A Happy Ending

Sorry I haven't written with school work on top of travels I've been busy. That being said Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of my favorite places on earth. I leave for London, England tomorrow and while I'm very excited to finally see it even if just for a moment I'm so sad my trip has nearly come to an end. That's all for now. Perhaps more to come later. 

Zagreb

Okay so here's what I have to say: Zagreb is by far the weirdest city I have ever visited in my 21 years of life. No doubt. And the worst part is? In trying to describe to you why it is so weird, well I just can't put my finger on it. It's like some weird cross between every place outside of the USA I've ever been. Where am I? I'm in the capital of Croatia. There was war here in these peoples life time. They witnessed the threat of death everyday. That, or they threatened death. It's the ugly side we don't often think about. You think oh old war territory how sad, until you meet the children of war criminals who laugh as they tell you their parents were war criminals. The fact that genocide happened in this region in the last 25 years makes one a little concerned when meeting the children of war criminals. Though, I try not to judge any one based off of one aspect of their lives. As I told my family the other night, if Tutsis work everyday alongside Hutus in Rwanda to forgive them for the massacre of their families well then, I can sit across the dinner table from the children of war criminals in Croatia. 

Their language is bizarre. Quite similar dare I sat it to what children in the United States sound like when they spontaneously make up a jibberish language. I mean that with no disrespect, just an observation. 

The buildings are falling apart and look as though well as though they survived through times of two world wars, civil wars, communist regimes, fascist regimes, and so on, perhaps because it has, all within the last 100 years. 

It is clear to me, someone who has studied communism and the effects it can have on society, that communism has left it's mark here. 

Shops are dirty and half empty, with a stark contrast the the central strip which has Zara, Adidas, Apple, Mango, and even more big name brand stores. 

The wardrobe differences between gender are also quite comical, while most women are dressed to the nines, nearly all men sport jean Bermuda shorts and T shirts. 

There are small kiosks on every corner. And in between every corner. Approximately every 12 feet there is a kiosk, selling the same things: gum, coke and water, and magazines. 

The tram is a large above ground blue train that clamors through the streets but doesn't dictate the traffic signals, but instead follows them screeching to a halt every time a light turns red. 

Everyone walks around eating pastries out of paper wrappers and screaming into their cell phones. Teens aren't shy with public displays of affection, and there are many many places to buy morning baked pizza by the slice. 

Women who are pregnant appear very young, not the 30+ I suppose I'm used to seeing at home or in Spain.

Buildings are new and old smelly and delicious smelling. I'm so confused. Streets are big and small. Where am I?

I can't decide if the people here are happy to live here or not. Are they proud to be Croatian after all they went through for independent and separation? Is it shame, or guilt, or trauma that I sense? I really can't put my finger on it but something is off here, there's a puzzle piece I must not be understanding. 

I also can't decide if I'm being stared at for being different or if they even know I'm foreign. It's weird this place 

I could go on and on... 

Ljubljana has...

Ljubljana is where mint grows by the river, and where it's okay to eat gelato for breakfast. Ljubljana has old world charm with modern style. Ljubljana has a love lock bridge, and more cafés than you can imagine. Ljubljana has pasta and pizza and wine. Ljubljana has vegetable and fruit markets, and flowers for sale and carved wooden spoons. Ljubljana has a castle. Ljubljana has friendly local who almost all speak English. Ljubljana has winding street that you can never get lost on, you only have to look up to find the castle and to know where the river is. Ljubljana has dogs and children learning the Slovenian way of life day by day. Slovenia has magnets and hand crafted anything you could ever want. Ljubljana has chocolate shops and tea shops and craft shops and honey shops. Ljubljana has croissants and smoothies. Ljubljana has the most beautiful bridges. Ljubljana has mountains. Ljubljana has my heart.

That One Time In Slovenia

Let me tell you about Ljubljana. The air is fresh. There is nature all around and the river gives off a cool breeze. The temperature here is much closer to that of a Michigan summer. 

All the buildings are old and beautiful, decorated with extravagant detailing. The streets are filled with small cafés and people carrying ice cream cones. There is no way to deny that bikes are the most common mode of in city transportation. The shops all twist and turn alongside the river. There are tea shops and honey shops, toy shops and just about anything adorable you can imagine. 

As I went out scouting the area today I found a McDonalds, a vegan restaurant, a crepe shop, small bread stores with croissants, falafel, raspberry nestea, a place that sells pizza by the slice and watch out world- a wok Asian restaurant. I'm in business.

My hostel is right next to the dragon bridge and the castle is just behind it all the way on top of the hill. There are rides up a glass elevator you can take to get there though the woman at the front desk told me she suggests I walk.

I love the small town charm and the fresh air. I love the breeze and to finally not be drenched in my own sweat. I love that most of you reading this have no clue where Ljubljana or even Slovenia is on a map and yet here I am surrounded with Slovenians themselves happy and proud as could be to be Slovenian. It's still, even 25 years later, very evident of it's past history. The broad Slavic, Yugoslavian, communist, Napoleonic, Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, fascist, roman and everything else under the sun comes through in the people the architecture, the food, the way of life, etc.

People have to cutest dogs here too. 

I've had a weird day, you know waking up in Istanbul, the first time in 2 months I didn't wake up in Spain, running to my gate in the airport getting on a plan to Ljubljana, finding my way to my hostel and getting all things settled. 

I'm not sure how adventurous I truly want to be here, I'm very tempted to just relax and lay low, get some sleep and work on my school work.

I'm glad that I'm here for at least 2 more full days. 

I'm currently on a park bench and two little girls are playing and pointing at me and in sync yelling beetz-kee beetz-kee beetz-kee over and over I keep smiling but for all I know they are saying ug-ly ug-ly ug-ly or stu-pid -amer-ican, oh the thrill of being abroad. 

Landing in the airport today though was a dream. Slovenia is picture perfect. 

That One Time In Turkey

I don't have words. If travel has ever made me speechless, well I don't know I was pretty speechless at the Taj Mahal, but today, man, Istanbul, Turkey, you have taken my heart. I've been here for approximately five hours and I wish I didn't have to leave. 

Every second as I sit here it gets better.

I know it must seem like I'm always crying, but I am fighting tears of happiness right now. 

Where do I start. This day deserves the best post. I'm too in the moment. 

I'm at a restaurant ate pasta, drank mint tea, got bread and hummus with my meal, and met a British lady who's plans are to visit every country before she dies. She said traveling has restored her faith in humanity and that she's a free spirit. 

Everyone was out in the streets today surrounding the Blue Mosque preparing meals to eat once sunset. They all sat in the gardens practically knee to knee on blankets with plates and dishes full of food being prepared. The Mosque played a loud prayer (I believe) over a speaker  just after sunset and everyone began to eat. It was beyond magical to watch. I don't have words for how lucky I got to be here in Istanbul on a Saturday night of Ramadan. Which by the way in Turkish is Ramazan.

I cannot believe how much culture I witnessed in just a few hours here. 

Turkish is quite the interesting sounding language as well I might add.

I'm just full of joy. Joyful I get to experience the world, witness the human condition, live, taste, hear, smell, see, and touch everything around me.

Today I went to a new country. And tomorrow I'm going to another. I'm living my dream and loving every minute of it.

Until next time Turkey, may our paths meet again some day.

Adios España, Hello Five New Countries!

Today is my last day in Spain, we leave Toledo early in the morning to head to the Madrid Airport. It's crazy that my Spanish study abroad trip is already over.

BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE!

Stay tuned on this blog to hear about my adventures for the next two weeks as I do some solo travel across Europe!

Tomorrow I'll be flying to Istanbul, Turkey to spend just one night. Then in the morning on Sunday I'm off to Ljubljana, Slovenia for three nights; I'm going to catch a train to Zagreb, Croatia for four nights, and hopefully make a day trip out to Plitvice National Park. Next I'm taking a plane to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina for five nights and my final stop will be London, England for one short night, before heading back to the ever so lovely Detroit, United States of America.

I can't say I'm not nervous, but I can say I've always found that doing the things you fear are usually the most worthwhile.

On that note- stay tuned!

Adios España! You will be missed!

The Lessons from Spain

I think I finally figured out my life lessons from Spain. 

As I looked in the mirror getting ready to head out to our fair well dinner tonight I thought: I've changed, I'm different, I've learned a lot. Which sparked the question, well, what did I learn?

So, here's the list:

1) Step outside of your comfort zone. 

-Not  like do something crazy like ride an elephant, no no, not like something that's scary but you've always dreamed of doing. No no, do something you never in a million years thought you'd be apart of- and to be honest never really wanted to. Like for me, go to Spain to study Spanish in college, sit at cafés for tapas and sangria, stay out until 8:30 am at discotecas and walk home in the daylight, spend some of my travel fund on a pink tank top and new wedges, and at the end of the day decide Europe is a pretty cool place.

2) Stick to who you are even if it's not who anyone else is.

3) Money isn't meant to be saved when there is travel to be had.

4) Live a little.

- I repeat: stay out until 8:30 am at discotecas and walk home in the daylight... (I'll only be 21 in Spain once right?)

5) Don't judge a country by it's continent, (my personal version of don't judge a book by it's cover.)

-refer to description for lesson #1

6) Loving yourself, and even taking some pride in yourself, is the quickest way to inner freedom, (okay so maybe I knew that one already, but it was reinforced here, okay?)

That sums it up perfectly.

It Couldn't Possibly Already Almost Be Over, Right?

The title says it all. This trip was too short. While everyone else here is for the most part on their first trip abroad or away from home at all, and they are counting down the hours until they are home, I'm wishing we could stay here longer. I've been in their shoes before, but I'm glad I'm not right now.

The more comfortable I am with a place the more I love it. I love being able to wander the streets alone and find my way home again. Today I walked around by myself for I think the first time in all of the seven weeks. My heart was heavy. I knew exactly which stores would likely have what items I was looking for. I knew what prices were good and which were complete tourist traps. I knew the names of some of the streets and neighborhoods and passed some of my favorite spots in this beautiful city. 

Spain is crazy. Spain is beautiful and so much like I expected it to be, and also nothing like I expected it to be.

It was easy for me, comfortable. The shower has hot water, and even though the tap water tastes like pennies you don't die or even get sick, not even a tummy ache, if you drink it. I had a bed here with a mattress, and who needs a door anyway? My clothes were washed for me, in a... get this- washing machine, and hung on line to dry. They drink fanta here, just like every Spanish speaking country in the world, or so I'm convinced. They eat weird food, but they have a McDonald's next to a Burger King in the city center. I've had dunkin donuts here twice, but I've also eaten Spanish Tortilla (which is probably not what you think it is), and pisto, delicious pisto, man I'll miss the pisto con huevos fritos, gazpacho galore, fried calamari, more gazpacho, and so on.

Some things are different. Others not.

Spain isn't America, Spain isn't Michigan or Ohio or any city I've ever visited in the US of A, but for Spain too, I can now use that happy little four letter word. Home.

I can't even write this because my eyes are flooding and I have to keep my act together to avoid having to explain my emotions to Angelita in Spanish, because  that'd be a challenge. 

Two days ago Angelita, my host mother, told me she would cry when I leave. She's gotten used to having me here, coming home to me, and cooking me dinner. She's gotten used to me on walks and in her car driving to Angela's to take a swim. I teared up when she told me she would cry when the time to say goodbye came.

It's strange how your heart acts in foreign countries. Maybe it's just me but it's so much easier to welcome strangers into your heart when everything around you is new and different. 

Literally not sure I can keep writing this that's how in love with Angelita I am. 

Blinking back the tears.

If you know me at all, or at least me cerca 2007, you probably know my passion for the television show Gilmore Girls. Before I left I was scared of what a Spanish family would be like. I knew little but I did know that I was living alone with a mom, but I knew she had a daughter, among a few other things. I said to my mom, the real one who birthed me and so on, "maybe they'll be like Lorelai and Rory". Angelita and her daughter Angela laugh everyday until they cry at least once a day. They care for Angelita's mother Juanita when she comes to stay from Madrid, and daily, hourly, every minute and second love baby Irene to pieces. Among the many other members of the family the four generations of these women that I've met, lived with, shared meals with, laughs with, and more are by far the closest I've come to a live version of Lorelai, Emily, Lorelai II, and Lorelai III (Rory). Again if you know me, you know how much that means to encounter.

Its about being 21 and having your mother take your plate and take the fish off the bones for you then taking the bones off you plate so you don't have to look at them while you eat. Which is what just happened. She takes care of me. She feeds me nisperros, which are one of the strangest fruits I've ever eaten. She does it all because she knows I'm foreign, and being foreign makes you feel like you're 7-years-old all over again. You're lost and you're hot and you're grumpy, you want nothing more than your mom, and for her to buy you a Happy Meal. You don't know how much money something costs so you just hand over a bill that you know must be big enough and hope they give you correct change. The currency is strange and you can't understand the language is pretty much the same as what US dollars and English is to a 7-year-old.

Okay so I'm all over the place here: sorry. Maybe it's a perfect reflection of how all over the place I am in life. I'm already 21 and in Spain with quite the track record for travel and packing and taking classes and eating weird food and learning foreign languages. I'm only 21 with barely the next day of my life planned let alone the next year, two weeks of solitude and adventure await and then onward to that fabulous house I once lived in for another two weeks of even more adventures. I'm lost and I'm found. I think that wraps it up perfectly.

I'm not sure I'm ready to leave, but I'm definitely ready to go. That's how I usually feel around this phase of my travels. All I can say is: thank goodness I have two weeks left on my European adventure. I'm not ready to be done exploring, and I'm in desperate need of some alone time.

May you all be lost and yet found as well.

(Also my card reader is broken and has been for several weeks so I can't upload any photos... Sorry! Hoping to get a new one this week!)

Barcelona

We went to Barcelona this past weekend. Too much to say. Too many stories and memories. But I officially have been to Barcelona. Not sure I'd recommend it but hey, I went to Barcelona.

A Packing Guide: To Anywhere

Busy as ever I haven't had much time to blog, but all that being said I'm still living abroad, stuck wearing the only clothes I brought and running out of my favorite secret deodorant sooner than I should have. As these little issues become my daily life I'm realizing how grateful I am for something's and how much I wish I had others. 

Here is my packing advice that all the blogs I read left out:

1) check the weather of where you will be  going- and pay specific attention to the time of year you are going to be there for. Even if you've been to a boarderkng country in the past six months- news flash the weather changes with the seasons in most parts of the world. And it doesn't take that much distance for the weather to change completely. 

A) Spain, or central Spain is HOT in the summer. Don't pack jeans and think oh all my shirts will just match my jeans! You never wear your jeans because you value your health and safety and then you are left with two tops that match your two other pairs of pants and a sundress or two. Summer in Spain? Plan on sun dresses, sandals, skirts, tank tops, not the kind you wear with a cute stylish scarf either, like tank tops you wear because you're sweating your life away. And maybe a light cardigan for the mornings. 

B) Delhi and Agra are much hotter. 

C) Kathmandu less hot, but I only know of summer months. 

D) Morocco is cold in the winter. Jeans and light coats will make you a happy camper, capris and t shirts- won't. 

2) travel packs of Kleenex have always proven themselves useful. Need to sneeze? Check. Need to blow your nose? Check. Need to wipe your butt in the middle of no where at a cow dairy in Morocco? Check. Shove them in your bra to sop up some sweat on a hot summer day in Spain, roll one up around a bra wire that's stabbing you. Wipe the sweat from your brow. Wipe dog crap off your shoe in the streets of Kathmandu. Clean your seat off at a less than clean restaurant when you're wearing white shorts. Okay so I've only used Kleenex for a handful of the situations but really when you neeeeeed them you'll be glad you have them. 

3) face cleaning/ make up removing wipes- every use I just listen for the Kleenex above and BEYOND. These packs clean ANYTHING you need to, life savers, really, truly mean that. Just think of how you'd feel after a flight from Philadelphia, USA to Doha, Qatar... 

4) simple/cheap flip flops. I'm talking the black Old Navy kind. The ones that match with everything and can go with shorts, sundresses, jeans, yoga pants, skirts, just about anything. They are comfy, your feet form to them, they aren't hot to wear, they don't leave bizarre tan lines, it doesn't matter if they get wet- can you say hostel showers. And- if they break? Oh well one less thing to pack for your return flight!

4) a sweatshirt, I mean it, maybe not the heaviest one you own, but almost any where you go a rainy windy day is inevitable at some point and being able to cuddle up in something so normal to you is the best feeling ever. Nothing like feeling cozy abroad. 

5) a baby blanket- small, thin, takes no space to pack and you'll use everyday. Blanket, sheet, pillow, towel, head scarf, and hey it smells like home, for the first few weeks at least. 

6) jewelry, when you don't have room to pack you're entire wardrobe at least you can mix it up and feel less frumpy with a cute pair of earrings! 

7) books. The real kind. When electricity becomes an issue, as it tends to abroad, have a hard copy of a book that requires no charging and you don't have to worry about it dying on you just when you get to the good part!

8) a side bag- sure while traveling all you care about is your suitcase but once you get their you'll need a bag for a day in the city, an over night bag for weekend trips, a beach bag, a backpack for class, or so on, think a head.

9) zip lock baggies. Everytime I pack my mother tries to tell me to take baggies and I'm always so confused as to why. I turn them down each time with disgust only to desperately need nothing other than a plastic baggie hours later. Make up, wet clothes, trash, handfuls of snacks, memory cards and camera batteries, really this list could go on forever and ever and ever.

10) food. I don't joke about this one. A box of cheese it's will last longer than you think when you know once they are gone they are gone until you get home again. Cliff bars make a perfect breakfast when you have no clue where to buy anything and it's a cheap meal you can eat anywhere. Fruit chews for when you get fed something nasty and need a sweet reminder of home. And if you have the space or the weight to spare a jar of peanut butter. Almost anywhere you can find a piece of bread or bag of pretzels or crackers and peanut butter is one of the rarest things to come across abroad. 

Now there: that's my list of truly helpful packing tips.

Una familia nueva

Every time I travel I feel like I'm in search of something. Some form of self discovery, an answer to some question, a discovery of who I am or what I'm supposed to do. It's always a challenge. Being somewhere strange with people you aren't used to speaking a language you don't know. Here in Spain things are pretty "western" so I honestly don't think I can call it culture shock. I've no doubt experienced culture shock so I know how it feels. 

This feeling it isn't quite as julting. I think it's just the feeling of knowing you're learning something, without knowing what you're learning yet. Those little moments of self discovery often come from realizing the things I miss most. 

I made a list yesterday and sent it to my mom, the things that make me happiest. I ignored things I do often, the things people want me to say, the common stereotypical happy things. I listed the things that if I could plan a perfect day would be included. Maybe that's what I'm learning here, maybe it's learning to be more comfortable in my own skin. 

Either way, the challenge hasn't been to fit in here with the spaniards. Missing home maybe, and my Americans, maybe, but finding spaniards to take me in has been the opposite of a challenge. 

I dare say this family has brought me to be part of their family more than any other host family I've stayed with. I can't say they are my favorite because, well because Jenica, but man these people are up there on my list. 

Yesterday we took a "walk" that lasted 5 hours, included 2 stops for cañas and 1 for dinner. We walked and talked and walked and ate and drank and walked and stopped when we ran into more family or friends. 

Everywhere we go my host mother Angelita, is so beyond proud to introduce me and tell them that I understand Spanish "perfectamente" followed by me being completely lost in their rapid highly accented conversations. She spanks my butt when I do something she's proud of, she cuddles up next to me on the couch to Facebook stalk all my best friends from home, she does my laundry, makes me food, is insanely protective of people such as my host brother trying to get me to try meat when were out at restuarants. She buys me fruit even though she doesn't like it, she tells me I'm boring and makes fun of me but defends me to everyone else that I work too hard when I'm home in the states and this is my chance to relax. She's patient with my Spanish and is so sweet trying to learn some English and oh man let me tell you we've shed many tears laughing so hard over her attempted pronunciation of the work plate which sounds much more like plaís. She let's me throw out the food I don't really want and feeds me more of what I do like. She offers me everything I need and even replaces more toilet paper rolls in the bathroom before I even run out. She helps with my homework and takes me to get churros for breakfast before a long day of travel. We talk about everything under the sun.

My host brother makes fun of me every chance he can get just like the brother I never had. My host brother in law makes smart comments to try and confuse me, saying funny things with a straight face, and anyone learning a foreign language will tell you the hardest thing to understand in a foreign language is humor. My host sister in law is sweet and caring towards me, hesitant to confuse me and yet so bold in her ways. My host sister is an unbelievable amount of kind and patient towards me, protective and funny. Emma just turned 6-months-old and has the most beautiful big brown eyes, spits up a lot, and knows how to cry when she needs to. And man Irene, I think I could leave it at, I'm planning on smuggling her back to the states with me in my suitcase. Her cubby checks, her big practically toothless smile, her baby pout, the face she makes when she eats food she doesn't like for the first time, like gazpacho, when she curls her lips and wrinkles her nose and looks at her mom is sadness of how could you feed me something so awful, when she claps, waves good bye, give you a kiss when you ask her to, when she walks around the streets of Toledo holding my hands, when she tried fried calamari with me for the first time, her dresses, her shoes, her little tears when she wakes up grumpy. 

I can't leave these people, I love them, and I just wish my Spanish was better so I could just feel like one of them.

To a few cousins yesterday I think Angelita was telling them that she hopes that if I ever come back to Spain that I will feel I have a family here. She makes my soul happy. 

While everyone else in my group hangs out I hang out with my family, and they all say you spend too much time with them tell them you need to see your friends, but in the end I'm so happy to spend time with my family. 

Maybe my lesson from Spain is family, maybe it's no more complicated than that:... family. I think I'd be okay with that.

Today I went to a park near my house to read, a tour group stopped right next to the bench I was laying on to talk for 15 minutes and a woman asked if she could sit. It was uncomfortable as five other women smushed onto the bench I was on but, the woman next to me looked at me and told me I was pretty/cute, then thanked me for letting her sit. Spain isn't all that bad I guess.

Corpus Christi

It has finally come, the night before Corpus Christi is upon us. 

The magic is the decorations, the excitement, the concerts and activities, little girls with bows the size of their heads in their hair, and monster dolls and giants roaming the streets with plaster faces that will no doubt give me nightmares.

The reality is too many people in the streets. Over crowding. Hunger. Confusion. And chaos. 

Nothing quite like having to get home in time to meet your friends, leaving your family in the plaza and getting to feed yourself dinner, especially when you're home alone, and can shove half a loaf of bread, smothered in the butter they neverrrrr use with some Toledo cheese down your throat. 

Ahhhh Corpus Christi in Toledo.

Valencia

This weekend a bunch of us all went to Valencia to hang out on the beach. The weather was beautiful the whole time and we got to just relax which was nice after a long, stressful week of classes. A few of us found some grocery stores while there to just buy some bread and cheese and fruit to take to the beach. While we got lost a few times, among a few other hiccups the weekend went great. We stayed at a great hostel and were able to take a cheap bus to the beach. Valencia is exactly how I pictured European cities to look, and it also had some amazing restaurants! I had delicious pasta, a great goat cheese salad, and we even found an Asian restaurant with stir fry, oh mannnn it was good.

Now that we are back in Toledo, Corpus Christi is this week which is the biggest holiday in the entire year for Toledo. Each city in Spain pretty much has their own special celebration or holiday. We've heard of some crazy things going on here this week and we are so excited to see the entire city transform.

Keeping it short and sweet for now, but go check out the photos I just uploaded from our day in Segovia last weekend!

When Poverty Strikes in Europe

Alright, this is for all you fools out there who think you want to go to Europe. PSA- you don't.

Europe is expensive and all you do is spend time running after a 10 cent Euro coin when it falls out of your purse and rolls down a hill.

In Europe you want food from home but not only can you not afford McDonalds... but you can't afford a bag of Doritos at the corner market.

In Europe everything is beautiful and right in front of your eyes, it looks like Epcot in Disney World and every day here I spend pinching myself telling myself that this actually is the real deal. But it costs money. (The other day in Segovia I went inside the castle that inspired the Cinderella's castle that is at Disney World, and is also used as the Disney Logo, like the real castle...  like where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella lived, slept, ate, entertained, prayed, and you know lived)

Europe mocks and taunts us American students who work for the equivalent of 6.50 Euros in an hour. An hours worth of work for not even enough for a meal at McDonalds. Nope.

I literally crawled under a table today in public to fetch my fallen 10 cent Euro coin.

We do it for the weekend trips. We do it for the beach, for the trains, for the sketchy ride board transportation that is all we can afford. We do it for the planes. The Eiffel Tower. The Prado. The beach. The busses. The peanuts bought at the bus station. The hostels. The hostels with free croissants in the morning that are fresh and soft and warm. We do it for the very small gifts we buy for our friends and family - cough cough emphasis on the very small, don't get your hopes up people -, we do it for the Catacombs, sleeping in rooms with strangers, eating food we've never tried. Did I say we do it for the beach?

After it all, when were tired, dirty, smelly, hungry, thinking about getting on our hands and knees in public because our feet hurt so badly from walking all day, you know, ...after it all, we do it for the memories. The memories are worth every single 10 cent Euro coin I've ever chased in the past and that I will ever chase in the future.

Man, what would life be without this amazing world to experience it in?

Another Day

Another great day feeling completely at home here in Spain. Classes are giving us all so much homework it's been hard to even have time to leave our houses. Were all pretty bummed about that, but living with these people has been the best two weeks. I can't wait to have more time to post about Irene's 1st birthday party. 

Fried ... Something

Today I went for a walk with Angela, Angelita, and Irene to walk one of Angela's student, Alfonso, home after tutoring. His mom studied abroad in Rodchester, New York for a year when she was in college I believe and so it was fun to meet her and speak a bit of English. 

I had a long day of very frustrating homework and Angela who is studying English and also a teacher felt bad, she tried to help, and to be honest it was very funny to realize I'm always living with a teacher wherever I go. 

Anyway after I looked rather frustrated she told me I'd been working for too long and after she finished with Alfonso we'd go on a walk. 

The walk led to the choice of seafood or pizza for dinner, of course I said "no me importa" it doesn't matter because let's face it I was just thrilled to eat out! 

Seafood it was and I had my first try of well.. I'm not sure what it was. But I was assured it was seafood and not "meat" (they are both very good about that stuff) Angelita started piling stuff on my plate to try telling me which I could eat the whole thing and which I could use my hands on. For someone who has never eaten what was served to us in my life let alone after 3 years as a vegetarian and only a few months as a pescatarian let's all give me a round of applause for just going for it. In Spanish the verb is probar- or to try, as in to try a fried calamari, and squid, and anchovies, and fish. One big plate of mystery fried seafood. With bread and sangria of course. I must say, it was delicious. Like really I mean that. Being a pescatarian has proven to make me quite the happy person in life, tonight validated my desicion. 

It was so fun to go out to dinner with them, they strangely feel like family. I've never had a family abroad that has so included me in their everyday lives as much as they already have. On Sunday we go to Angela's for dinner, all I understood was that this week they aren't having paella, Angelita was quite disappointed by this hahahaha. 

I could go on but it's late and I'm so exhausted. Really I am. Too much Spanish and thinking and school and translation and walking and heat and baby and weird food and being lost and too much. 

When we got home we took off our shoes and I showed Angelita my yoga mat shoes to say she was fascinated, thrilled, over the moon, enamored, would be a huge understatement. In a country where they only wear fancy heels and leather wedge sandals yoga mat shoes are probably the most comfortable thing she has ever put on her feet. 

She's amazing today she laughed at me until she cried on at least three different occasions. Really I love her. I can't imagine leaving in just 6 weeks. Watch me scrap all my travel plans to get to stay with her. Haha, unlikely but still. She is amazing, wonderful, happy and she feeds me well most of the time, but tries to feed me well allllll of the time. I'll have to spend time writing out small stories from my walks and adventures with Angelita later but for now voy a dormir, I'm going to sleep. Hasta mañana, buenos noches.

Where Do I Begin?

Well, here goes nothing. I've officialy wrapped up my first week here in Spain, Wow. If you had told me to guess how it would be a week ago there is no way I would ever have guessed it would be so wonderful. Really please don't mind if this blog post is the most scatter brained thing you've read all year, I honestly have no idea of where to begin.

How about with my host family? Angelita is my host mom, and she lives alone, well not now that I'm here. I think she likes having me around for some company at the end of the day but at the same time there is no part of her that is lonely. Everyday her daughter Angela comes over and eats lunch here with me before she heads to work. She teaches English to young students and also taks English classes herself. She is very kindand works very hard to get me to just speak Spanish without thinking about every word I say. Possibly, no most definitly the best part of this family is Irene. Everyday Angela brings her daughter Irene over to my house so that Angelita can watch her while Angela goes to work. I get to play with her and hold her ands shes the happiest litle chubby cheeked kid I've ever met.

Angelita works very hard to only feed me food that I like and every time she makes something new she says "you can just tr it first" which is much appreciated because I feel like I can always say I don't like it. Every time I've ever traveled abroad I've been served food I don't really like. Nepal, Mexico, and Morocco weren't my ideal meals, but here I actually really like most of the food she make. Everything is fresh and flavorful, its much healthier than at home and not as heavy. One thing I've learned about Spanish cuisine in the past week is their love for olive oil, they will put it on anything, and to be honest they will drown anything in it. Last night watching her put olive oil on our salad bowl I thought she would've stopped pouring a good 73 seconds before she did. She tries to feed me a lot especially bread, she loves bread as do all Spaniards but Angelita especially, she owns a bread store a few miles from town, and from the sounds of it from everyone else in our group of students I have the freshest bread at my house.

The classes seem more or less simple. I'm taking Introduction to Literature, Advanced Linguistics, and a Modern Languages class. I have class Monday through Thursday 9 am to 11 am and then I'm done for the day. I usually go home after and eat lunch with Angela once she gets here. Things are sometimes difficult because I don't have internet access in my bedroom so I can only be in contact with people if I sit in the living room where everyone wants to speak to me in Spanish and where Irene is, who always throws fits if I don't let her play with my computer or my phone, which is not always favorable since she's you know not even one-year-old yet and is in the phase of throwing whatever she can get her hands on across the floor.

The group of students here from Ohio University is amazing. I'm already good friends with some of them. Every weekend for the most part we have free to go explore and go on European adventures. So when I arrived later than expected on Monday morning, my bags didn't. So I had to wait until Wednesday to get them. The difficult part was that no one knew what time they would be coming so I had to spend the entire day at home. Of course Wednesday was the day that everyone met up to plan excursions and trips for the weekends. So- when I showed up to class Thursday morning, showered and clean and smelling pretty, Taylor one of my already good friends here looked at me after class around 11 am and said "yeah hey want to go to Paris with us this weekend?" Because I'd already begun to feel left out, because I didn't want to miss out, because I wanted to make friends, because I didn't have other plans, because it's Paris and I'm in Spain and, because it's Paris do I even need another reason than that of course I said yes. I mean after all I went to India for a weekend once pretty much just to see the Taj Mahal, why not go to France for a weekend pretty much just to see the Eiffel Tower?

So I guess I'm a little travel rebel. But hey crap tons of euros later and here I am back in Spain able to say I've seen Paris. While we obviously didn't have time to see everything we woke up in a hostel where we got free breakfast of tea and croissants, we made it into the Catacombs after a 3 hour wait, which was absolutely crazy, shopped a little, made stops at the Louvre, Love Lock bridge where we even bought our own locks, we saw the Arc du Triumph from a distance, saw Notre Dame, had some lunch, exchanged some money and ended with a picnic under the Eiffel Tower. We rode the metro all day and never really got lost. It was absolutely crazy to be honest. We pulled it off, Paris in a day. And while yes we could have spent much more time there and actually gotten in to all of the marvelous places we visited, it was still one of the coolest prettiest most memorable places I've ever been. And while yes I still hope to go back one day and have time to spend in the Louvre and all, for a one day trip with three new friends as a 21-year-old I'd say my trip kicked some major weekend butt.

Exhausted, poor, and still lost in Toledo is how I am now. So hopefully that gives you enough background of what I'm up to! Photos to come later!

Okay, Really Though... I Have a Good Excuse

I know I've been terrible about blogging. With three classes here in Toledo I've been busy but also, this weekend I went with three new friends to explore Paris! So there! Hah! I told you I had a good excuse... I'll blog it all soon with photos too! I promise! Until then, good night for now, hasta luego!

La Tierra

Okay, I know I need to post. I'll be better I promise, but to be perfectly honest I'm simply too busy having a wonderful time! 

My first two days in Spain have been amazing! My host mother is wonderful, truly truly wonderful, and I'm already thinking in Spanish. 

I'm not sure I have collected thoughts yet.

I could tell you what I'm eating and what it looks like. 

I could tell you the long dramatic story of my journey over here and then how they lost my luggage. I could tell you about how I cried on my birthday. I could tell you how tired I was, I could tell you about the dogs here and the firemen cleaning the cathedrals for the celebration of Corpus Christi. I could tell you about my passionate love for Irene. I could tell you about my bed and my view and it all. 

But today while walking around, I realized something, and that is that walking around on ground that isn't flat is just better. Stone rodes, pebbles, coble stone, bricks, dirt, gravel, and muddy rice paddies, if you can feel what it is beneath your feet you're doing something right.

So that's my first prophetic statement from Spain. May you feel the ground beneath your feet wherever you go. May you realize the land, the history, the culture, the food, the language and all that comes with walking where you walk. And heaven forbid you walk somewhere with none of those beautiful aspects, may you leave in search of a feeling beneath your toes! It's worth it. I promise.

Adios por ahora, voy a salir para pasar tiempo con mis amigos nuevos! 

One Day Away!

I cannot believe how the time has flown! I'm only one day away from leaving for Spain!

Things have been crazy as I wrapped up my junior year and headed home to Michigan for the last week.

I've been sad to head out again so soon; I'm home sick already. It's been quite a few years of traveling and constantly being on the move, and it has gotten me to a point of just wanting to stay home for some stability. But hey- what's the fun in stability when you can have experiences planting rice, riding camels, taxi rides, yak cheese momos, Guelaguetza parades, rocks in your shoes, sun burns on Monte Alban, goat cheese in Chefchaouen, Hindu weddings, birthday celebrations for the Dalai Lama at a Tibetan refugee camp, babies sleeping in your arms, cactus for lunch, bus rides, train rides, bug bits the size of an orange, bucket laundry, motorcycle rides, getting scratched by a wild monkey, seeing a wild elephant, canoe rides, elephant rides, bike rickshaw rides in Old Delhi, auto rickshaw rides from the Taj Mahal to the Red Fort, mint tea, chai tea, avacado smoothies for breakfast, the chance to be asked to wear a headdress and speak to Shawafas, hugs goodbye, tears goodbye, countless new friends, never ending memories and stories to share, not to mention a GAZILLION photos to go along with it. Okay so maybe I'm not ready for stability, not if I think of all the endless gifts my travels have given me thus far.

So here I am one day out from nine weeks of travel through Europe. I will head out on Saturday from Madrid and take a bus to Toledo, where I will live, with my host mother, Angelita, for seven weeks. Today I had the gift of hearing from an old friend who traveled to Toledo last summer with Ohio University for the Spanish language program as well. The great news? She found out that I will be living with her same host family. She offered some amazingly helpful tips as well as helped calm any worries I could ever have. And now? Now I am so excited.

The best part of traveling is becoming a part of a family with someone abroad, finding a place that you fit in, in there culture, in their society, in their world.

While I'm not completely sure where my last two weeks in Europe will take me, I am making my final stop Sarajevo where I will take my flight to London, stay for a night, and then head back to Detroit. Plans are to see Ljubljana, Slovenia, and Zagreb, Croatia sometime during my journey. I cannot wait to see all that Europe has to offer me on this trip.

As I finish up my packing and spend my last day with my family I can only hope that this summer will be yet another one filled with many great travels. The summer I turned 21 I went to Europe, here goes nothing!

Plane Tickets and More, a Whole Lot More

I finalllllllly bought a return ticket from Europe today! While it is exciting it does make reality hit that soon enough I'll be back here in the States busy busy busy once again. I wish I could have been blogging more in preparation for this trip but to be perfectly honest, I haven't been sleeping much at all with how hectic projects for class have been lately. In fact I could probably be diagnosed with sleep deprivation, but one day I'll be successful and have a professional career, right? I think that's why I'm doing all of this...

Any who, Spain! Just 22 short days away until the adventures begin. I'm contemplating blogging in Spanish sometimes for the writing practices and forcing those of you reading un-able to read Spanish to translate my post yourself, however we will see. With my Oral Proficiency Interview for my major in the fall I'm going to need to completely delve into as much immersion as I can.

I have oh so many stories to tell about the preparation for this lovely trip but my documentary file just finished exporting and I must get back to work.

Hasta luego!

Here I Go... Again!!!

Well, its that time again! That time when I start up a new blog for my next big adventure because plans are finally starting to look real. I'll be heading to Toledo, Spain on May 9th for a study abroad program. I'll be taking a variety of courses in Spanish, including linguistics and civilization and culture classes.

Well, I must admit, Spain was never where I imagined myself doing a study abroad for Spanish. In fact I'm quite sure I crossed it off the list not even to be considered. However, after a summer doing a completely unorthodox trip and way too many moments of complete terror that none of it was going to work out or get approved and help me move towards graduating on time, I figured it was probably time to stick to the status quo and go on the Ohio University sanctioned study abroad for Spanish majors trip. So, after much angst about Spain... and not any of my dream Central American or South American countries... I think I'll just suck it up and go to Spain this summer... I know, I have it pretty rough.

I'll make it to those places one day, and hopefully get to live there also, right? And Spain is just part of that journey, and helping me broaden my horizons, and teaching me Spanish, right? Right.

Now that that is settled here is my brief personal understanding of how traveling the world manipulates your mind. Well, to start I wasn't exactly "pumped" to go to Spain. But I was "pumped" to go to Morocco over winter break. Morocco was one of my dream destinations. In Morocco we spent about 3 ish days in Tangier. From Tangier you can see Spain. Once you see a land you've never been to, but are so close you literally can see it, but you are told you can't go there, well... when you're the type of person who wants to go everywhere, well it makes you really want to go there... I mean realllllly want to go there. So that's my story of how I came around to the idea of Spain.

So May 9th... Start the countdown!!! The adventures await!