A Check off the Bucket List: Iceland

Iceland was AMAZING.

I won't ruin the pictures by overcrowding them with too many words, but while I know I have your attention, hear me clearly --- you must find a way to go. Iceland was like a sixth grade science project in real life. When we first arrived, it was snowing sideways. We met our driver who told us on the way into Reykjavik (the capital) that "In Iceland, the earth is alive." And it is so true. The land is made of dried lava, there are glaciers and volcanoes, geysers and waterfalls, mountains and valleys, seas and lakes, rivers and cliffs. Natural hot springs and the Northern Lights were clearly two of the best highlights.

Our trip was the perfect mix of relaxation, laying around, yet adventure-filled and abounding with incredible sights. It was rejuvenating and powerful to experience nature in this incredible country.

We saw TWO NATURAL WONDERS OF THE WORLD in the same twelve hour period. I mean, what a place!

Enjoy the photos... and find a way to go!

^This is the famous Blue Lagoon where we bathed in the natural hot spring

until God sends us somewhere else

One of the most popular posts on this blog from when I was living in Madrid, Spain was a series I did on my favorite people. And so, a few snippets of the amazing people that I have met in my six weeks in Rwanda. Meeting people is absolutely one of my top three favorite things about traveling. And this summer a few people I've had limited interactions with have had a BIG impact on me.

• Akagera Couple - a woman who developed curriculum for USAID and her husband, who have been living in Rwanda for one year but have been living in Africa or the Middle East for 27 years. When I asked them if when they got married they had any idea they would live overseas for most of their marriage, he responded, "We didn't know at the altar, but God made it pretty clear shortly after." And I just love that. When asked how much longer they would be in Rwanda, he chirped immediately, "Well, we'll be here until God sends us somewhere else." I just loved that. Aren't we all just somewhere until God sends us somewhere else?
• Mimi - Mimi lived in the DRC as a missionary kid for the first 15 years of her life. Then she went to boarding school in the US and didn't see her parents for many years. It could take a year for a letter to get to DRC from the US in the 50's, if it even got there at all. She told us some incredible stories and I could have listened to her talk for hours. I said to a friend of hers how impressed I was and that she should write a book! She responded plainly, "She has!" Click here for her story and devotional books. Her husband, a doctor and professor of medicine for the University of Colorado is in Rwanda working for the Clinton Foundation to help educate doctors in Rwanda to promote better family health practices. 
• Two high schoolers with such maturity and wisdom far beyond their years in Rwanda for several weeks to help Mimi with her projects and around the house. They have such bright futures ahead! 
• A girl who is here in Rwanda designing the sowing projects for a women's cooperative with her fashion design degree. SO COOL!!
• Missionary Family #1 - Gary has been here in Rwanda for 27 years. It goes without saying that he has an incredible story about coming here on a short term mission trip, and never leaving. Read on HERE.
• Missionary Family #2- A couple who have lived in Southern California and Oxford, UK and now have their two children in Rwanda. When they first met, they had no idea that he would chase a Masters in Divinity in Oxford, that would lead them to WorldVenture, that would lead them to Rwanda. These missionaries host a school for preachers. Since Rwanda's education system is built on memorization, the average Rwandan doesn't know how to use the critical thinking portion of his or her brain. This blows my mind, because as a law student, the ONLY part of your brain you use is critical thinking. So the preachers here start preaching to churches, only on what they have memorized or feel "called" to talk about, but have no formal biblical education. Very interesting the work they do, and how it can have such a huge impact on Rwandans whose faith is stronger than most faith, but whose biblical knowledge and spiritual foundation is lacking.
  Read MORE here. Really cool work, interesting people and this organization is the one who provided us a house to live in while in Rwanda.
• Devin - fluent in Kinyarwanda (I cannot overemphasize the impressive nature of this statement because this language is so impossible) from living in rural Rwanda for two years with the PeaceCorp. She is now in law school at Tulane, and is a delight to spend time with. 
• Mary Ann - a student working on her Masters in Counseling, in Rwanda for a few weeks to host a training session with our IJM counselors. Mary Ann is awesome. She came to Rwanda with open eyes, an open heart and dived right in. She asked some hard-hitting questions, and got us each thinking about God's plan and our futures as she was contemplating her own. Interested in using her gifts for counseling victims of trauma, I am confident that wherever God sends her, she will be a great asset to that community. We were so sad she wasn't here for the whole summer. She also boldly drank an entire glass of fermented milk. You may be thinking, "that's not so impressive," but I couldn't stand within 20 feet of the milk for more than 30 seconds until I got gagged and had to run out of the room. And she drank it! Then survived a three hour drive on bumpy, uneven, dirt roads in the back of the car. She is a champion. We miss you Mary Ann! 
• A girl who works for WorldVision, about my age. She is on a tour of East Africa, spending a few days in each country visiting WorldVision sites. After three sentences, I was green with envy for her job.

The people I have REALLY gotten to know this summer I will "teach you" (as you would say in Spanish) about in my next post.

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
-Matthew 9:36-38

Happy Cultural Tapestry Day!

Read my friend Shelley’s post on her time in Rwanda, called “A Friday Afternoon”:

www.wavesofjustice.com

I finally got to upload pictures from my first few weeks here, so go check those out on Facebook. It takes too much internet to upload them in more than one place.

Just wanted to ask for prayers, as I will be traveling all day Thursday, July 4, and Sunday, July 6^th to and from Uganda on a bus for a very long bus ride. There is a group of Pepperdine students in Kampala, and I want to see them, experience the greatness of Kampala that I’ve been hearing about my whole first year at Pepperdine. I’m really, so excited. I have heard the difference between Uganda and Rwanda is like day and night, so I can’t wait for a new adventure! I’ve done plenty of research, talking to all the right people, and although no bus in the developing world is particularly “safe,” it seems like a completely reasonable trip to make, that thousands make everyday. You know, all those quotes about “enjoying the ride”? Well, I’ll be enjoying it for ten hours from Rwanda to Uganda.

I’ve been thinking about where I spent the last few fourth of Julys

2008: Munich, Germany

2009: Cozumel, Mexico

2010: Sevilla, Spain

2011: Rome, Italy

2012: Madrid, Spain

2013: Kigali, Rwanda to Kampala, Uganda and everywhere in between

I’d say I’ve been enjoying the ride, alright. Oh, I wouldn’t have it any other way. There’s nothing more patriotic than raw appreciation for your own home country. And you didn’t read my last post if you aren’t cognizant of just how appreciative I am of each and every thing these days. But maybe, my version of the fourth of July is becoming less of a day about American patriotism, more about destroying that unfounded ethnocentricity, and more about celebrating my cultural tapestry, many threads of which are very American, and many threads are from many other spectacular places.

Travel is an intensified feeling—maximum thrills per minute and one of the last great sources of legal adventure. Travel is freedom. It’s recess and we need it…

Connecting with people carbonates your experience. Extroverts have more fun.

If your trip is low on magic moments, kick yourself and make things happen.

 If you don’t enjoy a place, maybe you don’t know enough about it. Seek the truth. Recognize tourist traps. Give the culture the benefit of your open mind. See things as different, but not better or worse. Any culture has plenty to share.

Of course, travel, like the world, is a series of hills and valleys.

Be fanatically positive and militantly optimistic.

 If something’s not to your liking, change your liking. Travel can make you a happier American, as well as a citizen of the world. Our Earth is home to six and a half billion equally precious people. It’s humbling to travel and find that other people don’t have the “American Dream”—they have their own dreams. Europeans like us, but with all due respect, they wouldn’t trade passports. Thoughtful travel engages us with the world. In tough economic times, it reminds us what is truly important. By broadening perspectives, travel teaches new ways to measure quality of life. Globetrotting destroys ethnocentricity, helping us understand and appreciate other cultures. Rather than fear the diversity on this planet, celebrate it. Among your most prized souvenirs will be the strands of different cultures you choose to knit into your own character. The world is a cultural yarn shop, and Back Door travelers are weaving the tapestry. Join in! –Rick Steves, Europe Through the Back Door

Happy 4^th of July, y’all! <3

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!

long overdue

This is dangerous because i am starting off this post uninspired and yawning. i slept 14 hours today so why i am yawning is beyond me. i suppose i needed the sleep, but i also slept around 16 hours a week ago when i first landed. maybe i still needed the sleep. who knows. what i would like to tell you, my faithful readers, is a brief explanation of what went down in my whirlwind vacation home and what my first week back has been like. oh, well first, susan was here for a week. and we had a FABULOUS time. i love that girl and was SO happy that she came to visit. it just makes me that much more excited for when Ansley comes in a few weeks. i. cannot. wait.

Trip home part one

I landed on December 24th, went straight to a closed Chic-Fil-A, defeated, settled for whatever food I found in the refrigerator and was asleep by 9:30. December 25th- church, honey baked ham and other delicious food, a movie and a pleasant and perfect day. December 26th- i caught up with some long-lost dear friends for some fun and then I went to Enterprise, AL for three days to see my college roommate annnd my precious dog I miss oh so very much. I spent two days in Atlanta, had a bunch of friends over, welcomed 2012 in a familiar dive in Buckhead and then Dad and I set off on a trip looking at law schools. We were in DC for three days with dear family friends and I loved the schools I saw there. I was incredibly impressed by their programs, but I am nervous I will not get in. We left snow in DC for the sunny highways of Miami, had a nice dinner in South Beach and woke up the next morning to tour Miami and St. Thomas. We caught an early flight and were back in Atlanta in no time.

The birthday surprise

 The next day, I drove to Tuscaloosa. I ran errands, worked on Dad's surprise present and gathered preparations for the New Orleans road trip. That night, I drove to meet up with Dad in York. Since this was the last day I would be with him, we decided to celebrate his birthday that night. Barbara surprised him at dinner; I gave him two presents he liked- Alabama duct tape being the favorite and then I announced we were heading to the country club for the real surprise. He was actually quite cooperative and was more than surprised when I handed him the gift in those familiar rocking chairs. It was cold and a little difficult to see by just one street light and the full moon, but the stars were bright and there's no where else I would have rather given him that gift. It took him almost three hours to read all of them. A deep, sincere and special thank you for anyone and everyone who wrote and contributed to the gift. I enjoyed reading them all as much as he did. Almost every letter mentioned his love for music. Some were sappy and sweet and others were stories I've heard many times and others were stories I had never heard. Sometimes, he would chime in additional details or correct the details that the author "got wrong." He laughed hard at many of them. His smile was huge and it made me feel great. Should you ever decide to do such a gift, my advice is to start early. I started on this the last week of November and it was not soon enough. There were around 70 letters total with lots of pictures and certainly met the purpose, "64 years of memories." It was a great success. Thank you for helping!

New Orleans Ridiculousness

The next day, exhausted from many days of running around, I willed myself out of bed to get ready for road trippin' to New Orleans. Friends swung by York to pick me up and we were off. New Orleans was a FABULOUS time. In my Facebook album alone, there are 28 people tagged in photos. I estimate that I knew over 200 people in that town that weekend, making the entire trip even sweeter than before. In fact, I didn't realize just how bad it would have been to be there had we lost until angry, bitter LSU fans were chucking beads at my head. Thank GOD we won. #14 was a beautiful win. ROLL TIDE. I was so incredibly happy I was there. It was really great. The only thing missing from the trip was a few hours at Tulane with one of my favorite professors from Alabama, but time was short, traffic was crazy and it simply wasn't feasible. Overall, the trip was a great success.

Leaving home to go home

Next thing I knew, I was laying in the backseat of Phillip's car, still in the outfit I wore the entire day yesterday, being drug home. I was thinking about how much I love those people, about how much I love being home (wherever that may be) and how much I didn't want to come back to Spain. Strange to feel that way, when originally, I didn't particularly want to leave Spain to come home. I started this blog based on this exact idea: where is home? what is home? this is something I am still struggling to decipher. I am not so sure. What I do know is that sitting on that Delta plane, I felt like I was going to vomit. I was leaving home to go home and I hate that these two different homes do not get to meet, do not get to understand each other and that it's just up to me to have each experience distinct of the other and each group of people separate from the other. It's strange. Perhaps these emotions were still lingering too prominently on my first day back at work on Monday.
Monday was a horrible day. I mean that, a really horrible day. I found out two of my roommate's have their significant other coming to visit (I want my non-existant significant other to come visit), teaching itself was a drag, I learned the place where I eat lunch everyday is owned by a couple getting a divorce and the mother and daughter asked if I would follow them to the new restaurant they're opening, I worked a double shift at the private academy... It was just horrible. I wondered what I was doing here, I was melancholic and pensive. The rest of the week picked up quickly though. Since then, it's just been back to the grind. I will be working on finalizing my applications this weekend and submitting all of them in the next few weeks. By the first week of February, it's my hope that I can relax and wait on an answer.
One thing is for sure: I am thrilled about whatever 2012 has to offer and that whatever it is, I'm going to make the absolute best of it.

Thanks for reading 3 weeks in 1 post. I'll do a better job of regularly updating with news and stories. Promise.

cave-diving in the rain and other tales of portugal

Since Spaniards can't go much over a few weeks without taking a vacation, we had a few days off the first week of December. Melania and I found good deals to Portugal and without thinking about it too long, we charged two flights to our beloved plastic rectangles and set off on a great adventure. And let me tell you just what an adventure it was.
Our flight was delayed about 45 minutes due to fog in Lisbon. If this was a sign to prepare us that the weather was going to be horrible our entire trip, we both missed it because everyday we were just as disappointed as the day before that the weather was atrocious. Really. It was freezing (I bought a XXL mans sweater to wear as a dress one day I was that cold. I asked Melania if she was embarrassed to be seen with me and she said, 'who are you kidding? you won't take off your coat all day' and she was right so it was a good purchase!) It was so foggy we couldnt get a sense of the skyline or even see buildings in front of us which was unfortunate. Trying to give Lisbon the benefit of the doubt and blaming the weather on our disappointment in our impressions of the city, we quickly discovered that Porto (with equally poor or arguably worse weather) took our breath away. It rained so hard that the streets were beginning to flood. the next day at the excellent recommendation of weather.com, we didn't pack an umbrella and ended up walking 10 blocks in pouring rain. i didn't even have boots on or a coat so I was drenched rat status and had dripping hair when we finally slopped inside of our destination. If that mental image doesn't make you cringe, it should. it was rough, but we survived. 
     Melanias travel philosophy is a little different than mine, making traveling with her interesting. She likes to "lose yourself" (her way of saying let yourself get lost) and explore the back streets and find the culture of the city buried in its cracks. I suppose this is because she's Italian and there aren't that many monuments, buildings or churches that she's going to find impressive any time soon. I like to hit the brave the tourist packed sites then venture down to find the back doors. We traveled marvelously together doing a little bit of both, waking up early and having jam-packed days. Thursday after landing late, we explored plenty of the city's hilly streets on the hunt for a Portuguese style restaurant off the beaten path. the one we finally found was awesome. recharged after a nice lunch, we eventually wandered in the right direction to our hotel, shopped and wandered around, had a coffee, walked around more and crashed.
Friday, we got breakfast and went to a neighborhood with a tower to see the city and to see the famous bridge, neither of which we could see because of the thick thick fog. we toured the monastery and that's when it hit me just how rich Portugal use to be and just how brave those explorers were. Friday afternoon, we found the greatest art shop ever that was of course closed because it was the afternoon. deciding we really wanted a canvas we had seen in the window, we got lunch nearby so we could go back. the fresh Dorado cooked on the grill a few feet from our nose was delicious. the family-owned hole-in-the-wall asked if we wanted to move to Portugal and teach them all English. The art place was still closed and my theory about how few European businesses are actually concerned about making money was upheld. We mosied onto the church, the castle, more shopping and then more shopping. After stopping by the hotel and getting a quick dinner, we had coffee and desert in the city center and met up with two of Melanias friends for drinks. Interesting intellectuals and intriguing conversation then a midnight stroll to say goodbye to Lisbon and we hopped on the 9:30 train to Porto.

in the neighborhood, Belem

from the tower

bahaha makes me laugh everytime

some of the best fresh fish in the world!

 
The train ride was lovely. armed with coffee, I worked on applications and Melania did stuff for school as we ogled at the sites from our window of countryside, the ocean, adorable homes, dinky train stations and elaborate landscapes. Again, Rick Steve's provided an excellent hotel suggestion for cheap and in an incredible location. Immediately in love with this family owned place, we got our bearings and set off on what was soon to become one of my new favorite corners of the world. Porto is spectacular. Simply a stunning city full of awe, charm, personality and richness. We went across the river to go cave-diving. Not cave diving like you're probably picturing though. this was a port-wine-storage-cave-crawl. Hiking up several streets in the rain (not fun) to get to the first one, we said cheers with our first free tastings. Learning that the best vintage ports are still mashed by barefeet and taking the tour along side Port Wine 101 is a highlight of these last few months. We repeated these last few sentences four times. Free tastings, free tour, protection from the cold rain? We were happy little campers. After Port-cave-crawling, we shopped our way across the river and through the streets of port until we were cozy in bed. Saturday morning the first priority was washing out my lingering Port aftertaste with some strong coffee. unfortunately for Portugal, their coffee is terrible. In our five day trip, I can honestly say out of probably 15 coffees only one was enjoyable. so that's, in a word, pathetic. Saturday we walked and walked through the city and hit two or three tourist must-sees. Then we headed to THE OCEAN. though the chances of me getting pneumonia because I was standing with a coat on, boots in hand and my feet in the Atlantic Ocean, it was definitely worth it. The beach town beside Porto was such a disappointment. Like a little sad ghost town you'd see that was an abandoned movie set or something. Lisbon and Porto both were big in the Christmas spirit with lights and decorations which definitely helped remind me it's Christmas and that I will soon be home! it's so odd this idea to VACATION at HOME but it will pass in no time and I am thrilled! I am not sure who reads the blog and who doesn't but hopefully my ability to post on here will cut down on the amount of updating I have ahead of me and that all you'll have to do is update ME on YOU! More posts to soon follow so look out!

in one of the caves

the river by night. breathtaking.

my sad face with my sunglasses on because it was raining and i wanted it so badly to be pretty outside!

totally obsessed with this city. already cant wait to go back!

Pictures from Hungary

Since I never posted pictures from Hungary and Melania and I are setting off on another adventure together, I felt it appropriate to post the pictures first from our last adventure. It was great company and a really enjoyable time, though we didnt do any touring or anything (scroll down til you find the post on that trip if you missed it.)

That's PARIS outside my window!

Wow, I didn’t even realize that I had forgotten just how magical and wonderful Paris really is. There is no city like it. I landed at eleven, got to the hotel at noon.

Oh wait, I am forgetting some crucial detail. I was running late off very little sleep and a long night the night before with friends and half way to the metro when I realized I didn’t know which of the four terminals in the Madrid airport I had to go to. This is a big deal because they’re different stops on the metro and you can’t simply walk between them. Anyways, I was reading my ticket when I read the sentence, “passengers must provide special documentation for this flight” and I think, “yeah, duh, my passpo… oh no…” and I had a mental image spring to mind of my passport on my bookshelf. I knew I didn’t have it, I didn’t have MY PASSPORT. I didn’t even do a panicked search. I have to get off the metro, ride the metro back to my stop and was literally RUNNING with my Vera Bradley bag until I found a taxi to take me the other four blocks, wait for me to get it and then he drove me to the airport. I told him, “I AM IN A SERIOUSLY HUGE HURRY!” and even the doorman for the apartment looked at me shocked since he had seen me LEAVE for the airport 45 minutes before, when I told him I forgot my passport, he was like, “oh no!!” wishing me good luck and trying to soothe my frantic state. By the time I got to the airport and sat at the gate for 30 minutes before take-off, I felt a little stupid for having such a huge panic attack, but SERIOUSLY, how was I so stupid?? ROOKIE MISTAKE. I have never been so happy to hear the words, “Hello and welcome to Iberia flight 2342 to Paris Orly” because I really did not think I was going to make it for about an hour. That’s what I get for not drinking coffee before I left.

I’ll provide you with the itinerary of my three day trip to Paris. I think I deserve a pat on the back for all my energy and let me tell you, my feet STILL hurt from walking all OVER the place. It really was amazing though. So, so amazing.

With a few pictures. The rest to follow on Facebook!

Thursday: got to the hotel, Dad came over from the convention center.

            -We headed to Musee Rodin, the famous sculptor who did the Thinker and one of my favorite artists of all time.

           -Next was Musee Orsay, the world’s best collection of impressionism, my  favorite genre of art and Dad’s too.        

           We grabbed lunch and a coffee  there and made our way to all our favorite artists. Infamous canvases  you can’t even really believe you are actually standing 2 feet away from filled my mind and are still swirling in my dreams.

I wasn’t suppose to take any of those pictures, and even a random woman looked at me judgingly and said, “you know you’re not suppose to take photos right?” and I was like, “uh, you don’t work here and I am sneaky. You wish you were this sneaky.” It bothered me the rest of the day. I have AWESOME photos so it was worth it. One kid CHUCKED his pacifier at a Rodin statue. I wonder what Mrs.Twisted-Panties would have said to that kid's parents. This is the foggy view of the Eiffel Tower on our way to the hotel.

          -Dad had a meeting, I shopped around then joined Dad in his next meeting.
          -Dad, two guys Dad is doing business with and I headed to Dad’s favorite  restaurant in Paris by the Bastille for amazing seafood and typical Parisian style. We said what we were thankful for and had a nice time.   

          -I got a banana-nutela crepe after dinner. The crepe is worth the cost of any flight to Paris. There IS nothing     better in the world than that. Seriously.

           

Friday: Dad woke me up for a kiss goodbye. We were together I think like 15 hours,  but it was amazing just to see him and to be together on Thanksgiving. In Paris, much less.
I let myself sleep in until 9:15. I have been going non-stop and needed 7 hours of sleep. I checked out of the hotel, went over to the convention  for about an hour, had a cappuccino and found a hotel close to the                                     Eiffel Tower to stay in that night. Went to that hotel, checked in and headed out for my jam-packed day.

1.     Musee Mormattan- Monet: fabulous collection of Monet, including his palette and some letters he wrote to friends asking for money when he was super poor. I stayed here in awe for hours. There was also a Cross exhibition, my new favorite neo-impressionist.

2.     Musee L’Orangerie: Monet’s infamous Lillies are installed here. The most impressive art I have ever seen. This room of paintings sucked the air out of my breathe and totally blew me away. I was enthralled. Monet is my favorite artist of all time and it was wonderful to see these works in real life.

3.     Exploring of the gardens and Plaza Concorde. Had a beignet for lunch just because I could.

4.   Sainte- Chappelle: the stunning cathedral that tells the Bible story from Genesis until the Apocalypse in stained glass, 6, 500 square feet to be exact with 1,100 different scenes. So incredible.

 5.   Notre Dame- I was trying to find my way there, just walking around and sort of guessing about the direction. I turned the corner and there it was. After it had already took my breathe away by its proud glory, I walked toward the huge cathedral and saw this sign pointing literally straight at it. I was like, "wow, so helpful. thanks, sign." The Christmas tree at Point Zero- literally the center of France and where everything got started, was a really nice touch and made me excited for everything December has to offer.  The stained glass there isn't too shabby either...

6.    Shopping- this was a MUST. It was Black Friday after all. I got my first Christmas gifts this trip! Whoo! 

7.     THE LOUVRE I had to push myself to do this. My feet hurt and all I wanted was a nice relaxing dinner with a glass of Bourdeaux and a bed. Realizing I HAD to c'set la vie, I grabbed a hot hot and cheese sandwhich, very yummy and typical from a nice little cart and pressed onto the ridiculous collection of the most famous painting in the world.

8.     Beyond exhausted, a little rest at my hotel then I climbed the Eiffel Tower.  I was standing in front of a really great family who made the lines go by faster and the entire experience much more enjoyable since I had been alone all day long.

Saturday: Armed with six hours of sleep, I got up, had about 4 croissants because they’re so amazing and a drop of coffee (not nearly enough) I headed to take a tour of the Versailles Palace.

Because it was the best weather yet, I braved the 289 steps of the Arc de Triomphe and got some great pictures some Chinese/Korean people wanted pictures with me, I think they thought I was a celebrity or             something. Anyways, it was definitely worth the calf burning. I wish it had been a clearer day, but it was the best weather by far so no complaining came out of my mouth!

Determined to have a less busy day, to relax and enjoy Paris, I walked along the Champs-Elysees and shopped, then enjoyed a wonderful meal.
There's so much I didn't get a chance to do, but I feel like I got quite a bit accomplished with the time I had. I think I deserve a pat on the back. 

I went over to the convention to help with taking down the booth and somehow Pedro, Werner and I got stranded in the basement of the convention center with all the loading people and I really thought we might get murdered down there. Over an hour later, we finally figured out where we needed to go, loaded the van. Leaving Werner to finish up on his own, Pedro and I jetted to the airport for our flight.

I caught myself feeling ready to come HOME. One the way to the airport, I was thinking, “I can’t wait to be home.” That’s why there is the quote above and the title of the blog from that same song. Atlanta is home, LA feels like home, Tuscaloosa is home, York is home and now, Madrid is home.

And it really does feel good to be home.