A Glimpse of My Future

It's hard to believe that at this time last year I was taking planes and trains across Europe on the spring break of a lifetime. Spring break this year is a bit different, but equally exciting. Mom, Davina, and I came out to Baltimore for a few days to see where my future is taking me. We arrived in Baltimore yesterday afternoon. Taking the rail from the airport to our hotel was a true realization of the racial and economic diversity of the city; it was interesting to say the least. After we checked in we spent the evening walking around, soaking up the sites and neighborhoods of the city. We wandered into Little Italy and had a huge, authentic, delicious supper at Amicci's, a great little place in the middle of a block of row houses. Of course a night out wouldn't be complete without drinks, so we went to a bar and threw a few back before calling it a night.
We were up bright and early this morning to go on a tour of the apartment building I applied for. It was a cold, windy day here in Baltimore, and we shivered as we walked through diverse neighborhoods on our way to the Johns Hopkins neighborhood. Getting there was well worth the walk. Walking across the campus, I was overwhelmed with excitement at what I saw and the people walking around. With police stationed in booths on each corner, it's obvious that it's not the safest neighborhood, but they do what they can to keep students and patients safe. The apartment building staff was warm and welcoming, and the tour reassured me that the apartment building was everything I hoped for. While the square footage leaves something to be desired, the hardwood flooring, granite countertops, proximity to campus, and abundant amenities certainly make up for it. It is my type of apartment, without a doubt, and I can see myself being a home there. After our tour we walked around the hospital and medical campus, where the sickest of patients come to be treated by the best of the best. Saying I was impressed by what I saw is an understatement. After we'd seen Johns Hopkins we walked down to the Inner Harbor. Baltimore is a diverse, cultural city, teeming with history. Walking along the docks and past all of the little stores and restaurants was a fun way to spend the day. We also visited a lighthouse, warmed up with some coffee, and did some shopping before heading to the museum that commemorates the creation of the Star Spangled Banner and the flag which it was written about. We headed back to our hotel for a rest and for their happy hour... they might rethink happy hour after having some Midwesterners take full advantage of all of the free beverages. ;) Since then we've called it a night and are relaxing in our hotel room, awaiting the Accepted Students Day at the School of Nursing tomorrow morning.
Some thoughts I have on Baltimore/my future...
-While I'm not a city girl, Baltimore is the type of city that I can actually see myself living in. It's a great mix of history and modern diversity and culture. Aside from the scary crime rate and the sketchy neighborhoods, I think it will be a good place to be.
-I'm excited beyond words to have been accepted at JHU. I'm ready to be with the best of the best, to be challenged, and to be studying something that truly interests me and will make a direct impact in my life and the lives of others. The fact that I've been accepted here is still surreal.
-Putting all excitement aside, I do have reservations about moving out here and going to such a prestigious school. It will be good, but it will also be a challenge. It will be trying and frustrating. It will be lonely at times. But as I talked to Mom about it today, I realized that stepping out of my comfort zone is how I grow as a person. Rising to a challenge and taking advantage of opportunity is what separates the mover and the shakers of this world from the rest. It's what makes leaders, thinkers, problem solvers, and innovators. It's what will make me all that I wish to become.

Mí última fin de :(

It's so unbelievably unimaginable to think that this is already my last weekend in Cáceres. I've been so blessed throughout this whole semester with wonderful Iowa Staters, a sweet-as-pie host mom, and great and very compatible roommate, passionate instructors, amazing Spanish friends, and an internship with the best boss I could ask for and wonderful residents for whom to care.
This last week of classes flew by, and Friday morning found me in my last Spanish 330 literature class. Profesor Bernal has been so great to have class with. He is so passionate about teaching, and his love for what he does radiates through the classroom and spreads to all of it. Only the best teachers can take pieces of Spanish literature that are hundreds of years old and make them understandable, relatable, and even enjoyable. He ended class on Friday morning with a beautifully written story about a mother taking her oldest daughter to her first day of school. The story ends with the mother leaving her daughter in the classroom, with a big A written on the board-- the beginning of learning, of literature, of education. He related it to us coming here, and to that with this last class comes an end to our studies in Spain, but a beginning to our relationship with each other and with him.
Friday afternoon was spent at la Trufa, studying with Angélica, Luke, Taylor Anne, and Hannah. With the end of the semester comes ungodly amounts of essays due, as well as making arrangements and getting ready to leave. Friday night found me absolutely unable to sleep and in the midst of one of my rare, but intense anxiety attacks. I was overwhelmed by the sadness of leaving, the amount of work I have left to do before I go, the thought of packing and dragging all my crap through five countries, and the thought of coming home to my real life; coming back home to school, to work, to early morning fitness class, to family drama, and to facing my future. After about two hours of sleep I gave up, got up out of bed, and started doing homework. As I crossed things of my page-long to-do list, I started to feel better and capable of dealing with life. Angélica and I took a break from studying and went to take advantage of some salon services while we're still here-- most services, like waxing, cost less then half of what they do back home, so we pampered ourselves a little bit while we could afford to do. We headed over to Manometro, our favorite bar, for a drink before heading home. As always, our favorite waiter, Pepe, was there to welcome us. I'm going to miss him, his signature wink, and all of the free drinks we end up with thanks to him! After going home for homework and lunch, I ended up back at Manometro again to study with other people in our group, and then we decided we'd had enough and went to Chocolat for some delicious goodness and some fun group time. On the way home we ran across a march protesting racism. I didn't realize that was a problem here-- there's not really a whole lot of diversity here in Cáceres-- but I've learned that Spaniards will raise their voices in protest at any chance they get. After getting home last night it was time to settle back in for some studying. Sadly, we had absolutely no plans to do anything but study and write papers on our last Saturday night in Spain. That didn't last long though. My phone started ringing with calls from Andrew and Jess, imploring us to come out, and next thing you know, it's midnight and Angélica and I are getting dressed and heading out to the bars to meet up with some of the others who were out. I'm so glad we did! We started off at Divina Comedia and ended up at la Habana, dancing into the morning. You know it's been a good night if I wind up on the dance floor!
Today brings more homework to do and papers to write-- I have two to go and one test to study for before I am done with all scholarly obligations here. Tonight we're headed out for churros and then a goodbye dinner with our favorite Spanish girls. Tears will be shed, without a doubt. I can't express how much these girls mean to me and how good they've been to us while we've been here. Going to miss them, sin duda! I'm glad we'll have this last time with all of us together.
A couple things I've forgotten to mention... we got a new host sister, Tina, from Belgium. Super sweet girl! Also, it's been cold and rainy ALL week, and will be until after we leave. This type of weather is not normal here, so we've come to the conclusion that Spain is crying for us. Ha. Just a reflection of how we're all feeling about leaving.

Festival de San Jorge

The festival of San Jorge last night went beyond my expectations-- I guess I should've expected it, because Spaniards always know how to through a party. Here's a bit of the story (fictitious) behind San Jorge:
San Jorge was a victorious Christian knight in the wars between the Christians and the Moors. This part of the story is entirely true. Here comes the not so true part... In Cáceres at this time there was a dragon; some say he had as many as seven heads. The dragon kept raiding the city, eating everything in site, people included. It was a dangerous time for the pueblo. They knew they couldn't go on with this danger and uncertainly forever, so they made a deal with the dragon. They sent the dragon to live up on top of the mountain, and every day a lovely young maiden, drawn at random, had to go up and feed the dragon. Sounds like a good deal, right? The problem was, the dragon would not just eat the food, he'd eat the maiden too. The townspeople begged the king to put an end to this, to find some way to kill the dragon. But the king refused, because this situation was working. Working for everyone except the young maidens. Time went on, and every day another maiden was eaten by the dragon without the king batting an eye. Then one day, they drew the name of the unlucky lady, and it was the king's daughter, the beautiful princess of Cáceres. Suddenly, the king was not so content with the situation. He refused to let his daughter die as the victim of the dragon. The town's people revolted against the king-- their daughters had not been spared, so neither should the king's be! The king sent out a cry for help in a desperate attempt to save his daughter before mealtime. San Jorge heard this plea, came riding in on his white horse, and rode up the mountain. A battle ensued, and San Jorge came out as victor over the dragon and savior of Cáceres.
Last night in the plaza, costumed interpretive dancers acted out the Christian and Muslims wars and the story of San Jorge. Upon the Christian victory, a fireworks show began over the plaza, which is an unbelievably beautiful setting for fireworks. Right at the firworks were ending,  the dragon (which was on the steps of the ayuntamiento/city hall) burst into flames, symbolizing the victory of San Jorge. After the show there was also a giant hunt in the old quarter for a hidden chicken, full of 300 euros, and its eggs, each worth 50 euros.

Also, entirely unrelated... I forgot to mention in my last post that a group of about 15 of us went out for dinner and the movies on Friday night. We went and saw the Hunger Games-- what an awesome movie! I think I'll be reading the books before too long :)

Life Since Semana Santa

The past two weeks since coming home from spring break have been crazy! Full of school, my internship, and lots of fun (including one night where Cassidy, David, and Marta played guitar in the plaza while a few others of us sat and listened and sand). Also a bout of the flu last weekend, but I'd like to forget about that. Yuck. This weekend is the Festival of San Jorge, a made-up saint the Cáceres celebrates every year. Last night I struck out solo and went to watch las tunas, different groups of professors who sing and dance in traditional style, traditional robes included. I ended up spending the whole evening with a middle-aged couple I met from Burgos, who took it upon themselves to take me in and keep me company. I left the evening with an open invitation to go to Burgos, which I might take them up on some day. Today Cassidy and I are heading over to Clara's to hang out, and then tonight there's a parade, fireworks, and the burning of the dragon as part of the festival. We don't have school tomorrow because it's San Jorge, which makes this a 5-day weekend for this girl. No complains there. It's hard to believe that this will be my last full week here in Cáceres-- it's something I still have mixed feelings about. It's going to fly by. I am really excited to go back to England after this, though. John (my grandma's cousin's husband, who we stayed with last summer) has been emailing me, and he and Christine are really excited to have Grandma and I there. They also rented us a chalet in Wales that overlooks an estuary. It sounds like it's pretty secluded, and I think it should be nice to have a few days of absolute relaxation.
In other news, lately at my internship we've had a lot of people who have passed away, which has given me great opportunities to work with not only the dying people, but also with their families. And every time I get to do this, I feel something inside of me telling me that this is what I want to do with my life. I love being there in that moment of people's lives, and giving comfort when they need it most. It's given me a lot to think about in regards to my future, because end-of-life cares and mortuary science it always what I end up feeling that I meant to do.
A few other things... I picked up a legitimate schedule at work once I come home, so I'll have relatively normal hours now instead of working all different shifts all the time and switching back and forth, which should be a nice change. I'm also thinking I'm going to have to drop my independent study. I have not had near sufficient time to get through Don Quijote and still get things done for school and my internship and have at least a little bit of a social life. Uff da. Such a stressful decision!

Semana Santa 2012, Part 2

Where was I? Oh! Amsterdam. Oh, Amsterdam. Easily my favorite city on our trip. We spent Tuesday morning walking around the city, going in and out of shops (delicious cheese shops, and flower shops full of tulips!) and admiring the canals and row houses. We walked down to the IAMsterdam sign to take pictures, and then headed back towards the train station to meet up with the Sandeman's free tour group. Our tour guide was awesome, and snuck us into her group even though it was already full. We toured the Red Light District and learned a lot of the history behind it, and walked through the rest of the city learning about Amsterdam and the mentality of the people who live there. Abby and I snuck out of the tour early and headed to the Anne Frank House. It was unbelievable to actually be in the place where Anne was hidden away for over two years, and it was moving to go through and see everything. Thinking of what Anne's father Otto must have been through as the only survivor of his family has always broken my heart, and reading his quotes and watching videos of him speak moved Abby and I to tears. As with every city I go to, I'm glad to have experienced some of the history behind the Amsterdam. After the Anne Frank House, Abby and I stuck together for the evening and walked along the canals, just admiring the city. Once it got late enough we headed over to the Red Light District, which is a lot different at night than during the day. Seeing all the women working their windows was an experience, for sure... still not sure how I feel about that one. Ha. It started to rain after awhile, so Abby and I headed back to the hostel and called it a night. As a side note, Abby and I were really proud of each other for finding our way around the city all by ourselves the majority of the day. :)

Wednesday morning we were off to Cologne, Germany. Walking out of the train station we were greeted by the sight of the 2nd largest cathedral in the world. So impressive! After dropping our stuff off at the hostel (a very hippy sort of place), we headed back out to wonder around the city and made our way down to the Rhine. We stopped at a friendly little bar, where a middle-aged man quickly became our friend and talked to us about Germany over beer. He recommended a jazz club for us to go to, and then we headed out and left him to go get supper. After supper we went to the jazz club he told us about, and I'm so glad we did! It was such a cool, cozy place with awesome live music! It's the oldest jazz club in Germany. We sat in the balcony enjoying the music and drinks, and before we knew it, the waitress came up with free drinks for us, courtesy of the man we'd met at the other bar earlier. He was at the jazz club too! As we kept watching the performers and enjoying the music, and old man in a pinstripe suit and and bowler cap made his way up the balcony. He had roses for all of us ladies! What a sweetie! He stayed up there and talked to Taylor Anne and I for awhile, and took pictures with us and gave us his address so we could write him. The next morning we decided to rent bike and ride along the Rhine river. What an awesome choice! We rode down to the Lindt chocolate factory, and then kept riding along the river out of town. (*side note, I've been to/on a lot of rivers that I'd only ever dreamt about: the Thames, the Seine, the Danube, the Rhine... I'm one lucky girl!). We stopped along the banks of the river to skip rocks in the Rhine and draw in the sands, and then headed back towards the city on our bikes, singing Sound of Music the whole time (hey, we were close enough to Austria, right?). We rode into the city to go through their central park area, and stopped and played at a playground. We might be college students, but there is something innately fun about playgrounds, especially German ones! If anyone made playgrounds as fun/dangerous as that in America, they'd be sued. I was a big fan of the zip line. After we turned our bikes in, we had lunch (best french fries ever) and then headed to the cathedral, which was just as impressive inside as it was outside. Absolutely gorgeous. After than Abby and I headed back to our hostel and stopped at a grocery store along the way-- we were going to have a 'family' dinner that night. That night, with a little help from Taylor Anne, I made a spaghetti dinner for everyone and we sat around our hostel just relaxing and enjoying each other.

The next morning our big, happy family split up and Jess, Andrew S., and I hopped on the train bound for Vienna, Austria. The train ride was 8 hours long, and every minute of it was gorgeous. The German and Austrian countryside was so green and gorgeous, the river was full, and the fields were planted. Speckled with little cottages all along the way, it was very quaint. Our hostel in Vienna was a pleasant surprise-- the first word that popped into my head was swanky. Super, super, super nice. I'll give myself a pat on the shoulder for picking that one out. It was already a little late when we got into Vienna, so we went and had dinner at a Chinese restaurant, and then had a few drinks at an Irish pub before calling it a night. We started off the next morning by heading to Naschmarkt, a big, outdoor food and flea market. So cool! It was so much fun to walk through and to see everything. And the food market was an olive-lovers heaven, made just for me I'm pretty sure. After that we headed to Cafe Kawelka, which is decked out with artwork by many famous artists who used to trade art for food there. After that we headed to the music hall, which is an interactive music museum exploring the musical history of Vienna. We then walked around the city, seeing all of the palaces and other historic buildings, like the opera house. The boys wanted schnitzel for supper, and there was a famous place right down the street from our hostel, so we headed back that direction. Such typical German cuisine! And German beer! No complaints there. We were so full we couldn't hardly move after supper, we found a bar with a couch, and chilled out there until we were finally ready to move on. We walked back through the palace complex and headed to the Bermuda Triangle-- the main bar area. We found a bar that was't too busy and looked pretty cool, plus it was happy hour, so we decided to go in for drinks. Within an hour the bar transformed entirely-- it was packed, standing room only, full of people on the dance floor, and definitely the place to be that night. So we danced the night away, and I met a guy from Kyrgyzstan who took a keen interest in dancing with me. Jess and Andrew pulled me away from him eventually-- we had to get back to our hostel because we had a flight to catch in a couple of hours. It wasn't worth going to bed back at the hostel, and after showering and chilling out for a bit, it was time to leave.
We took a plane from Vienna to Valencia (it was nice to be back there again, even just for a few hours), then the AVE (high speed train) from Valencia to Madrid, where  we stumbled upon the rest of our travel group on their way home, too. And then finally from Madrid to Cáceres. So good to be back home!

Semana Santa 2012, Part 1

I suppose it's about time to fill you all in on my spring break, and seeing that I've had the flu all weekend and still lack the energy to get out of bed, I guess now is as good a time as any to blog a bit.
I'll start foremost by saying that this spring break was the trip of a lifetime, beyond what I could've imagined. There were many times where I had to stop and remind myself that this really is my life, that it was all really, truly happening. There's too much to sum up in a blog, and most of it has to be experienced to be appreciated, so I'll try to keep this simple.
We left Cáceres early Friday morning (the 30th) and took a train to Madrid, and from there we took another train to Barcelona. Andrew G., Jess, and I took and earlier train to Barcelona, so we were able to spend all afternoon walking through the city and down to the harbor and the train station. Barcelona is a neat place, and I appreciated it a lot more this time (as opposed to when I spent a 100+  degree weekend there last summer). That night we took the overnight train to Paris. It was a 12+ hour train ride, and I was lucky enough to get one of the train hotel rooms, which I shared with three other women. A little awkard, but a comfortable way to spend the ride.
Our first day in Paris was awesome. Abby signed us up for a free walking tour, which was awesome. I loved seeing the city and learning all of the history at the same time. That night went went and drank wine on the lawn outside the Eiffel Tower. After sitting there awhile Taylor Anne, Christina, Andrew G., and I decided to climb up the tower. It was so worth every last step. The view from the top at night is amazing. When we came back down Luke and Abby were gone, along with our wine, so we bought some champagne and watched the light show that happens every hour. Right as the light show ended, a cop came up to us and started speaking to us in French. By the confused looks on our faces I think he could tell we didn't understand, so he asked us if we spoke English, to which ALL four of us simultaneously replied, "Sí!" It was hilarious, as was the look on his face. He was not very happy with us and went on in broken English for awhile about how we were doing something forbidden. I was pretty convinced that we were in trouble for drinking in public. But as it turns out, we were trespassing (along with a lot of other people), and weren't actually allowed to sit in the lawn of the Eiffel Tower. Oops! Totally worth breaking the law for, though :)

The next morning Abby and I decided to meet her brother and his friend and head out to Versailles for the day. Abby and I got to the meeting point at St. Michael Fountain a little early, and since it was freezing and windy we decided to have a cup of coffee. We found out afterwards that two cups of coffee cost 11.40 euros! Lesson learned, don't drink coffee outside of famous French monuments. Once her brother and his friend got there we took the train out to Versailles, which is bigger than I could've imagined, and unbelievably ornate, inside and out. When we got back into Paris we met up with Jess and Andrew S., at the Arc d' Triumph, where we ended up seeing some important official ceremony, complete with a band and everything. After that we walked down the Champs Elysees and through to the park area, enjoying some crepes along the way, before deciding to take the metro out to the Moulin Rouge and the Red Light District. Holy sex shops and forward men! Even with Jess and Andrew right next to me I got followed down the street, back up it, and into the metro a few stops by two creepers. Uff da. Anyways, just being down in that area was quite the experience. And we found a great little bar with live music that we sat and enjoyed for awhile too. Jess and I went on a walk that night after we got back to our hostel and got mistaken for a French couple by a sweet old man asking for directions, which we just had to laugh at.

The next morning we left Paris, taking the train through northern France and Belgium on our way to Amsterdam. We made a few stops at little towns, and we stopped in Antwerp, Belgium long enough to wonder a bit around the city and eat authentic Belgium waffles, which were delightful. The train rides all day were great, too. So much beautiful scenery! It was nice to be reminded that green grass and trees still exist (because they really don't in Spain). We got into Amsterdam that evening and, after finding our hostel, strolled the streets and found a place to eat kebabs, some of the greatest food known to man, as I've become convinced this semester. After that, Jess, Andrew S., and I went to a 'coffee shop,' where they don't actually sell coffee... we had a good time there until they closed, and then went back to the hostel to rest up for our main day in Amsterdam the next day.

I have definitely not been a very faithful blogger as of late. I suppose it has something to do with being generally busy the vast majority of the time.
Two weeks ago Mom and Davina came for spring break. How awesome to see them! I picked them up at the bus station that Sunday night and after a few drinks in the Plaza Mayor, I let them get some rest. We spent Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday seeing the sights of Cáceres. Most of Monday consisted of touring the old part of the city, which is absolutely beautiful and unique. I also introduced mom and Davina to Manometro. My favorite waiter wasn't there :( but when we were about to leave the owner gave us a free round of beer (our fifth of the evening, uff da). When my mom asked why he said it's because I come there so much. Hahahaha. Gotta love being a regular. On Tuesday Isabel served lunch for all of us, and it was very cool to see my real mom meet my host mom. Isabel made my favorite foods for Mom and Davina-- garbanzo stew, tortilla de patata, fresh tomatoes, peppers, and onions, and of course, pan and fruit. Isabel was the happiest I'd seen her in a long time-- it's been a rough past month or so for her. She takes great joy and pride in serving people, and it's obvious to see that her fame for cooking is well deserved. After lunch she pulled out the traditional holy week head dress that women here wear, and both mom and Davina got to try it on. This particular one is antique, and Isabel wore it when she was young, too. After we wrapped things up at Isabel's mom, Davina, and I climbed up the mountain. The weather was nice and hot the whole time they were here, and it was perfect weather to get a tan that day :) We enjoyed some drinks at the bar at the top, and then watched the sunset over Cáceres. Wednesday morning found me in class, and Mom and Davina walked to campus to check out where I go to school. We walked to the train station that afternoon to buy tickets to Madrid, and then spent the rest of the evening relaxing and savoring their last night in Cáceres. I also introduced them to La Guinda that day. Needless to say, they loved it... so much that they made us go twice! Best pastries in the world <3
Thursday we headed off to Madrid. We got there midday, and after a big meal of paella and sangria, we went to the Prado and the Parque de Retiro. The Prado gets me everytime-- Velázquez, Goya, Picasso, Renoir, Rembrandt, Monet, el Greco... so many works of great artists all in one place. We devoted Friday morning to the Royal Palace, then had sangria en la Plaza Mayor before moving on to Puerta del Sol. We found a great Indian restaurant in a sketchy neighborhood. It was definitely a hole-in-the-wall, but so cheap and so good! Saturday was an early morning, as mom and Davina had to get to the airport and fly out. We parted ways in the metro. I was kind of sad to see them go, but so glad they came. In the past three years we've been to Haiti, England, and Spain together, and I feel like I've grown a lot closer to both of them, especially my mom.
This past week in Cáceres has been a lot of playing catch-up on things I didn't do while Mom and Davina were here and things I need to get done before spring break (which is coming up soon and I can't wait!!!). A few highlights: snuggling lots with Guillermo, La Guinda and Manometro with Tiffani, Cassidy, and Angélica Thursday night, going and seeing The Vow in theaters with a big group of ISU girls and Spanish girls (such an awesome movie-- Channing Tatum stole my heart!), and going out to Oxigeno for drinks on Saturday night. Not so enjoyable parts of the week: being sick and spring forward. But hey, it happens. And considering everything good I've got going on here, no complaints :)