Day 19: Bathroom Privacy

**This post is slightly graphic and is not for those easily grossed out.  Please do not think less of me for the content below.**

I adore having guests and playing hostess.  I beg people to visit me all the time.  I also have a small internal freak out when they say they're coming because I have public pooping issues.  It's true.  Can't do it.  I have only gone number two in a public bathroom three times in my life: once when I came to Spain in high school for two weeks and refused to go in the house I was staying because ::gasp:: they might hear me...yes that one time in a public bathroom was the ONLY time during the whole two weeks I went; twice on missions trips to Mexico...and trust me, it took me multiple trips to Mexico - without going - before I finally could.

I was terrified of living in the dorms solely because of the fact that there were community restrooms (luckily we lived right across the hall from the bathroom, so I could listen closely and know just when people were and weren't in there, and know everyone else's schedule so I'd be sure I would be there in private).  First thing I would do when I went home to Wichita every other weekend (because basically it was every other weekend, and yes a big part of that was the bathroom issue) was holler hello to my mom and beeline it to the bathroom.  Not even joking.

I dated a guy for 5 years and never once went to the bathroom while he was at my my house or I was at his!

I was so close to not doing the camino just because I was so freaked out about the bathroom situation.  So glad I didn't let my irrational fear rule my life!

I also seriously thought about not moving in with Yago because I couldn't bear the thought of my boyfriend hearing me go to the bathroom!  I still - after over a year and a half - sometimes ask him to turn on the radio...

But actually, all of this is kind of ironic because within family (I'm talking mom, dad and brother ONLY, because it even took until just a couple years ago to be able to go at aunt, uncle our cousins' houses), we are as open as possible about the bathroom.  I have many fond memories of laying at the end of the hall and carrying on a conversation with my mom as she was on the toilet with the door wide open, or vice versa and her in the hall and me in the bathroom.  My dad wasn't quite as accepting of this as he would always yell at me to close the door, but honestly, my mom, brother and I have had some good talks between the bathroom and hallway.  (I'm terribly sorry if you are totally disgusted right now or think my family is super dysfunctional, I wasn't planning on sharing all this, but I feel it's important to understand the irony.)  Also, as you can tell by this post, I am ok talking about my problem, I just can't overcome it.

Anyway, today I was kinda sad because Yago, Arno and I had made a plan for me to come home for lunch and bring Arno back to the city center with me on my way back to work, but Yago called me on my way home to let me know that Arno was gonna go with him to Vic to see his university.  I was kinda bummed, but quickly got over it when I realized that meant I could go to the bathroom, stress free!  And it was lovely. And now I only have to hold 2 days instead of 3!

On a completely unrelated note, here are some photos of the craziness that went on right in front of my office building yesterday as we all hid with the lights off in the back of the office area during the national strike.  (No matter what I do, that last photo always turns out upside down...sorry!)