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Running- attempt #1

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 22:26:52 +0200

“My body tells me no-o-o/ But I won’t quit/ Cause I want mo-ore”
I wish that Young the Giant was right, but sadly I did not make it as far as I wanted. I’ll still give myself props though. I still don’t understand how I can be chugging away on the elliptical machine at the gym for 30 minutes and not feel as winded as I do when I get a couple yards away from my front door?? I’m just not a runner, I guess. Or maybe I just need to run more. Jog, rather, at the pace I’m moving. Might even be a trudge at some points. Smoothie time? I think so.

Meh

Sun, 20 May 2012 18:38:40 +0200

I’ve been thinking a lot about death lately. I woke up singing/thinking this:
“I won’t ever let you let me let you die young”

Okay, you got it out. Can it stop now?

So god damn tired

Mon, 14 May 2012 09:31:10 +0200

But I can’t sleep.
So hungry, but I can’t eat.
Distraught and exhausted
I just want to lay down my head and dream.

Moments of brilliance: things I hear outside my window (aka "Only in IV")

Sun, 06 May 2012 07:43:24 +0200

Lovely quotes from freshmen (and probably others) walking back from a night of drinking on DP.

“everybody get NAKEEEEDDD”
(standard)

*car horn*
Girl “no, f*** you!”
Guy “you’re a whore”
Girl “I agree with you!”
(self esteem issues?)

Guy 1: “ow dude I’m sunburnt! Stop touching me”
Guy 2: “I’m gonna tickle you”
(wait…what?)

I’m crawling around inside my own head, Ripping and tearing my brain to shreds. Breaking...

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 05:22:42 +0200

I’m crawling around inside my own head,
Ripping and tearing my brain to shreds.
Breaking down
The walls of sanity.
I’ll rebuild them tomorrow.

Midnight phone calls alleviate the stresses of the day Your voice dances in my eardrums, fills my...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 09:43:23 +0200

Midnight phone calls alleviate the stresses of the day
Your voice dances in my eardrums, fills my brain, then melts away
The face to face, the summer days, the things that I miss most
I stare at my reflection until I turn into a ghost
I float into my room, shut my eyes, and rest my head
But my mind is racing, contemplating all the words I’ve ever read
I play back all the compassionate (and hurtful) things we’ve ever said
Still, I’m thankful for these moments when I’m reminded I’m not dead

I can sleep when I’m dead.

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 06:16:40 +0200

I can sleep when I’m dead.

What is Peace?

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 19:21:00 +0200

Buddha, Gandhi, and Camus talk about a pacifist state of nonviolence.

The Dalai Lama states that peace is the absence of suffering and problems, which can only be maintained through spiritual practice. Drengson, in his article about Aikido, the Martial Art of Reconciliation, says that peace is both the absence of violence and the reconciliation of parties in conflict, involving expression and careful listening by both sides.

Fuller takes a similar approach, stating that peace can only be created out of mutual and universal understanding for all of mankind, stating that it’s “Everybody’s Work.” And Hanh recognizes peace as both a quality and a process—the absence of violence, the cultivation of understanding, insight, and compassion, combined with action (such as mindfulness and the actual practice of peace).

All of these definitions of peace are valid, all of them supported by strong examples. The philosophy that I align myself most closely with is that of the Dalai Lama. (We will get into our similarities towards the end, but for now I will explain the background of my idea and a few examples) Firstly, I believe that peace is a state of harmony and balance. However, this balance cannot be operationalized, exactly. But I like to think of it as a balance reached between inner and outer forces. Whether this is achieved in an atmosphere of calmness and with a an attitude of calmness, or an atmosphere of pure chaos and an inner state of turmoil, or in an atmosphere of chaos with an inner state of calmness…We are all different, and we will feel balance and completeness (could we call this fulfillment?) when this balance has been reached. For example, I am the kind of person that is at “peace” when I have a lot of things to do. Or at least I consider it to be that way. When I am busy, and my external situation is filled with tasks, and problems I have to solve, and my mind is busy, constantly working, I am in my state of peace. Other people might say that when there are stressful external forces, and their minds are calm and collected, they are content, they are at peace. This, for me, would not be a good balance. When I am in a peaceful state, all the forces at work outside of my head match the forces within my head, and that is my balance. The point that I would like to make here is that there is no universal peace, for all humankind. As there are many ideas listed above by the many different philosophers, people can experience their “peace” in different ways. To each his own. There can, therefore, be no exact definition of the state of peace, other than the fact that it is a state, and that it is the personal balance of one’s external forces and internal workings of the mind.

Secondly, as the Dalai Lama states, to achieve peace, we must practice. We must be diligent, and we must take the time to create this state of peace in our lives. This can only come from experience. Whether it is spiritual practice, practice of another sort, we must consciously make an effort to achieve this balance.

Achieving our own personal state of peace involves three things: effort, mindfulness, and responsibility. Effort is key. We must have the motivation and the willpower to experience conflict, work through our problems, and achieve a state of peace. Without effort, nothing would be set into action. We have to WANT to achieve this state of peace, and then we have to try.

Mindfulness is awareness. Being aware of yourself and your surroundings will allow you to move through life more easily and find that state of peace more quickly. While effort motivates us into action, mindfulness keeps us from running around aimlessly in search of peace. You would be surprised how much you can learn by opening your mind, you can be aware of the entire universe. This mindfulness or awareness is a key component to pursuing your personal peace.

Finally, there is responsibility. There is that phrase, “With great power comes great responsibility” (Hey, isn’t that from Spiderman? Yes. Yes it is). But its true. Peace is power, and it must be searched for and “used,” so to speak, with responsibility. When engaging in this search for peace, one must learn to think and act responsibly, to respect others (which I believe is an act of responsibility), and to respect and be responsible for yourself. One must control and be responsible for the things they do. One must own their actions, and realize that they are the force that works toward achieving their personal peace. As Buddha said, “Be a lamp unto yourself” (from Hanh, Creating True Peace).

With effort, we are motivated and we try relentlessly to search for peace. With mindfulness, we understand what it takes to reach peace, and we are considerate of the world around us in our search. With responsibility, we own our actions and accept that we are the driving force in our search for peace. We cannot reach the state of peace without these key components, effort, mindfulness, and responsibility. Three things which must be put into practice every day, in every aspect of life. Only then can we experience the balance of inner and outer forces. Only then can we achieve peace.

I've hit a wall

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 07:48:13 +0100

After contemplating all the possible sentences that can accurately explain what I’m feeling in this moment, I’ve decided…that is it.
It kind of hurt when I ran into it, too ;(

yep.

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 19:22:30 +0100

yep.

Muchísimas gracias, España

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:55:48 +0100

I’m writing this now just in case I get too caught up next week while packing. Tomorrow I am heading off to London, my last trip before I finally return home. It’s all just happened so very fast. And now I have 8 days left until returning to California.

I’ve been thinking and reflecting all day- about the past 6 months here. I’m writing it now to keep from crying. Or to induce tears. I’m not sure which one, but I am quite an emotionally sadistic person so I imagine its a mix of the two. Hot, stinging tears, how you plague me during times like these! Let’s hope this ends up being cathartic, though.

I’ll begin with the emotions that were conjured up within me during my first 2 weeks here. I was sad, missing my family, missing Robert, missing the comforts of home, scared that I would not adapt, insanely frightened that I would be misunderstood and not be able to understand the language. In contrast, today, I am oddly comfortable, which was to be expected, but seemed to be a distant dream to me when I first arrived here. Today, I find myself able to understand 90 percent of what is said to me on a daily basis. Today, I am able to communicate my thoughts efficiently, causing my roommates only a little agony, as opposed to the large amount of suffering they endured with my broken Spanish in the beginning of the year. Today, I find that I am home, and that I am going to miss this place dearly. In fact, I might even miss that uncomfortable and awkward feeling I had in the beginning…. Nah.

Of course, the time here came with its homesickness, its confusion, and its frustration. But all of these were paired with new friendships, discovery, and happiness. Over a period of 6 months, I went from being a frightened study-abroad-er(?) with an overwhelming desire to return home on the first flight I could find…to a confident Spanish-speaker with great new friends, two handfuls (not just one!) of wonderful experiences, and a different set of eyes (metaphorically speaking, of course), through which to look at the world. Rather, it seems that am looking at the world through a different, more positive filter. Although my time here was certainly short, compared to those in for the long-haul, I believe I’ve accomplished very much here. I’ve traveled quite a lot, I’ve maintained pretty good attendance in all of my classes, and I’ve soaked up every bit of Spanish that I could (within reason— abstract concepts needed to be discussed, the meaning of life, etc. For this, we used English. I’m sorry, Paul! I suppose only UCSB-ers will get that). This experience has even shed some light on future career opportunities, and I have decided that Spanish will be a permanent part of my life, no matter what. Whether I am teaching it to high school students or adults, using it in the workplace, or conversing with the many people who speak it in Southern California, I will not let that part of my brain turn to mush. Not after this experience.

I would also like to touch on the wonderful friendships I have made here. Without naming names, there are a few people I have met here who have really made a great impression on my mind and heart. First off, my roommates are fun and charismatic girls who have had so much patience with me, and helped me learn along the way. I am so lucky to have found this apartment with them. I can remember making the decision that I was going to live here, and how anxious and nervous I was when accepting the offer, barely able to understand the girl on the other end of the phone. Now we go to the gym together every once in a while and I am so glad that I can not only call her a roommate, but my friend. Although I still struggle a bit with the speed of conversation and the Andalusian accent, I have grown to be able to understand them very well, and am grateful for the standard they have set for me for the past 6 months. I mean, if I can understand this, I might be able to understand anything! Right? ;) Also, I would just like to say that I believe that EAP brings together such wonderful people, outgoing people, open-minded people. I am eternally grateful to EAP for bringing such great people from the University of California into my life, and I hope that we remain friends after this experience is over. Actually, I know that we will. I wish the best of luck to all of my friends returning to their respective universities for the spring, and especially to those who are continuing their experience in Granada for the rest of the year. Thank you, to all the wonderful people that I can now call my friends. It’s been fun, and talk to you soon. Finally, I would like to thank my parents and the rest of my family, without whom this would not have been possible at all. The financial and emotional support, the heartfelt e-mails, and the general interest in my studies and travels here, has kept me going. I am so appreciative of everything that you guys do for me.

I am reminded now of a quote I have used in the past:

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn, or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.”

I don’t know much about grace, but boy, do I feel loved, and very grateful, in this moment.

Goodnight :)

Weekend in Morocco

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:10:00 +0100

Friday (Day 1)- Málaga to Algeciras to Ceuta!

The first day consisted of a lot of buses and a ferry, and we ended up in a small fishing town near Ceuta, at the “Golden Beach” hotel, which is apparently very busy during the summer season, seeing as it is close to the beach. I’m pretty sure that, in this not-as-popular season, we were the only group in the entire place. We hadn’t eaten anything substantial all day, so the very large dinner that they served us was great and allowed us to rest up for the flowing day. Not much exciting happened!

Saturday (Day 2)- Tetuan and Tangier

The second day involved a lot more activity. We woke up and head out to Tetuan, where we walked around the older part of the city, the “medina.” Surrounded by a high wall, this part of the city houses shops and merchants of all sorts, as well as residences. We passed by fruit and vegetable merchants, butchers, stands where they sold everyday household items, women weaving clothing, etc. When passing by a women selling cloth, our guide pretended to give Sara’s camera as a gift to her, and the woman thanked Sara by dressing her in traditional Arab garb, compete with a skirt, shawl, headpiece, and hat. The scene was just…indescribable. Sara was still worried about her camera, I think, but trying to just stand there and let the lady dress her up, until everyone had taken her picture and it was all over. It was hilarious, and probably my favorite part of the entire trip!! Then we went inside a traditional rug shop, where we used the restrooms and were guilt-tripped into buying things. I had to keep telling the men that work there that, unfortunately, I don’t have a house to put a rug in. Especially a 30 foot rug. However, I did buy a jewelry box and a magnet. After that, we made our way to a traditional Arabic house, converted to a tea room. I didn’t have any mint tea, I can do that here in Granada :P

Starting out the walking tour with our guide. Avanci, tutti frutti! (His catch phrase)

Nom vegetables!

So. Many. Rugs.

Sara being ambushed.

The finished product!

By that time, we were starving, but the guide took us to a pharmacy, where they sold creams, spices, oils, and medicines. Another ploy to get us to fuel the economy of Morocco through tourism, I suppose. Finally, we made our way through the narrow streets of the medina to a restaurant, where lunch was served in four courses. Soup and bread was first, then Moroccan salad, then couscous with vegetables and beef, and finally tea and almond cookies. There was a also a belly dancer, a band, and a man who could spin a platter of flaming candles on his head while dancing. Very impressive! Great food, music, and entertainment. Then it was time to get on the bus again and head to Tangier.

Main plaza and palace.

Just hangin out with some peacocks.

On the throne, where we belong.

The afternoon in Tangier started out with a bus tour through the more modern part of the city. We then arrived at the point in Morocco where you can view the Atlantic and the Mediterranean come together, at an imaginary line. Here I bought a bracelet and some post cards; these merchants are everywhere, taking advantage of the tourists. But hey, its what makes the world go ‘round. From there, we head back towards the city center, but stopped first to ride some camels! I didn’t actually ride the camel but I was the designated photographer for that moment. One of the camels was kind of foaming at the mouth, and kept hiccuping o making some sort of noise, in between burping out this gigantic mucus-filled blob out of its nostril…or neck?? In an y case, it was quite scary; that animal needed help, desperately :( Hopefully it retires soon. But the rides continued, and we finished the day with a visit to the Grotto of Hercules, where the window to the ocean, created by certain carved-out pieces of the cave rock, appears to be the inverted outline of Africa. We got to the hotel around 7 PM for some rest and dinner at 10 PM, a dinner time that may have even been late for the spaniards on the trip, sheesh!

Imaginary line where the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea intersect.

Sara and Amber, hanging out on some camels.

Me. With, but not on, a camel.

Nawwww, camel love.

Hercules Grotto. Can you see the outline of Africa (backwards)?

Sunday (Day 3)- Chefchaouen

On Sunday, we ate breakfast and got an early start towards Chefchaouen, the best city of the entire trip, I believe. When we arrived, we were greeted by the guides, and shown around the city. We were taken to some artisanal shops (rug makers), to buy things, yet again. The guide also showed us some different artisans working on their craft (carpenters, weavers, and bakers!). The city itself—the architecture of the shops and houses, the winding streets— is all painted white and blue. But not just blue, different hues of turquoise, aquamarine, cyan, and indigo. The function of the white on the roofs and tops of buildings is to reflect the light of the sun to prevent the heat of summer from entering the houses. The blue around the doors and windows is to keep the bugs away from the inside of the house, who would otherwise be attracted by the bright white light and the heat. It is such a beautiful city, perched on a picturesque mountainside. The weather was also very pleasant, which made the day even better. We stopped for lunch right before we left, another moroccan meal of salad, beef, and vegetables. No couscous that time :( Oh well. Then we head back to the ferry in Ceuta and spent the night in Málaga. I woke up excited to return to “Home #2” and rallied that I’ll be going back to Home #1 in a little over a week!! Time really did fly by…

They paint the street itself blue when the street is a dead end.

Not sure what he was doing, but he was awful cute.

Long blue corridors and archways. Love.

Kitty :)

Its all you need, right?

I had an unforgettable experience in Morocco, and I am so grateful that I had this opportunity, and that I’ve had the opportunity to travel to so many places during my time here. This trip was definitely the most interesting and different that I’ve been on since I arrived in August. I learned a little about Moroccan culture, met some great people, and had a wonderful time. I’m also really glad that I had such great friends, Sara and Amber, to spend it with, as well as having some great guides to show us around. I would love to return to Morocco some day, maybe with a little more time :)

give me all the biscuits! nomz.

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:51:47 +0100

give me all the biscuits! nomz.

so lovely :)

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:40:35 +0100

so lovely :)

The best inspiration comes from within these shower walls

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:46:58 +0100

Streams of water tracing veins underneath your paper skin
Washing away dirt and shame,
Layers that are paper thin.
Feel the comfort of warm water
You may not be the perfect daughter
But you can feel it in you fingertips.
You’re on the verge of something great.
Lift your head, stare in the mirror
Squinting now, so you’ll see clearer
Turning off the water is like the ending of a past life.
Standing cold, the breeze is biting
But still, this feeling is inviting
Draw the curtains, dry your eyes and pretend you’re the only one.
No cover-up, just one foot forward.
Step into the sun.

I am, in this moment, what might be referred to as “a...

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:13:38 +0100

I am, in this moment, what might be referred to as “a sleepy bear.”

Yes, yes I am.

Update from Spain 2! (Galicia)

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:54:00 +0100

Galicia, Galicia, assim você me mataaaa.

I have learned something during my time here. There is, in fact, a difference between a vacation, and traveling, as I have heard many times and have experienced myself at this point. Traveling involves planning, lots of transportation, getting lost, searching aimlessly for budget restaurants, and/or being very tired at the end of the day and being tired beyond belief at the end of the trip, leaving you drenched in sweat, and possibly tears, wanting to return back to your “normal life.” A vacation is a time in which you get to relax and forget the hustle and bustle of everyday life, dreading the day you have to return to what you knew before the weekend away. My weekend in Galicia with my friend Sara was a relaxing one. For the first time since I’ve been in Spain, I felt like this weekend away was actually a weekend away.

Thurs Jan 19

Although sick the whole week, and still a little groggy that morning, I decided to go through with the trip to Galicia. We took a 10 AM bus to Sevilla, having just enough time to grab some overpriced brunch near the bus station and head to the airport. Once there, I started having some serious issued with my left ear. During the bus die, I must have done something when blowing my nose, and I was experiencing muffled hearing and pain in my inner ear, especially whenever I moved my head. We went to the airport medic, a process which took just as long as passing through security to the gates, and I was met by a Spanish nurse. She gave me some medicine to help the mucus (EWWW) that was trapped in my ear. To which I replied…Oh, is that all? Alright… haha :/ The medicine actually ended up helping me, after my ears had “popped” during the descent. Very painful, actually. Felt like there were needles being pushed into my ears very slowly, until finally…pop! Okay I’m done explaining that now.

We headed to the city center on a bus and enjoyed the green hillsides of Galicia; a nice change from the normal, kind of barren-looking Andalusian landscape that I’m used to seeing on bus rides. The hotel, Pazos de Agra, was very close to the bus stop, and we didn’t have to walk far. Also, our host, Fernando, was very welcoming. Although we had to relocate to a different apartment down the street for the first night, and the heat didn’t seem to turn on at night in that room, we had a good first night. Also noted, thhe entrance to our apartment was inside of an accessories store that required us, after closing time, to open and lift up of on those chain-link gates that guard shops at night. That was fun. It was an experience.

As far as the sights, on that first night we walked around the city, saw the cathedral, and walked through the nearby park. We also ate typical Spanish comida at a super-tourist trap, picked up some candy at a local candy store called “Pecados,” found some fruit and pastures for breakfast, and headed back for a cold-nights sleep, accompanied by lots of jackets and many extra blankets.

Fri, Jan 20

The morning began with a cold apartment and running out of hot water for the shower, but nothing we’re not used to. We ventured over to the original hostel to change rooms, and headed out to see the inside of the cathedral and do other touristy things. We realized that Santiago de Compostela is a very small city that doesn’t offer much in terms of inner-city tourism. So we completed quite a lot in the short time we had. We toured the cathedral, went to a the cathedral museum, ate lunch, visited a museum of contemporary art, and a museum of Galego history. The latter museum was the least interesting, sad to say, but housed some beautiful glass sculptures that were nice to admire. The contemporary art museum was my favorite. The exhibit was by a man named Jeff Wall, and other contemporary artists. Wall’s main pieces were photographs of everyday “actors” in normal life placed into light boxes to give them a cinematographic effect. I really like contemporary art because it’s so open to interpretation and imagination. I had a lot of fun observing those works. The cathedral, Santiago’s pride and joy, was wonderful as well. The facade looks like it has never been renovated or changed, giving the exterior and the entire plaza a very antique feel, like you are stepping back in time. We even saw some pilgrims (most likely scarce during this time of year because is it freezing), passing through the plaza and entering the church. The museum housed relics found in the church and preserved to showcase the history of the town and the story of the pilgrimages.

Later that day, we went to the park to try to get a better view from the top of the city. And we found it, on two sides! On one side we could see the lush green hills and small white houses of the countryside, with a creative children’s park just below us, families enjoying themselves in the afternoon. On the other side, we got a great view of the cathedral as the sun was setting, and saw from afar that they were setting up lighting and sound equipment right in front. We decided to go there once more to check out what was going on, and found that they were setting up for a funeral that would occur the next day, for a former president of Galicia. It started to sprinkle (or was it mist?) so we headed back to the hotel to rest, get warm, and wait until we got hungry. We ate dinner at an extremely overpriced tapas bar that overlooked the park, took a short walk, got some more candy and fruit, and returned to the hotel.

Cathedral

More art appreciation.

Sweet glass jellyfish

Parque de Alameda with “Los dos Marias” and Sara

The “view from the top” that we found :)

Yellow fwowersss :)

Being silly in the park

We ARE Arte.- Sara Adams

Sat, Jan 21

We woke up late on Saturday because we had nothing planned, and we were going to have to leave the city in the early afternoon to catch our flight. We were invited to breakfast by our hosts, meaning we didn’t have to pay the normal 4 euro each for bread and juice (woohoo! what a lucky break). Breakfast was lovely. Croissants, orange juice, toast and jam, and hot chocolate was perfect to get us moving. We walked around the city once more, attending the funeral for a bit (there was a jumbo-tron broadcasting the events inside, so all in the plaza could see), and then we retrieved Sara’s umbrella from the museum we had left it in the previous day. We walked around some more, and, exhausting all other options, decided to eat. We stopped at the restaurant in which we had eaten the ay before for lunch, in which pilgrims rest coins within the stone walls after completing their trek to the cathedral. Then it was time tostart our journey back. We picked up our bags, interrupting a family lunch, I believe, and head to the airport. I think that two days was just enough time in Santiago, but I would have liked to travel around the region of Galicia, which would have taken a little more time. Maybe in the future. I really did enjoy that greenery, the kindhearted people, and the atmosphere. And I think I even felt a little better after the trip, too!

Goodbye, Galicia. You are lovely.

I noted in my journal at the end of the trip, that I found myself thinking…well, back to the daily grind! But then I realized…oh yeah, I’m still in Spain. It was both refreshing and a slap in the face to realize that this has become my daily life, living in Spain. I am comfortable here, it feels like home, and although I am eager and ready to get back to California, Granada will always have a place in my heart.

Goodnight :)

Life update from Spain! (Family visit and Paris)

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:47:00 +0100

So here I am again, rejoining the blogosphere after what seems like a decade of experiences that should have been documented… but alas, laziness got the best of me. But I’m finally ready to sum up the past two months of my life, for anyone who is interested in reading. Mainly family, I’m assuming.

So here goes.

December started off with a nice trip to Italy (See Italia post), and then a week and a half of class that seemingly flew by, followed by a wonderful visit from my family and Robert (12/19-12/28). And also a tattoo appointment :) Already posted the pic somewhere in here…

Anyways, having my mom, dad, brother, and boyfriend here was wonderful! I loved playing tour guide and showing them the things I do here on a weekly basis. It was great for them to see my surrounding area, and to now have a picture in their heads when I talk about a particular area around town is really refreshing. They also (I hope) enjoyed the food, the sights, and the culture here. Although, the jet lag did get the best of them, but thank goodness for siestas!

I think this just about sums it up…

On Christmas Eve, we missed out on making reservations and didn’t get the memo that every restaurant in Granada was going to be unnecessarily rude and turn us away…so we settled for some kebabs at a sit-down place, and we ate next to some family smoking hookah. Needless to say, it was a very fun and…different Christmas Eve. For Christmas dinner, mom and I made eggplant parmesan and pasta and salad, and I also made my first successful pumpkin pie! We Skyped the rest of the family back at home, and it was almost like being together…almost. But thats what happens, life happens. Traditions come and go. You just have to adapt and keep living :)

After a tear-filled goodbye with my parents and Max, and then Robert the next day (12/29/11), I was off, by myself, to Paris. I hadn’t traveled by myself since I came to Spain, and I was quite nervous, especially considering that I do not speak a word of French. At the airport, I met some Spanish girls that were very kind, and we found the ticket booth for the bus to the center of the city. On this very rainy, very windy and verryyyy cold night, I was sincerely lost, and had no directions to the hotel. After getting to the city center, I parted ways with the Spanish girls, and had to make it on my own from there. I texted Kelsey, who was at the hotel with her sister, and was advised to take 2 different metros, and then walk to the hotel which was in an unspecified direction from the metro stop. Brilliant! But with much coaching from Kelsey, I finally made it and our Parisian adventure began. Or I guess it began up there, didn’t it? Anyways…

On our first day (12/30/11) we had a lovely little metro party, riding it bak and forth until we eventually got it right and found our stop, and settled in a nice little cafe (Cafe Fleuri) for lunch which was just closing right as we got in. My impression was that they were a little impatient with us, but I could have been wrong. I got what I made out to be a chicken, tomato and butter sandwich on an amazingly fresh baguette, and a plum pastry for dessert. Then we walked, through the light drizzle, towards the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, which provided great panoramic views of the city. Then we had another metro party on our way to the Notre Dame, stopped for some hot chocolate (at the place I had found in Barcelona with the ice cream-filled focaccia bread!). At that point, it seemed like it was around 8 PM, but it was only around 4 or 5. Paris baffled me with how extremely dark it was in the late afternoon. Notre Dame had such a long line to get inside that we decided to bail and check out the Louvre, which had free admission that night before 6 PM. So we walked around that very intricate maze of a museum, seeing Mona Lisa, Venus, Winged Victory, etc, until we were ready to chop our feet off, and then we head towards the crepe cafe (Breizh Cafe) we had seen reviews for online. We trekked back to this crepe place, only to find that you need reservations. So we had a very nice dinner at a cafe, which we had to backtrack to, and reserved a spot for dessert at this famous, upscale crepe cafe. We ordered cider, a strawberry rhubarb jam and ice cream crepe, and a pear and chocolate crepe. Yummy!! I freakin love crepes!! (And they’re actually quite simple to make; I’ve since made them on 3 separate occasions). But this place was just top notch. After washing down the crepes with some cider, we head back to sleep.

Parc des Buttes-Chaumontes

Note Dame all dressed up for Christmas still :)

Gotta LOUVRE it. GET IT? :D

Art appreciation.

Nom nom nom, hello there, rhubarb jam.

The next day (12/31/11), we went on a bus tour, which we decided was a way better use of our time, especially considering how tired we were, and ESPECIALLY especially considering the rain. We feared most restaurants being closed on New Year’s Eve, so we went to the grocery store near our hotel and bought baguettes, butter, and cheese, and made sandwiches. (A tasty and simple combination that I am kind of craving right now??)… Oh, I also killed my camera on the way back from the metro, because I was taking a picture with my mittens on, it slipped, and the lens broke! All pictures of travels are now taken with my crappy iPhone camera…meh. But I digress. After we ate, Emily (Kelsey’s sister) and I went to buy champagne from the store and were horrified to find that they had closed. So we went to a fruit stand across the street where a man was selling overly-priced bottles of champagne, and pretty cheap bottles of rose and sparkling rose…which one did you think we went for? So we spent our New Year’s Eve in Paris popping sparkling rosé instead of champagne? Who the heck cares? There weren’t even FIREWORKS anyways…. cheap french government!! Only on Bastille Day from now on?? What IS that?? Seriously. -_- So as you can probably tell, I wasn’t too psyched about my New Year’s in Paris, after the fact. The metro was crowded and uncomfortable, we were followed by creepy men, and there weren’t even any fireworks. But I had good company, and the events following, which I will not mention in detail, were pretty hilarious. All that matters is I had fun, even if I was absolutely freezing my buns off and Paris shut down the metro system because it was too crowded….

La Grande Roue

Literally, the best picture of the Eiffel Tower I could get for the entire trip

The creepy picture that cursed and killed my camera!

On January 1, 2012, I slept in the latest I hope to ever sleep in for the rest of 2012. We slept till about 2 or 3 I believe, rallied, and set out for our walking tour of the Montmartre district. Saw the Moulin Rouge (kinda lackluster, anyone? Definitely not like the movie!), the Montmartre district, Saint Pierre de Montmartre, and the homes and studios of Van Gogh, Modigliani, and Picasso. We ended the tour having a nice creme brûlée and hot chocolate at the Cafe des deux Moulins, in which Amelie was filmed, bought a baguette for dinner and my first french eclair for dessert! Then we head back to pack for the trip home (and for Kelsey and Emily—to a different part of France).

Voulez-vous—-nahhhh, you’re too expensive.

I do like this part of Paris.

Cafe des deux Moulins- really capitalizing on the whole Amelie thing

Nom nom nom chocolate :)

On Jan 2, 2012, I left Paris the same way I had first encountered it: cold, and in a rainy haze. In my 5 AM taxi, I was chilly and uncomfortable, unsure of which airport I was actually going to, and couldn’t communicate with the taxi driver. My time in Paris was great, and I will remember that New Years as one of the…most interesting…of my life, probably. But Paris, for some reason, did not wow me. Before you accuse me of painting a completely negative picture of the city of lights, you must remember that I had just come from Spain, after the holidays, where I had said goodbye to my family and my boyfriend. So in comparison, it was kind of dull. To add, I just don’t think that the Paris weather and lifestyle is conducive to my sun-loving nature. That being said, I had a lovely time, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to travel there. I hope that Paris and I (and maybe other cities in France) can have a better relationship in the future; maybe one day I will be fortunate enough to go there again.

Also, I wrote a side note at 6 AM while waiting for my flight in the Paris airport:

1/2/12 6:13 AM

” *sigh of relief* hearing Spanish in the airport :D “

Going away had made me realize, in that moment, that Spain felt like home. And that, my friends, is what I think really matters :)

Some serious updating is in order.

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:20:34 +0100

Laziness has got the best of me but I need to write about my family visiting Granada, Paris, the rest of my winter vacation, and now my trip to Galicia.

This is a reminder to myself.

Sometimes

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:57:00 +0100

you just don’t feel like doing anything!