I really love walking around the city. I notice so many things that I would have overlooked if I were driving in a car. Walking is also a great form of exercise and a great way to enjoy this beautiful climate. I still get a little bit nervous when taking a bus or train. Even though I have been here for a month, this is still very new to me. However, I have always been able to find someone at the station who is willing to help me get to where I need to go. I was also a little bit nervous to join in the carpool with people I had never met before, but I have been using this time to make friends and to practice my Spanish!
Community is a very important part of Spanish culture. I can definitely see that when I ride to school with the other teachers. Their commute to work is not just a chunk of time where they zone out or get angry at other drivers. It is a time for them to enjoy the company of their friends and coworkers. I love seeing how happy everyone is to see each other in the mornings and how excited they are to share stories from their work day on the way home. I love participating in these conversations. Taking the bus to cities around Oviedo has given me the opportunity to see some of the smaller pueblos between the cities because it makes stops there on the way. If I traveled to these cities in a car, I would take the highway and bypass all the cute little towns. I thought I came from a small town, but my town is nothing like these places. I'm so glad I get to experience them, even if it is just through the bus window!
