Hope.

Do you remember the client that had the greatest impact on my summer in Rwanda? 
Well, hold on tight because this post holds little back. 

She was kidnapped, raped repeatedly and locked in a home where a candle caught on fire and burned her so badly her legs had to be amputated. Through counseling with her mother, we learned that she barely survived the genocide in 1994 and was staying in a shelter when a Ugandan man started "caring" for the women and giving them money. In exchange, he raped them. Jaime's mother was basically a sex slave for this man. When she got pregnant with Jaime, she stayed but hated suffering the man's abuse. When she got pregnant again, she finally left and left Jaime behind with her father.

When you watch the video, you see Jaime tell her story. She doesn't talk about the case, or about the intricate details of just how horrible her childhood was. She speaks of God's ability to instill hope when it seems it is lost forever.

I met her mother and father, who both abandoned her. Baraka, who speaks in the video, counseled with both of them and her father has actually been to visit Jaime and has helped financially support her. An incredible feat! I worked on her legal case against the two perpetrators. I met the principle one who kidnapped and raped her in court, and have never felt such a strange and disgusting feeling. The first guy claimed that he was under the age of criminal liability and caused us to go find his birth certificate. He was actually around 40 years old. As a legal strategy, we ended up asking the court to join the two men's cases together so that they would point fingers saying, "the other one did it" and that the Judge would see they both should go to jail for a long, long time. I do not know the outcome of the legal case, and it isn't relevant. I share this video with you because you prayed for her, because you prayed for me and my heartbreak after we met, and you pray for the incredible work that IJM does. The people and places in the video are REAL to me. I share it with you so that for four minutes, you have insight into IJM, into the emotionally charged nature of this kind of work, and into Rwanda.

Her smile is real, her hope is palpable, and her courage is astounding. I think its very possible no other client for the rest of my legal career will touch me like she did.

Please share her story, I know that I always will.

My original blog post when I first met Jaime: http://defineyourdestination.blogspot.com/2013/06/from-field-into-field.html

To read more from IJM and to donate to IJM's incredible life changing work: http://ijm.org/jamies-story

Birds of a Feather Flock Together

I travel for people...

Its been an incredible blessing to be surrounded with some of my favorite people in the entire world this summer. Just to give you the correct image - I have about three incredibly precious friends from when I lived in Madrid that I am still close to today. Two of the four, I lived with at an apartment on a street called Rios Rosas. Cande, one of those roommates was my roommate nearly the entire time I lived in Madrid. Cande now lives about two streets over from where we used to live, and she lives with another Argentinian, who happened to apply to a program in Paris for the month of July. So, like something perfectly designed by the stars, I am living in her roommate's room and we are roommates again. Cande is leaving to return to Argentina in August and so I will be her first and last roommate while she lived in Madrid for three years. Wow, it gives me chills. 
The other one of those two, Gabriel, was in Madrid to complete his masters and now he works back in Brazil for Google (no big deal). I have been incredibly lucky to see Gab in Los Angeles last May, and to see Cande in Barcelona in October. But the three of us haven't been together since 2012. Until last Saturday. It was an epic reunion, and I want to cry just thinking about how incredibly beautiful and sweet it was to be reunited, in our city, at our favorite restaurants, discussing our favorite things. To add icing on the cake, Cande's boyfriend and my boyfriend were also there basking in the happiness and hearing some of our greatest adventures. Wow. 
The third, Melania, who I visited in Rome in October comes to Spain in another week. 
Other than arranging my living situation, Gab and Melania is completely coincidence and God's plan being far better than mine. 
I just LOVE it when a plan comes together better than in my wildest dreams. 
Through these great people, I have continued to meet more great people who are like minded and like-hearted. People who love the world and love the people in it. We've had great discussions over Rioja over the future, the gray areas, and hot-topic debates. It further reminds me that I travel for the people I have the privilege of sharing the travels with. I travel for those who travel with me, and for those I meet along the way. 

Gab and I at our old metro stop home

Brian and I at Retiro, Madrids equivalent of Central Park

REUNION

If its love, and we decide that its forever; no one else can do it better

If its love, and we are two birds of a feather 

and the rest is just whatever

We can be them, two birds of a feather that flock together.

Love, love, got to have something to keep us together. 

Love- that's enough for me. 

We can travel to Spain, 

it sounds insane, cause it is. 

We can laugh, we can sing, have ten kids and give them everything. 

Love, love, got to have something to keep us together. 

-If Its Love, Train

Home is NOT Places

This was previously posted unfinished in error. I apologize!

“Feel it burn in my soul, like a wound that is exposed

I need to run, I need to go.

I took my time, I got no more.

So take me somewhere I don’t know

‘cause home is not places, it is LOVE.

I told myself that it was fine.

No shame in the dotted lines.

But then, I woke in the night and raised my fist for a fight!

So, take me somewhere I don't know 'cause home is not places, it is love."

-Home Is Not Places, The Apache Relay

Wow! Had such a spectacular time in Atlanta. It’s always just beyond incredible to be home. I was proud of myself for actually managing my time well. Not only did I clear out ten bags of trash and organize several boxes to be donated, I found some awesome jewels squirreled away. Here a few of them:

Every Congratulations card from when I was born.

I also spent A LOT of quality time with a few of my absolute favorite people with some of my favorite foods in some of my favorite places.

With the help of a cherished family friend, I made my first ever batch of fried okra, and feasted with some of my favorite southern foods: mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, baked beans, cole slaw, VENISON from the farm this season, and pork chops. I was waddling home. I was on a strict eating schedule in order to get in all my favorite foods, but I was so thrilled to share those foods with such treasured people.

I’m so sad to be returning to CA, but it is also good to be back home.

Home is not places.

It is people.

Running Wild

Beloved readers, a catch-up post is much overdue. As I never seriously intend to blog frequently while state-side, I recognize that living in California I am separated from many of whom I love the most, so I should be more serious about updating this page regularly.

What has happened since I left London?
I finished the semester, and headed back to Atlanta. Hang on for this whirlwind:
Saturday - London to Atlanta, Sunday- drive to Alabama, pick up Grey, drive back (almost 10 hours in the car), Monday - fly ATL to LAX followed by a surprise party with all my friends thrown by my sweet boyfriend. By Friday, I had signed a lease on a new place to live. We spent Christmas in Orange County on the beach and then I moved into my new place the next day.

It took a bit to get it all set up, and there is still a project or two left to complete, but overall I love living here. Since I have a job in downtown this summer, I needed to live somewhere half way between the city and school. I live on the edge of Santa Monica, where two streets over its technically LA. It's got a lot of character. In addition to my art, the art I've collected from travels, tons of pictures and furniture from our Atlanta house, its got Spanish tile throughout and new appliances and cabinetry. Anyways, it feels like home.

Over the holidays, I had several friends get engaged - including two of my closest friends so I am absolutely thrilled for them! One of my best friends in law school with me is pregnant, and another couple that I love just had a baby. It's a really fun time to be supporting them.

This semester, I am taking several classes and also doing a program where I am working with clients who are applying for Asylum in the US because they have been persecuted or have a fear of persecution if they are forced to return to their country. It takes up a lot of time, but is incredible work. The first few weeks, we worked with one family on their case and it was granted! Lots of stress, hard work- totally paid off! It's great to know we helped make a huge difference in their lives, and they no longer have to fear for their lives. Now, we are working on another case and preparing for a trial that will be held in March.

For Christmas, my beau surprised me with concert tickets for the next five months. Our January concert was a band from Nashville called Moon Taxi that put on a great show. Our February concert is Greg Laswell, a very chill singer-songwriter. We go tomorrow, so I am excited! Dad and I also had a particularly wonderful opportunity to go VIP to the Eagles, which was incredible.

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes. I haven't had any revelations yet as an old and wise 25 year old, but you'll be the first to be informed of one.  My actual birthday was spent working all day, and I was in a trial courtroom for trail practice and preparation until 9:30.

But the night before, Brian had taken me on a wonderful sushi dinner right on the ocean in Malibu. Then, the day after my birthday, we headed to a favorite wine-bar for "Wine Wednesdays." Then on Sunday, about twenty of my friends braved the cold California weather (it was 60 degrees) to hang out at a winery in the Malibu mountains. The drive up there weaved through the canyon, looking down on the ocean and was really beautiful. On our way back, the stunning Pacific was in our right lane. We had a huge picnic, lots of great food and company and tried a few different very creative wines like Orange Muscat and Pinot Noir Rose.

The spring semester is off to a great start, and there's a lot more excitement to come!

"Oh, I'm asking why can't we live tonight? 

We are running out of time. 

Just for now, we could come undone with the rising sun. 

Oh, oh, running wild. 

So, drink it in." 

-Moon Taxi, Running Wild 

Navigating the chaos of tarmacs and baggage claim

Its been ages since I've had one spare second to write a post. I am finally back into the swing of law school and actually feel like I am a student again. The first weeks here were whirlwinds and it was all I could do to get myself out of bed and to where I was supposed to be, managing to read about 50% of what was expected from me. But get prepared for a series of great posts!

I went to Copenhagen with five fellow law students at Pepperdine who are also spending the semester in London. There was a spectrum of travel experience, ranging from one friend who has been to over 30 countries to one friend who landed in country #3 upon our arrival in Denmark. I can never appropriately reiterate how blessed I've been not only to travel as much as I have, and that most of that travel has been throughout Europe. Copenhagen has been somewhere I really wanted to go for quite some time and it did not disappoint. 

The highlights of the weekend were a canal tour through the city and endless wandering on accident because many canals left us at dead ends. 

In an outpouring of God's goodness, my boyfriend was offered a job in London next summer and they flew him out here for the weekend. We had a chance to do a few touristy things I hadn't done since I was in London a year ago. As he poetically point it, we took "a mile wide instead of an inch deep" approach, but had a lovely stroll from the Tower of London all the way past Parliament and Big Ben. It was wonderful to have him here and this whole long distance thing is old. Although it is not the end of our long distance chapters, as I have already accepted a job for next summer in Los Angeles and he accepted the offer to work here in London. The phrase "when you plan, God laughs" has never been more poignant. I'm so proud of him and thrilled for his incredible opportunity. 

Brian spoiled me by taking me to a sushi restaurant on the 38th floor of a building in the city center for our 1 year anniversary dinner. 

My schedule has never been crazier. Law school is no joke, and I am still expected to read about 100 pages of cases (tough reading) per day, plus working for a law firm, plus juggling any other responsibilities and expectations. Then I am traveling every three or four days to some places I've already been, and new lands I haven't yet seen. I get that not everyone would choose this lifestyle - the jetsetting, navigating the chaos of tarmacs and baggage claim. But I have no post code envy,  I love what I am doing, I love where I am at and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's likely that I will hit fifteen countries this year alone. I'm amazed at what I am learning, and its my sincere intention of carving out more time to tell you about it. 

As always, thanks for reading. 

Two Muzungus I couldn't have done without

My Favorite People II

The first person I must talk about is, my housemate and companion 24/7, Carmen. To most people we interact with, it is shocking that Carmen and I just met. In fact, about 60 days ago, we were complete strangers. Now, we could write the other's autobiography. Carmen claims Ohio as home, but she also grew up as a missionary kid in Costa Rica and Venezuela. She has been an absolute delight to get to know and to spend time with. As we work together, live together and walk everywhere, we spend almost every waking moment of the day together. Not only have I never wanted to kill her, but I have never even been annoyed with Carmen in the slightest. This is remarkable considering how annoying I know I can be. Seriously, Carmen has a huge heart for the world, a strong and beautiful burning spirit for Christ and is incredibly dedicated to being great at whatever she does (which she does effortlessly). Clearly she and her fiance are guided by God because they are getting married just seven days after we get back to the United States. For this alone, she may be a bit crazy, but she is just crazy about following the call to do good work, which is exactly what she's been doing in Rwanda. I am amazed by her zeal, her ability to laugh at just about anything, the fact that she never complains, her intelligence, and the wonderful stories she has to tell. I think it's pretty cool that two very well traveled Spanish speakers ended up in Rwanda hanging out. Our first weeks in Rwanda all we did was exchange travel stories. Although we've both been to over twenty countries, we have only actually been to the same two or three countries, excluding Rwanda. I think that's pretty remarkable! I am pleased that I will be her last roommate before she is married, and I hope that she would say the same about me. What a bright future lies ahead of her, I can't wait to see where she ends up and whether or not she will hire me. ;) If we hadn't gotten along, my summer would have been tremendously miserable. But because we got along so well, my summer was greatly enhanced.

Shelley - Shelley left Rwanda two weeks ago but we miss her so much that it feels like she's been gone a month. Shelley first really amazed me in the big market called Kimironko. We were trying to decide how much we should pay for a pineapple. She picked it up, said about how much she guessed it weighed in pounds, stated about what the average price per pound of pineapple is in the US, converted pounds to kilos and then converted the price per kilo to Rwandan Francs and then spit out a price that we should pay for the pineapple that would be reasonable. Maybe this is lost on you, but this amazed me. Not only do I not know the price of any single item in a grocery store, I certainly could not convert dollars and pounds in a few seconds and then use it as an effective negotiation tool to then haggle over the price of a pineapple in Kinyarwanda which none of us speak. Shelley is so many things that I am not. She's athletic, humble, incapable of sitting for more than five minutes, gracious, and patient. But like me, she is always hungry for a little adventure. Shelley arrived in Rwanda a few weeks before Carmen and I so her first weeks trials became our knowledge. I will always be grateful to her and Lauren for showing us the ropes of living in Kigali and for being our friends in a city when we had none. The icing on the cake of Shelley's awesomeness is her beautiful heart for God and her receptiveness to where He is leading her.  She always had us laughing and she was usually our fearless leader for any activity. At least once a day someone in the house says "I miss Shelley." I am already looking forward to us hanging out in Malibu in January!

from the field into THE field

There are some moments in your life that you look back on and think, “wow, that was a really defining moment in my life” and there are others that before they even occur you know they are going to be more impactful than you could ever describe. Last Friday was one of those days. On Thursday, one of the counselors in the office asked if the other legal intern (Carmen) and I wanted to go with her into the field for a counseling session with one of IJM's clients. Of course we wanted to go. Once it was cleared with our boss, we showed up on Friday morning eager but our hearts full of anxiety of the emotional roller coaster we were embarking on.

You cannot imagine what horrors this girl has experienced, and I will spare you the details of the abuse she suffered. Last week in one of our morning devotionals with the whole staff, the counselor assigned to this case told us, “I saw God today” when she described the transformation that had taken place in this girl's life because of IJM. Afterall, this exact sentiment is stated in Jeremiah 22:16, "He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. 'Is that not what it means to KNOW me?' declares the Lord." To defend the cause of the poor and needy, is to KNOW Him. And surely, I also saw God that day.

We drove almost three hours to see her at a facility for disabled children, where they can live, attend school, with doctors are on site. There were about 4 warehouse-sized buildings with just beds in rows – like something you would see from a war. For almost two hours, I didn’t see a single child with all four functioning limbs. Wheelchairs with broken wheels, worn crutches, children without any control over their own bodies. It was so heartbreaking, I cannot begin to describe the pain my heart felt. But the most disturbing thing of all, was thinking about these children’s future, and how they would possibly thrive in a country where 90% of the population works directly on the land to earn pennies for a living. Multiple kids were just laying helpless in their bed screaming. Tears streaming down their faces, like their face didn’t know how to look without crying.

Please keep IJM's client's recovery in your prayers. For her health, healing, strength, and faith. IJM needs to raise enough money to keep her at this wonderful facility and for her medical treatments. I beg you to keep the IJM staff in your prayers from all aspects of IJM’s work. The investigation team is still looking for the second perpetrator in this case, as he is on the run, and his location is unknown. The legal team needs prayers as they work to prepare and build a strong case against the principle perpetrator to ensure a conviction. The IJM counseling team also needs your prayers for discernment in her trauma-focused therapy, courage, and strength in sharing love with her.

This is the “field.” This is the work that is to be done. The people to be loved. And there is so much out there. Of the thirty cases or so that I’ve read in my first two weeks of work, hers is certainly one of the most heartbreaking of all the stories, yet it is only the smallest fraction of the heartbreak that is in this world. But I refuse to end this heavy post on anything other than the BOLD courage that this girl has. Her radiating beauty, the huge smile cemented on her face that we had come to visit, her chattering away about how happy she was just to be in a better position than so many of her new roommates, how thankful she was that she was alive, and that IJM had intervened in her life.

As we drove away, it was well-past lunch time, the car was hot, I was in the far back trunk of the SUV on a very bumpy road as I was getting jerked around, one of the staff said, “so are you guys hungry? Tired? Ready to go home? What?” But as I sat in the back of that vehicle, reflecting on the last two hours, all I could manage to reply was, “I am… blessed.”

Doors Unlocked and Open

“California, guilded crowns.

Mile markers counting down.

Somewhere down, down in the ocean of sound, we’ll live in slow motion

And be free

The door’s unlocked and opened

The door’s unlocked and opened.”

–Death Cab for Cutie, Doors Unlocked and Open

Bear with me here, because this is an epic post.

And I sincerely hope you can find the time to read every word.

First: the headline—I will be attending Pepperdine University School of Law in the fall! Now, allow me to fill you in on how WE came to this decision and the revolution it took to get me there. Or, I should say, here.

Wow, what an incredible and ridiculous trip this has been and these past two weeks have indeed been particularly ridiculous. I was able to accomplish quite a bit in a short, short period of time. The first few days I distinctly felt like I had only revealed that I had more questions than I did answers and more and more I felt an increasing pressure to make some sacrifice on what I wanted for these upcoming years. I didn’t feel like I found a school that “had everything I wanted.” No, I felt like that didn’t exist. Instead, I was choosing which things I was willing to give up and which things I wasn’t going to compromise on. This was a suffocating feeling, but at least the decision was slowly approaching and becoming clearer. I ended up applying to 26 law schools and I was overwhelmed with blessings at the many, many schools that offered me a place in their 2012 incoming class of future JD students. I never expected to get into so many places and in the end, the great choices that I had increased the difficulty of my decision.

         The burning question this entire decision process has been, “Where do you want to live and practice?” And, flatly, I do not know. I simply do not know the answer to that question. Where you want to live and practice is incredibly important for where you attend law school. That city is where you establish a network, where the most alumni live, where your school will have the most connections for job placement, the state where you will be the most prepared to take the bar and not to mention, the city you are committing to live in for at least three years and most likely through your first job or two.

             I need to rewind. One of the reasons why I have always loved Death Cab For Cutie (a band) is because of Ben Gibbard’s (the lead singer and lyricist) remarkable ability to capture this idea of never quenching wanderlust. Many of their songs discuss “falling in love with an open door” and it is their “You Are A Tourist” that this blog was named after. Read its lyrics in full and then I’ll explain why it’s been so strongly on my heart throughout this entire last few months journey.

“This fire, grows higher…

When there’s a burning in your heart, an endless yearning in your heart, build it BIGGER than the sun, LET IT GROW.

When there’s a burning in your heart, don’t be alarmed…

When there’s a doubt in your mind, ‘cause you’re thinking all the time, framing rights into wrongs- MOVE ALONG.

When there’s a doubt within your mind, when there’s a burning in your heart and you think you’ll burst apart, well, there’s nothing to fear. Save the tears. When there’s a burning in your heart and you feel just like a tourist in the city you were born, it’s time to go and define your destination. There’s so many different places to call home.

Cause when you find yourself a villain in the story you have written, its plain to see that sometimes the best intentions are in need of redemption, would you agree? If so, please show me.

This fire, grows higher…”

Those last few months in Tuscaloosa, I felt like a tourist in this city where much of who I am now was born. I knew that fire to get out of the city and dream chase and live in Europe for a year was something real that had to be pursued. My plan after studying in Spain was to enjoy my senior year, retake the LSAT, live in Europe for a year and then go to law school. It would be a boldfaced lie to say that at times that plan has seems farfetched, out of reach and absurd. But hindsight is always crystal clear, and it’s such a blessing to look back on the tears cried over missing application deadlines or the disappointment with my LSAT score and think, “woah, it all has gone exactly according to plan.” And it really has.

        My months in Spain have taught me many things and in many ways, the most significant thing I have learned has been about myself. Though the fairly recently developed Brown nomadic lifestyle is now deeply ingrained in me, my definition of home has been crystalized.

Home is not Roswell or Tuscaloosa or York or Madrid.

Home is not in Irvine or seat 17F.

Home is a strange combination of all of these places.

Home is in the people that I love that revitalize me, encourage me, bless me, make me happy, make me laugh until my stomach hurts, allow me to call them venting, hold me when I am crying, that read my emails, that listen intently to details of my day, who Facebook stalk my photo albums and who I can pick up with wherever it may be that we left off.

Home is a collection of these places because the people that I love are spread out all over the world. Literally. And so, as for where I want to live and practice law? Well, I want to be a little closer to “home.” That is, the definition of home according to Stephanie Brown. Augustana has a song where he belts, "Do you want to see it, the place where I am free? It lives INSIDE me."

Last Friday (April 6^th) morning, I slept in for the first time in weeks. I woke up to Dad having read all my hours of research and all the brochures and viewbooks I had collected over the last few months. I listened intently as he was on the phone explaining to a friend that the day before after touring two schools fifteen minutes away from his apartment in Orange County, I had crossed them both off the list. He snuck in a few words of disappointment to the man that was the best man in my parents wedding saying, “I would really like her to come to school out here, but it just doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.” I left to lay by the pool and call a friend to explain, whether it was NYC or Miami, they were both incredible options, but they were both so far away from “home”. I was hell-bent though on not sacrificing a better education and better option for my future just because I have friends and family in California. All these thoughts about home and proximity to people that I love and need were not separate from this decision. As ratios, percentages, dollar signs, images and descriptions were all swirling around in my head like a broken radio I couldn’t turn off in my mind, behind all that were these feelings of being sick of being SO far away from everyone.

Friday afternoon, Dad and I were out running errands and we were having a discussion on “THE DECISION.” I had been leaning pretty heavily to New York Law School and imagining walking the halls of the sleek, new building and sharing with strangers on a plane that I live in Manhattan. It’s certainly a dream to live in NYC but after further research and review, University of Miami is just a better fit. Miami Law has everything I could possibly want and more. Though large and with a huge faculty to student ratio, the clinic offerings, the academic programs, the Latin population, the study abroad options, the notoriety, the connections and alumni network are all ideal. And before we knew it, Dad and I had reached a decision. Miami.

We ran into Best Buy for a few things and when we returned to the car, I had an email saying “CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve been accepted to Pepperdine University School of Law!”

I just kept repeating, “DAD!!” I had no other words.

This changed everything.

I delayed my flight to Europe for a week to fly back to LA to see Pepperdine and attend an Admitted Student’s Open House to make my final decision.

At church on Easter, this was my most exciting news to share with anyone and everyone who would listen. Each person made it clear their preference for where my tuition check should go. And who can blame them. Pepperdine has epic things to offer and being accepted feels like a dream. Feels like a life that isn’t actually mine.

After a full day of the Admitted Student’s Open House, it was even clearer than before that Pepperdine is the place for me. Several really incredible interactions took place. I spoke with students who told me they are praying for the incoming class and one girl looked me dead in the eye and said, “You’ll make the right decision and God will lead you here, because Pepperdine is a place where God leads people.” When we met the dean and she introduced herself to us, Dad said, “Well, I think she’s decided to come here!” The dean shrieked in excitement and gave me a hug. Completely thrown off, I stood there, thinking, “Wow, this is the community I am being welcomed by and I can’t wait to get back here.” It was a powerful day and I am so confident that this is the right decision.

I seem to be incapable of finding words profound enough to explain how my blood feels like it is running smoother in my veins. I am incredibly confident that Pepperdine will nurture, feed and build my dreams in a way that no other community would be capable of doing and its such an exciting thought to know the steps that lie ahead may be hard work, but are on the exact path I have been envisioning. Now, its time to go back to Madrid and enjoy my last few months before I sell my blood to the library. I’ve got a new pep in my step feeling like the doors are unlocked and open. I can’t wait for these next few months to be the best yet.

“I’m just in awe of what’s in front of me.” –Empire of the Sun

Looking back on a conversation I had several weeks ago with my boss in Spain, I said, “Pray that I see the name of the school in the clouds.” I can honestly say, it really did feel like God’s answer was indeed that clear. I cannot thank you enough for the prayers, support, encouragement and awesomeness that you all have offered me along the way. I simply could not be here without you.

And you’ll have a HOME in Malibu in the fall! 

Like Barack Obama said, 'Yeah, It's time for a change"

It was a whirlwind of a weekend. I ate and drank great Hungarian food but didn’t get a chance to really see the city during the day or do anything touristy so I simply must return. I liked Budapest from what I saw, but I prefer Vienna. I didn’t like how there was no one on the streets after about 5:30 pm and that it got dark so early. I imagine it would be odd for me to live in a large city without the liveliness of nightlife filling the streets. It was wonderful to be with great family friends and to get out of Madrid for a few days.

Melania and I nailed down our plans for our break from school the first week of December- we are going to Portugal! I am SO excited. We will fly into Port and fly home from Lisbon, so we will really have an awesome time. I cannot wait already.

Of course, I am missing Dad and really upset I am not in NYC like I usually am this time of year. Especially since we didn’t go for Thanksgiving last year, it seems like it’s been forever since I had a traditional according to the Brown’s thanksgiving. BUT I have super exciting news! Dad is in Europe and I will get to see him on Thursday! Again, I asked off for work (I am the worst part-time employee ever) and was told it was fine so I will fly to Paris on Thursday and have Thanksgiving dinner with my Daddy. I. Am. So. Excited. I have been thinking for about two weeks now that I wouldn’t be able to go, so this is truly spectacular news and I am thrilled.

The first change is the melancholic/weird feeling is gone! I think it was getting out of Madrid for some fresh Hungarian air, reminding myself that I don’t need to be stressed because God is in control of this law school ordeal and knowing that I will see Dad in just a few days. There are other HUGE plans and really, really exciting things to look forward to. Paris. 4 days in PORTUGAL. Susan is coming. I am going home! Alabama football. #ROADTO14 thennn Ansley is coming in February! I was starting to second guess a few tough decisions I had made these last weeks and those doubts have totally gone, which is awesome.

When I landed, braved the rain in Madrid and made it up to my apartment door, I put in the key and it wouldn’t go in all the way. Super confused and feeling crazy, I had to ring the doorbell to get a roommate to let me in. This guy, one of the two new people from Panama that just moved in last week, informed me that over the weekend the locks were changed and the Italian that I really hated was KICKED OUT. I heard the rest of the story from the new guy and shared with him all the reasons why I disliked him and my excitement over this news. Totally overjoyed, I texted Cande (the Argentinian that I love) and our old roommate who moved out because he disliked the Italian so much. I am more happy than ever that I decided to stay here and stick it out. I have a WONDERFUL sofa, a new bookshelf and my ideal room (minus a white board, coffee table and art on the walls but hey, I am making progress!). I am seriously SO EXCITED that he is gone.

Yesterday, I came home to a NEW roommate in the Italian’s old room. A guy from France who is working here for a software company or something. He seems pretty cool. We will all be here til July so I hope that as I get to know him and the other two Panama people better, I like them more and continue to feel actually at home and safe here.

I am finally use to my crazy schedule and most importantly, the levels these kids are at. I can tell that my lessons are almost at the exact right level- there are words/phrases students don’t know, but there are also enough words that they do know for them to understand the reading or worksheet.

THIS IS PROGRESS, my friends!

For you readers over the age of 25 or for those who didn’t catch it, the title is from “Lolli, Lolli,” a rap song I listened to this morning walking to school.

we have to become a family

Stephanie Makes Friends Part 1: Her roommates.
After five days of living here and never seeing one of my roommates from Brazil and only ever interacting with another roommate briefly, two days ago 3/5 of us had a lovely intense bonding session. I learned there is no exact translation for the word, "bonding" in Spanish which is a shame because that's exactly what occurred. One of the girls is moving out. She is quiet, keeps to herself, wakes up around 7 am every morning and goes to bed early. I'm not entirely positive where she is from but she doesn't really chat much other than a "hola" or "luego" if you happen to pass her.
The Argentinian girl is great. She is studying Social Education and planning to live in Madrid for three years. She claims she is a great cook and that she will cook for everyone many nights. I told her, that sounds great! She can teach me how to cook and I'll buy a bottle of Rioja. The Brazilian joined in that he will contribute by teaching us Portuguese. He is incredibly nice and funny. He's 26, has a serious girlfriend back in Brazil and is a lawyer getting his masters here in Intellectual Property Law. I can tell that he is incredibly smart because whenever Candy (the Argentinian) teaches us a word in Spanish, he knows it- even several days later. We all chatted about our new lives in Madrid and in the apartment, how we have plans to travel and made deals on what to buy and share in the kitchen and bathroom.
Again, I cannot stress how incredibly blessed I feel. So far so good, I was randomly placed with really awesome people. Gabriel was telling us that the first two days he lived in the apartment by himself and then he met our Italian roommate who is 33. He works at the Italian restaurant that is next door to our building. Italgo's room is the one that is closest to mine. Other than the fact that he works until late in the night and isn't exactly mouse-like when he comes home and that when I am up early in the morning to go to the school, I can hear him snoring through the walls, he seems like a cool guy. He is literally NEVER here. Gabriel told us girls that we have to become a family since our families are so far away. He's got a movie night lined up already for tomorrow night.
I'm working on my law school applications and also trying to plan out when I am going to take a few trips. I have a nice holiday coming up at the end of October so I am looking forward to spending a few days somewhere exciting. Not that Madrid isn't exciting...
Everyday two, three or four times a day, the landlord comes by showing some prospective roommate the apartment, the bathroom and our kitchen. It's pretty obnoxious so hopefully someone really great will move in ASAP and complete our new little family. Though it was not at all my preference or my desire to live with boys, so far it hasn't been much of a problem. It's incredibly common here when the location is good and rent is cheap. It's awesome to be settled somewhere and I have fixed utilities so I just have to worry about paying rent each month. The location of this apartment is awesome and I am learning new things about the area everyday. With the help of sharing tips with the roommates, I am finding the cheapest supermarket, the absolute quickest routes to and from metro stations, etc. One thing at a time!
Today, when I woke up to get ready for school, it was 52 degrees outside but the high for today was 89. I was wearing short sleeves and jeans and sweating when I was walking around the city this afternoon. Looking forward to cooler weather, NOT looking forward to snow in those mountains.
I don't have to go to school on Fridays, so I am done for the week!

blessed beginnings

well, here it goes. the update on my first week here. i had expectations set pretty high, so i am totally guilty of self-inflicting that pressure. all things considered though, i got a lot accomplished in a short period of time with the help of amazing people.
dad is notorious for choosing the exit row for any flight. this always drives me crazy because i could care less about the leg room, i want access to all my stuff. he was asleep before the flight even took off- seriously. he was too asleep to even give me the Lunesta he had for me in his pocket. thanks for nothing, Dad. I think sitting on that plane was the first time i have really breathed in several weeks due to all the stress from LSAT studying and getting ready to leave. I had been feeling sick all week and so the plane was a little rough on my disease but i managed to sleep much of the way with entertainment from two amazing Law and Order SVU episodes. we landed, got my three gigantic and overweight suitcases and headed to meet with a dear family friend who happens to work for my dad, Pedro. He picked us up with his dog, Hanna, who is the most well-trained dog you can imagine. The Dog Whisperer should take notes, she's that well-behaved. Pedro let us stay at his parent's empty apartment until I found a permanent place to live. Pretty much right after dropping off our stuff and changing, we headed to the town about 20 miles outside of Madrid where I will be teaching four days of the week.
After a brief visit and meeting a girl that I had been emailing with, we came back to Madrid, got a phone for me and made a few calls to apartments with the help of our ipads over lunch. I have missed Tinto Verano and Jamon Iberico more than I realized. I went by and looked at one apartment,  but the girls were a little older and I just didn't feel like it was perfect. Dad and I got naps and then headed to meet with the girl from the school, a boy I met in Sevilla last summer and another coworker from Dad's company. We had an amazing evening with incredible red wine from this region, great tapas and really great conversations. It was a charming evening. After some champagne to celebrate my finishing the LSAT, Dad's team having the best quarter in the company's history and my moving to Madrid, we called it a night.
Early Wednesday morning, I met up with Melania and we went to the school where we will be working together. Our boss invited us for lunch so we spent most of the afternoon together. Melania is really great; she was at this school teaching English last year too. Her and Silvia have a really close relationship and I felt really at home in her home. She made an incredible meal and her whole family is fabulous. I feel confident that there will be many more afternoons there and I am thrilled for that! I feel incredibly blessed and like Madrid is really where I am suppose to be.
That evening, we went to a great Japanese restaurant where we cooked the meat ourselves at the table with some family friends and business associates. It's really a blessing that I already know people here and that I know I can count on them.
Thursday, I finally slept in. Pedro and I spent the rest of the afternoon making calls to apartments. Essentially, the time to rent in Madrid is September so everywhere has filled up or is filling really fast. I was lucky that I found a place I liked enough to seal the deal. I signed a lease until July so I hope that this place lives up to its potential. My room is rather large (about twice the size of an individual room in the sorority house) and the whole building is students so its kind of like a dorm. I have five roommates- one of which I still havent met yet and we all share a kitchen and a bathroom, but we dont have a living room. Sharing the bathroom with four other people will certainly be an adventure but so far, I don't even see anyone else so it's not a problem. I hope these people become friends and that I meet others in the building as well. I like the size of my room, that I have my own balcony and that plenty of light comes in. The best thing though is the location. From here, I will walk a few blocks, take the metro two stops, then take a bus for 30 minutes to the schools. I am also really close to the friends here I already know, so it's ideal for that.
Friday, I woke up early, successfully ventured to the schools on my own- I was SO proud of myself! I met with my boss at the second school and got my schedule for Tuesdays and Thursdays. I can feel that I am going to be really happy and its an amazing feeling. I left that meeting and with the help of Pedro, moved into my new place! I took a nap, explored a little and made a few purchases.
Yesterday morning was a little rough between dealing with problems with my credit card and with the internet, but I think it's all going to be worked out soon. The day ended with new friends, Auburn's loss and Alabama's win. Does it really get any better than that?!
Anyways, I know this is the longest post ever but I just wanted to update you and I promise to continue to use this blog as a way to keep you informed while I am here. I know a great and fantastic adventure lies ahead and I cant wait for my first day at work tomorrow!