AHHHH!

Ok, I cant eat another piece of bread, white rice, or any other thing containing CARBS! I am going to die. my body is saying, "Erin, please dont eat that", but when I am hungry, I am hungry! So, I am glad to be going back to salads, chicken (thanks, Mom), and wheat bread.

Confessions:
- 3 Cigarettes smoked
- more than I can remember of alcoholic drinks
- no exercising
- LOTS and LOTS of carbs.

Note to self:
Just stop, evaluate, think and stop bad habits.

duly noted.

ROMA!!!

Rome, was amazing. There is no other way to describe all of the fun I had. I could not believe all of the Architecture still standing from soo long ago. In Rome, I saw the most beautiful sunset on top of Palatine Hill. I ate the best food = PASTA, PASTA, and more PASTA. The hostel was awesome and i made some new friends. All in all it was great! I dont know what to say about Rome other than how great and beautiful it was. It was a nice adventure on my own. I now know that traveling alone can be so refreshing and nice.

                      

So... Solo quedan tres semanas en Espana! Triste Dia!!!

Ok, so now I am leaving soon and I am sad. I dont want to leave, but at the same time I am so excited to eat goldfish and cheezeIts. I know, it's weird. It is the little things you start to miss. On the other hand, I am going to Rome this weekend! YES! I'm actually excited to take a trip on my own, it should be very exciting. I want to see so many things and I only have two days too see it all! I have wanted to go to Rome for so long, but it is supposed to rain, so we will see what the Roman gods have in store for me. Life has been good. I have been sick (BIG surprise) and had a fever yesterday. Well, the fact is I like to go out, even if I am sick (well, not when I have a fever, I stay in for those hard times).

Life in Spain is so much different than life in the United States. People are so laid back, They have siesta everyday. They don't have to pay for Health insurance or going to University. It makes me wonder why Americans are so stressed all the time. I believe that some of it has to do with what we need or want in life that should be free, but costs money. That would be education and health care. People always tell me that Americans are always in a rush and so nervous when something goes wrong. I think some of it has to do with the fact that  we have so much responsibility in order to have the things we want. We need an education to survive in the world. Just things to think about. I have alot of free time. Not sure if you noticed. It is nice to live in such a stress-free environment where people take life one day a a time. I could get used to this. By the way, seistas have to come to America. Taking a nap midday and relaxing is the greatest thing ever!

Before I leave I want to:
- See Flamingo
- Go to Granada, Malaga, and Sevilla.
- Ride a vesba.

Adios Espana, Bonjour Morocco

SO: first off I am officially going to AUSTRALIA! Glad to get that off my chest! I will be rockin that continent February 23rd!

Last weekend I was in Tangier, Morocco. It is definitely cool to say that I have been to Africa. That is the cool part about being in Europe. Going to another country for a weekend, is totally normal! and I love it! The experience was one I will not forget. Having some sort of gesture for my attention was quite persistent in Tangier. Every other man would make some sound or try to say hello to me in almost every language to see if i would respond. The fact that i suck out in a crowd of people was quite obvious. I actually loved the city for the culture and its differences. Hearing a prayer call at 5 in the morning is not most people's ideal wake up call, but I enjoyed it. For the pure fact that it was part of how they lived. I thought that when people would not stop for us when they were driving a cab, but it was because they change Taxi drivers like every two hours. Going with three girls was an experience. I loved the cloths that women would wear. Some of them cover there whole body, others did not depending on where you were. well sometimes the best way to describe a place is with what you see....

AUSTRALIA! WHY!!!

So... my next stop for my adventure will probably be Australia. We just have a few issues. I applied for my visa one month ago and they are still having issues. Even after I went to get an X-ray, which cost me 40 euros. Now, they say that I have to get an X-ray, in which I have already done and had them send it to the Australian embassy. bloody hell. I dont know what else to do. Tomorrow I am going down to talk to my lovely friends. This should be interesting. What a mess. Welcome to my life... I will keep you posted.

I Cant Fit It ALL In!!!!!

So..... I want to see all of my Erasmus friends, but it has been so hard to travel while I have been here. I am running out of money. I have all my weekends booked and no time to see them all! I dont want to leave yet, but yet I cant wait to go to Australia. I am def moving back to Europe with time, a flat of my own, and in London. The best place to fly where ever you want to go!

Things to do in my life: 
1. Go to Australia and work
2. Ride a motercycle/vesba
3. See all of my Erasmus and friends I have made in Spain.
4. Come back and work in Europe (preferably London, despite how expensive it is).
5. Go to Bali
6. Take photography classes
7. Im sure I have more.... they will be added later.

                                                       Thoughts of the moment. 

Yo Soy Enfermo!!!

So.... Yo soy enfermo para despues dos semanas. I am so tired of being sick and trying to get better. On the brighter side I am not waking up sweating in my bed every day so that is a plus. Spanish class is going well and I love it. I dont know how much I have improved, but I just like to believe I have. Yo amo espanol y yo aprendo much en mi classes. I have had a good week over all, but I really like Madrid and wish I had a little more time to see it and explore it. The funny thing about learning another language is you start to forget your own. I have made sentences in English that dont even exist. Trust me, it is terrible. Ok, now to my AMAZING trip this weekend. Now that I have blabbed for a while...


PORTUGAL: I love this place. The people were great. The hostel was great. The weather was great. Everything was great. I had to get up at 5 in the morning which is always fun. Got the the airport way early which is normal, then off to Lisbon, Portugal at 7 in the morning. The first thing I could see out of the plane window was the sunrise. It was amazing. The ride to the hostel was easy and we got to see the city awake from the dark. I have to say seeing the sunrise on the beach in a foreign country has to be on my list of top ten coolest things I have ever seen. I thought Lisbon was the bomb. I also got to go to the cities of Sintra and Belem ( with the best pastries i have ever had.)

My Vida En Espana (Seis Semana)

Soo.... I'm in my sixth week of living in Madrid and I am starting to feel quite lonely, despite all of the crazy stuff that has happened to me. Let me start from the beginning...

I went to San Sebastian (north part of Spain) two weeks ago. It was such a fun/interesting trip. I got to go with a good friend of mine, Brooke and we had a blast. Basque country was so beautiful and it was great to be by the beach. it took us about 6 hours to get there. Once we arrived we had to find our hostel. Finding hostels is not as easy as it looks. We searched for a good while and could not find it any where. We had the address so we pushed the bell. To our best knowledge we thought this would be it. We took the elevator to the third floor. Got off and had no idea where to go. So, like most people we guessed. Turns out we were right. It was a little hostel run by two guys who did not speak any English. At first, Brooke and I looked at each other and thought, "dear GOD, what have we got ourselves into." So. when we tried to find our room we found a man sleeping in one of them and in the other room a guy watching TV. They put their t-shirts on and came to greet us. One guy looked like he had just smoked a bowl with red glossy eyes and all. But who was I to judge. We were just in a creepy old hostel. No biggy. The two men introduced themselves and took us to our room (which was the one that one of the men had been sleeping in before!) The room was cheap so we thought we would just take it for what it's worth. We put our stuff down and explored the city. The beach was amazing. It was great! the water was warm and the surfers were HOT! life was looking up. Nothing could be better than a dodgy hostel and hot surfer boys on the beach. It was time for dinner and we had the BEST food I have had since I was in Spain. It was a hamburger (I know, keeping to my American ways, but it tasted so good!). Brooke and I went back the the hostel and got changed to go out. We went to a couple of bars in the touristy area of town, but all we came to find was fifteen year olds on the street drinking boxed wine (not my cup of tea). In that very instance I felt old. We finally reached a bar with reasonable priced drinks and good dance music. Eventually we started talking to three good looking Basque guys ( I say Basque because they told me many times that they are Basque not Spanish). They took us to all of the cool bars and even got into a Boat party on the beach, which was paid for by them! Well, you can just imagine how that night went. The next morning (should I say Afternoon! like 3pm!) we woke up to the song Amazing Grace on repeat for three hours. Let me tell you, that as hungover as I was, Amazing Grace at 3 o'clock in the afternoon can change a persons life. Especially with Spanish men as vocals in the background. Gotta love it. We came out of our room to find that the men wanted to make us lunch. We could not say no. By far, one of the best home cooked meals I have had since being here. They were so nice. The guys that looked so creepy at first, became one of the nicest guys we have met here. It also turned out that they had kittens in the kitchen as well. They were so cute! That was definitely an adventure. We decided to stay one more day and move to a different hostel for a different atmosphere, not full of smoke. We decided to go to France for the day and leave our stuff at an Aussie hostel along the way. So far, San Sebastian was full of hot men, kittens, and Spanish creepers that cook awesome meals. What a combination. Just the way I like it,

France: It was nice. We took the train to Irun (which is the border of France and Spain) then we switched to an French train and when to the city of Bayonne. It was nice to speak French. I realized how much I had forgotten since the last time I was in France was two years ago.  We ate bread, goat cheese, and chocolate. I have no idea how to tell you how wonderful those foods sounded to me. We walked around for the day and saw all of the major sites. Went to the most BEAUTIFUL church I have ever been too in my life. The architecture was amazing. That was all fine and good til we got back to San Sebastian.

Bayonne, France

Last Night in San Sebastian: We arrived at the Aussie hostel quite late. It was nice to know that we would not be sleeping in a room full of smoke. They put us in a room with three other girls from America, LA to be exact. We all went out drinking that night. Brooke and I did not want to hit it hard because we had an early bus ride back to Madrid. We made it back home around 1am, to find the girls going to sleep as well. The only difference was that they were completely trashed. I'm talking so drunk you don't even know where you are.  I brushed it off lightly and thought nothing of it. Until, an hour later I heard a puking sound coming from the corner. SO, the puking was going on for an hour so I had to get up and help her to the bathroom. While I was helping girl #1 in the bathroom. Girl #2 got out of her bed to pull down her pants and pee in my bed. As if it was the toilet!!! I was just about to scream when that happened! So, I did what any person would do, and i put a sheet on top of it and made her sleep there. She claimed as her own, that is for sure. Then just as I was getting into a new bed Girl #3 starts puking in her bed. You can see that this night has just been full of surprises or should we say unwelcomed gifts. The best part of all is I had to get up at 6am, so we could catch out bus as 7:30 back to Madrid.

Other Crazy happening here in Madrid:
- My credit card got stuck in a machine!
- booked my flight for only one day!
- Was told by a guy that sat down next to me in Puerta Sol that all woman are prostitutes.

The Window

So.... life in Spain was a little rough in the beginning. Im not going to lie. I had no friends, my Spanish sucked hard core, and I missed home. I was not sure about coming to a foreign country without my buddy in crime (you know who you are!).

Now, A month into my new life and I love it! I have made so many friends.. so many that I dont have time to hang out with all of them, but I try. I have been to many places around Spain. Mostly just locally as of now. This weekend I am going to San Sebastian with good friends. That should be a blast. As each day goes by I am noticing how my life has changed. The simplest things are just so much more rewarding. For example, going to lunch with a friend and just having a conversation about life or the things you did that you would not normally do if you were are home. But I have realized that it is not about how many friends you make or how many places you go. It is about the experience and how you choose to live it. I have realized that just sitting for a few hours sitting with friends while drinking a cafe or eating tapas is so much better than I could have possibly imagined. Life is definitely what you make it.

Everyday it takes me about an hour to get to my Spanish class. Which includes alot of walking, but walking is good for me and I need to remind myself that all of the time. I CANT be lazy, when i got legs! Everyday i walk to the Metro. It is a great time to think and just have a moment to listen to music or think about what I am going to do that day. I love having this lifestyle. Embrace life even when things seem like they are not going well. Most the time something great becomes of it! You just have to look through that window and see what there is so explore!!!!!

Madrid: My New Home!

Madrid: The city of merchants on the street selling you god knows what! People coming out of the restaurant asking you to come in and try their food, and of course the best tapas you will ever have! 

So, I have been here now for a week and a half. I like it, but it still takes time getting used to. My host family is nice and they are always helping me with places to go and what to see. I have so many things that I want to do while I am here I have to remind myself to breathe. Just breathe.

I was so overwhelmed on my first day here. I had no phone, no map, and no idea how to get to the metro from my house. That is all in the adventure I think. I did make it to the metro on my first day and did not even get lost. My host family showed me around which was so helpful. Thank god my mother blessed me with a good sense of direction. I wanted to see the city right away, so i left on the metro the first chance I got. It took about 45 minutes to get to the city center which is a while, but it is good for me. Gotta walk all those thoughts off. Man, cause I can think about things I want to see and do for hours. Sometimes it is just nice to walk and put my head phones in and just listen to other peoples thoughts for a while (aka the music). I got to Puerta Del Sol (city center) and thought it was nice. Lots of people selling things on the street and policia everywhere. That was to be expected. I walked for a while and it was nice. I got to get a sense of where I was and what kind if city this would be. It is nothing like I expected, but nothing ever is.

I finally got money on my phone after the third day here because I could not find anyone to speak English to me and at that point my Spanish was not good enough to tell them exactly what I wanted. Thank god for hand motions. I also had found the Corte Ingles. Which is even better than Costco or Walmart. It consists of seven stories full of anything you would possibly need. Literary. I felt that I could get anything there.

As days passed I started to feel home sick. I had no friends yet and felt lost. I went to the Club Del Internationals which they gave me a huge list of all of the other language assistants in Madrid. I love that place. They helped me so much. I have know made many friends and I am super happy about it. I am slowly warming up to the city and it's way of life. This is know as: having dinner at 10:00pm at night, Having a big lunch and then Siesta (best invention ever), and improving my Spanish. I will hopefully start Spanish school on October 4th. We will see since it does cost money, but in the end it might be worth it.

Everyday I walk around and see something new. I went to the Museo De Prado yesterday. It was amazing. I did not appreciate art until I had actually seen some great masterpieces. Their were artists like Goya, Valazquez, and many more. I spent two hours just looking and listening to the audio guide. This was so relaxing and nice. I enjoyed it very much. Talk about too many rooms though. woooah! after room 66 I was about done.



                               Last weekend I went to Barcelona, but that story is for another day.

Barcelona!!

Phrase learned in Spanish this week: Yo nessisita Ayuda! ( I need help!) 

London Town!

London: The City of History, Personality, and Life

Thats how I would explain that in a nutshell. So, after my adventure in San Francisco I was off to London, England. There was so much to do and it was so nice to be in a country where I did not know where anything was, but since it was in English I could read it. That seemed to be a big help. I loved the city there was so much to do in three days. I felt like i would never run out of things to do. So, the first day I was there I walk everywhere. I walked to see Big Ben, Westminster Abby, London Eye, and even the Globe Theater. I was so tired the first day and had such bad jet lag I went to bed around 8:30. How lame. The next day I went to Camden Town markets. The coolest thing I have ever seen! There were streets and streets filled with merchants selling everything you could possibly think of. I of course had to buy something. I bought a pair of earrings and a pair of sunglasses. It was AWESOME! coolest market of my life. The last day was spent relaxing because I was so tired. I slept a bunch then went out on the town! It was sweet! The night life was awesome! Such a cool environment to be around!

From Wine Country to the Coast

I finally landed in San Francisco! It is so nice to see the parentals for the first three hours. Then it was time to see the city! my best friend came out with me as well and we got to explore. The first day we went wine tasting in Sonoma Valley. The wine was amazing. It was cool to taste all of the different types of wines that are made and how they are made. I think I have found myself a new hobby. My favorite places to in the whole wine tasting experience was the smaller vineyards. The next day we went down to Santa Cruz and Capitola. It was by the beach. We went to the boardwalk and laid on the beach till we fried. The third day we went into the city. What an experience San Francisco is. People say that "San Fransisco is a great city, until you visit it." I could see that being true. their were so many homeless people it was almost uncomfortable. It is nice to visit in the city, but good thing my mom lives a little outside the city lines.

 I saw my first lighthouse on the coast while driving on Hwy 1. We soon found out that it was a national landmark. It was used for military use and importing and exporting goods. The lighthouse was build in 1884!

Going to San Francisco Tomorrow

First thing: Moving to San Francisco for three weeks


So.... moving to San Fran sounds like fun.. My mom lives there so it makes it easy to have a place to stay. This is just getting me closer to leaving for my three month adventure to Europe. I am moving to Madrid, Spain in three weeks. I am ready to explore new possibilities. I am SO ready to get out of Colorado, not saying it is a bad state or anything (cause it definitely is not). There will be people I miss of course. we will see what kind of opportunities arise in the next couple of weeks. Living with the parentals is always fun!


I will leave you with this.....


“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain