Mastering the Art of Taking a Cold Shower

So, for those of you that don’t know (or just in case I haven’t typed it yet), our piso doesn’t have a gas line. We use butane that comes in tanks. When one of our tanks runs out, we call the delivery guys and they deliver it to us the next day. Someone has to be home to pay him and give him our empty tank, but it’s a relatively painless process.

Since we use gas tanks instead of a gas line, we don’t have a hot water tank. We have one of those heaters that heats water as you need it. So, then, we only really use hot water when we take showers. We need to go outside, turn on the gas, and light the pilot before we take a shower.

Just before Christmas break, one of our bottles started running really low, meaning it wouldn’t work for the hot water heater, but it worked just fine for the stove. The other one was brand new, so it wasn’t that big of a deal. Then I was out of town for about 3 weeks.

After coming home, we still only had the one butane tank. Paulina was the only one here and she’s hardly ever home, so it’s not like a ton of gas was used.
But late last week, we ran out of gas completely.

That means for a week I haven’t been able to cook on the stove or take a shower that’s any warmer than ice.

Luckily, I had just showered the day we ran out of gas (which is probably part of the reason we ran out of gas that day). But since the gas guy hadn’t come on Saturday and I knew the earliest he would come is Monday, I knew I would need to take a cold shower.
This isn’t the first time this has happened. This is the first time we haven’t been able to cook, but not the first time we haven’t been able to take a normal shower. But this time, a little wiser than last, I had a strategy.

We have a handheld showerhead, too, which should be noted because it makes the whole thing much easier.

First, kneel down and bend over the tub to wash your hair. The hardest part about being in the cold water is feeling the cold drips from hair. So if you can get this done in a way that it won’t get your back wet, it makes the process much easier. Wring out your hair when you’re done and put it up in a towel.

Hop in the shower. Wash your body in sections. Legs, then arms, then body. Just lightly splash yourself with water and make sure the soap is good and wet. Scrubbing will warm you up. It’s the final rinse that really sucks.

Next, get dry. Lots of rubbing with the towel will help warm you up, too. Get on the warmest set of pajamas you have, and nice, thick socks.

Once you’re out of the shower and dry and dressed, wrap your hair up again. Wash your face in the sink.

Get in bed, get in your blankets, and drink a steaming cup of hot tea.

Yes, it was a cold shower, but I felt MUCH better than I had before taking that shower. And I figured that would be the last cold shower while living in Spain.
However, now it is Wednesday night and the butane still hasn’t come in. I will be here all day Thursday, so hopefully we get it by then. Paulina told me that she will have the guy (again) come on Thursday. But I think tonight I will need to at least wash my hair in the cold water.

Honestly, the worst part about not having gas isn’t the cold shower, it’s the fact that I can’t use my stove. At least we have a new microwave now! So I can still drink tea and make some basic food things.

In other news, today was my last day of class! I can’t believe it’s all coming to an abrupt end. It gives me a weird feeling of relief at being done with lectures, taking notes, and writing papers in Spanish; and dread at the finals that are just around the corner. Not to mention the excitement of returning home… and the sadness of leaving this one.

At least I don’t run out of gas in California.

And California has Mexican food.

Keep looking at the positives.