Originally posted on October 9th 2014 on my tumblr.

Over the weekend, I had the most incredible hiking adventure in La Sierra de Guadarrama with some new friends from the language exchange bar! They’re a group of senderismo enthusiasts of a wide range of ages and backgrounds that organizes excursions every couple of weeks. We did a challenging 15km loop that included the summit of Mt. Peñalara, the highest peak in the province of Madrid at over 2,400m, or about 8,000 feet!  After a rocky first couple of days at my internship school, it was a cathartic experience to conquer a few literal rocks of my own.  The views of Castilla y Leon on one side of the ridge and Madrid on the other were dramatic, reminiscent of the landscape of Rohan in Lord of the Rings. We picnicked and took a siesta in the sunshine at a small lake midway through the descent, before continuing the rest of the way back to the parking area.

This week has been going better at school, and this coming weekend I have plans with my new hiking buddies to go to the Cervantes festival in Alcala since there’s no organized hike this weekend.

Posts in the works about my master’s classes, the ups and downs of teaching little kids, and a review of the novel I just finished… hasta luego!