Never underestimate the power of a good run...

I came at today with a plan.

Step one: Sleep in as late as possible. I still haven't gotten many full nights of sleep since I have been in Spain. I either go to bed way to late (3amish) or wake up way to early (4:30am). But last night I went to bed at 2am and woke up at 8am. This is still not my ideal 8 hours of sleep, but it was enough for today.

Step two: Do not get online first thing in the morning. I had to tell myself this one last night. I have been in the habit of logging on as soon as I wake up. Mostly, I want to see who in Seattle is still awake and wanting to talk. But this mentality has led to me waking up at 5am and being unable to get back to sleep. So this morning I told myself I would NOT be getting online right off the bat.

Step three: Read the Bible. I have fallen out of the habit of reading every day. I think getting online first thing in the morning certainly plays a big role in this. So this morning I read first thing. Moses died and I finally finished Deuteronomy. It felt good to read again.

Step four: Get moving. Rather then sit online and waste the morning away, today I did it a little different. I got online checked a few things here and there. Then I got moving. I took a shower and got ready for the day. I grazed back to the computer from time to time, but I was getting my day going while I did it.

Step five: Eat a healthy breakfast. Breakfast has been a strange meal for me while I've been here in Spain. I generally always eat it alone and they don't have any cereal (except for chocolate covered rice crispies). So I have been combining a standard American (or at least Hannah) breakfast of eggs and toast with a standard Spanish breakfast of pastery and fruit. It turns out to be quite a lot of food. Or at least more then I need. Today, I did half American, half Spanish and I felt pretty good about it.

Step six: Run an errand. I need to find a reason to leave the house every day. I don't want to spend a ton of money while I'm here, but that shouldn't stop me from going anywhere. Today, I went to a neighboring town to see about a spanish class. It turns out the next one doesn't start until June. Erg. So then I went home. But at least I got out and about for a few hours.

Step seven: Get physical. I finally went on the "run" I've been talking to myself about for months. And it felt great! I say "run" because what I do isn't generally called running, it's more like a slow jog. Today, with My Chemical Romance as a soundtrack, I "ran" one song and walked one song for about 30 minutes. It felt sooo good! My body ached a bit but my lungs felt fine and I got to see some great countryside. I'm going to make sure that I do something physical every day. Even if it's just walking to town (Step six and Step seven. Two birds, one stone.)

Step eight: Eat a small lunch. I know that Spain is all about the big lunches, but this family is also about big dinners. Big late dinners. So I have decided I need to watch how much I eat and lunch to compensate for the big dinner that will come later. I love Spanish food. I think we have only had one think that I didn't like and I can't even remember what it was.

Step nine: Finish strong. My day is winding down now. I have four hours of tutoring (one hour with each child in the family) starting at 4p, then dinner usually at 8:30p or 9p, and then I retire to my room to talk with my friends online at 10p. Keeping my chin up and staying busy will be the key to my success while I'm here in Spain and through out life in general, I think. This weekend was a serious low for me, but I've bounced back and am feeling good.

Photo Fun

Here I am at the Royal Palace. Two Italian ladies asked me to take their picture. I did and then asked them to take mine

Here I am at Plaza Mayor. This is a large enclosed plaza not to far from the palace.

This is one of the entrances to Plaza Mayor.

The streets in Madrid are neat. They are old and narrow.

The bear and the tree are on Spain's flag.

The english speaking church I went to on Sunday is held in Suffolk University's Madrid campus. I had some time to kill. Photo opp!

This is me waiting outside the church for a friend. I figured while I was waiting I could figure out the self-timer on my camera. Not too shabby!

Acid Jazz

It is nearly 4am and I just got home from another fun night out in Madrid. I originally hadn’t planned on going out at all. The family is in the Pyrenees for a sky weekend. I had planned on spending my weekend talking to Flynn and Allison online. I also wanted to update my blog with pictures and research my trip to London. However, that planned changed around 3pm this afternoon. Consuelo called to let me know that she would need the modem this weekend so she can get some work done. This meant NO INTERNET for me! This would be the first time since I left Seattle that I wouldn’t be in touch.

The only thing I could think of that would help distract me from the fact that I was out of touch was to get out of the house. Before the modem headed off to the mountains I got online to see what my local couchsurfing friends were up to. Couchsurfing.com is a network of travelers who work together globally to support world travel. They often coordinate local get togethers. I found that several folks were meeting at a jazz club in Madrid.

After bidding farewell to my beloved internet at 4pm I took a nap. Feeling completely cut off from everyone you care about can be exhausting after all. Sleeping helped pass the time. When I woke up it was 8pm. The Couchsurfers were planning to meet at 10pm, so I should start getting ready.

I got on the bus at 9:30pm. The ride into Madrid is a nice one. I am usually one of the first people on the bus because my stop is early on the line. As we make our way through Tres Cantos everyone heading to the bars and discos board. When we arrive in Madrid, I head straight for the Metro (subway) station. I have to make a Metro transfer and then I arrive at the stop the Couchsurfers recommended. It is nearly 10:30pm by this point, but I’m not in any hurry.

I have the street name and number of the Jazz club, but I don’t know where the street is. There are a ton of people around, it’s a hoppin’ Friday night after all. I start off down the street looking for the street I need. As I’m walking I hear the couple behind me speaking in English. I say hello to them. They say they are lost. I tell them not to worry, because I am too! They have a GPS system (TomTom) and are directed to turn. I wish them luck and continue down the street. As I continue wandering around, I keep my eyes open for anything familiar, but see nothing.
At this point I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I may not find the Jazz club. I’m ok with it though. I figure I at least got to see some more of Madrid and I am not at home twiddling my thumbs.

I keep walking until I come to a major street. There are large, old, well lit buildings around and I figure I must be on a street that could help me figure out where I am. I turn down the street and come to another Metro station. This station is the other one recommended by the Couchsurfers to get to the Jazz club. Victory. It is safe assumption that the Jazz club is somewhere in between where I am at this point and where I started my walk! I continue to the next corner and low and behold, there it is, the very street I was looking for. All I had to do now was walk to the right building number and I was golden.

Once at the club I found my group in the very front row. The Jazz band was taking a break. I had met Pablo last weekend, he is a Madrid native. He introduced me to a British woman who has lived in Spain for a year and Alana, a Californian who has been in Madrid a month. There were several other Spanish folks there, but I sat with the two English speakers. Alana, has been traveling Europe for the last several months and speaks Spanish, which makes here a good person to know!

When the Jazz band started playing we were all pretty blown away. Apparently, the style of jazz they performed is commonly referred to as “Acid Jazz.” As in it sounds like the musicians took acid before they played. It was awful!! Oh, it was so bad. I made it through a song and a half before I had had enough. Alana and I left and told the group to call us when they were done. Alana knew of a cheap tapas bar in the area so we started walking. Only a few blocks away we found a small standing room only bar. By the way, I had passed by it on my wandering earlier that evening! Alana ordered us two small beers and they gave us a plate of tapas to go with. The beer was ok, but the tapas were delicious. We had ham and chorizo on bread, potatos with a hot sauce, and potato and cheese croquets. I had been starving and these hit the spot!

After eating we met back up with the rest of the group and headed to another Jazz club. This one was supposed to have better music. While waiting outside the club I chatted (in English) with the other members of our group. They were all very nice and tried to understand me, though their English was limited. Once in the club we stood around and chatted. I am watching my spending so that I can afford to wander Europe in August so I did not have anything to drink.

At 2am Alana and a couple others were leaving so I went with them. Apolo, a couchsurfer, offered to give me a ride to the bus station. I gladly accepted. The station was pretty far away and since the Metro stops running at midnight it would have taken some bus navigation to find my way. After midnight the buses to Tres Cantos stop running, save one. The one remaining running bus only comes every hour. So I waited at the bus station for about 40min before my bus came. It was packed with people heading home after a fun night out.

The ride back to Tres Cantos was pleasant and uneventful. As we got into Tres Cantos I started to wonder where this bus would take me. I wasn’t familiar with it’s route and I wanted to get as close to my neighborhood as I could. I asked the driver if he went near a street near my house. I really wish my Spanish was better. He tried to tell me something but I did not understand. He mentioned my street name and I knew it, but I did not know if he was saying we would go near it or if we were not going near it. He was very patient and tried to help, but I just didn’t understand. Luckily Tres Cantos isn’t that big, so if I got dropped off in town it would only be a couple mile walk home.

I don’t know how long we were driving for, but it seemed like a long time. Then suddenly I recognized where we were! I was so excited! The driver dropped me off and I thanked him several times and started my walk home. I still don’t know if where the driver dropped me is actually on his route or not. My bus map at home doesn’t show that that bus goes there, but either way I was grateful! My house was less then a mile down the street and I was home in no time.

Once home there wasn’t much for me to do. Usually I would have gotten online to chat with Flynn, Allison, and whoever else was online. But this wasn’t an option. So I did the next best thing, I watched a few wonderful episodes of Futurama and wrote this account. Not having the internet has been extremely difficult for me, but I think it has helped me realize that I may be a little too dependent on it. Perhaps this is the wake up call that I needed to help me step away from the screen and into Madrid. I don’t know if I will be able to (or will want to) stay away once I get the modem back, but at least I know. And knowing is half the battle. =)

Pics that I was in the middle of posting and forgot about.

Here is a brief tour of the pictures I have taken so far. I know it isn't much, but I'm not in the habit of taking pictures. Give me time! I'll try to get better (both about taking more pictures and taking better pictures)!

This is a picture from the upstairs of the local mall. Looks just like an American mall doesn't it? It has a pet store, a camera shop, several clothes stores, an clothing alterations shop (drawing a blank on what they are actual called), a camera shop, and a sports shop. The one thing that I saw that they didn't have was a food court. No American mall would be complete without one. They do have an Irish Pub and a Burger King though.

Also in the mall is a huge store called Carrefour. To me it seems like a mix between Safeway, Target, and Sears. It has pretty much anything you need. I took a nice stroll around the other day. My favorite is the seafood counter. They have so much and it's all still fully intact. It's pretty interesting.

This is the sunny view from my nearest bus stop. It's a nice stop. It's generally pretty quiet, though it's a top traffic spot in my neighborhood.

Tres Cantos is very walker friendly. There are plenty of sidewalks and crosswalks. It's a very good thing.

The Search for the Language School

I'm in my neighborhood. I like how the city just stops and there are uninhabited hills just right there!

Today the only thing on my "To Do List" was to go to the town of Alcobendas. Alcobendas is between my town and Madrid. In Alcobendas there is a school offering Spanish classes for foreigners. I need to register for the class, pay, and take a placement exam.

I got a full 8 hours of sleep last night! I was so happy about that. I am still dealing with sleep problems. The main issue is that I choose to stay up too late talking to folks back home instead of sleeping and then wake up too early and nap on occasion. But now that I have given myself a bedtime, I'm hoping to get the sleep situation under control.

So I got a full nights sleep, then had a fairly lazy morning. I left the house at 11a or so and headed to the bus stop. I'm pleased to say that I am pretty comfortable with Madrid's transportation system. So far the buses and subways have been great. I haven't been on the trains yet, but I'm sure I will find them useful in the future. The bus took about 20min to get there (I think I just missed it). Last night I spent a good half hour with Carlos going over the maps, bus schedules, and he even took me to my stop so I would be certain I knew where it was. And I brought all my paperwork with me. All the little drawings he made. And my maps. But was the bus was going along, I kept seeing signs for Universidad Autonoma. When we got there, I got off the bus and figured I could find where I needed to go. I walked about two blocks before I realized that I didn't know where in the University my class would be! So I found an office and asked the lady at the information desk. She didn't speak english so she sent me downstairs to the international office where a nice young girl helped me. Apparently, the university is pretty much its own town. I would have to get back on the bus and go to Alcobendas. I was on the right bus, I just jumped the gun and got off to early.

It was a really nice day out and the campus was nice, so I didn't mind walking around. Again I had to wait for the bus. This time I sat right behind the driver. As we pulled into Alcobendas I saw the various land marks Carlos had told me to look for. I asked the driver where my street was (And in Spanish! Go me!). He said a bunch of words back to me and finally told me to stay put and then told me when we go to where I needed to go. I got of the bus and started walking. I've had a hard time find street names and building numbers. I was in the 100s and I needed 8. But I knew I wasn't that far off. I looked around a bit and decided my wandering around wasn't going to cut it, especially since I needed to be there in 10min or else I would have to come back another day! So I asked a man walking by where the school was. I showed him the name and address. He said a bunch to me and my confused look must have given myself away. He used hand gestures to say that I needed to go down the block and around a block and I was there.

And he was right! I found it no problem. Now... to get inside! The front door was locked. There were three buzzers but only two had labels. And the only business that had a sign above the door, but no labeled buzzer was the school that I was trying to get to. So I pushed the buzzer. I didn't hear anything or see. I walked to the right of the building. Nothing. I walked to the left of the building. Nothing. I looked up the building. Nothing. I must have looked extremely confused (and I was) because an older gentleman walking buy with his groceries stopped to tell me something. At first I couldnt really understand him. Then I understood that they were there. Then I understood that I needed to come back tomorrow. Then I understood that there was a town celebration and most businesses were closed. Drat. The man was very patient with me as I worked to grasp what he was saying.

Well, I guess there were going to be no Spanish tests today. As I headed back to the bus stop I checked to see how much change I had. I would need at least 1,25 euros to get back to my neighborhood and I only had 1 euro in change. So I left the main street and turned up a side street that had some businesses on it. I was looking for some place that I could buy something and then use the change for my bus fare. I found a little panaderia (bread shop). I ended up choosing a bag of minichocolate chip muffins. They seemed innocent enough and delicious!

After my purchase I headed up the block. I figured I would just wait at the next bus stop up the line. As I bit into my muffin I found a gooey chocolate center. It turns out, these are muffins of death! Spanish people love their chocolate.

I waited at the bus stop and ate another muffin, this time wiping some of the chocolate off. I like chocolate, don't get me wrong, but I want to be able to taste the muffin too! It was nice sitting there at the bus stop. The sun was actually pretty warm where I was sitting. Then I caught my bus and headed home.

The drivers on the buses in Madrid get to listen to music while they drive. It's interesting to hear what the different drivers choose to listen to. I'm surprised by how many of the songs are American. I like it. Hearing something familiar every now and then is comforting.

I went to Madrid to do some sight seeing yesterday. I will hopefully be posting the pictures for that later this evening. Today's pictures are of Tres Cantos (and my muffins).

A Tour of My House

Allow me to give you a tour of my house in Spain. There is music with the video, so you may want to have your sound on.

This is a picture of the view from the upstairs terrace. Obviously it was a hazey morning. The days have been mostly sunny and clear, but crisp.

So Far, So Good

I will pick up from where I left off... on the plane from Philadelphia to Madrid.

I sat next to a nice woman from a ton between Madrid and Barcelona. She was on her way home from a three month stay in New York City. She was fun to talk to and helped ease my nerves as we drew closer to landing. She gave me the name of the shop that she owned and her cell phone number so that if I ever make it to her town I can meet up with her and even stay on her couch if I needed.

For some reason I was very nervous about going through customs. What if they didn´t let me in?! But I got in the line with the other non-EU (European Union) residents and waited. The line moved quickly enough and when I finally got to the counter with my passport and embarkment paper I tried to play it cool. Luckily, the man hardly glanced up from his seat, I didn´t say a word, and was on my way. PHEW! I met Pilar (my friend from the plane) at the luggage claim and tried not to look too out of place. About half of the passengers on my flight were American college students on their way to study abroad. They were very loud and excited. I tried not to stand out much.

After collecting my bag, I said good bye to Pilar and made my way to where the family and friends of the passengers were all waiting. Consuelo was easy to spot. Besides the piece of paper with my name typed on it in big bold letter she was dressed nicely and had a big smile on her face.

We said hello. She kissed me once on each cheek and I shook her hand. It was a joining of two very different cultures, right of the bat. We made our way to her car and was on the free way before I knew it. Consuelo gave me the run down on how things would go for the day. She was going to take me home, show me around, then go to work. I was to relax, eat anything I wanted, unpack, and wait for the children to come home from school. As we drove she pointed out various sites such as the police academy and the university she studied at. I couldn´t help but smile because everything she showed me had a huge sign that I could easily read.

When we got to the house we buzzed through a fast tour and the next thing I knew I was standing all alone in my new home in Spain. The house was very quiet except for the oddly unique sounds all houses have. I could also hear the occasional traffic from the street.

I immediately tried to get my computer to work, but it would not. (I´ve spent every day since working on it, but my computer does not like the modem.) I spend several hours figuring out the computer situation before settling to use the families laptop, which I am still using. I also unpacked all of my things and familiarized myself with the house.

Sara, the housekeeper, came to the house a couple hours after I got there. She is very nice and several months along pregnant. I am sure we would get a long fine, but my Spanish needs a lot of work and she understands no English. It´s an interesting combination. When we first met I thought she was trying to speak to me, but in retrospect I think she was just trying to get passed me in the hall so that she could use the bathroom. Oh well, it will get easier.

After a short nap I woke up to the sounds of people in the house. I went upstairs to see Sara in the kitchen with Raquel and Sylvia, two thirds of the 10 year old trio. They did not hear me come in and when Raquel looked up and say me there she jumped about a mile and stood there stunned for several seconds. Despite the shocking first meeting we got along fine. I sat with them while they ate their snack of pastries and fruit. They told me about school and their friends all in very good English.

When the rest of the family came home the parents did not allow anyone to speak Spanish. They want all English all the time. My grammar and vocabulary are being put to the test!

At dinner the first night everyone was very excited to find out that I enjoy skiing, snowboarding, tennis, bicycling, and most all sports. Carlos, the father, seemed particularly excited to have someone to ride bikes with.

I went to bed that night feeling pretty good about my current situation. The family seemed fun loving, interesting, and was very welcoming. The house was clean and inviting. And Spain, from what I had seen, looked like it would be the adventure I was hoping for. And despite the lonely, isolated feeling in the back of my mind... or heart, I was excited to be there.

Over the last couple days I have spent more time with the family and Tres Cantos and like them both. Tres Cantos is the township where I live. It is 22km from actual Madrid and is a very new town, only 25 years old.

I fit in well with the family. Even after only 3 days with them we are all at ease with one another. The children are eager to tell me stories and the parents are excited to tell me about Madrid and speak to me in English.

Last night, Consuelo, Raquel, Sylvia, and grandmother Pilar (not the same Pilar from the airplane) took me to Tres Cantos´down town. We went to the social center which has a library, theater, town hall, and many many people. Then we went to the mall to buy a present for one of Sylvia´s friends. They bought "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" because I recommended it, though I haven´t read it.

I got the best sleep I´ve had yet last night. I think I got a full 8 hours last night! My first night here I only got 4 hours of sleep. The second night I got 5.5 hours. The jet lag has not been fun, but it has been manageable. I could probably have slept longer this morning but with four kids in the house all sshhhhing one another that didn´t happen. I found the family in the dining room eating pastries and drinking hot milk with chocolate (but not quite hot chocolate). I ate a couple pastries and had some orange juice. So far the food here has been great! And whatever they are cooking now has my mouth watering already. Meat, onions, carrots, garlic..... hmmm. It smells awesome.

The children are studying with their mother right now. School is very important to the parents, but the children are not very good students. Later this afternoon I will go with some of the children to the athletic club and we will play paddle tennis. And though I´m not certain what that is, I´m sure it will be fun.

Tonight I am going to have my first taste of Madrid. I am going to go meet some people at a bar at 11p and then we will go to the disco for Salsa dancing at 12a. I haven´t officially met any of the people yet, but I have talked to a couple online. Jenny is from Michigan and Pablo is from Madrid. The group will be a mix of cultures, not just Spanish. My biggest concern is managing the public transportation system. Consuelo and Carlos were excited to hear that I was going to go out (they didn´t get home until 2:30am last night) and are eager to help me find the buses and trains that I will need to get where I need to go AND get back home. Consuelo graciously gave me a pre-paid cell phone my first night here, so if I really get lost I can call for help.

Things are going great. I am talking with Flynn and Allison online daily. And emailing and messaging with my mom and dad, too. I figure if I keep busy the home sickness won´t have time to take root.

Oh! I lost the cord to my camera while I was in Chicago, so I have to find a new one. As soon as I do I will post a ton of pictures. For now you will just have to listen to my stories. Sorry! I´ll get the camera cord soon. Shopping for one was a good introduction to the Spanish language!

¡Hasta luego!

The Flight. The Revelation.

I’m on my way to Spain. It’s a weird thing to say… or type. Either way it’s weird. I don’t feel any different then if I was on my way to Tucson or Arkansas. I feel like I’m just on another plane ride. My feelings aren’t able to comprehend what is actually happening here. My mind knows that this isn’t just any trip. My mind knows this is huge. I think, since I haven’t done anything like this before, there is no precedence and I don’t know how to feel. Everything that is going to happen is so utterly incomprehensible that I’ve just stopped trying to figure out how it’s going to feel and what it will be like.

I got onto the plane in Seattle in autopilot. I did the same thing I always do. I played the same songs I always play while traveling. I slept through most of the flight, just like I always do. But when I got to Chicago it became shockingly clear that this isn’t just like any other trip and autopilot wouldn’t cut it.

I am on this trip to avoid autopilot. I don’t want to live my life just going with the flow. School, school, school, graduate, work, work, work, retire, die. I want adventures. So why would I start this trip asleep (both literally and figuratively)? I suppose it was out of habit. All I know now is that I’ve been woken up! This is an experience I will never forget, but if I sleep through it, there won’t be much to remember.

I am very nervous about the unknown. I consider myself to generally be a creature of habit. I enjoy routine. That may sound odd coming from someone on a plane over the Atlantic Ocean to a world and life that is totally new. But I do enjoy routine. I think the secret to a successful experience will be creating a healthy and exciting routine. I won’t know for sure what that routine will include until I meet the family. Though I do have a few ideas of things I would like to do: work out, Bible study, study Spanish, and make friends. Some of those things are easier said then done, but I think doing each will help me to enjoy this trip.

Day One... The Adventure Begins

I woke up at 4am this morning in order to get the airport and start my adventure off right. Sunday was a good/busy/sad day. I had to say good bye to my Dad, Allison, and Flynn. I didn't get home until around 2:30am. Perhaps I should have gotten a few more hours of sleep, but I didn't care. I had a good day.

My mom took me to the airport. I got everything packed up and loaded into the car right on schedule. At the last minute, I remembered that I had written all my flight information down on a pad of paper a week ago. Unfortunantly that pad of paper was MIA. I scanned a couple rooms for it before throwing in the towel. I figured I had enough of a lay over in Chicago that I could just look up my flight info on my laptop when I landed.

We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare. After checking in my suitcase (and paying the $25 fee because it weighed 18lbs more then it's supposed to) we found a table at the Starbucks and chilled out. I started getting restless and that's when it was time to say goodbye. I made it through the security check point really fast.

I only had to wait at the gate for about 20min, and then it was time to board. There weren't very many people on the plane which was awesome! I got a whole row to myself and slept most of the way. The Flight Attendants even left the munchies at the end of the row for me so when I finally did wake up I could enjoy a tasty treat. I hadn't had Handy Snacks in ages!

When I got off the plane at Chicago Midway, I got my suitcase and then headed to the ticket counters so I could check into my next flight. Unfortunately I didn't see US Airways anywhere. I found a seat and got online and found my flight information. It turns out My US Airways flight from Chicago to Philidelphia was actually out of O'Hare, not Midway! YIKES! So I asked the information lady how I could get to O'Hare. She directed to me a shuttle. I wandered around for a bit looking for the shuttle. It was freezing outside and I had my backpack and suitcase so I was slow moving. I wasn't in much of a rush because I had nearly four hours between flights. So I figured I had plenty of time. I figured wrong. When the shuttle finally did show up, an hour later, I found out it would take about an hour to get to O'Hare! I chatted with the only other passenger on the shuttle (a nice Chargers fan from San Diego) but thought anxiously about how much time I would have to get to my flight. We got to O'Hare with about 25min until my flight was scheduled to depart. So I booked it! I ran (as fast as one can run with a 68 pound suitcase in tow and a loaded backpack on her back). I ran around O'Hare until I finally found my ticket counter. I punched in my info at the self-check counter and then the screen said four words every traveler dreads, "Seats No Longer Available."

The lady at the counter checked the computer and called the gate. I had just missed my flight. You have to be check in at least 30min prior to take off. She had me step over to another agent who told me I had missed my flight and that the soonest I could get to Madrd now was at 10:10am on Wed. That is exactly 24 later then I was supposed to arrive. So I cried a bit, not blubberingly, but tired and angrily as the agent charged me $25 to change my flight.

Not knowing what else to do I sat down at the nearest chair and got online. Luckily for me, Flynn, Allison, and my Mom were all at their computers so I was able to email and instant message them with moment to moment updates on my situation. I sat shocked for a long time. I emailed my family in Spain to tell them I would be a day late, I just hope they get the meesage in time! I eventually moved to another seat, this time in the lobby of the Hilton. I stayed there for over an hour, emailing and instant messaging. Part of me just wanted to roll over, fall asleep, and pretend that none of this had just happened. Another part of me wanted to scream. And a third part of me just wanted to cry. I was not prepared for this to happen! I had been planning on my adventure starting when I landed in Spain. It wasn't supposed to start in Chicago. And yet there I was, alone in Chicago for the night.

Eventually, I got my gear together, rolled out to the shuttle vans and hopped in one that took me to a Best Western 5min form the airport. This isn't where I expected to be tonight, but here I am. At least the water tastes alright, the bed is comfortable, and there is food downstairs calling my name.

So here I am now. In Chicago. My flight leaves for Philidelphia tomorrow at 1:50pm. I'll get to Phily by 4pm and then my flight leaves to Madrid at 8:30pmish. This is certainly not what I had anticipated. But I guess it's better to learn a lesson in humility right off the bat. This trip is not in my hands and I was foolish to think that it was.

I am going to sleep like a rock tonight.

What NOT To Do

I've been having a great time this week. I've been working on my page long "To Do" list, hanging out with Flynn, and mentally preparing myself for my up coming trip. I still have a few more things to do on my list, there is plenty more hanging out with Flynn to be done, and to be honest, I'm not mentally prepared at all!

I don't know how I'm supposed to be prepared for something like this. I've never done anything like it before. Mostly, I have been avoiding the subject. And if I do talk about it I say that I'm excited, that it will be fun, and that I will post storied and pictures on my blog. I try not to think about the fact that I'm moving away from my family, friends, and boyfriend. Or the fact that I don't know or understand nearly as much Spanish as I would like to fool myself into believing. I also try not to think about how low my bank account is getting and my only means of financial support is a family in Spain I've only talked to via email. I don't know anyone in Madrid. I will initially start off with NO friends. I am hoping that I don't stay lonely for very long.

I have done a very good job of keeping my mind off Spain. Mostly, I've kept it on Flynn. That has been very helpful. I would not recommend getting your car towed as a way to keep your mind off something.

Yesterday, evening I was walking to my (mom's) car and it wasn't there. I looked up the block and down and block but it wasn't there. For a very short split second I thought it might have been stolen, then I read the "No Parking 4pm - 6pm" sign. I called the number and found out my car was in fact towed. It wasn't a big deal getting it out or anything, it was just inconvienant. I could think of about a billion other things I would like to have done with that hour AND with the $100ish I had to pay to get the car back. Short story really short, getting your car towed is not a helpful way to take your mind off something. It is a very stressful way to blow $100.

Today, I have a fun evening planned. My best friend, her husband, our friend, my boyfriend, and I are all going out for happy hour fondue. It should be pretty delicious and I'm looking forward to the group going. We are going to have a really good time.

I'm very nearly finished packing, and with room to spare. The only thing I need to put in my suitcase and back pack are the things I plan on wearing or using between now and Monday morning. It was a lot easier to pack then I thought. I'm looking forward to doing some shopping in Madrid. My clothes are very well worn so hopefully I can find some cool new things there. Maybe if I dress like I live there I won't stick out so much. I'm guessing that won't work. Oh well. Stay tuned.

Getting Ready...

Today, I made a very small step towards packing for my trip to Spain. I still have a lot to do, but I'm making baby steps. My goal for today was to take all the clothes thrown around my "closet" and organize them. The picture at right shows my clothes as they have been for a month, in three very crude piles: Work, Workout, and Everyday. So I needed to take them from those piles and move them into two piles: Take to Spain and Leave in Seattle.

So to the left is my two piles. The small one is the back are the clothes that I will be leaving in Seattle. The larger pile up front are the clothes I'm taking to Spain.

Next I need to figure out how I am going to get all those clothes into my suitcase and my backpack. I also have all the other things I use on a daily basis. Hmm... This is going to take some creativity. I may have to pay the fee because my bag will be too heavy. 50lbs just isn't enough.

So far today I haven't freaked out too much about my trip. I'm just waiting for the overwheleming realization to hit. I have a feeling that when it does it will hit hard and I will be a sobbing mess on the floor. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to be going, but this is huge. This is pretty much the biggest thing I've done to date. The last big move I made was from Seattle to Tucson when I was 18. That seems like cake compared to this move. I have never been to Spain. I'm moving by myself. I don't even speak Spanish all that well! Ack! This is crazy. What an adventure I'm about to have. I feel like I'm bipolar sometimes. I have swings from excitement to apprehension in 15 seconds. I wonder when I'll actually be able to calm down about the whole thing. I'm guessing it will take several weeks after I get to Spain.

Well I suppose this is all for now. Tomorrow, I have more work to do on the packing front and some errands to run. Till then.

Things are good

My time in Seattle is almost done. I have one week left. In less than eight days I will be in my new home, Madrid, Spain. I am very very nervous. For the past couple weeks I have been focusing on keeping myself distracted. I've been visiting with my family and friends, working at my mom's office, and spending all my free time with Flynn.

I know myself well enough to know that if I had spent the last few weeks stewing in my own thoughts I would have gone nuts. I would have totally psyched myself out. So rather then think, think, and over think my big move I found valuable ways to spend my time.

Last night I went to Allison's house for Wine and Chocolate night. We had a great time. Below is a picture of me with Allison and Lisa. As you can see, we are having a blast. That's what happens when you mix a ton (and I mean a ton) of sugar with several bottles of wine. Those girls are silly.

I have also had the good fortune to reconnect with a former high school classmate, Flynn. We have spent a lot of time together. It has been wonderful. We went and watched Charlie Wilson's War, saw a great band called The Paperboys, and next week we are going to see The Birthdays. We've watched a lot of Futurama. Getting back in touch with him is pretty much the best thing that has happened lately. I am looking forward to keeping in touch with him while I'm in Spain.

This week I will not be working. I will be running around running errands. I have a lot to do. I need to get health insurance, cancel my cell phone, buy travel supplies, and tidy up various odds and ends. Not to mention pack! I am going to have a very busy, nervous week. Flynn is in Las Vegas for a work convention. I am going to try to get as much done while he is gone so that when he returns I don't have to wast time running errands that could have been spent with him.

My plan is to keep this blog as up to date as possible. I am going to use this to show off pictures and share stories. I am not making any promises of quality or consistancy, but I will do my best to make it interesting and accurate. I will also be posting videos on you tube every now and then. My email will stay the same and of course I can be contacted on here.

I'm moving to Spain in no time at all! Hazzah!