Exploring my creative edge

A writing teacher and artist, who I follow online, often asks herself and her students - what is your creative edge? For me, this blog is my creative edge.

View of the sunset in el Campo de la Rata, A Coruña, España

I'm trying to wrap my head around how to share this experience of living in Spain here on this blog. What's interesting to others? What's authentic for me? How do I pull out the meaningful bits from the normal, day-to-day life stuff? Is there a goal - documentation, creation, connection, developing my voice as a writer? All of the above?

In the spirit of documentation, this week I went paddle-surfing with Martin. We started in la Playa de Oza and went over to la Playa de Santa Cristina and then back again. I was quite nervous on the bus ride to the beach, but managed to hide it well from Martin (I think...). He had been with some friends a few weekends before and was excited to show me how fun it was. While surfing had always looked amazingly fun, I was sure that standing on a small floating board in the water would be difficult for me. But the water was calm, and I found balancing quite easy. Maybe all the dance training helped?

Also in the spirit of documentation, we managed to register to get our public health cards this week. There have been a number of bureaucratic tasks that we've had/chosen to do since arriving - el empadronamiento (this is like registering that we live here), the residency card application/registering with the police, getting library cards, getting a bus/transit card, getting our public health cards. Not sure if those things are interesting to others, but they are definitely a fact of life when moving/living abroad for any length of time.

Perhaps the most notable aspect for me during these endeavors is that I've had to give them my parents' first names a few times now. First, I'm not sure why they need this information. Second, my parents do not have Spanish names (Terry and Sharlyn), so I end up having to spell or write them down. Also, it really trips up the civil servants that we don't have two last names. In Spain, children have both a last name from their mother and their father, verses our U.S. tradition of just having one last name that is usually from our father. This often means that no one changes their name when they get married.

Self-portrait in Parque Santa Margarita, A Coruña, España

In regards to creation, I'm thinking of a couple of photo projects. I've noticed myself drawn to the street art/graffiti here, to the sky peeking out between buildings/rooftops, to stray cats, and to the ocean and ria views. I don't feel like the Blogger platform does a great job for sharing photos though, so these might do better as Instagram themes. I feel like there is some creative writing to be explored, but clear ideas or directions have yet to emerge.

And connection - let me know what questions you have or what you want to hear about. Give me some direction and inspiration as I walk about finding my equilibrium here.