Official Announcement Declaring Madrid is Stephanie's Favorite City in the World

Take me to the docks,
there is a ship there with no name
sailing to the middle of the sea
water there is deeper than anything you've ever seen
Jump right in and swim until you're free
I will remember your face
because I am still in love with that place
when the stars are the only things we share, 
I've got a plan
I've got an atlas in my hands
I'm going to turn when I listen to the listens that I've learned.
-Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Atlas Hands

I am not wandering in this city. I belong here. I know these streets. I know the route. I know the tricks. Madrid is an old glove that I am just now sliding over my fingers, because last winter never got quite cold enough. It feels like the cozy blanket you crave when you're watching a movie on the couch. It is filling a space in my heart that I didn't even realize needed filling.

I forgot how in Madrid, you say "vale" at least 100 times per day. (It means "okay" mas o menos). I forgot just how good croquettas really are. I somehow had let the true taste of tinto de verano in the sun fade from my tongue. I return as if I just left last week. I forgot the Madrileño inability to wait on the pedestrian signal to walk, but rather, to intently watch the cars and to dart across the street at the first available second. I watch pairs of people walking along the street throwing their hands up in the air as they speak, talking over each other, laughing and taunting the other like they are stars of a comedy show.

It has indeed been too long.
I am not just still in love with this place.
Oh no, perhaps I am more enchanted and in love than ever before.
I simply cannot grasp how I left. And to think- I only crafted this scheme to come here in February! Perhaps I realized- my wanderlust, the atlas in my hands, was always directing me back here.  At least for this taste, for this moment.
I love this city. It's people. It's expressions. It's splendor. The buildings, the concrete squares that line the sidewalks, the little metal tables sitting outside restaurants lining the streets. The trees and how the sun shines through the clouds only on one side of the street. There are so many dear friends here and although we have 2014 technology blessing our friendship, the distance is meaningless and we sit at our old watering holes like we met there yesterday.
I have jumped back in, and oh how free I feel.
I am a happy, happy girl.

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! 

this is definitely beach weather!

planes, trains and automobiles all over the Basque country

My long weekend in the Basque country was full of spectacular sites, beautiful cities, basically all forms of public transportation and a whole lot of adventure. Going in, I had read about where I wanted to go and spoken with some reliable sources on how to distribute our time, but unlike any other trip it wasn't that planned. I had a hotel in Bilbao the first night and a hotel for us the last night in San Sebastian but that was about it. A friend of mine who I met freshman year at UA flew in Thursday morning, March 18th. I joined him in the city center after my hard day at work. This is a joke because on Thursday, I went on the school field trip to the factory of the largest producer of beer in Spain. That's right, a SCHOOL trip to drink BEER. Only in Spain. It was actually a rather educational experience. The students had to be 18 to go and they are in the economics/business track of the school. This place was such a GIGANTIC operation, I can see the educational value in going. However, the open bar at the end of the two hour tour, was lacking in educational value and resulted in an hour bus ride back with drunk ANIMALS. Again, things like this remind me of how insane this entire experience is. I can't imagine going on a trip to drink beer with teachers and 60 of my classmates at 18. Crazy.

Anyways, Jonathan and I headed to Bilbao that night. Friday morning, I introduced him to cafe con leche and tortilla. He was asking for ketchup. In fact, all weekend I was enjoying his remarks calling attention to something's strangeness that has become my normal. The two beds pushed together in a hotel. A "large buffet breakfast" that is some slices of lunch meat and toast with coffee or tea. The lights on the outside of doors. Paying to use the restroom. Grocery cart in a department store. For someone who has never been to Europe, these are jolting strange things, but they have become so normal to me, I forgot to explain or prepare him on many of the fronts. We traveled together with ease all weekend and I was super happy to have him along and that we wee so successful in what we were able to see in such a short period of time, and on a reasonable budget. I am already excited about our NEXT adventure!

So Friday morning, we set out to spend the day in Santander. We walked for about an hour through the city to really feel the pulse of Bilbao then boarded the bus. After a lovely scenic bus ride for about two hours, we were just a quick walk to the tourism office. With a map in hand, we walked to the beach and in not ideal weather, sat on a bench overlooking the beach and dug into the picnic we had packed. The entire trip the weather wasn't exactly ideal but this actually worked in our favor in the sense that instead of laying around on the beach, we saw a lot more of the city. Santander has its own characters and charm. There was a nice palace so we walked up to that and explored this mountain-like area. Though it wasn't "beach weather" (a phrase we kept joking about all weekend), and no one wants to be in five layers,a  scarf and boots on the beach... let me tell you, you DO if you want to be ON the beach. So we made the most of it all weekend.

We left Santander after walking for hours and crashed at the same hotel in Bilbao.

Saturday morning, we walked a different part of the city and saw the infamous Guggenheim's bizarre art collection. Certainly, the architecture of the building itself was more impressive to us than anything it held inside, but it was worth the visit. After walking and exploring some more, it was off to St. Jean-de-luz. This jewel of a beach resort town is just inside of France and was a spectacular delight. Within just a few minutes of being there, we decided to spend the night. With no reservations and just my trusty Rick Steve's book, we had a room reserved in a quaint little place with this lovely woman. her english was great, our French was terrible and she gave us suggestions on how to spend our day and even made us dinner reservations where we later feasted n some of the best sea food I've ever had. "Langostines" are my new favorite thing. St. Jean-de-Luz was a great stop. It's port and winding pedestrian streets charming and alive with character.

Since we knew it was most likely going to rain and was cold enough for several layers, we decided to venture deeper into France. Sunday, I took a long morning stroll through the city and really enjoyed myself. This is the most relaxed I have felt in a long time and it was really a fabulous trip from beginning to end. Jonathan got out of bed and joined me at the train station for our two hour ride to Bourdeaux. We had the misfortune of sharing a cart with a large family with several screaming small children but the views out of the window were exceptional.

When we got to Bourdeaux, it was Sunday and we had no map, no Rick Steve's, no idea what was in the city or anything. After having an extremely disappointing meal for lunch, we walked in the rain until we found a cafe where we could pay for wifi. 30 minutes later, we were in full tourist mode and we walked all over that city again.

I brought Jonathan to his first crepe with sugar and nutella. He was in love, of course. Bourdeaux surprised me and I can't really explain why. Originally a man at the information desk in the train station told us that we couldn't even get back to Spain that night but when we consulted a different desk, miraculously there were four trains. We chose to leave at 8, so we got a nice taste for the city at night, which was really great.

When we got into the border town, it was 11:20 and deserted. Realizing we may not be able to get into Spain after all, panic began to sink in. We had already had quite an ordeal trying to find a hotel where we could stay in San Sebastian so there was no way I was going to stay in France in this tiny town. As luck would have it, there were two American girls who are currently studying abroad in San Sebastian so we split a taxi and drove off into the night. The four of us chatted away and even with a gps, the Frenchman got lost around seven times. After our night tour of the city, Jonathan and I walked into our place for the night. The owner is THE nicest person that I have ever. She loves her job, her city, her hotel and she had a huge smile on her face telling us about the city the next morning and helping us plan our time. She had us eating at wonderful places and deserved every cent of the money we paid her for the room.
San Sebastian is breathtaking. For the only day of the trip, it was sunny and though still not beach weather, it was definitely the best weather. It was hard to leave the city and i was really wishing I could call in sick to work tomorrow so we could stay just one more day. San Sebastian is a place I must go back and lay in the sun and enjoy the sand in my bikini. It is truly a small slice of paradise.

5 cities in 4 days was definitely an adventure but I wouldn't have done it any other way because we saw so much. The only way it would be better is if I also had a tan!

Law and Life update

Law school update: I am still waiting on 13 schools before I make my decision. I have been accepted to 10 schools, some of which have offered scholarship. I feel remarkably blessed and thrilled to be privileged to be making this decision and you can be assured I will be seeking your opinion and guidance as it gets closer. Keep praying that I hear from those schools by April 1st so that my decision can be completely informed and I can be confident I will be committing to the right place.

In other news, I officially told my boss at the private academy where I work in the afternoons that my last days will be the second week of April. Though I love many of my students there and I think they will be genuinely sad to see me leave, I have thought and prayed long and hard and I feel strongly this is the right decision. I want to travel more, explore more, rest more and "aburrirme" (bore myself) and relax before I enter prison that will be law school. I know I need to take advantage of this opportunity because I will never have it again and I think this is the best way to do that.

I will land in Atlanta on March 30th, I would love to see you (assuming you are in Atlanta) for a long, enjoyable visit, but most likely it won´t happen. I want to try though! Ill be in Atlanta that night, the 31st and half of the 1st. On the 1st, I fly to NYC for a few days to look at law schools there. On the 3rd, I fly to LA to spend a few days with my lifelong friends there and Dad. Oh, and also look at law schools. On Saturday, I will fly back across the great United States to sleep in my own bed one last night in Atlanta before heading back to Madrid Sunday afternoon. It´s going to be a worldwind of a trip but I am excited to see as much as I can, as many friends as possible and to finally make a decision about schools. Keep me posted on where YOU will be so we can coordinate!

Just over 10 more days til ChicFilA will be in my mouth. YESSSSSS.
The next post will be long and full of pictures from my weekend´s spectacular adventure, so get excited!

my favorite people, part 2

Fabio- Fabio is top five of my favorite students and one reason why I would consider staying here another year. He is super intelligent, hilarious and just... Awesome. I don't know what else to say about Fabio other than you have to meet him. When Ansley did, she literally asked if she could take him home in her suitcase. He is THAT great. I have that class with him and another student and I love them both, especially their banter back and forth. They are a pleasure to teach.When Fabio is speaking and he runs into a word he can´t think of, he makes this adorable face like he is trying to literally squeeze the English out of his brain. It makes my heart melt every time. Seriously, I want to take him home with me. I teach his older brother too and I am always talking about how much I love Fabio, the 12 year old who acts 28.

Nacho-Nacho, short for Ignacio, is my Spanish teacher on Mondays and Wednesdays. He loves his job and I love people that love their job. He is an effective teacher by always having conversation topics, splitting up the class in ways that are interesting and always managing to explain complex grammar in a way I actually understand. He makes himself laugh and is always making us laugh too. The two hours of class usually go by pretty fast. If I was studying more often, I am confident would be learning all kinds of things.

Till- Till is in his late 20s. I have Spanish class with him on Tuesdays and Thursdays. he's almost always my partner for work and studying. He works for the German embassy and is the least German-German I know. Unlike class with Nacho, class on Tuesdays and Thursdays drags on and almost kills me. But Till cracks me up with little jokes in Spanish or English. A few times we have gone out for a drink after class and really enjoyed chatting. He moves every few years with his embassy job and has amazing international tales to regale me with. He speaks perfect English, his Spanish is great, Fluent in French and when he leaves Madrid in the summer to move somewhere new, he will probably pick up that language without much hassle. He inspires me to keep dreamin' cause I just may see them come true.

The entire working crew of The Alamo- this little restaurant is where I enjoy a glass of wine and have lunch almost every day during the week. Its a family owned place and though there have been some changes in who is working there, I love the people who have stayed the whole time. My days have been crazier and I haven't taken the time to go there as frequently in the last few months, but I definitely miss it when i don't. The food is delicious, I am greeted with kindness and familiarity and the Spanish chatter is a bonus. They say things like, "what would you like to eat today, beautiful?" and "have a nice meal, beautiful" and I think everytime, "I can't leave this country where I hear I'm beautiful so frequently!"

Caesar - Caesar is a teacher at the high school where I work on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Though not a daily thing, usually the other "native English speaker" (because we were referred to as los nativos the other day and i thought it was hilarious) and I venture down to the teachers lounge for a coffee with a lot of the other professors from different departments. Caesar teaches Marketing and is one of the most animated people I have ever met. He is always trying to capture a few English phrases but mainly we sip on our coffee chatting about more or less absolutely nothing and I love that. Last week, he told me that the best beaches are in Malaga and for the Holy Week he will be there at a resort by himself. He invited me to join him on his vacation and I just laughed for a few hours afterwards with Ryan about how ridiculous he is. Someone you have to meet!

Ana- There are about 900 women named Ana that I work with at both of the schools. This Ana is the woman who makes all the copies at Las Canteras. She is always asking me if I like Spain and making small talk about the weather or the song on the radio. I have never seen her without a smile on her face and from what I have seen her job entails manning the front desk of the school and making copies for all the teachers. But her real job is brightening everyone´s day and being one of the nicest people in this country, or at least that´s what I am convinced.

I think one of the best things about traveling is who you meet on the journey. This weekend, on our adventure to the Basque country of Spain and France, we met some really incredible people. Its an awesome thing when you meet someone that LOVES their life, LOVES what they do and LOVES where they live. It´s such a breath of fresh air and a great reminder to follow in their steps by radiating the passion that you have caught from them. Such passion for life and work is beautiful and contagious.

i may sound like a mother... but EW....

to enlighten you on some facets of my culture shock that still SHOCK me daily.

i absolutely cannot stop myself from cringing when i see one of the following things:
-dredlocks
-facial piercings

-a single dredlock or long braid protruding from semi-normal hair

-jeans sagging so low they may fall off at any given second
-conversely, jeans so tight that i am wondering how the person vacuumed into them is breathing
THESE ARE NORMAL THINGS IN THIS COUNTRY AND ITS DISGUSTING.

i cannot grasp the lack of respect, sense of time and schedule, disorder and complete ignorance of any normal behavior in these schools. i cannot believe there is no dress code. its remarkable i dont have nightmares about what these kids will be wearing in the summer! if i see cleavage and its 10 degrees outside, seriously, i am terrified about summer!

one of my kids came to school wearing this tshirt and i remember getting DETENTION for having a white undershirt on under my navy blue polo. on "college tshirt day" someone got saturday school for wearing the alabama tshirt with "rammer jammer yellow hammer give em hell alabama" on the back because it said "hell." i know i went to private school and all... but seriously. i asked him what his mother says when he wears that shirt and he said, "she doesn't care, profe!" oh, really??!! unbelievable.

because there is no time between classes on the schedule, everyone is always late somewhere. it blows my mind. every day its like i have to relearn how abnormal it is not just to be on time, but to think anyone else would be on time. and by "not on time" i'm talking what stephanie would call "late." which is OVER ten minutes LATER than i'm suppose to be there.
the concept of a syllabus could really go a long way over here. and by that i mean, every student would be failing and/or expelled by week two.

"public displays of affection" does not quite accurately describe the PDA that occurs in every corner of public spaces, on the metro, on the streets, and worse of all, on the escalators. while you are just trying to stand there on the temporary step, the couple in front of you is exchanging saliva and attempting to eat eachother's tongues as if this is the LAST chance they will ever have to do so in their ENTIRE LIFE! as if, when the escalator ends, they will no longer be allowed to touch. instead, there is usually another escalator, where they continue their touching, again, centimeters from your face. its torture. really. the PDA is just as bad at the schools. there is hand holding in class, lap-sitting, petting during recess and all i can think is, "EWW" the entire time! ES UN HORROR!

you can gamble at any and every restaurant here. there are slot machines in every restaurant/bar. yes. yes. and its quite disruptive when youre trying to read the newspaper and enjoy a nice meal.

of course for as many things that i think are totally crazy and ridiculous, there are just as many things i absolutely love. but, just to give you an idea of what i get to stare at on a regular basis, i hope you enjoyed the images provided. i really do obviously CRINGE every time. ew, who knew facial piercings had so many names.

people I love in my daily life here

I thought this week instead of a post about my week, I would do things a little differently and let you get to know some of the people I interact with regularly.

two cleaning ladies- these two ladies are always chatting me up at JF (the high school where I work on Tuesday and Thursday). one has a daughter with plans to go spend a few months in Massachusettes. we've yet to communicate what city but she always asks if there are gangsters there with guns. every time I assure her no and that there are dangerous areas in every city but that I'm sure whatever city in "MasssaaaaCHUUUshhiitts" she's going, it will be safe there. one day I revealed I will be going to law school next year and they now think I'm just below celebrity status. when I explained I didn't know where I would be living but maybe NYC or LA, they kept repeating back and forth, "we know a New Yprk lawyer!!" uhh, not yet ladies but you can come visit me if that's what I end up being. they also mention coming to visit my office with a window over looking the statue of liberty every time I run into them. they speak so fast and while cleaning/mopping/etc, gossip pours out of their mouths. it seems like their main job is running the rumor mill and spreading the most controversial news. they must be good friends because they even carpool to an from school together. I love them.

Two ladies who look like sisters at LC (the Monday and Wednesday high school)- these women wow me every time I see them. there are maybe five or six disabled students at LC. I have two in my classes. one of whom can get around with her walker remarkably well though it appears as if each step is a struggle. she's smart and participates in class. the other disabled student I have is pretty "rough off" (even though even that seems terrible to say). he really has extreme difficulties communicating in Spanish and relies completely on someone else pushing his wheelchair and collecting his things. one woman tends to him full time all day. she miraculously understands him when I can't even make out that he is saying words. her patience and soul are solid gold. it appears to be her sister who does this for another one of the disabled boys. I thank God for them daily because I don't know if those boys can.

Silvia- my boss at LC- it sucks that I don't get to see her that often every time we speak it's incredible. she's an absolutely wonderful woman and I hate that I work every afternoon and I can't spend hours chatting at her house with a homemade meal. she is funny, she's always asking about my life, she worries about me when I have dark bags under my eyes and she would do anything for me.

The teachers at JF- Carmen is absolutely the sweetest, kindest, most soft spoken woman I have ever met. our schedules coincide so we have two hours where we are both in the department free grading and making lessons so we chat often. I told her I wasn't sleeping well and the next day, she had brought me these herbs that help her. she's simply wonderful. Pilar, gave me the vitamin C out of her purse one day when she said I looked like I was getting sick. she's from Sevilla and her accent, although subtle, reminds me of the hundreds of amazing memories I have in that beautiful city. Estrella is this ball of energy. she always jokes that her bottle of water is full of gin because the students would drive her past insanity otherwise. she's hilarious and always telling some huge story or flailing her arms around when she's talking about basically anything. I love her. anthony calls me speedy Gonzalez because I talk so fast. Ana is super super pregnant and looks like she may have her baby any day now. she's also super sweet and great. she's eats tortilla everyday for breakfast and I just love that. she's wonderful. and then theres marta. marta replaced a teacher who left on maternty leave in january. then, her husbands cancer came back. a week or two later, he died. a week agter yhe funeral, she was back at school. i can see her fragilty in her eyes and i see a bit of myself only someone who has experienced such a grave loss can recognize. every time we speak, i think, this must be what i use to look like. she is so strong and brave and must feel like working is the only reason why she would ever leave her bed. she was back working within a week of the funeral. there is a phrase in spanish that can only there are 11 total and I don't dislike any of them, but those are my favorites.

Cande- my roommate from Argentina- Living with someone I like has made a huge, huge difference in my life here, especially when I lay around the apartment for three straight days. Cande and I get along really well, she is an amazing cook and we offer to make dinner then split it a lot. she briefly mentioned she was thinking of moving and i was terrified. i would be really sad and lonely without her here. she's introduced me to some of her friends here and we always have a good time when we go out together. she is a great listener and a great advice giver. we've got a lot in common and i think shes one of the only blessings thats come out of living in this apartment. well, her and the brazilian that i love that moved out.


Gab- Gabriel lived with Cande and I when we first all moved in but then he found a cheaper place and moved out in november. we have stayed in close touch and still get together abotu once a week or so. gab is studying his masters in intellectual property now after getting his law degree in brazil. he is hilarious and so incredibly smart. i can tell him anything and we can talk about anything. anytime we get together is a pleasure.


Melania- wow, Melania blows my mind. shes running around crazy all the time because shes teaching as an auxiliar and also doing a masters program. she speaks four languages and always has something wonderful to say that you need to hear. shes simply one of the purest and most incredible people i have ever met. we had great adventures traveling to hungary and portugal together and im so sad that we cant travel together every weekend because shes so busy but i am so lucky to have her to encourage me to do everything i want to do and that life is too short to just sit around. shes such an inspiration!


One thing is for sure, I will miss these people when I have left here and I am determined to make the very most of the next few months of memories with them! I am grateful to be surrounded by amazing people and that these friends are just a special layer on top of great US friendships. I am already looking forward to the people I will meet in law school too!

this is the best week EVER!

first and most importantly, I GOT INTO LAW SCHOOL!!! let me back up. so as you know, i have been working my little tail off on applications. i have submitted 26 in total and have already heard back from several schools. most exciting is my acceptance to University of Miami. I still do not know if I got the scholarship that I applied for, but will know one way or another in the next three weeks or so. I was also offered a substantial scholarship to St. Thomas, which is also in Miami. I am really excited. I didnt realize quite how homesick, stressed, discouraged and overworked I was until my friend, Ansley landed and brought a taste of home and a breath of fresh air with her. She got here on Thursday and had the day to herself while I worked. When I got off, we had dinner with my roommate here and scurried off to the airport. Ansley and I landed in the Canary Islands (Las Palmas) at midnight and our family friend picked us up.
The entire weekend was like a dream. Pilar, who I met in Rome last summer because shes a dentist with several of Dad's lasers, is like a mother to me and she really went above and beyond with her hosting duties. Thursday night, we walked along the beach and settled into her mother's apartment that's the qaintest little resort home with a huge balcony over looking the beach. That's where we had several awesome feasts. Friday, we shopped, walked all over the city, saw some awesome sights and relaxed. Saturday, we attempted to visit one of the most famous beaches in the world but the wind was pretty miserable. Wind-1, Stephanie & Ansley-0. Pilars son is 23 and her nephew is also 23 so it was really cool they hung out with us and invited some friends. It was a really awesome day, minus the realization we would not be coming back bronze beauty queens. At night, we hit up Carnaval. The night before we had gotten a taste of the madness but Saturday was the parade and it was completely insane and incredible. I have never seen or experienced anything quite like it. The costumes weren't Walmart Halloween $13 purchases. No, no. They were meticulously planned outfits with no detail overlooked. Mostly, friends were there in huge groups all dressed identical. So in the crowd, you could spot an entire crew of GI Joes or Ariels or lions or whatever. We took so many photos and just had an incredible time. Sunday's plane ride was rough because we didn't want to leave, but I was also looking forward to showing Ansley around my city. The rest of her visit, we managed to meet up with my friends here and eat more great food. We celebrated my acceptances and just celebrated being together and her vacation. It was AWESOME. I was super sad she couldn't stay longer. I also received big news my roommate from last year will be coming in April! The weekend she will be here we will go to Barcelona with Dad for a Biolase event. I don't know if I am accurately explaining how amazing the last two weeks were, so here are some pictures in hopes of doing a better job.
Wishes of an equally AWESOME week to you! And go watch Step Brothers for me because I just kept repeating "this is the best week EVER!" in Will Farrel's voice. and it really was! Looking forward to hearing more back from other schools and starting Spanish classes 4 days a week this week.

Is she normally this pale?

Every time I think I am going to get better at blogging, something absurd gets in my way. I had a lovely birthday celebration with all my friends in Madrid. It was really awesome. Literally everyone I know in this city was able to join us. Cande (my roommate) had some friends in town so the afternoon of my birthday, we took them to a traditional Spanish place and had awesome food. We headed to a literary cafe for a glass of wine and then came by the house to get dressed for dinner. 17 of us met up at this Mexican restaurant. Other than the queso being incredibly disappointing, the meal was WONDERFUL. The rest of the night was random and a lot of fun. Beatriz, one of the members of my Biolase family here, even surprised me and showed up! It was a great time.
Monday came too soon and by Tuesday I was sick as a dog and feeling like death. I barely survived the entire day of work, but somehow I managed. One of the teachers visiting the school with a group of British students, looked at me then back at my boss and said, "Is she normally this pale?" in her little British accent. That's when I knew I was really sick. Today, I was suppose to go to Segovia on a field trip with all of them but that totally didn't happen. I have the worse case of tonsillitis I've ever had and could barely swallow when I woke up this morning. After much rest, I was able to make it to the ER to ask for antibiotics. With Rx in hand and Amoxicilin in my system, I am already feeling a lot better. Not sure yet if I will try to go to work tomorrow or not, but regardless I certainly have a weekend of rest and taking it easy ahead of me. Nothing makes me miss Mom and home more than being sick. It's really awful to feel so miserable. I think the worst is over though thankfully!
I have submitted 14 law school applications and that feels really great. I still have some work ahead of me on applications but Ive got a best friend coming next week and a vacation to the Canary Islands to look forward to!!

the home-stretch. literally.

the past few weeks have been insanely busy. i slept in today for the first time in weeks and didn't have to work yesterday so i started to relax. it hit me i am COMING HOME TOMORROW and it feels a little crazy. i can't wait to have chic-fil-A, to relax in a bed larger than this negative-twin sized one I have grown accustomed to, to have a nice shower with more than a small stream of water, never ending refills, sweet tea, 3G, long hour long chats with friends and the opportunity to crank out and finish up my law school applications. One of my recommendations has been processed and I am so thankful for that! Now, i just need the next one to come through so I can upload the essays I have spent months working on and be done with the first round. Please continue to keep this crazy process in your prayers.
I had been thinking Susan, a dear friend from UA, was coming Monday morning. Then, Saturday night, while I was getting ready to leave for a Christmas party, she called and said, "You know I come tomorrow, right??" Overjoyed, I skipped to the Christmas party with my roommate, had fun and woke up to retrieve my friend from the airport. Sunday, I did some work while she took a nap, we walked around Retiro, then we met up with Pedro and Beatriz and her kids to see Mission Impossible 924 and get some dinner. Monday, I drug Susan with me to work. She really loved my first class and wanted to slit her wrists during my second and third classes. I was like, "yes, this is my love/hate relationship with my job in a nutshell right here." It was so nice to bring her to the little village in the mountains where I work, show her what I do everyday and to have her join. The students were shy so they actually weren't the crazy animals they can be. Monday night, we made some dinner and my old flatmate came over with his girlfriend for some champagne to celebrate the end of the semester and Christmas and our friends in town. It was a nice time. Tuesday, Susan went all over the city to the museums and other touristy places with Gab's girlfriend and other Brazilian friends while I had the joy of working all day. We met up later that night and went to an Italian place after taking Susan to one of the most important sites in Madrid, El Corte Ingles. Wednesday, once again I headed to work and since I didnt have to work at my afternoon job, we met up for lunch. On Calle Princesa, one of the biggest streets in Madrid, we sat in the sun and had a very stereotypical meal- jamon iberico and queso with patatas bravas and tinto de verano. Yum. Just thinking about it now makes me consider walking back over there for round two. Unfortunately, instead of seeing the city this afternoon, I had to go to Aluche where Spain keeps the illegal immigrants as prisoners and also where you have to go to have your paperwork processed. Though not necessarily easy, I GOT MY NIE! This means I am officially legal to live here and I won't have anything to worry about to get back into the country in January, so this is awesome news. Wednesday night, I was pleased to get all my Madrilenos together at one of the most famous places for croquettas in the heart of the city. We did a tapas crawl, great food, even better wine, even better company. The night seemed to last forever but we managed to make it home on the metro and tell my roommate goodbye before her flight in just a few hours. Great success. Thursday, I was suppose to go into work but jumped at the offer that i didn't have to. Susan and i strolled around and got extremely lost in a maze of an art museum where Picasso's Guernica is hung. After my tour of Monet and his lillies in Paris, I really dont think I will be impressed with any art I come across for a long time. Today, I have absolutely no idea what Susan and I plan to do. Surely she isn't down for laying here all day, but sounds like a perfect day to me.
In just a little shake of a bunny's tail, I will be back in the great peach state. Whoohoo!

Saturday night ramblings

Is it really December 4th? Considering I spent all day December 1st thinking that it was November 31st, I really shouldn't be so surprised. This will be a short post because I don't have much exciting to say. I'll hit the highlights and for details you can comment or shoot me an email.
I am really discouraged about law school applications. I could really use your prayers and your support on this. I have done everything "by the book" and asked two very special professors to write me recommendation letters. I am still waiting on these to be turned in. I have contacted them several times the past few months and I am just really upset that waiting on these letters is the biggest barrier to completing my application as is. I really want to go to law school in fall 2012 and I feel so conflicted that being here in Madrid and trying to do everything to be there in 9 months is nearly impossible. I need to visit Miami, NY, LA and DC to get an idea of the environment, the campus, the students, the classes, etc. And WHEN am I going to do that? When I am home for Christmas, the schools will be closed. I can come back for Easter break, but is that enough time? Ughh. I still have substantial work to do on my part of the applications but I have been so complacent, so busy and completely defeated by this entire letter of recommendation business. Basically, if this next week, those letters could come in, I would really feel soo much better. I know that God's plan is GREAT and that in order to receive his blessings, I have to trust in Him, but it's just not so easy..
Work has been fine this week. Exhausting and challenging, but totally fine. This week I really had the realization that I don't particuarly mind what I am doing, but that I don't particularly want to do it for another year. If I stayed in Madrid another year to do something else, that's a different story. But to teach English to these bratty unappreciative teenagers? No, thank you. I can only do so much to make the class chill, fun and interesting. They have to try and they have to meet me half way. When they don't do any of these three things, the class is essentially torture. We have two days off next week and I will be going to Portugal. I am looking forward to the vacation. My roommate keeps saying, "I need vacation" and all I can think is, 'didn't we just have a vacation? but yeah, dude, me too. i need a vacation.'
I also had a huge depressing realization this week. I land on December 24th in Atlanta and the only thing I want is Chic-Fil-A. But it's Christmas Eve, and Chic-Fil-A will probably be closed. So I will have to wait additional days. It's honestly awful to be in a country without chips and queso, Chic-Fil-A and dryers for your clothes. Yes, those are the things I miss the most, in that order.
I was sad that my website for watching football failed me today and so I can't watch the LSU game. I hope that whatever happens, Bama still gets its well deserved chance to show off on January 9th. I was so tired on Wednesday that I skipped Spanish class and attempted to go to bed early. I even bought Vitamins I have been taking daily for fear of getting sick again. My schedule is so crazy and I really am working constantly. Of course, going to bed early didn't happen quite as planned (it never does), but I did sleep in on Friday for the first time in weeks and it was.. delicious. Yes, delicious is the exact English adjective I was looking for. I have been lounging around in an XL Alabama-Arkansas Pocket-Long-Sleeve T, and leggings. There really is nothing quite like the comfort of this outfit. You can take the girl out of Tuscaloosa, but you can't the Tuscaloosa out of the girl, what can I say?
I worked this morning (yes, on a Saturday) and then didn't do anything I had planned to do today with the rest of my day. Had a lovely deep chat with my roommate and just laughed and did nothing except compare favorite pictures and tell stories earlier. It was a lovely, relaxing day and reminded me of many, many nights like this in college with good friends, which warmed my heart.
I am looking forward to coming home.