There took me a little bit as I wasn't in wifi range so bear with me. Lots of new posts to read! I was writing them just couldn't post them all til now :)
My alarm was set for 6:45 and those were numbers I wasn't ready to see after only making it to bed around 2:30. However I was so excited for what today would bring. I was flying to Seville today so at least my time has Ben booked up with traveling otherwise I MIT have just drove myself crazy with clicking refresh on my email page waiting for that letter.
I walked 15 minutes or so to Plaza Espania and found my bus to the airport, checked myself in and boarded my flight. As usual I was pretty much out after I take off. I made myself stay awake and see the scenery. It was a glorious sunny morning with the clouds just rising on the horizon, the palm trees had a slit breeze to dance to and I couldn't have been happier. What a great place to live. To top it all off I'm pretty sure that was the best take off ever. It was so clear I could see into the distance and heading up to the sky we did a full 360 turn and I got to look back on all the neat little towns of Mallorca island. We flew right back over the center of Palma and got to see how much beach front and blue water surrounded the city. Did I mention I love Spain!!!!
I woke up as we started our decent and as the pressure changed I thought my sinuses were going to explode out from behind my eyes and eyebrows. I have NEVER felt a pain like that it was almost unbearable but luckily only lasted a few minutes. I made sure to pop my ears as much as possible until we hi the normal pressure of land.
I arrived safely in Seville and caught the bus to the main Santa Justa train station. I have a 2 hour train ride to get to my hostel in Cadiz for the next 3 nights. And once there you bet the first thing I'll be diving into is my trusty wifi connection to find out the news on my potential new position at Finca Es Fangar!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Could Spain be my new home???
I went to bed early and woke up so excited for the day. Today was my interview at Finca Es Fangar just outside Felanitx which is about 45 minutes drive from Palma.
First I popped up to the bank to try to withdrawal some more cash from my emergency visa card with no such luck. Thankfully for me but not so thankful for her, Alisha's carpool didn't show show she came back home and was able to return to the bank with her Spanish speaking skills and this time was a success. For such a widely known name like Visa the emergency card sure makes the banks suspicious of anyone who has one....it hasn't been easy that's for sure!!
With cash in my hand I was back on track for the day. met up with the girls and headed towards Felanitx. The drive was slightly interesting but for the most part went well and we arrived in one piece. Spain sure loves their round shouts as we had about 8 or more to go through on the 45 minute drive!
Here I was.....at the entry gate of Finca Es Fangar and was greeted by a security guard that didn't speak English. I must learn some more Spanish!!
He put a call into the office and within minutes Mr. Simon was down to pick me up and take me to the office. The property is beyond impressive boasting over 1500 hectares of land that spreads as far as the eye can see. There's rolling hills, lush trees, open pastures and the vineyards, sooo beautiful.
Arriving at the office we sat down with 3 of main men for a meeting. They told me a little more about what they are looking for and I told them more of my experience. After talking for a bit I was taken down to lunge 2 horses so they could see what I was capable of. They were slightly dissapointed I didn't have my riding gear so I wasn't able to ride. Note to self...maybe throw in one pair of breeches next time you backpack Europe haha.
Overall he could tell I knew my way around a horse and had no problem pointing out anything that was out of place with the tack, horse ect.
We were set to reconvene at 12:30 so after putting the horses away I was given a tour of the farm. Took a good 20 minutes to drive around and show me the sights. There's 2 outdoor arenas with the best footing as well as an open air covered ring. There are too many fields and paddocks to count and all of the horses have sand walk outs off their stalls. Everything is still under construction as they add more and we walked through the new stallion barn which still smelled of fresh wood and new paint, the bookmark barn with every stall that's equipped with camera for fooling and the state of the art vet, farrier and breeding rooms. I was in horsey Heaven....yep this was it.
The breed mostly Hannoverians but also have driving horses and mini ponies :). I was told there are about 50 staff in total who tend to the horses, the vineyards and the olive groves.
We sat back down to discuss both of our thoughts. I loved the place and was curious to know more about the nitty gritty details. After some discussion it was decided they would email me tomorrow with a decision and a price point for my salary. And so I wait.....
After the interview it was time to say goodbye to Alissa and Sarah who were headed back to North Dakota. I felt bad for taking up most of their last day as they were waiting for me way longer thn I thought I'd be. The interview ended up being 3 1/2 hours so it was a fair wait.
We dropped them off at the airport, returned the car and headed home. I offered to take Alisha out for dinner after everything shed done so we went to a fabulous little Asian noodle place that was very yummy!
We got home a little late, had accommodations to book for tomorrow and put all my belongings back in my trusty blue backpack.
Tomorrow could be the day I find out how 2012 could change for me and I may just end up calling Spain home.
First I popped up to the bank to try to withdrawal some more cash from my emergency visa card with no such luck. Thankfully for me but not so thankful for her, Alisha's carpool didn't show show she came back home and was able to return to the bank with her Spanish speaking skills and this time was a success. For such a widely known name like Visa the emergency card sure makes the banks suspicious of anyone who has one....it hasn't been easy that's for sure!!
With cash in my hand I was back on track for the day. met up with the girls and headed towards Felanitx. The drive was slightly interesting but for the most part went well and we arrived in one piece. Spain sure loves their round shouts as we had about 8 or more to go through on the 45 minute drive!
Here I was.....at the entry gate of Finca Es Fangar and was greeted by a security guard that didn't speak English. I must learn some more Spanish!!
He put a call into the office and within minutes Mr. Simon was down to pick me up and take me to the office. The property is beyond impressive boasting over 1500 hectares of land that spreads as far as the eye can see. There's rolling hills, lush trees, open pastures and the vineyards, sooo beautiful.
Arriving at the office we sat down with 3 of main men for a meeting. They told me a little more about what they are looking for and I told them more of my experience. After talking for a bit I was taken down to lunge 2 horses so they could see what I was capable of. They were slightly dissapointed I didn't have my riding gear so I wasn't able to ride. Note to self...maybe throw in one pair of breeches next time you backpack Europe haha.
Overall he could tell I knew my way around a horse and had no problem pointing out anything that was out of place with the tack, horse ect.
We were set to reconvene at 12:30 so after putting the horses away I was given a tour of the farm. Took a good 20 minutes to drive around and show me the sights. There's 2 outdoor arenas with the best footing as well as an open air covered ring. There are too many fields and paddocks to count and all of the horses have sand walk outs off their stalls. Everything is still under construction as they add more and we walked through the new stallion barn which still smelled of fresh wood and new paint, the bookmark barn with every stall that's equipped with camera for fooling and the state of the art vet, farrier and breeding rooms. I was in horsey Heaven....yep this was it.
The breed mostly Hannoverians but also have driving horses and mini ponies :). I was told there are about 50 staff in total who tend to the horses, the vineyards and the olive groves.
We sat back down to discuss both of our thoughts. I loved the place and was curious to know more about the nitty gritty details. After some discussion it was decided they would email me tomorrow with a decision and a price point for my salary. And so I wait.....
After the interview it was time to say goodbye to Alissa and Sarah who were headed back to North Dakota. I felt bad for taking up most of their last day as they were waiting for me way longer thn I thought I'd be. The interview ended up being 3 1/2 hours so it was a fair wait.
We dropped them off at the airport, returned the car and headed home. I offered to take Alisha out for dinner after everything shed done so we went to a fabulous little Asian noodle place that was very yummy!
We got home a little late, had accommodations to book for tomorrow and put all my belongings back in my trusty blue backpack.
Tomorrow could be the day I find out how 2012 could change for me and I may just end up calling Spain home.
Sick day :(
I woke up early, got myself showered and fed and put my laundry outside on the line to dry. No one has clothes dryers around here....suppose because it's usually nice and hot outside so the fresh air does a fine job, just have to wait a little longer during the winter months.
I got ready so once the girls got up we could venture to the airport and see about that car. They slept in til about 11 and I didn't want to wake them.
By the time everyone woke up and we discussed it a few times we decided we were just going to keep the car and see how it works out.
I was feeling pretty sickly today and opted to just hang out on the couch and watch some movies. They have this awesome website in Spain where you can stream any movies for free....like all the new releases and everything so I ended up wasting some time on watching Water for Elephants.
The girls had a fun day planned to go to the castle and venture to the beach front but with tomorrow being an important day I just wanted to rest and attempt to make myself feel better in the slightest.
I got ready so once the girls got up we could venture to the airport and see about that car. They slept in til about 11 and I didn't want to wake them.
By the time everyone woke up and we discussed it a few times we decided we were just going to keep the car and see how it works out.
I was feeling pretty sickly today and opted to just hang out on the couch and watch some movies. They have this awesome website in Spain where you can stream any movies for free....like all the new releases and everything so I ended up wasting some time on watching Water for Elephants.
The girls had a fun day planned to go to the castle and venture to the beach front but with tomorrow being an important day I just wanted to rest and attempt to make myself feel better in the slightest.
Look out world...we rented a car!
We woke up and had breakfast and walked to the market to pick up some groceries. Alisha was going to take us to a cool place by Orient and go on a hike to caves and waterfalls. I wasn't feeling too good and knew it would be a challenge but I so wanted to see the countryside so off we went....in the car again and my not so calm self.
It doesn't help the roads are so narrow and with very little parking people try to park on every inch of the road there possibly is so it basically turns every 2 way street into a one way.
Once we hit the highway things were fine and we were about 40 mins away from our destination.
As we got closer the roads got windier and smaller again. Ohy!
We finally got to where we were going and back to nature....thank goodness! We went on about a 4 or 5 hour hike. The scenery was stunning and the weather was perfect. My lungs on the other hand felt like they were going to pop out of my chest with all the climbing we were doing and my coughing was getting worse. We stopped for lunch on top of a giant rock facing out over a canyon below with mountain goats around us climbing the hillsides. It was so beautiful. We carried along our way towards the caves. After about another hour we faced a much bigger climb. The caves werent apparently that much farther so i opted to hang back and sit tight as I knew if I wasn't going to make it back where we'd already come from then there was no way I'd make it up another steep face the way my sickness was taking hold and I wasn't breathing well.
They were gone for about an hour but I was content taking pictures and attempting some Spanish words as others would pass by and try to talk with me.
The sun was starting to set when I met back up with the girls and continued our grueling hike back to the car. Needless to say we were all pooped but so enjoyed the day. I would have been totally more game if I wasn't so sick. It was defiantly worth it but not the smartest thing to tackle when I was feeling the way I was.
When we got home I pretty much ate dinner and went to bed. I was exhausted and not feeling well at all. Tomorrow I was hoping to go try to attempt to return our rental car and find a company that had an automatic. After being nervous about someone else driving it I wasnt feeling overly confident that I'd be able to drive it to my interview the next day.....
It doesn't help the roads are so narrow and with very little parking people try to park on every inch of the road there possibly is so it basically turns every 2 way street into a one way.
Once we hit the highway things were fine and we were about 40 mins away from our destination.
As we got closer the roads got windier and smaller again. Ohy!
We finally got to where we were going and back to nature....thank goodness! We went on about a 4 or 5 hour hike. The scenery was stunning and the weather was perfect. My lungs on the other hand felt like they were going to pop out of my chest with all the climbing we were doing and my coughing was getting worse. We stopped for lunch on top of a giant rock facing out over a canyon below with mountain goats around us climbing the hillsides. It was so beautiful. We carried along our way towards the caves. After about another hour we faced a much bigger climb. The caves werent apparently that much farther so i opted to hang back and sit tight as I knew if I wasn't going to make it back where we'd already come from then there was no way I'd make it up another steep face the way my sickness was taking hold and I wasn't breathing well.
They were gone for about an hour but I was content taking pictures and attempting some Spanish words as others would pass by and try to talk with me.
The sun was starting to set when I met back up with the girls and continued our grueling hike back to the car. Needless to say we were all pooped but so enjoyed the day. I would have been totally more game if I wasn't so sick. It was defiantly worth it but not the smartest thing to tackle when I was feeling the way I was.
When we got home I pretty much ate dinner and went to bed. I was exhausted and not feeling well at all. Tomorrow I was hoping to go try to attempt to return our rental car and find a company that had an automatic. After being nervous about someone else driving it I wasnt feeling overly confident that I'd be able to drive it to my interview the next day.....
Island, beaches and palm trees oh my!
Boarding my flight to Mallorca I was excited for what would unfold next. I had spoken with Lutz at Finca ES Fangar and had confirmed an interview for Monday morning at 10 am. The plan was to rent a car for a few days but ith not having a hardcopy of my license (only a photocopy) I knew I'd need some help. Luckily my new friends Alisha, Alissa and Sarah were game.
I landed in Palma after what seemed like the quickest 40 min flight ever and was excited for the day....it was sunny and warm and I had my feet planted firmly back on an island.....ahhhh bliss.
Grabbed my luggage and waited for the girls.
They were an hour late and I was starting to panic after no one was answering their phones ect.
But they came and after a bit of cunfuzzle with renting the car we were off.....they didn't have any automatics so a standard it was!
I'm a nervous passenger on a good day but with people I don't really know, who haven't driven standard in awhile in a foreign place....nervous was an understatement. I was trying to calm myself in amounts my bouts of being a front seat driver lol.
We got the car home and opted to have a nap. Both the girls and myself didn't get much sleep the night before so a nap sounded like exactly what I needed.
We woke up later in the evening and went out for dinner and a little walk around town. We were wanting to go to the market and pick up some food for tomorrow but it was a holiday so everything was closed.
We figured we'd have a quiet night and get a good start on the day for the morning.
I landed in Palma after what seemed like the quickest 40 min flight ever and was excited for the day....it was sunny and warm and I had my feet planted firmly back on an island.....ahhhh bliss.
Grabbed my luggage and waited for the girls.
They were an hour late and I was starting to panic after no one was answering their phones ect.
But they came and after a bit of cunfuzzle with renting the car we were off.....they didn't have any automatics so a standard it was!
I'm a nervous passenger on a good day but with people I don't really know, who haven't driven standard in awhile in a foreign place....nervous was an understatement. I was trying to calm myself in amounts my bouts of being a front seat driver lol.
We got the car home and opted to have a nap. Both the girls and myself didn't get much sleep the night before so a nap sounded like exactly what I needed.
We woke up later in the evening and went out for dinner and a little walk around town. We were wanting to go to the market and pick up some food for tomorrow but it was a holiday so everything was closed.
We figured we'd have a quiet night and get a good start on the day for the morning.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
It's Barcelona Baby
It has felt so good to stay in one place for a week! It's nice learning your way around and actually feeling like you know where your going for once.
January first I said goodbye to Chels and headed on my way. I checked into Sant Jordi Familia hostel and quickly made myself at home. It's a beautiful big hostel with a super fun atmosphere.
I picked up seem groceries and made myself some dinner and had a fairly quiet evening.
Day 2 of being here two girls moved into my 4 bed dorm room, Alissa and Sarah from North Dakota United States. They were really vibrant and fun and just on holidays for a week. Their energy to explore was infectious so the next few days were filled with all kinds of fun adventures!
I find it so interesting how the universe unfolds as well as within a few minutes of talking they told me their friend was coming to join them and she lives on Mallorca island, and they were going back with her to visit. Wellllll.....turns out thats where I just booked a flight to as I'm going to meet with a state of the art Dressage stable there for an interview as they are looking for a barn manager/trainer. How exciting and what a neat surprise! So I felt I was on the right track!
The following day I headed to explore and went on a walking tour while the girls waited for their friend to arrive. I meandered through the narrow windy streets of the old town Gothic quarter and eventually made my way around the shops of La Rambla. I picked up a super nice Barcelona polo shirt that I'd been bordering with the guy for 2 days about. Got it for half price so I was pleased :)
When I returned back to the hostel the girls had headed out for dinner and it wasn't long after their friend (who was hours and hours late) finally arrived. It gave us time to talk and get to know one another. Just like Sarah and Alissa she was super happy, outgoing and fun. I picked her brain about living on Mallorca and what she thinks of being in Spain. We hit it off so well she offered me to crash with her the girls for the time I'm there! Soooo nice of her! I had a hostel booked but paid for cancellation protection, just incase, and look what unfolded! YAY!!
When the other 2 came back after dinner we visited and headed downstairs to join the Tuesday Crazy Party night put on by the hostel they do every night. Barcelona nightlife is something else! You can head to the pubs ect around 11 but don't bother showing up at a club before 1 as its dead!!! From there they party til the weeee hours of the morning.
We went to a quaint little pub first where it was 3.50 to pour your own drink which often ended up in mostly alcohol with very little mix haha. They served little bowls of popcorn and we got to meet people from the other Sant Jordis hostel. We partook in some floppy cup and had a great time! From there we went to a little Spannish place and then onto a club. The names always tend to become a blur and remembering the, is no easy feat haha.
We found our way home around 5 am....this being an early night! Partying here takes stamina, something I clearly don't have, especially when I'm still battling this damn cold bug.
After being up so late as we didn't go to bed right away when we got home the girls and I slept most of the next day away haha. I think we finally pulled ourselves out from under the covers around 2 pm. Our room has these blinds that totally black everything out so it makes it way too easy to sleep in!
After getting ready and getting some food we headed back to La Rambla to walk around and head to the beach.
After our day out I opted to have another night in as my cold is really cramping my style and I need to love myself better!
The girls were flying to Palma tomorrow, Thursday and I will meet them there on Friday. Thankfully I met them too as all along my plan was to rent a car since the barn I need to et to is almost an hour away from where I fly into....completely forgetting I no longer hold my drivers license because it was amounts my things that got stolen. The lovely Sarah offered to run to my rescue and rent the car for me, so with a little coordinating this should all unfold with ease.....I hope!
I have 4 days to spend on the island and at the moment my interview is scheduled for Monday. So wish me luck! Not sure what will come of it, if they are interested in going through the proces of hiring someone internationally or if they will be willing to wait for me to return home to get my things in order before returning to start to work....but it's a step in the right direction. I love Spain and think it would be amazing to spend some time living here and practicing up on learning some Spanish!
I'll keep you posted as to how things unfold the next few days :)
Hope all is well back home....miss you all and I only have 13 travels days left if I'm home on the 19th!!!
See you soon then :)
January first I said goodbye to Chels and headed on my way. I checked into Sant Jordi Familia hostel and quickly made myself at home. It's a beautiful big hostel with a super fun atmosphere.
I picked up seem groceries and made myself some dinner and had a fairly quiet evening.
Day 2 of being here two girls moved into my 4 bed dorm room, Alissa and Sarah from North Dakota United States. They were really vibrant and fun and just on holidays for a week. Their energy to explore was infectious so the next few days were filled with all kinds of fun adventures!
I find it so interesting how the universe unfolds as well as within a few minutes of talking they told me their friend was coming to join them and she lives on Mallorca island, and they were going back with her to visit. Wellllll.....turns out thats where I just booked a flight to as I'm going to meet with a state of the art Dressage stable there for an interview as they are looking for a barn manager/trainer. How exciting and what a neat surprise! So I felt I was on the right track!
The following day I headed to explore and went on a walking tour while the girls waited for their friend to arrive. I meandered through the narrow windy streets of the old town Gothic quarter and eventually made my way around the shops of La Rambla. I picked up a super nice Barcelona polo shirt that I'd been bordering with the guy for 2 days about. Got it for half price so I was pleased :)
When I returned back to the hostel the girls had headed out for dinner and it wasn't long after their friend (who was hours and hours late) finally arrived. It gave us time to talk and get to know one another. Just like Sarah and Alissa she was super happy, outgoing and fun. I picked her brain about living on Mallorca and what she thinks of being in Spain. We hit it off so well she offered me to crash with her the girls for the time I'm there! Soooo nice of her! I had a hostel booked but paid for cancellation protection, just incase, and look what unfolded! YAY!!
When the other 2 came back after dinner we visited and headed downstairs to join the Tuesday Crazy Party night put on by the hostel they do every night. Barcelona nightlife is something else! You can head to the pubs ect around 11 but don't bother showing up at a club before 1 as its dead!!! From there they party til the weeee hours of the morning.
We went to a quaint little pub first where it was 3.50 to pour your own drink which often ended up in mostly alcohol with very little mix haha. They served little bowls of popcorn and we got to meet people from the other Sant Jordis hostel. We partook in some floppy cup and had a great time! From there we went to a little Spannish place and then onto a club. The names always tend to become a blur and remembering the, is no easy feat haha.
We found our way home around 5 am....this being an early night! Partying here takes stamina, something I clearly don't have, especially when I'm still battling this damn cold bug.
After being up so late as we didn't go to bed right away when we got home the girls and I slept most of the next day away haha. I think we finally pulled ourselves out from under the covers around 2 pm. Our room has these blinds that totally black everything out so it makes it way too easy to sleep in!
After getting ready and getting some food we headed back to La Rambla to walk around and head to the beach.
After our day out I opted to have another night in as my cold is really cramping my style and I need to love myself better!
The girls were flying to Palma tomorrow, Thursday and I will meet them there on Friday. Thankfully I met them too as all along my plan was to rent a car since the barn I need to et to is almost an hour away from where I fly into....completely forgetting I no longer hold my drivers license because it was amounts my things that got stolen. The lovely Sarah offered to run to my rescue and rent the car for me, so with a little coordinating this should all unfold with ease.....I hope!
I have 4 days to spend on the island and at the moment my interview is scheduled for Monday. So wish me luck! Not sure what will come of it, if they are interested in going through the proces of hiring someone internationally or if they will be willing to wait for me to return home to get my things in order before returning to start to work....but it's a step in the right direction. I love Spain and think it would be amazing to spend some time living here and practicing up on learning some Spanish!
I'll keep you posted as to how things unfold the next few days :)
Hope all is well back home....miss you all and I only have 13 travels days left if I'm home on the 19th!!!
See you soon then :)
Sunday, January 1, 2012
All the best for 2012!!!!
I've been in Barcelona now for 3 days....what a great place!! It's been a wonderful 18 degrees and nothing but sunshine :)
We got to our first hostel with no problems. It was right close to La Rambla markets so we walked along and took it all in. Everything from street performers to market stands with food and gifts and people galore!! We followed it all the way down to the water. The beach!!! It's sooo nice to be in a big city but be able to escape to the outskirts and find water. There were many surfers out enjoying the water and loads of people just laying and relaxing. Yep I love it here. Has a super hip vibe and the people are really nice. You still need to watch your belongings closely but it's much cleaner and more open here then Greece.
We headed to a little Spanish place for dinner and engulfed in some Paella....yummy.
We only booked one night in that hostel as Chelsea had arranged some couch surfers for us for the next two nights. So we checked out and wandered in our new direction.
We met David at his flat and Jonathan joined us a little later. It's was a beautiful place near Catalunya (sp?).
We went out the first night we met the, to a club called Sotavento I think it was. The defiantly know how to party around here! Don't even plan on going to a club before 1 as it's pretty quiet but after that it gets bumpin. And once two o clock rolls around there give you a stamp so you can wander out onto the beach and then get back in again. What an interesting place out there! There are numerous people walking around selling beers for 1 euro, sandwhiches, drugs....everything imaginable. Strange concept but kinda fun to buy beer for 1 euro instead of outrageous club prices! I'll drink to that :)
We headed home around 6 am...yawn I am not built to party like that...wiped me right out!!! Talked to mom on Skype and climbed under my covers at about 7 :30 am haha.
Waking up I wasn't at all hungover but now my cold was ways worse! I have had this darn couch pretty much my entire trip and now I'm pretty sure it's in my chest so might have to go seek out some antibiotics today.
Don't think the smoke machines in the club helped much at all. I slept most of New Years eve away as I tried to pull myself back together. I had planned to meet up with the others for the nightly celebrations but just wasn't feeling it.
So I happily stayed in, with a beautiful house to myself, made some food, planned the next part of my trip and took care of myself! Usually I'd feel down not going out on New Years but maybe it's just me growing up. I was way more content hanging out, not drinking and catching up on some thought provoking YouTube videos.
I thought about what intention I wanted to put out for 2012 and the countless directions I could choose to go in.
I stood on the balcony at midnight and watched the fireworks explode from every angle and the eruptions of screams and noise flow from the houses and streets. At that moment cars were no where to be seen but within minutes after it was back to the insane traffic you get used to seeing.
So this was it....good bye 2011 filled with so many milestones, life lessons, ups and downs. It defiantly wasn't the easiest year for me but I feel it allowed me to grow a lot and expand myself.
I hope 2012 will be equally as exciting, maybe slightly easier on me woud be nice but I know that everything happens for a reason and there is nothing I'm not ready to face....or will at least learn how to move through it.
January 1st 2012....the first time I wrote those words! What a good morning. It's soooo nice to start the year NOT hungover. I'm well rested, feel good and ready for the next adventure.
Chelsea and I are going our separate ways today. It's time and we both need to continue on our paths. It's been great traveling with her and we've had a lot of fun and great conversations but with everything that happened in such a short time in our friendship we need to move on and do what we need to do for ourselves.
I did my laundry so my clothes are clean, put on my makeup, packed my bags and off I go! Only 18 travel days left and I'm going to make the most of them!!!
18 days....wow that's not much time at all....I'm ready to see family but I'm so not ready to be done my travels! Please universe help me find a way to continue this crazy adventure of life through traveling the world I've come to love so much :)
Amen!
We got to our first hostel with no problems. It was right close to La Rambla markets so we walked along and took it all in. Everything from street performers to market stands with food and gifts and people galore!! We followed it all the way down to the water. The beach!!! It's sooo nice to be in a big city but be able to escape to the outskirts and find water. There were many surfers out enjoying the water and loads of people just laying and relaxing. Yep I love it here. Has a super hip vibe and the people are really nice. You still need to watch your belongings closely but it's much cleaner and more open here then Greece.
We headed to a little Spanish place for dinner and engulfed in some Paella....yummy.
We only booked one night in that hostel as Chelsea had arranged some couch surfers for us for the next two nights. So we checked out and wandered in our new direction.
We met David at his flat and Jonathan joined us a little later. It's was a beautiful place near Catalunya (sp?).
We went out the first night we met the, to a club called Sotavento I think it was. The defiantly know how to party around here! Don't even plan on going to a club before 1 as it's pretty quiet but after that it gets bumpin. And once two o clock rolls around there give you a stamp so you can wander out onto the beach and then get back in again. What an interesting place out there! There are numerous people walking around selling beers for 1 euro, sandwhiches, drugs....everything imaginable. Strange concept but kinda fun to buy beer for 1 euro instead of outrageous club prices! I'll drink to that :)
We headed home around 6 am...yawn I am not built to party like that...wiped me right out!!! Talked to mom on Skype and climbed under my covers at about 7 :30 am haha.
Waking up I wasn't at all hungover but now my cold was ways worse! I have had this darn couch pretty much my entire trip and now I'm pretty sure it's in my chest so might have to go seek out some antibiotics today.
Don't think the smoke machines in the club helped much at all. I slept most of New Years eve away as I tried to pull myself back together. I had planned to meet up with the others for the nightly celebrations but just wasn't feeling it.
So I happily stayed in, with a beautiful house to myself, made some food, planned the next part of my trip and took care of myself! Usually I'd feel down not going out on New Years but maybe it's just me growing up. I was way more content hanging out, not drinking and catching up on some thought provoking YouTube videos.
I thought about what intention I wanted to put out for 2012 and the countless directions I could choose to go in.
I stood on the balcony at midnight and watched the fireworks explode from every angle and the eruptions of screams and noise flow from the houses and streets. At that moment cars were no where to be seen but within minutes after it was back to the insane traffic you get used to seeing.
So this was it....good bye 2011 filled with so many milestones, life lessons, ups and downs. It defiantly wasn't the easiest year for me but I feel it allowed me to grow a lot and expand myself.
I hope 2012 will be equally as exciting, maybe slightly easier on me woud be nice but I know that everything happens for a reason and there is nothing I'm not ready to face....or will at least learn how to move through it.
January 1st 2012....the first time I wrote those words! What a good morning. It's soooo nice to start the year NOT hungover. I'm well rested, feel good and ready for the next adventure.
Chelsea and I are going our separate ways today. It's time and we both need to continue on our paths. It's been great traveling with her and we've had a lot of fun and great conversations but with everything that happened in such a short time in our friendship we need to move on and do what we need to do for ourselves.
I did my laundry so my clothes are clean, put on my makeup, packed my bags and off I go! Only 18 travel days left and I'm going to make the most of them!!!
18 days....wow that's not much time at all....I'm ready to see family but I'm so not ready to be done my travels! Please universe help me find a way to continue this crazy adventure of life through traveling the world I've come to love so much :)
Amen!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)