December 2011
4 posts
Al final, me voy.
Well, my last day in Pamplona was an amazing one.
I got to explore a new part of the city, spend a few precious hours with friends, eat great food, and pack up the remnants of the last 6 months of my life.
This all feels so surreal. I can’t believe I’m really leaving. I’ll be back in the US in 48 hours.
I’ve been anticipating this day for months, and now that it’s...
A Letter to Jen
I am a huge believer that everything happens for a reason, and Jen coming into my life has been no exception. I could not have asked for a better friend to come along and make my experience in Spain as amazing as it was. The fact that we just had to bid farewell for an indefinite period of time completely breaks my heart.
She saved me. Jen is an angel.
I was about 4 months into my stay here when...
“We’re adults. When did that happen? And how do we make it stop?”
– Meredith Grey (via imbv)
November 2011
29 posts
six.
Well, I’ve made it halfway through my last week in Spain. When you’re around two little monster humans for extended periods of time, it’s difficult to keep a smile on your face. But that’s just what I’m trying to do.
I am determined to leave here on a good note, all bad feelings left behind, and really look back on the past 6 months with fondness, not regrets or hard...
“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money...”
– Maya Angelou (via urbannativegirl)
(via sequinsandsideeye)
Almost...
93 days ago, I began the countdown.
It’s hard to believe that I’m down to my last week.
Seven days.
So much has happened in those 93 days. New friendships formed, strengthening of old ones, lots of adventures, some tears in between, but also a whole lot of laughter.
I am not the same person I was 93 days ago. Hell, I’m not the same girl that stepped on that plane in June,...
Nine.
Sister and I just parted ways in Madrid, following an absolutely fantastic week. We had been counting down her arrival for almost two months, and the past 6 days definitely lived up to all the hype!
We ate great food, walked a lot, shopped even more, and enjoyed each other’s company after 6 months of depending on skype for communication. We were having so much fun, I literally was just...
Off to San Sebastian for the day!
…Suckas!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Today, I am thankful for:
Sister being in Spain!
Mom and Dad for being so patient these past 6 months.
Brother and Sister…mostly because they gave me a furry niece and nephew (kidding…kinda!)
The butcher, who kindly agreed to cook our turkey for us since our oven is out of commission!
Great friends, some of whom will experience their first Thanksgiving today!
Skype, as always,...
“Travel is not reward for working, it’s education for living.”
– (via travelchannel)
“Life is too short to put it off anymore. You gotta live it before it’s too...”
– While You’re Still Young, Montgomery Gentry
So soon!
Just went through the final details of Sister’s arrival, seeing as she has a crazy busy weekend coming up. I honestly can’t even put into words how excited I am to see my other half! This is the longest we’ve EVER been apart, although I’m confident it will feel as though no time has gone by.
I am so thankful that we have the resources for her to come visit, because I think...
“If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives.”
– Lemony Snicket (via stumblingintomyfuture)
SIX DAYS!
Or 5 days and 21 hours until Sister and I are reunited in the Madrid train station!
I haven’t experienced excitement like this since June, when I was mere days away from jetting off to Spain.
We have a full 6 days together, packed with sight-seeing, lots of eating, exploring, and siestas. I don’t really have a set plan for us, but I don’t think we need one. Two sisters in Spain...
11/11/11
On November 11, 2011, which also happens to be Veteran’s Day, I’ve decided to take some time and jot down a few things that I’m thankful for. Things that bring me back down to earth and remind me to stop and smell the flowers.
Obviously family. And Gus. And my furry niece and nephew.
Awesome friends.
My education.
The opportunity to move to Spain.
The scenic walk I take to...
Host Mom just put me in a food coma.
But that lasagna was so. so. good.
Upon my return home...
Beware, Family.
“The key to having it all: stop expecting it to look the way you thought it was...”
– Sex and the City. (via storygoes)
EXACTLY ONE MONTH
Until I am America-bound!
I am super super pumped, and eager to take advantage of these last few weeks! Sister visits two weeks from tomorrow, and that pretty much marks the end of my au pair job. I can’t believe I’ve made it! Five months ago, December seemed like a lifetime away, and now I can practically taste it.
30 days!
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”
– ― Robert Frost (via ittybittyjess)
22 going on 60?
My host mom and I just ventured downtown and bought new spools of yarn for our growing desire to knit.
The amount of excitement between the two of us was almost embarrassing. Except we were too excited to start knitting to be ashamed.
“Always do what you are afraid to do.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson (via jessetaylorphoto)
And it's November...
I can’t believe how quickly time is flying. How a month ago (which seems like last week), I wrote a post about how I had two months left.
And now I have one.
If I said I weren’t excited, I’d be lying. And if I said I weren’t totally terrified of the next chapter of my life, I’d really be lying.
It doesn’t feel like this experience is winding down. But it is....
October 2011
27 posts
People always say...
That if you don’t have something nice to say, or in this case write, then don’t say anything at all.
So, here’s a .gif instead.
“It isn’t necessary to know exactly how your ideal life will look; you only have...”
– Martha Beck (via thedailycourtney)
'Tis the season...
…for Halloween-esque movies!
I’ve seen 16 of the 25 on this Chicago Tribune list, but I need other suggestions to get me in the spirit over here!
(Dad, I know you’ll be on top of this one for me!)
On the must-watch-this-week list are:
Hocus Pocus
The Descent
Friday the 13th
Saw VII
More suggestions are welcome!
El fin de semana in bullet form...
This weekend was for:
Learning to knit
Lots of good food
Rainy weather
Fun with friends
Beer
Skyping with family
Failing at knitting
Solo dance parties
Season 1 of Felicity
Here’s to making the best of my final 5 weekends in Pamplona.
Just had to Google tips for boiling eggs.
Culinary master over here.
Just taking in the culture...
Last night, a couple girlfriends and I went to a glorious American restaurant, and followed up the meal with flamenco dancing lessons! It was completely hilarious, and we weren’t nearly as coordinated as we had initially anticipated, but it was really entertaining nonetheless. The night ended with a relaxing 40-minute walk home, and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect.
With 5...
Tomorrow is Friday!
Which means it’s almost Saturday!
Which means it’s almost Sunday!
Which means I can almost sleep in until my heart desires and shamelessly watch every Hugh Grant movie ever made because no one will be there to judge me!
So, Hump Day has rolled around and I’m still in a weird funk. I can’t decide if it’s because I was on vacation last weekend, or if I’m just ready to never have to call myself an au pair EVER AGAIN.
Either way, this mood is not fun. And it’s not helping that I have two child beasts playing outside my door while I’m trying to siesta, and all I can hear is them...
Today
I am hating everything.
On the bright side, this is the first time in three weeks that I’ve had the urge to cry! Progress, people.
Successful Trip!
I returned from Barcelona late last night, after an incredible, much-needed vacation. The city is amazing, HUGE really, and it was nice to escape the Pamplona bubble for a few days.
Throughout the weekend, my friend and I managed to visit the Sagrada Familia, Parc Guell, Plaza Catalunya, Passeig de Gracia, Las Ramblas, the Port Olimpico, and more, all while utilizing the metro (which was a...