fighting a government website that refused to stay online — with Paco's flight just days away.

Every winter I ask myself the same question: "What am I doing here, where the air hurts my face?" This summer, we finally did something about it. Here's what it actually took to leave Minnesota for Spain — the visa that fell apart, the pet health certificate stuck in VEHCS purgatory, and the goodbye we said not knowing when we'd all be back together again.

Getting to know you, getting to know all about you... getting to like you, hoping you like me too!

It's Going to be a Happy New Year, Right?

A Story of Love for the Place I Will Always Call Home

RSVP, TY.

The universe may not always play fair, but at least it's got a hell of a sense of humor!

Broken heart, healing heart.

You're practically half naked!

Hello Friend. Goodbye, Friend.

The final blog in my Thrifting series!

A few days ago, I posted about my frustration regarding a hairy moment on the love-it-yet-hate-it Facebook. The reactions I received...

Adventures in Thrifting & Thrifting Tips Episode 3: “That’s Not a Knife- THIS is a knife!!” Every now and then, we bring a child with us...

Adventures in Thrifting & Thrifting Tips Episode 2: “I’m just Hangry ok?” On a particularly beautiful Wednesday, our thrifting adventures...

Adventures in Thrifting & Thrifting Tips Episode 1: “That’s a Little Spendy” So those of you who know me probably know that I...

Mothers are People Too! No really, they are. As I get older, I am realizing something I wish someone had told me in my younger years, when I didn’t have the wherewithal to come up with this thought myself. I was much immersed in my own life, as young adults often are. My parents were just always THERE. That’s what they did. They did whatever it is they do in their home at the lake, and they were there when I needed to get a hold of them for something. They were always

Usually we go to the North Loop in Minneapolis for great food. This is only because we’ve become comfortable there. That’s the main...

Milk. The essence of life. The first thing we taste as infants. The first delightful surge of sweet goodness we experience within the...

So you want a dog? Read this first! Let me just preface by letting you know that I’m not a dog trainer. I’m not an expert in all things...

Street Tacos. They’re pretty much everything. They are the heart and soul of us brown people. So when a friend of mine suggested...

Thank you, stepdads, thank you fathers, thank you dads, thank you Grandpas, thank you all you father figures out there who are stepping up for your children and/or the children who may not be biologically yours, but yours in your heart. Taking on a pre-existing family is a lot of work and takes so much patience and acceptance. I commend those of you who are doing this with an open heart and an open mind. I can only imagine how difficult it is to enter a family whose rules

I’ve been secretly annoying myself and laughing at myself at the same time. Here’s how: I’ve started noticing that the older I get, the...

‘Tis joy when you feel no pain. I’m telling you, if you suffer from any kind of chronic illness, or pain, even fatigue, there is nothing...

In case those of you who see me on the regular wonder why I’m dying my hair more often and keeping a bottle of red wine on hand, it’s...

It’s a crazy, crazy world. Things happen. Well, that’s not the term most people use, including myself, but my parents are reading this,...

“Wow! And this whole time I thought you were a b***h!” That is an actual thing someone said to me, sober, not in jest, but in a shocked...

I love to travel. My best friend (a.k.a. "the Wife") Kristen loves to travel. We try and go on a little trip together once a year or...

Who do you love? That is an interesting question. Who do you love? Before you start listing family members, pets, friends... where do...

Just looking at the blank page in front of me is enough to make me shake my head. There’s so much to say and I don’t know where to...

Guys, this one’s for you. It’s that time of year when you have to come up with a gift for the significant other in your life. Maybe you...

Do you any of you have teenagers? They are the best. And sometimes the worst. Hahaha! You know what I mean. I was thinking about...

A Story of the Greatest Love on Earth

National Seafood month is in October. So we’re a little late to the party (rebels that we are,) but friends let me tell you, there’s...

If you find yourself in the Cities, (Out of Staters, this is what we Minnesotans call Minneapolis/St. Paul) you absolutely need to pay a...

Unfriended. Unfollowed. Unsubscribed. These are words we are familiar with. When it happens to us, it brings out a response that...

It’s fast approaching that Most Wonderful Time of the Year, and this year I lost the argument with myself and opted to put my tree up early. I’ve never put it up before Thanksgiving, so this is a first for me! I am going to go out on a limb here (lol) and say that the reason for the early season is how much more tuned into politics I have been in 2018. It’s left me with a bit of a desperate need for that peaceful, hot chocolate, cozy, deck the halls type of cheer in my lif

Good Morning Friends. I debated blogging about this because I’m pretty non-confrontational and I didn’t want to stir up a dust storm. ...

So today was definitely a treat! Thankfully the bestie had the day off, so we were able to go and have lunch at one of our favorite...

My fellow Minnesotans! I'm going to discuss a little area we like to call Ely. Yes, Ely, Minnesota. For those of you out of state or...

One thing I’ve noticed since I’ve been a stay at home/work from home person, is that I absolutely love the escape from the noise of a...

Ok so those are images from Pinterest. My bacon actually DOES look like that, but... it's bacon so we ate it before I thought of taking...

Whether you do coffee mornings, wine nights or play dates, what do you chat about with your closest friends? Might I suggest.... your...