Spontaneous

"To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time."

— Leonard Bernstein

My head is spinning in the best way possible.

Sunday night I realized I only had two weeks to plan something for Semana Santa (Holy Week; I have the week off school) if I wanted to travel. Which of course I did. I began bouncing around ideas in my head and off of friends about where in the world I should go.

Monday I was talking to my friend Shannon about how amazing traveling alone is….but that it would be kinda nice to have a friend to share this next trip with as it would be significantly longer.

She said, “Yeah, I wish I could come to Spain.”
I said, “Yeah, I wish too.”
She said, “No, I really wish.”
I said, “Me too.”

You know how it is. I think I spend half my time telling people they should come visit me, like, next week when really I know it’s unrealistic for time/money constraints.

We wished.

And then she started looking at flights.

I went to bed Monday night with my mind busy running in circles starting with “what if” and ending with me imagining wandering Spanish markets and sitting at cafes with my friend. I had told myself not to get my hopes up, because what are the odds she could commit to such an expensive and sudden trip? Something would get in the way: the price, work, other practicalities.

Tuesday my hopes were on a cliff—great view of the hypothetical future, long way down.

I jumped into planning mode, just in case. I looked for hostels, trains, planes, etc. to get us back and forth to our two hypothetically selected destinations. We talked, and she said she was 85% sure she was going to do it. I was shocked and bouncy. Her friends and family seemed to be of the mind that this actually wasn’t crazy but an amazing opportunity for adventure (yay smart friends & family!)

We talked logistics for hours Tuesday night, a mere 24 hours after the plan was hatched, and we left it at this: I would go to bed (8 hours ahead here in Spain) and when I woke up I would either have an email that she’d booked a flight or that it just wouldn’t work. I didn’t sleep well last night.

This morning I sat down at the computer at work and anxiously went to open my email. Only the internet was down. Of course. Luckily it was back up an hour later. I held my breath as gmail loaded.

And there it was, an email from Shannon. The subject line: “Real or Not Real?”

The body: “Real!!!”

Today, I have booked two hostels, a train ticket, and 3 flights. This is an adventure I never expected and I am so grateful for it. A spontaneous spirit can be the best kind.

*Points if you pick up on the blatantly obvious Mockingjay reference in this post.

"Let's all keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best."

I am not much of a muggle sports enthusiast. I enjoy the occasional summer baseball game, but that’s mostly for the cotton candy and hot dogs.

I do, however, love Harry Potter. In a totally over-the-top full-on nerd way. And as my friend Haley knows all too well from giving me the Harry Potter tour of Edinburgh, “I own it.” (As in: own up to it. On our tour of Edinburgh, the guide asked who liked Harry and I yelled “ME!” followed by “I own it!”. Haley just thought I was weirdly telling everyone I owned the books...when really I was trying to clarify the fact that I didn’t mind shrieking “me” and incidentally getting the whole group to stare at me because I am proud of my obsession. PROUD.) (Ok, maybe I need therapy.)

Anyway, given my love, sometimes a friend posts a Facebook status about basketball and then this happens:

Katie: Well, my bracket is virtually dead now. I only have 5 of the elite 8. However, it feels so, so, so good to be wrong. Thank you, Wildcats.

Kate (Me): Really? My Quidditch bracket is doing great! Holyhead Harpies all the way.

Katie: I love you so much.

Person I Don’t Actually Know (PIDAK): Chudley Cannons all the way!!!!

Me: Psh, the Cannons don't stand a chance.

PIDAK:Okay, first of all, the Harpies? They have no defense, your seeker is a rookie, and your chasers have no speed!

Katie: This conversation is ridiculous and dumb. The Montrose Magpies is where it's at. They are the most winning team in history and they will do it again.

Me: Katie, check your stats. I don't like it anymore than you do but the truth is Puddlemere United blows both our teams stats out of the water…

Me: PIDAK-- We'll just see who gets to the World Cup, won't we?

Katie: Maybe this year, but we've won the league 10 more times than the freaking bulrushes. And Oliver Wood is going to be past his prime any day, he'll have to retire soon and we'll be restored to our former glory. But the Harpies are probably my second favorite team, so good luck to you, too. And as for your Chudley Canons, PIDAK...Your Keeper doesn't know the difference between a bludger and a quaffle. When was the last time they've won a championship? Oh right, 1892.

PIDAK: You know what Katie, this is sooo you. Do you also like the Lakers and the Yankees? Because the only thing the Magpies do, is BUY, BUY, BUY their players. You're sooo lucky that Kingsley Shacklebolt is your team owner and he pours money into Puddlemere like nothing.

PIDAK: Kate: If Holyfield wins their next game, then you play Chudley!

Me: Holyfield? At least get the name right! WHEN HolyHEAD wins their next game, we will go on to BEAT Chudley. You can trash talk our new seeker for being a rookie all you want, but her performance stats speak for themselves. In our match against Appleby--her first Pro match by the way--she caught the snitch within fifteen minutes, and we were already up by 70 thanks to our very speedy Chasers.

Katie Boraz: You know how we get that money, PIDAK? Championship trophies. Although who knows, your trophies are such antiques, they might have appreciated in value.

PIDAK: Kate: Your seeker caught the snitch on a fluke! We all saw the footage on QESPN, the lightning hit the snitch and it fell on her lap! Such a travesty! Your chasers are the only bright spots on your team, other than that, your entire team could play in the Retired Quidditch League! Katie: Our last championship was won in 1892, but you forget to mention that we swept the decades from 1870-1880!! Respect tradition! Respect Chudley!

Me: Two words: Gwenog Jones. She's a legend. I refuse to dignify the rest of what you said with a response. (But if I were to dignify it, I would point out that everyone knows that the higher ups at QESPN are totally biased Appleby fans and it's widely speculated that they rigged the replay footage to make it look like a lucky accident when in fact it was pure talent.)

PIDAK: Gwenog Jones? Are you kidding me? She's just as pretentious as the rest of the your team? Of course, she was a member of the Slug Club... If you want to watch a real seeker, take a look at Galvin Gudgeon of the Cannons! Ugh, everyone is talking about Appleby lately... They are such a bandwagon team this year.

PIDAK 2: Galvin Gudgeon is the Snape to Gwendolyn Morgan's Dumbledore. Morgan gets all the hype, but it's Gudgeon who's gonna be laughing in the end...

Me: PIDAK-- Well at least we agree that Appleby is just the flavour of the week. PIDAK 2-- Please, Morgan could outfly Gudgeon on her Cleansweep 1953. All you two are doing is reminding me of the superior lineup the Harpies have always had.

Holyhead Harpies for the Quidditch Cup 2011!

source.

So what team do you support?

*Post title is the Chudley Cannons official team motto since 1972.

Midnight in the Pueblo

If you know anything about Spanish culture, you'll know that Semana Santa (Holy Week) is a big event here. Well, from what I've been told by people from my pueblo AND from outside my pueblo, it is especially a big deal in Puente Genil. It is also apparantly fairly different and "stranger" than Semana Santa celebrations in other parts of Spain. I really can't say if that's true or not, it's just what I've been told.

So I don't know if the following is typical in all of Spain or just my unique little pueblo but...

Every Saturday night during Cuaresma (Lent) a procession complete with grown men in costumes carrying religious floats/figures and loud marching band type music goes down my street. At 12 a.m.

Yet another thing that goes on my "only in Spain" list. But I say that with fondness.

In other news, today I made delicious Espinacas con garbanzos for dinner and felt healthy. Also, it was tasty. I also got everything on my to-do list done, including writing 20+ postcards, and that always feels good. (Sure, sometimes I cheat and put easy things like "eat fruit" on my to-do list, but it still counts!) I also kept my lights off for an hour from 8:30-9:30pm for Earth Hour. Since it's earlier where most of my friends are, here's your notice that it's Earth Hour tonight--you haven't missed it yet!

Hm, the music outside my window finally stopped. The music inside, however, is still going strong.

Just another typical midnight in the pueblo.

Boy Meets Twitter

Tonight I came across a gem of a conversation between Rider Strong (Shawn Hunter) and Danielle Fishel (Topanga Lawrence) on twitter. Because I love nostalgia, all things 90s and Boy Meets World (best show of my childhood!) it made me immensely happy to watch these two reminisce. Plus, their comments were just hilarious.

So, if you loved Boy Meets World or like to make fun of “Friday” like the rest of the world, you may enjoy this too…

The opening credits being discussed:

And I’m not going to link you to Rebecca Black’s song, because I care about you too much to do that. If you must, you can youtube it. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.

@onthestorm (Rider): The sad truth: Rebecca Black jumping in the convertible is a rip-off of the worst Boy Meets World opening credits http://bit.ly/a5Juj3
Danielle: @onthestorm omg. You're right! Remember filming that and asking questions that applied logic to the whole scene? #logicshotdown
Rider: @daniellefishel Like, why are we switching seats? How are we "seeing" memories in mirrors? Why is this the worst green screen ever?
Danielle: @onthestorm "So, when we pull up outside the Matthews' house, why are we RIGHT outside the door?" "Are these the best outfits we have?"
Rider: @daniellefishel "Isn't dangerous to sit on the back of the seat?" "Only Eric can drive?" "No seatbelts?" "Who's car is this"?
Danielle: @onthestorm Totally different day, but every time I have a photo shoot I say out loud "Let's have the kids JUMP! JUMP kids!" We were 17.
Danielle: @onthestorm there couldn't be more hair in this picture. #cousinithasnothingonus http://plixi.com/p/86761272
Rider: No, but the kids could JUMP! Jump kids!

One last funny tweet:
Rider: Stop! Somebody might record it @HIGHLOGICjohnyy SHAWN HUNTER'S IN THE FRONT SEAT, TOPANGA'S IN THE BACK SEAT, WHICH SEAT WILL CORY TAKE?!?!

Mk, that's all. Maybe I'll update about something actually important or relevant to my life later. Or maybe not! It's Friday so....{insert your Rebecca Black joke of choice here}.

A HIMYM/Pregnancy Mashup post, of all things

My sister’s due date is a month from today.

It will not surprise you at all that I am once again talking about a.) my sister and b.) my future nephew since they’re pretty much common popular topics of my blog posts. It’s so extreme that I’d almost recommend my sister file a restraining order against me…except we’ll be living together this summer and that’d get tricky.

Anyway, although I have known about my dear sweet nephew’s existence for probably about 7 ½ months now, for some reason to this day there is one thing that almost always pops into my mind when I think about his impending arrival:



I truly hope you have seen the “How I Met Your Mother” episode this quote/graphic comes from so you can fully appreciate the voice that I hear this in in my head.

You guys, there’s gonna be a baby. And I only get more excited to be an Aunt with each passing day.

It is going to be Legen—wait for it—

--And keep waiting until April 24 or thereabouts. :)

P.S.: Jen, I had a dream last night that he ended up as a she and I was frantic because apparently I had embroidered/calligraphied/painted/etc. his name onto everything. But I think it’d be pretty hard for modern technology and those 3D sonograms to confuse he/she, so we’re safe. Also, I haven’t embroidered anything (yet?).

Spring in my step

It's Tuesday. And it's Spring. And I feel so happy today.

I am back from an amazing 10 days of travel with my family. I am sad that they are gone and headed back to the States, but at the same time it feels great to be back home in my pueblo (happy here? oh how far I've come!) and I know I'll see them again in less than 3 months.

We visited Madrid, Ávila, Segovia, Sevilla, Córdoba, & Puente Genil in Spain, and Lisboa, Sintra, Cascais and Belém in Portugal. I fell so hard for Portugal. I can't wait to post about my travels and share photos...which I will steal from my father's facebook.

Apparently I got some sun because everyone here is commenting on how tan I am all of a sudden. I mean everyone, even the girl at the bread counter at my market. Cool?

I'm just gonna talk about random stuff and happiness. Cause why not?

I am happy because my family got to meet my so-called Spanish family. I give them private lessons and they have completely taken me in during my time here. They invited my whole family for a huge comida this past Sunday. Their two boys (2 and 5) are the most adorable children possibly ever and I had so much fun playing with them on Sunday. I also discovered the joy of putting apples in Gazpacho. We are definitely adding this to my Mom’s version next summer.

I kept the radio on a lot in my hotel room in Lisboa and the song “Cooler than me” came on about 7 times over the 3 days. I had never heard it before. I’m a little obsessed now. Tapping to the beat is making me happy today.

“How I Met Your Mother” was absolutely wonderful last night, if you ask me. I felt like it was a really solid old-school style episode, a mix of heart and humor. And possums.

I'm glad The Hunger Games has finally started casting. Jennifer Lawrence came as a shock to me, but I'm adjusting. It's clear she has talent and Suzanne Collins supports the choice, so I'll go with it.

I've been reading the Percy Jackson series just for kicks. They are definitely a kids/YA series, but they're really fun, captivating and fast reads so I'm enjoying them. Plus, Annabeth and Percy are just so cute. However, having seen the movie on my plane ride over the Atlantic last September, I can say I do not picture Annabeth anything like the girl in the movie. I prefer the version in my head.

Did you know that Spring Forward hasn't happened here in Spain yet? I love that it's 7:10 pm and the sun is just setting...and I love that next week it'll be a whole hour more of sunlight!

What's new with you?

P.S.: I did a guest post for the delightful Elyse that went up while I was away. Check it out!

But you've only got one.

So I’m off traveling as this posts, but I thought it would be a good time to share a song I love on the blog.

I am a big fan of Frou Frou. If you haven’t heard of Frou Frou but they sound familiar, perhaps you’ve heard of Imogen Heap…same singer. I love them both! (Side note: If you have heard that stupid “Watcha say” remix song but NOT the original “Hide and Seek” by Imogen Heap, do yourself a favor and don’t let another moment pass without listening to the far superior original here.)

So the video, which features clips from the movie “Elizabethtown”, has absolutely nothing to do with the song. But you know how it is when you’re searching youtube sometimes and it was between this and a video that features the wrong lyrics—and since part of what I love about this song is the lyrics, I decided to go with this video instead. Plus, I liked “Elizabethtown”. A lot. (Yes, I’m admitting it.)



The lyrics are quirky, but I tend to mainly notice the reoccurring theme--you’ve only got one life—and that sticks with me. I listen to this song a lot when I’m in a chill mood and need a little inspiration. I have to remember to live my one life to its fullest.

Happy Wednesday friends. You're half way to Friday! Don't waste today. It is the only March 16, 2011 you will ever get to live.

Tippy Toes Tuesday

When I was little I had to wear leg braces for a few years. You see, for the first few years of my walking life I only walked on my tip toes. I don’t know for sure, but I imagine myself bouncing around in excitement on my tip toes. The problem was that this habit shortened my Achilles tendons until I couldn’t walk properly on flat feet if I tried. So, I was suited with special shoes that forced me to walk properly until I was back on track. However, the doctors told my parents that I would probably always go up on my tip toes when I was excited about something.

…And I totally do. I don’t even realize I’m doing it most of the time, but today I was really into the music on my itunes and I was dancing around wildly. I realized that I was only dancing on my tip toes. I also walk up stairs on my tip toes. And run (not long distances, just down the hall) on tip toes.

Well, now you know something new about me. And I thought it’d be fun to do so-called “Tippy Toes” posts now and then to share what things I’m super happy and excited about at the moment. You know, things that have me on my tippy toes.

Here are the things that have me dancing on my tippy toes lately…

*New Adele music…although technically it doesn’t have me on my tip toes because “Someone Like You” just makes me melt into a puddle of sad even though it’s beautiful.
*The seriously precious pictures from my sister’s baby photo shoot.
*Looking back over pictures from my trip to Palma de Mallorca
*Dark Chocolate
*Free coffee/hot chocolate in the Sala de Profesores—the machine was broken for a while so the repair man set it up so we’d have free drinks for a few days.

*Looking at the new spring dresses I bought and dreaming of the day when I will be able to wear them--should be soon!

And best thing of all…

*Getting to spend the next week and a half with my parents!!! We will be traveling around and catching up and I cannot wait. I will take loads of pictures and maybe someday I can steal someone’s internet again and upload them.

Everyone have a good few weeks!

Carnaval

This past weekend was Carnaval in Spain. Imagine if Mardi Gras and Halloween had a love child. That’s Carnaval…give or take a few details. I am not a partier by any stretch of the imagination so I didn’t go to Cádiz where the most wild parties are—I’d say Cádiz is to Carnaval what New Orleans is to Mardi Gras. Anyway, I did still have my little piece of the celebration.

Friday we celebrated Carnaval at my school. I don’t work Fridays but I went in for the celebration and I brought my camera. There was a huge chocolate and pastry breakfast (yummm), all the kids got to dress in costume, and each grade did a dance.

Oh guys, I was endlessly amused by the fourth grade’s performance. It was your standard basically choreographed routine, but the part that had me cracking up every time was the song choice. It was “Tik Tok” by Ke$ha. As in, a song that features lyrics like “brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack”, “everybody getting krunk”, and “boys trying to touch my junk”.

Inappropriate much? It’s ok, though, because the kids and the teacher had no idea what the words meant. Sure that doesn’t say much about my English teaching skills, but I for one was glad that the choreography focused on a prolonged “waking up” sequence (they all stood up and yawned in wave formation) and a lot of punching movements in the chorus and nothing more salacious. It was precious. And I got to have fun laughing knowing just what exactly they were dancing too. Oh, and all the fourth graders thought it was so cool that I could sing along because I knew the words.

I took lots of photos but could only upload a few. (I know I’m always ranting about my molasses internet and then I spammed you with photos last weekend—that’s because I went to a friend’s to upload those. Sadly I can’t steal her internet speed all the time.)

I have 9 first graders, but I could only wrangle 4 of the girls for a photo. I just love my first graders, they make me love my job. Plus, one of my favorites dressed up as Belle! She is a girl after my own heart. I wish I’d worn my Belle earrings to school that day.



I did get almost all of my fourth graders into a photo. They have slightly more of an attention span than the first graders. Only slightly. Don’t they just crack you up? I love all their poses. I really wish I could share the video with you of them dancing to “Tik Tok.”

Hope everyone had a good Carnaval/Mardi Gras weekend.

Now if only I could make up my mind what to do for Lent...

Bona Sort (and sometimes not) in Palma de Mallorca

(Friday and Saturday.)

While planning my trip I decided to book an excursion for myself on Sunday so that I could see some other parts of the island. Without wheels of my own (hey, I can only bike so far) I knew a tour bus would be the next best option.

To be honest, the excursion was a little lame and disappointing in my opinion. I don't regret going because it was nice to have a day off from making all the decisions and I enjoyed making some new friends, but I wouldn't recommend the tour to anyone else. The excursion was advertised as a trip to the Cuevas del Drach, the seaside town of Porte Cristo (opposite side of the island from Palma) and a stop at a pearl factory. Well, the pearl factory was actually just a giant sales floor where they tried to sell us all pearls and we only stopped in Porte Cristo for a drizzly and cold twenty minutes. I admit the weather wasn't working in the day's favor, but still. I also think my disappointment in the caves stems from the fact that I had the luck to go to the most incredible caves in Slovenia back in October of 2008 and so nothing could measure up. But still the cave trip ended up being nothing more than a brief walk through five or six cave rooms and then a ten minute classical concert. The concert was actually really cool as it was conducted on boats on the underground lake, but I thought I saw it advertised as being longer and so I felt cheated when it was over after two songs.

Ok, enough negativity! I just wanted to report honestly on my thoughts. But, like I said, it wasn't a total waste and it was nice to see some more of the island as we drove across it.

Once I got back I really took advantage of the remaining Sunday hours and had a really great time! First I headed to my favorite look out spot up by the Cathedral again and took a few photos--you know this is my attempt to be "artsy".

Next I went down to the water for a few more sunset shots. When I saw a few, I mean I took like thirty photos. Don't worry, just one here.

Once I felt satisfied that I had taken advantage of the remaining daylight, I walked over to El Basaurd modern art museum. The hostel receptionist advised me that this Sunday only it would be free entrance until it closed at 8pm. Score! I ended up taking about an hour to get there because the markets were now in full swing (Sunday was the main celebration/party day) and I couldn't pass up all the fun.

I really loved the art at El Basaurd. Sometimes I'm so-so on modern art but they had a good collection. And they had an open roof deck with great views!




{The markets going on in one of the plazas down below.}

I left right before closing and spent the next few hours totally content to stop at each tent in the market. There were tents to represent each region’s culture with pinchos of wine or little tapas you could buy for cheap. Other tents sold traditional Mallorcan food or products. This night was so much fun as I went around just sampling cheese at every tent I passed and buying little bits of tapas here and there. I decided after my third sample that I should forget about making dinner plans and just do this for dinner. I definitely have my moments of brilliance. I got to taste a very typical Mallorcan food, Sombrasada, a type of sausage spread that goes on bread as well as many other tasty dishes. I even felt like I was eating for a good cause when I found a tent that was selling their tapas/wine with the proceeds going to Alzheimer's Disease (a cause near and dear to my heart.)

If you're guessing at this point that I finished off my day at a cafe, then you'd be right. What can I say, I like a low-key end to my days. This night as I sat out with my journal I was approached by an elderly Spanish man who wanted to ask me if I recognized a quote he had written out on a piece of paper. I admitted that I understood it (as in, I could literally translate it) but that I didn't know it. He proceeded to tell me all about the poet and write down book recommendations. In parting he told me that he saw me consumed in my writing with my book and glass of wine next to me and that I made such a "buen imagen" (good picture). Don't worry, it wasn't creepy, just kind of cool. Remember how I said I used to panic about what people would think about me if they saw me alone? It kind of made my day to hear that someone thought I made a good picture, especially when I was busy enjoying my writing and wasn't preoccupied wondering what I looked like to others.

Always best to just be yourself right?

Monday I had all morning to do some last minute things. I grabbed a croissant and tea before heading off. I planned to go to another art museum in town but would you believe I could never find it! And I am good with maps! I walked the block where it should be, according to my map, about twenty times and came at it from different angles and streets, but I swear there was no museum there. No matter how I consulted my map I knew that I was in the spot I should be. Oh well!

I took in one more museum, one of religious artifacts from the area, and then went back to the hostel to grab my bags and catch the bus to the airport.

I guess that's about it! I hope you enjoyed hearing about my trip and catching glimpses of it. I'm so glad I could share my experiences here.

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." - Mark Twain

*Bona Sort= Good Luck in Catalan.

Viel Glück in Palma de Mallorca

(My Friday recap can be found here)

Saturday was probably my favorite day of the trip.

At the recommendation of the sweet lady at the Hostal I got up early and found my way to a particularly cool market square a short twenty minute walk away. Here’s something really interesting I didn’t know about Palma before I went: It is filled with German! A lot of Germans live there and visit so I was constantly hearing and reading German. It was such a throw back to my time abroad in Salzburg and I honestly loved it. I actually teared up a bit because it filled me with such warm memories just hearing the language. It also amused me, though, because I went expecting to be confused by the Catalan (distinctly different from Castilian Spanish which is what I know) and instead found myself struggling to read German signs. I also appreciated a little bit of the cultural fusion:



{Pharmacy in Spanish is Farmacia. In Deutsch it’s Apotheke. And here we have... Apotecaria. Love it. Edit: Ok, so my friend Irene just informed me that Apotecaria is actually the Catalan word for Pharmacy. And thus I feel like a huge idiot. Oh well! I'm leaving the picture up anyway. Hey, it's hard to keep up in a town where they often had signs in 3 different languages!}

I realize I am in danger of overusing the word “leisurely” in these posts because I did everything at a wonderfully relaxed pace. So I’m not going to use it, but you can just assume that I did everything in a very pleasantly slow manner. I usually tend to do everything faster than I need to—like talk, or walk—but I made sure to just take it easy and absorb every moment this weekend and not to let myself feel hurried.

So yes, I ate a nice breakfast at a café that had a mix of Spanish, German and English fare and then I headed off to see La Seu, the Cathedral.

I loved the altar piece at La Seu. It was done by El Greco and I appreciated how open the altar space was. I have seen my fair share of Cathedrals and I liked the feel of this one.

Now this altar piece by a modern Mallorcan artist in the side chapel, on the other hand, was just too weird for me...

I believe that's Jesus coming out of a wall. And some fish. Perhaps it's supposed to be the sea? I don't know.

After the Cathedral I wandered the area of town around it for a while and came across some lovely gardens and a random Palace Guard demonstration.

Next came my favorite part of the whole trip. I had a recommendation for a good place to rent a bike and was told that if I followed the coast south there was a bike path that went on for miles right along the water. It was my plan all day to rent a bike in the early afternoon, but when the time came I totally chickened out. I know it’s stupid, but I haven’t ridden a bike in years and I was anxious about maneuvering through the market crowds down to the path. I decided walking along the water would be just as much fun, right?

Wrong. As soon as I got to the pedestrian path I felt extreme jealousy of all the bikers on the path next to me zooming along, wind in their hair, sea at their side. So I turned back and power walked to the bike shop.

I am so glad that I changed my mind and didn’t chicken out after all because riding my bike along the beach was the most joyous experience I’ve had in ages. I felt this bubbly happiness in my chest so that I couldn’t stop smiling. I felt relaxed and exhilarated all at once. I felt like a kid because I was having so much fun riding along—I just started laughing sometimes. I plan to do a lot more bike riding this summer, it’s just too much fun.

The best part was the freedom. I had no other plans to attend to and I didn’t have to check with what anyone else wanted to do, so I just decided to ride for as long and as far as I felt like. So I did. I rode for hours and by the time I decided to turn around the Cathedral (that sits right by the water) was far off in the distance and I was practically to the airport!


{Do you spy the plane about to land in this photo?}

On the way home I stopped at a café for lunch and had a lovely view of the water. The clouds did start to roll in but I didn’t mind.

I stopped on the beach for a while and saw a cute family having a picnic on the beach. I felt sad for their sweet dog, though, tied up at this lifeguard shack. You have no idea how badly I wanted to go cuddle and play with it, but I resisted and settled for taking photos instead.

I finally took the bike back around 5pm and then walked the town some more.

{I think I look like my Mama in this photo. What do you think?--if you know her.}

And then I went for a chai latte at Cafe Cappuciano. I loved the outdoor seating at this cafe! The ambiance was just my taste. Space heaters, cozy lighting, cushions and pillows, throw blankets...the picture doesn't do it justice but it was seriously charming and I wish I had a cafe like this to go to all the time.

I stayed for hours and then finished off my day with a kebab.

Last little trip recap coming tomorrow.

*Viel Glück=Good luck.

Mucha Suerte in Palma de Mallorca

As you’ve already gathered from my last post, I had a legendarily good time in Palma. But now let’s talk about what I actually did/saw.

Palma is gorgeous, the city and the beach, and I had the best luck with my time there. For starters, it turns out that it was also Día de las Islas Baleares and so there was a huge market and festival going on all weekend. This definitely made my trip. Every day I would stroll the markets (and talk with my artist friend who I mentioned in the last post).

When I first arrived on Friday I made my way to my hostel, Hostal Ritzi, which ended up being in the perfect location with the best staff. Maybe my best hostel experience ever, and I’ve hosteled a lot. The staff went out of their way to answer my questions and were so friendly when I asked them what there favorite thing in Palma was, what I shouldn’t miss. In fact, one of their suggestions ended up being my favorite part of the trip! We’ll get there. The hostel was a mere five minute walk from the Cathedral and very central to all museums and excellent parts of town. Also a five minute walk to the coast! I also lucked out because I booked the cheapest room option—shared bunk bed—but discovered the room in fact had a bunk bed and a single. No one else was there yet, so I snagged the single. And no one else ever showed up! Basically I got a private room for the shared price.

After I checked in I eagerly set out to seize the day. After a stop at Tourist Information I found a café for a bite to eat since it was around 3pm. I felt so relaxed people watching. A trumpeter wandered past playing “Hey Jude.” It was perfect.








Next I decided to wander and familiarize myself with the city a bit. I headed up to the Cathedral which overlooks a little man-made pond and then the Mediterranean sea. It was gorgeous. I wandered slowly and peacefully and snapped lots of photos. I ended up sitting on the wall just journaling and contemplating the views and life for a good hour.













{This photo was inspired by Peeta and taken with the thought that my girl Lauren would appreciate it too.}

This next series of photos brings me pure joy! There was a man in front of the Cathedral steps creating giant soap bubbles. A little boy ran up to him in excitement and kept trying to catch the bubbles. The man proceeded to invite him to try to make a soap bubble himself and showed him how. It was beyond precious and sweet. I know I'm being redundant but this is just the kind of moment I loved being able to notice all weekend because I didn't have the tunnel vision of being in a group of friends--instead I was always looking around and taking in the world!

{JEN: If you're reading this and don't want your gift spoiled don't read the next paragraph. Although knowing you you'll read it, Ms. Find All the Gifts Before Christmas Morning. ;-) }

I wandered the markets and fell in love with Jimena Puente’s art and enjoyed getting to know her. She does a variety of work but the art she was displaying in her tent was a series called Ants and Love that featured cute cartoonish animal sketchs. I am not describing it well, but it is seriously fantastic. I wanted every piece! In the end, I purchased a piece for myself, for my nephew/sister/brother-in-law and for a friend as (part of) a wedding gift.

I finished the day off with my journal, my book and a glass of wine at a cozy outdoor café next to a space heater.

Oh, and this photo?

...Is because I saw the sign and was really really hoping it was a bar. Or a band. (Holla if you're a HIMYM fan and know what I mean.)

Come back tomorrow to read about my Saturday in Palma! More photo fun!

*Mucha Suerte=Lots of luck

My, Myself and I in Palma de Mallorca

Last Friday I took planes, trains and automobiles to make my way to the island of Mallorca for a little mini-holiday.

This is the first trip I have ever taken completely alone. I have traveled plenty by myself…as in I’ve spent many an hour alone at an airport, on a plane, on a train, on a bus, etc…but I’ve never gone somewhere without someone to meet me at my destination. When I first arrived in Spain and the realization that I would have no friends to travel with sunk in, I decided my fate was sealed and I would be miserable and do nothing for 8 months. My attitude sucked. Of course my family encouraged me to travel anyway but I deemed it impossible. This weekend I found myself journaling a lot about cliché things that are absolutely true, and here’s the first one: We set our own limits; impossible usually only means something you are not willing or are afraid to do. This was definitely the case with me. However, once I warmed up to Spain and my confidence grew, I began to change my attitude. First I just learned to be comfortable being alone in town or taking small trips into Córdoba. Then, I decided to book a flight to Edinburgh for the holidays—sure I was meeting a friend, but I was still being progressive. Step by step things started feeling less impossible and more possible. Suddenly, the idea of traveling alone didn’t seem devoid of joy or just too scary. It seemed…well, kind of potentially cool.

I knew I had a puente (a break) at the end of February for Día de Andalucía and I began to feel that the time was right for me to consider taking a trip…alone. I was ready to be bold. When my friend Meredith (who is living in Greece this year!) emailed me a BBC article about the top 5 places to go in February and I saw Palma de Mallorca on the list I said “hey, why not?” and began to plan. Within the week I had booked plane tickets, a hostel, an excursion and was busy researching Palma de Mallorca.

So, there you have it. I decided I was going to do this traveling alone thing and so I made sure my attitude was adjusted to be open and confident and adventurous.

And thus, I had the most incredible first (but not last!) solo trip ever!

I know I am going to be like a fondue pot in this post (filled with cheese) but I can’t contain it. This was one of those experiences in my life that just filled me with thoughts and revelations.

Revelation #2: Alone but not lonely
Being comfortable alone has been a personal struggle and journey for me, and this weekend I felt how very far I have come. In college I had such paranoia of being alone that I couldn’t even eat in my college cafeteria by myself without panicking over what others thought of me. I would either dial my parents and talk through the whole meal, bring food to my room, or pretend to study. Slowly I made progress on this and by Senior year I could totally handle eating alone without the props, but I wasn’t completely comfortable either.

This weekend I was a hundred percent content to be alone and remarkably comfortable in my own skin. I have never before felt as secure alone as I did this weekend. I would sit and journal or read my book with a glass of wine or coffee, but this time these weren’t props but sources of complete happiness. As I sat at a string of cafes throughout the weekend surrounded by couples or groups of friends, I didn’t once panic at what they thought of solo me.

On top of that, I was thrilled that I never felt lonely on my trip. I was admittedly worried that eventually at some point during the weekend it would sneak up on me, but it never did. There were a number of times that I wished for my friends or family to be with me, but only because I was having such an incredible time and seeing and doing so many cool things that I naturally wanted to share it with them. But I was more than happy to be with myself! In fact, sometimes I saw a grumpy looking group of travelers and I would think, “I feel bad for you—I am having such a blast!”

Revelation #3: Being happy with your own company
Of course this goes a bit with number 2. You know that cheesy cheesy thing people say about how you have to love yourself before others can? I’m not sure that’s 100% true because I’d like to think my family loves me pretty hard even with my past self-doubts….but I will concede that I felt a new level of understanding and appreciation for this statement this weekend.

I decided moments into my first café visit that this would be a date weekend with myself. I would treat myself and I wouldn’t be jealous of those with significant others or friends because I am good enough company. I am worth it.

And my, did I have a blast! You know what? I am good people. I’m just going to say it. I think I am pretty great to hang out with! I am full of joy, I have a passion for life and learning and travel, and I appreciate fully the little beautiful moments in each day. I had a really excellent time seeing Palma with myself. I can’t wait for my next adventure!

Revelation/Truth #4: Traveling alone is amazing and allows you to meet excellent people

I am going to preach this like a Sunday sermon. Oh my gosh, every little bitty cliché twist on this statement anyone ever said to me is absolutely the gospel truth.

People have told me time and again that traveling alone is great because you can make all the choices and meet new people and do whatever you want. And you know what I thought? Whatever, I love traveling with my friends—who cares about making decisions and meeting strangers I’ll never see again?

Ok past Kate, you were so misguided.

I adored the solo-traveler lifestyle. I basked in it. At times I did struggle a bit only because I am indecisive by nature so having all the decisions to make was a bit much at times. But on the whole it was glorious. When I wanted to wander, I wandered. When I wanted to stop on a dime to see whatever caught my eye, or taste a treat, or take a picture, or drop everything and journal… I did it! I felt so free and at ease and relaxed. I could change my plans in a heartbeat if that was what I wanted and no one would have anything to say about it. I made general plans and then I just let the day guide me.

And I totally loved the way I met people! I wasn’t even really trying, but I think that there is something about being open to the world that attracts like-minded people because I literally met most people by them coming up to engage me in conversation. By being alone but not closed off it was easier to have rewarding interactions. My favorite encounter was when I was leisurely strolling the markets in town my first day and happened across an artist’s tent that I quickly fell in love with. I wanted to buy out her stock—I ended up going home with 3 pieces. Well I was there vacillating for so long that she started talking to me. We chatted for ages! And I went back to visit her every day. We talked about our lives, her art, her home back in Argentina, and everything else.

Another cool encounter made possible by being alone: I booked an excursion on Sunday so I could see some stuff outside Palma…and I ended up being the only English speaker on a tour bus full of Germans and Spaniards! Luckily my attitude was so flexible that I didn’t let it faze me and I told the tour guide I could probably keep up with the Spanish. Well I took one of the only seats left open next to a young woman and after a while I ventured to ask her what language she spoke. Turns out she’s from Germany but living and teaching English in Spain like me! She speaks German, Spanish and English fluently but we conversed in Spanish until another German joined us and then we switched to English, our only common language.

I realize I have yet to say a lot about what I actually did or saw in Palma, and realizing how long this post is (but how much I wanted to write it) I am going to post this and then do a new post with all the actual fun details. If you read this, I appreciate it. I hope maybe it’s inspired you to take a solo trip too!

A few closing thoughts (as if I haven’t said enough)…

As this plan came about and during my time in Spain in general I have had several generous friends tell me how brave I am or that they could never do what I’m doing. The thing is, I have never thought of myself as particularly brave. This has simply been a growing process in which I discovered that you have to take ownership of your life and your happiness. I was not a pillar of bravery and strength when I got here (nor am I now). Those of you close to me remember my tears, my desire to leave or just sleep through the months. And then I began to get over it and I realized that nothing was going to change unless I changed it. I could continue to say “I will sit here in my piso and I won’t leave and I won’t speak to anyone and I will cry tears into my café con leche until it’s June” or I could start making plans. So all I want to say to you is you can do this. I am no braver than you. I have only been put into situations where I had the opportunity to make new choices and rise to the occasion—if you were in my shoes, I know you could and would do it too. If you want to be as “brave” as me, then decide to be and seize the day. After my weekend I cannot encourage you enough to take a trip by yourself. But of course, I think attitude is key, so make sure if you do you are ready to open yourself up to the world and all it has to offer.

(And now of course if you are the type, and I have many friends who are, who have always loved and been comfortable traveling alone then I know you probably find the big deal I’m making out of this silly. But it was a big step for me.)

Ok! Please come back to hear all the fun details about the trip and hopefully--fingers crossed--see some photos!

Capable

Lately I’ve had a little extra bounce in my step due to an exhilarating feeling of capability and confidence.

It’s just been a series of little occurrences that made me stop and take notice and think, “hey, look at me go!”—not in an egotistical way, just a happy surprised way.

For one thing, I took a vacation by myself for the first time ever last weekend (a lengthy post on this is coming to you soon!) and it was an overwhelming success. I had revelation after revelation about life, travel, myself and happiness. It was a joy.

But really what’s been making me feel a little extra happy is my level of Español. Do you remember when I made this post six months ago? Well, guess what? I’m still not fluent. Far from it.

But.

I am capable. I am functional. And it feels so so good. I think the main change is not in my actual level of fluency but in my own feeling of confidence. When I arrived in Spain any little task I had to accomplish took hours of prep because I needed to write out my “lines”, practice them, hyperventilate a little bit, try to calm myself down and then finally head into the store/make the call/etc. Now, in the past week alone, I have booked train tickets, called to make hotel reservations, chatted with museum workers and market artisans, and called taxis all in Spanish, all without batting an eyelash. Gone are the hours of practice and hyperventilating. The truth is that I may still make just as many mistakes when I interact with people in Spanish but I am willing to put myself out there and just do it without the panic attacks and stress I was causing myself by all my embarrassment and fear of failure.

And the thing is, for all my mistakes, I can communicate. When I want to book the room or call the taxi, they understand and the room gets booked, the taxi comes.

Although I am definitely calmer and more confident to do these things now, I still get a little thrill every time I do successfully function en Español. Last weekend on my epic trip I was wandering an art museum and the attendant decided to come over and explain a display to me. Palma de Mallorca, it turns out, has a huge German tourist population so a lot of what I heard around me was actually German, then Spanish, then English. This means that people working in the city really need to have a basic handle on all three languages as it is a big tourism town. So I was shocked and thrilled that this man began explaining in rapid Spanish without first asking what language I spoke, as almost everyone else I encountered during my weekend did. Of course, once I responded it became apparent that I was not a native speaker, but we continued to converse in Spanish. Do you know what he told me? He told me my accent was very small and not too noticeable. That may have been one of the best compliments I’ve gotten all year! I was secretly thrilled. For all my mistakes, I consider it a huge success if I am at least picking up on pronunciation and the local accent.

So, fluent I am not.

But I am capable. And it feels so good.

P.S.: You know who else is capable? Girls who read.

Date a girl who reads.

This is shamelessly stolen from my minxy friend Nicole who linked to it and posted it as a note on facebook. Of course, the real credit goes to the author, Rosemarie Urquico. I can relate to this so intensely that it makes me ache for all the books I have loved and will love and all the words I hope to write.

"Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag. She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants. You see the weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a second hand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow.

She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.

Buy her another cup of coffee.

Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.

It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.

She has to give it a shot somehow.

Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.

Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilightseries.

If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.

You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.

You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.

Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

Or better yet, date a girl who writes."

~Rosemarie Urquico

Source

{I love to read...sometimes even in Spanish. Just for the record.}

{And if anyone's wondering, I would definitely rather receive books than flowers or jewelry. You can hold me to that.}