Our water heater has been broken for much too long (and our landlady has been terrible), so that doesn’t help anyone’s mood in our apartment. But the melancholy Monday came because change kind of freaks me out (and I sometimes think in alliterations). The first time I realized this was when I was graduating from high school (which was my super cozy comfort zone at the time)– I was excited about graduating and the “next chapter” of our lives, but I woke up a few days after prom and just felt a little mopey and unsure about life. Since then, like many young twenty something’s I’m sure (I hope), there’s been a ton of little bouts of uncertainty. Sometimes this spirals into a mini-existential crisis party for one. “What am I doing?” “Did I pick the wrong university program?” “Why are boys silly?” “Where am I going?” “Why can’t I just get all the skin off these hazelnuts?!”– you know, life’s typical big questions at my age.
I leave Huelva in a week. We had a great weekend, but I woke up this morning feeling slightly hungover from all the fun (not the alcohol, mum). It was that same melancholy feeling I had after high school. I’ll soon be leaving this little city in which I was once so homesick (and now love, of course). But more importantly, I’ll be leaving the people I have seen almost every day for nine months –so you know, kind of like high school, right?
Luckily, I’m usually pretty easy to cheer up. A few dances around my room, a quick run in the Spanish sun, packing with some TED talks in the background and I was ready to have some friends over for dinner. Unfortunately, along with that broken water heater, we have no gas for the stove, so cooking has to become slightly more creative. Thank goodness mung beans sprout on their own!
Mung Bean Salad with Roasted Veggies and Hazelnuts
I’ve been living off mung beans lately, I think my Dad would be proud. To make the beans sprout you just need to cover them with water and let them sit for at least 8 hours/overnight.
To the mung beans I added:
-some roasted veg: zucchini, asparagus, onions, garlic
-toasted hazelnuts
-a drizzle of olive oil
-and a dash each of salt and pepper
Bright, healthy, delicious, and perfect to kick those Monday blues. No melancholy moments allowed for my last week here, right?!
Kate's Plate 
This too will pass and you’ll be on to your next adventure!
You have inspired me to try mung beans but I’ll substitute for the hazel nuts, just about the only nut I don’t like.
Safe and happy travels. i know you will be meeting with your parents soon.
Thank you for the kind words! I still have some travels to look forward to, and an excited to see my parents! I hope you enjoy the mung beans– and the salad still tastes great without nuts…next time I am adding goat cheese:)