Great Expectations

I was walking around the Madrid neighborhood of Lavapies the other day with a good friend. As per her priorities in life, she was missing outdoor spaces and the fresh organic produce of California. “Are there any urban gardens around?” I asked, thinking that since she had been living in the city since mid-May, she might have found something. “Not that I know of”, she replied. I was surprised, given that urban gardening is a very hip concept in many of the cities that I have visited.

Lavapies is a sort of ‘hippie’ neighborhood, with a distinct revolutionary flair. It´s full of alternative food stores, and dreadlocks, and balconies that hang socialist or anti-religious banners. In other words, it´d be the perfect place to find an urban garden.

Shortly after my initial questioning, almost comically so, we found just what we were looking for. “Este Es Una Plaza” declared the almost parking garage-like gate, open so that we could peek inside. There we found a vegetable garden full of tomatoes, basil, squash, and some strawberries. There were fruit trees as well, and an amphitheater, and some vaguely political graffiti. A woman, who sat crocheting in the sun, told us that if we came back later we could help out. Our smiles stretched ear to ear.

That’s the thing with a city, with Madrid. If you come from the country, like I do, you may give up that vegetable garden in your front yard, or the herd of cattle who live next door. But if you look for it, if you let yourself wander with an open mind and a sharp nose, you can find anything you want. And, truly, so much more…

Introductions

For years, living in small-town California, I never really had the experience of having to introduce myself. More often than not I met people who already knew who I was, where I lived, and a few intimate details about my family. This was both disconcerting and amusing, and certainly unique.

Since leaving home, however, introductions are something I´ve become quite good at. I know now how to play to what people expect, presenting myself as a portfolio of the accepted identifiers: name, age, hometown, current home/occupation. Granted, to the invested listener these facts mean very little in the overall scheme of who I am, but coming to truly know someone takes time and a great deal of effort. You, reader, will come to know me slowly, through what I will reveal and through your own synthesis of those revelations. But we have to start somewhere… so let´s start with the basics.

My name is Tajha, I´m 19 years old, and I grew up in coastal California, spending time between San Francisco and a family ranch somewhat south. I completed high school in 2010, and then chose to take a year off before beginning college. During this year I lived in London, studied Spanish in Salamanca, and traveled around Italy, France, Germany, and Poland. I had always known I was going to need that time, and I am lucky enough to have parents who supported me in a year of self-discovery. I believe that one can never underestimate the value of learning that takes place out of the classroom. So I had a little fun: I visited museums and cafes and street markets. I rode in trains, planes, and buses. I stayed in hostels and with family and with new friends. I had scary experiences and wonderful experiences and I learned from each and every one.

And now, a year later, I feel ready to enter into a new phase of my education as I begin my college studies at Suffolk University in Madrid. I am excited about the opportunities given to me by the city I live in, the classes I´m taking, my professors, mentors, and new friends.

So, WELCOME to my adventure.