Life: Idiotropic

A good day in Spain begins when you try to call a friend in the morning and you can't call out, and then none of your Internet tabs will refresh, so you realize that Telefonika has cut your service again.

So you rummage though BBVA statements and realize that the day that Telefonika tried to take the money from your account, some life insurance company that you never heard of before also took money out of your account so Telefonika's request got denied.

Really. This is a good day in Spain.

Because this was the day that I called Telefonika and got a man on the other end who not only spoke English well, but listened well, and instead of making me wait 6-24 hours to have service again, turned it back on instantly for me and canceled services on my phone bill that I don't need.

Today was the day that the lady at the post office who took my phone bill payment was extra chatty and smiled a lot and talked to me like I was an old friend sharing a coffee instead of another annoying customer.

It was the day that there was no traffic on the highways and tons of open parking in Betera even though it was market day. A day that I ran into a friend that I haven't seen in months had took a few extra minutes to visit while she went into a dress shop to browse. A day that I found an Italian mohair dress that not only fit me, but was on sale.

Today was the day that there was no line at the bank and Sergio was his normal smiley, happy self and was able to refund the money that the insurance company took illegally AND blocked them completely so that they can never access my account again.

Today was a good day. The guys at the gate of the base smiled. Everyone was helpful.

Today began with some frustration and inconveniences, but the people along the way made it good.

And that's what it boils down to. Our days - all our days - have ups and downs, joys, and downright painful moments. Spain itself, as much as I love parts of it, can be painful. But the people can make this great. And most of the time they do. Today - because of a handful of great people - was a really good day in Spain.