"The husband" is a star!

Great news.
"The husband" got awarded a very prestigious fellowship called Ramon y Cajal. This means that he got money to establish his own laboratory here in the Universidad Autónoma, equipment and all, a 5 year contract to keep on working in the department where he's now, money for travel to conferences around the world and the promise of a fixed permanent contract at the end of those 5 years.

This is the more stable we've ever been. Amazing!

On top of that there's only a handful of scientist awarded with that here in Spain, plus "the husband" was chosen number 5 in the whole project. Thousands of people from all over the world apply for this and very few actually get it.

The fellowship is named after Santiago Ramon y Cajal, one of the few Spanish scientists to be awarded the Nobel prize for his discovering of the neurotransmitters.

So, first and foremost, this means that "the husband's" work is recognised and appreciated it, which is great. Second, and in a more practical level, means a new found stability for us all. Means that he's going to stay put for as long as he wants to, unless they cannot, for some reason, offer him a permanent contract at the end of the 5 years.

This is a fab news but after a while I find myself being totally in shock I still don't fully know what this means for me.
P (our son) wasn't particularly happy and couldn't even understand what all the fuss was about. In his heart of hearts he expected us to go back to Bristol, where he was born and lived happily.
So far I lived and worked within just 2 more years in Catalunya in my mind. To keep my sanity and my worries about the future under control I refused to think long term. So all my projects were confined to up to 3 years. My job, for instance... do I really want to teach EFL for the rest of my working life? What are we going to do with our son high school!

I'm going to spend this summer time thinking about what I do want for the next few years. It's a good time to think, because now I'm busy and there's no time. I need to re-set my priorities and goals. So far I'm more or less where I wanted to be in life, but is time to re-think.

As I took a few extra hours replacing teachers that started their holidays in July (wisely, as I know realising) , I still work around 20 hours a week and I need some extra leisure time to myself.

I'm thinking along the lines of this poem by William Henry James (a total character, as you can read if you click on his name):

"LEISURE"

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

By Wm. Henry Davies.