BaRCeLOna: Top 10 moments

I just got back from Barcelona yesterday, and I am going to sort through the hundreds of memories to pick out the winners:

1. Overnight bus ride (1am-9am)--The sleepy Asian man who sat next to me had his ringer set to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"...it went off constantly and he NEVER woke up to answer or turn it off. Isn't it ironic that a lullaby kept me awake all night? Also, an angry French man paced up and down the aisle yelling at the bus driver, and then yelling at his reflection in the window...I am almost glad that I couldn't sleep so that I could witness the tirade.

2. At 7am on the bus, we were driving through the mountains to Barcelona and the sun was rising. I could see the horizon for miles in the distance and I felt my heart be still. God was so alive and vivid to me in that moment, and it felt like my breathing was syncronized with His.

3. Mambo Tango-- Sweetest Hostal in the world. We (Natalie, Jen and I) stayed there for 3 nights and there were 10 people in our room. It was totally different living out of a backpack and having guys sleep by me...guys who snored like it was a competition to break a window via sound wave. The Hostal was owned by a family from Argentina who came to Barcelona on vacation a year ago, and then decided to stay and buy a hostal.

4. We walked to the beach when we got their and bought a box of Sangria and soaked in the sun. I have no tan to prove that this actually happened, but it was awesome to be sitting on a beach in January and stare out into the sea.

5. One night I was mesmorized by chocolate covered oranges in one of the store windows, and my nameless travel companion wanted to see how much they were worth and she smashed her forehead into the window which had been invisible to her just moments before. She ran away terrified and I had the best laugh of 2008 thus far.

6. Barcelona is the home and canvas of Gaudi...He is the master arquitect who created Park Guell, Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, and Casa Batallo. It was really inspiring to see someone's dreams and aspirations manifest into the breathtaking structures that he created. Looking at his creations made me want to be more daring and passionate about what I am doing in my life. for serious.

7. After a chill night of eating kebaps (cheap, fatty, life-altering), and drinking Mojitos (equally life-altering), we went back to the hostal to watch a movie and then go to sleep. However, this all changed when 6 guys from Ohio were in our room and getting ready to go out. They invited us to come with them, and the relaxing movie night got the Ki-bosh. It was super fun to be with loud Americans (the sterotypes are so true) and I enjoyed speaking english and dancing to 80s hits.

8. We climbed up the top of Montjuic...which is where the Olympics were in '92. It was beautiful and the spirit of the Olympics is still in the air. I am currently thinking of moving to some obscure country, declaring citizenship, and then getting really good at some sport so that I can go to the Olympics for free. Also, on our journey up the mountain we met a guy from Korea who was studying in England. He was super funny and awkward and he tagged along with us even though he had no intention of climbing a mountain.

9. I met awesome people from Australia, England and Poland and I learned so much them about the world. Most people were traveling on their own, which deserves major props. I am realizing what a cool time of my life I am in right now! I am also learning how to be a great sponge.

10. Realization that I am me and that I have purpose. yea, this is pretty huge.

Correr- to run

I love to run.

To my exceeding delight, I have recently discovered that running in Spain is my ticket to mastering the language. On any given run I have spoken to as few as 5 people and as many as 16. (this is due to getting completely lost and asking for help)

In Madrid, "around the block" doesn't exist. So I will be running, and fool myself into thinking that I can go one more block and then cut back and be where I had hoped...but one more block = a black hole teleporting you into the unknown. There is no Lake Michigan to anchor yourself with.

Today we went on a bus tour of Madrid...and everyone was seeing parts of Madrid for the first time. I had already seen everything and had stories about the places because I have already been lost everywhere that Madrid has to offer. In a month, my Spanish is going to decline greatly because if I'm not asking for directions, I have nothing to say!

No "Where's Waldo" in Spain...you can see me from 10.8 mi. away!

When I where this, I am the brighteset thing that Spain has seen since the sun first came into the picture.

Madrillenos wear black, dark brown, and they throw in the occassional gray sock combination.

the METRO

So public transportation here is awesome. There is an underground Metro that takes you anywhere in the city...you just have to figure which number line you want to jump on (there's 9)...and then magically, you never have to wait more than 3 minutes for a metro to come and pick you up.

Here are the unspoken rules:

1. Don't talk to anyone.
2. Seriously, don't talk to anyone.
3. If you chose to ignore the previous, you're on your own.

So, I tried making small talk with a nice old lady who was sitting next to me yesterday. bad idea. Not only did she not acknowledge my presence...she moved seats at the next stop. HOW RUDE!

However, there are expections to the rule. A couple days ago I smiled at the woman sitting next to me...and she started telling that she was from Romania and her husband had passed and how she was in Madrid working as a health aid for a man who was very ill. Her eyes teared up as she talked about missing her husband and feeling alone. Her spanish was just as poor as mine...but good golly did I want to hug her and give her hope! I said that I was away from my family as well and that my faith was holding me together and giving me strength. I have no idea if she understood what I said, but I will for sure never forget her.

I am in a totally different country and culture, but I am realizing that all people need the same thing. hope.

Mi Casa

Hola Todos!!

I am in my new HOME!! For the last week I have been living out of a suitcase in a Hostal...not a glamorous life by any means. Today I took a taxi to my new home and it is GREAT!

I am living with a Senora (single lady who takes care of people like me) and her name is Victoria. Victoria speaks super fast spanish and so I am not sure if I have her life story correct, but from the sounds of it she was a professor in Madrid and in the Canary Islands for over 30 years. Currently, hosting students is where she gets her full time income. For an all-consuming life hobby, Victoria refurbishes old furniture. So, my new home looks like a museum...swords, pistols, crazy chairs that are too weak to sit in and all. Yea, otro mundo.

There are two girls that will be living here as well. One is from Orange County, Ca. and the other is from Boston. To me, the coasts are different worlds in themselves, so I am truly getting the full international/galactic experience.

Anyway, I am excited to unpack and I am WAY tired because last night I went to Cuban Dance Club. It was SO much fun and for the majority of the time I danced with old women because the girls I went with were swept off their feet by Cuban dance Gods...and the only Cuban guys who wanted to dance with me were "questionable" at best.

I would love personal updates!

I MADE IT...but barely.  So here is the abbrev. version of my journey:

1. Enter Plane....realize that seat cushion doesn't actually stay on the seat...sit on pillow, between two super nice people from Notre Dame and a guy in the military stationed in Venice.  Smooth Sailing to Milan.

2. Enter Milan 6:30am.  Pilots from Alitalia go on strike.  My flight to Madrid was cancelled.  The airport decided to dump our bags, but still told us that our bags were safely on way to Madrid.  I found my bags 3 hrs later on the floor in some random corner of the airport. 

3.  Go back in line to check my bags for the next flight, but have to wait to two hours behind a couple from Brazil that couldn't get their dog on the plane.  The clerk would get frustrated and then literally get up and run away to some mysterious room for 15 min at a time.  A new clerk came and gave us tickets on a different airline...but that plane left in less than an hr.

4.  Made it to the Iberia check in, and they informed me that I was only allowed to have 1 bag, 20 kilos....I had TWO HUGE BAGS....so I was charged 63 euros for my xs luggage.  SHOOT me in the foot.  

5.  Ran to the next plane in tears...made it on.  spilled water all over my pants so I looked like I had an accident...and I was weeping, so I can only imagine the conclusions that all of my fellow Spaniards came to.  

6.  Bailey, the saint of Spain, waited for 7 hrs and I ran into her arms at the airport.

God is so good and He got me to Spain.  End of Story.