Merida, Spain, my home away from home for the past two months.  Luckily I have an adventurous  family that has been willing to come stay with me at different times so I’ve had people to explore with and suffer through the lack of understanding Spanish with. These translator apps on your phones are amazing and help you get through. I  still have brought home from the grocery store the wrong things and had to throw some of it away. The people here are so friendly and helpful and we’ve found out that using your hands to talk works pretty well. To live like a local you need to pay attention to what they do. For instance, they get up early and walk or ride bikes and take their kids to the playground because by noon it’s too hot and you need to go back inside. Have lunch or go to lunch because  they soon close the shops for siesta time. This is a very important part of their culture. How can you eat your dinner at 10:00 pm and still be walking the streets and enjoying your friends at midnight if you don’t get a good siesta in the late afternoon? Kids and older people alike enjoy these dark and cooler evenings. And the way they conserve on energy,  the lights are not bright leaving a very romantic glow.  Time is the most important ingredient in the making of a good wine, reading a good book and getting to know another culture and country. I’m so thankful I’ve had this precious time to spend here. Muchas Gracias Espana!