Laundry: Madrid-style

Last week was our first week in the new flat in Madrid. You would think that I'd have already gotten used to domestic life since we've been living here for over a month, but our new flat brought with it some more traditional aspects of life in Madrid. One of these that I had to tackle last week was laundry.

As you can see, our clothes are hanging out to dry - not because I thought it would be a fun change of pace in the middle of winter but because MOST homes in Madrid do not have dryers. The temporary flat we were staying in must have been catered towards an expat crowd because there was a dryer in that place. Not so here. So, once I finally got the washing machine figured out - water valve was not turned on; thanks to Brendan's co-worker Charlie for figuring that one out! - I began hanging out our first load. Brendan thought whites would be a safe place to start since we are on the top floor (7th). So far we haven't "lost" anything but it is bound to happen sooner or later.

The first day (and night) was actually pretty successful. One of my "small victories" (more about those in a later post). Two loads of laundry dried!! But Brendan called me on his way to work the next morning and said it was beginning to sprinkle. Ok, so I got everything inside and it was dry so that was fine. But I had soooo much more laundry to do and it didn't look like it would rain anymore. I was wrong. I had Charlotte's clothes washed and hung up and it started to rain. Long story short - I had numerous loads of laundry to do and it rained for a few days straight (quite uncharacteristic of Madrid). They have these clothes drying racks here that you can use inside, but I hadn't been able to purchase one yet. Thankfully, Brendan and I managed to pick one up on Saturday and the laundry could resume.

Doing laundry is actually one of my favorite household duties. Even though its never-ending and that is sometimes annoying, I find find a lot of joy in doing it. I've decided that hanging our clothes out actually adds to the enjoyment...however I think it will be more fun when the weather warms up. Cold, stiff clothes/towels/sheets aren't that comfortable!

Also, doing our laundry this way (so completely different than I'd ever do it in the States) really brings it home that I'm LIVING in another country. I'm not just here on extended vacation; I'm living here. And one of the things God really spoke to me about when I was praying about our move here was that I needed to release my hold on the comforts and conveniences that were holding me back from fully following Him. You may think, "Well, Anne, is doing laundry with a dryer really holding you back from pursuing God?". And I'd say, "No, don't be silly!" But what is holding me back is my desire to have an easy, comfortable life rather than the life God has called me to. Right now, God has called me to give up what was easy and comfortable in the US and live in a foreign country...with a baby. I am daily asking God to help me release my desire for the "easy life" so that I can live the "abundant life" He wants for me.