Holiday Letter

Dear family and friends,

Happy holidays! It has been a big year in my life, a lot has happened in your lives as well and the crazy world keeps spinning! But, here we are, at the beginning of 2017. I spent time with loved ones in New Mexico and Southern California this holiday season.

I started this blog in 2014 as I made my transition to international teaching in Myanmar. Here I am, two and a half years later, writing my "Happy Holidays" card to you, as I sit at my dining room table in my apartment in Yangon. :)

I hope that you have kept up with the blog, and there are certainly many details and photos in previous posts, but as I type now and reflect on the year, there are a few events that stand out. I welcomed 2016 with my parents in northern Myanmar! We explored Inle Lake and met the elephants at the Kalaw Elephant Sanctuary. 

I wrapped up my second academic year teaching Spanish here, including the pioneer (or hamster) class of Spanish 4. It was the first time that this course was offered at my school and the responsibility of setting routine, starting traditions and creating curriculum was mine. It was a project and an accomplishment, though I will never be done refining. One highlight was a visit from the Spanish embassy to my seniors' final project presentations in May.

I was delighted to return to Spain for June and July (it had been 7 years! too long!). Most of my time was spent hiking the Camino de Santiago, but I also completed my Spanish AP Language and Culture Certification in Madrid, reunited with an old grad school buddy for the Cruilla Music Festival in Barcelona and visited favorite haunts of Málaga and Granada in the south of Spain. Spain will always be my special place.

Spanish Teachers! This is just after our paella cooking class in Madrid.

English Teachers! I taught with these ladies 10 years ago! Reunion dinner in Rincón de la Victoria.

¡Profesores! We started teaching Spanish together in 2006 at the University of Washington... and we both survived grad school!

The chronic back pain that has been an off-again, on-again part of my life since I was 20 years old continues to nag at me, but I manage it with diet, exercise, yoga and, sometimes, medication. 

As the school year started again, the feeling of being overloaded and ready for a change of pace became more and more apparent in my life (What is my average teaching day like? Read this.). Like many teachers, I love what I do, but it can also be exhausting. A lot of time thinking has led me to a big decision regarding the direction of my life this year.

Announcement time! I am taking a sabbatical at the end of this academic year. I will finish teaching in Yangon in June, spend a few months in Asia, probably return to Spain (and maybe finally get to Morocco), visit folks in the states and then head south to Argentina. For now the plan is to do some traveling in Latin America and explore teaching, and other work options, there. 

Let me know if you want me to pass through your town, if you'd like to meet up to travel, or if you have contacts in South America, especially in Buenos Aires. I hope to catch up with many of you in the next year.

Peace,

CassyBee

P.S. The blog plan is to post twice a month, about every other Tuesday. Leave a comment if there is a topic (or place!) you want me to cover.

Santa Fe Style

Welcome back from the holidays and into 2017! More on this year coming soon, but for now, I take you back to some favorite spots from my trip to Santa Fe this holiday season.

Santa Fe is a great town for tourists, but the main reason I go is to visit my parents. There are always lots of dog walks, favorite foods, hanging out and catching up. I'll highlight some great restaurants here that are vegan and gluten free friendly and some ideas for activities around town.

A snowy Christmas Day dog walk with Mom and Bert

Perhaps these ideas will help you on your next visit to Santa Fe!

Food:

In order to conquer the jet lag, I make frequent visits to the nearby Java Joe's. My preferred drink is the spicy chai, with almond milk and a couple of shots of espresso. This place has three types of chai (sweet, spicy and ginger) and lots of options for milk.

El Comal is a cozy Mexican restaurant near my parents' house. It serves great Mexican food and makes incredible (and very large) glasses of sangria. I had the vegetarian enchiladas (no cheese) and they were delicious.

Mom and Dad and Beverages

After some errands, Ma & Pa and I visited Valentina's for lunch. Another homestyle Mexican place, with delicious food. I enjoyed the Camarones al mojo de ajo (Shrimp in garlic sauce), that came with rice, beans, grilled veggies and corn tortillas.

¡Qué rico!

Harry's Roadhouse offers an inviting restaurant space and many drinks and menu options. Some of the dishes are classic, but classy pub fare while others are more traditionally southwest. If you are there in nice weather, request to sit out on there patio.

On the day after Christmas we went to Tune-Up Cafe. This is a tiny, funky spot. I loved the Moroccan Stew and hot cider spiked with port and fruit, but be forewarned that it is not the place if you want a quiet or relaxing meal.

My parents' favorite Mexican fast food place is Burrito Spot. It's basically fast food, but I had some tasty bean tostadas and you can't argue with the price!

Activities:

Mom and I picked up an old tradition with tickets to the Nutcracker at the Lensic. The Lensic is a beautiful historic theater and the production was beautiful. Thanks, Mom!

Dad's Christmas present to us "kids" was an afternoon at the interactive art exhibit/mystery treasure hunt at Meow Wolf. It's a difficult place to describe and I actually think you wouldn't want to know too much before checking it out, but if you are ready for a different afternoon, go!

Sis and I howling at Meow Wolf

I always love picking up some local produce and checking out the arts and handicrafts at the Santa Fe Farmer's Market. Some favorites from this visit were fresh garlic, fingerling potatoes and goat's cheese.

The Jean Cocteau is a historic theater, but what gives it an extra twist of interest is that it belongs to George R. R. Martin. It shows mostly independent films, but the new episodes of Game of Thrones also premier there before HBO! We saw She Sings to the Stars, which I recommend if you get the chance to watch it.

A stroll around the historic downtown is a must-do on any visit to Santa Fe. A few snaps from our night outing of the plaza and church.

Going out:

I don't think that Santa Fe is world famous for its nightlife, but there are some fun spots for those who head out after dark. The "kids" visited Secreto Lounge inside the St. Francis Hotel and warmed up in front of an open fireplace at Del Charro.

Decked in plaid, ready to go out!

Just finished reading:

Chameleon in a Candy Store - This is the sequel to Diary of an Oxygen Thief. In it, you learn how the author-character published and publicized his first book and how he entered the world of online dating. I read the whole thing on my international trip from Yangon to LA.

Reading Again: 

My book club selected Ruth Ozeki's A Tale for the Time Being for our January book. It's a longer one, but totally worth it and I am enjoying my second run-through.