how is it already time to go home??

Okay, so I finally have reliable wifi and an American outlet to plug into! I’m currently sitting on the plane from Amsterdam to Atlanta. It’s almost a 10-hour flight and a little bit miserable to sit for this long. But Delta has some good movies to pick from and I napped from Barcelona to Amsterdam (a little over 2 hours) and for the first part of this flight until lunch was served. Right now I’m watching the movie “Max” and it’s already made me cry a few times. It hits a little too close to home, but it’s really good so far. The Malnois ”actor”in the movie is just dead gorgeous. I’ve also watched “The Dead Poet’s Society”, "When Harry Met Sally", and “Home”; so definitely getting my mix of genres.

Yesterday was our last day in Barcelona and it was the prettiest day we had yet. It felt perfect in the sun. Then once the sun went down it was just a little bit freezing. We started off the day by some people doing a polar plunge into the Mediterranean. I thought they were going earlier, so unfortunately I had already showered and didn’t have my bathing suit on. None the less, it was a beautiful day to be at the beach. After that we went back up through La Rambla where there were a lot of little artisan tents set up. Since it was the weekend, they set up more than normal. I stopped and bought a few people presents on the way to the metro. We then all met up for a nice last group lunch. After that we explored up to  Parc Guell which is where a lot of the famous work by Gaudi is. It was pretty cool to see all the mosaic work and also the view from the top that overlooks Barcelona all the way out to the sea. After that we made the trek back home and I started the game of tetris with all my belongings packing into two suitcases. Good news, I did it. And stayed under the weight limit. I also may have almost missed the bus this morning, but we aren’t going to talk about that…

I also realized that I didn't write about Sevilla AT ALL. Probably because I was having too much fun down in Andalucia. It's in the same provincial area that Ubeda is; however, unfortunately, still about 2 1/2 hours away. I'll write about that later... maybe during our 7 hour layover in Atlanta (yes, 7 hours). 

This trip was tons of fun and it was a way different experience than living with a host family in one town as a student. Those days will always be treasured to me; but it was great to see so much more of the country and how different the regions are. I can’t wait for more trips and to see so much more. Not just of Spain, but also of the world. It’s so refreshing to be reminded how beautiful God’s creation is, and what has been made of it. To be reminded how the world is so big, and you are so small. Your problems melt away for a little bit while you are completely immersed and focused on something new. Wanderlust is very real, people. 

Blogging from a cell phone sucks

Well, for those who don't know, I haven't been blogging because I'm a dumb dumb and forgot to bring the thing that can change my adapter from two prongs to three, thus unable to charge my computer. I can't remember where I blogged from last, but I know it was before we got in Barcelona. We left Sevilla nice and early in the morning, just in time to catch a nice snow flurry while getting on the bus at 5am. We went to the little airport there and caught a not so little plane and jetted off to Barcelona. Also, they left my suitcase in Sevilla. So that was fun. I've literally been wearing the same clothes from 5am yesterday, to sleep in (another story to come), and all day today. Gross, but that's the travel life I suppose. Good news is it just arrived here so I can be clean again! Here's my story: I fell asleep without knowing I fell asleep (ya know, that kind of tired) and was reading but also had a coffee and half a chocolate bar carefully balanced on the bed. Needless to say, I woke up about 6 and was wondering why my sleeve and side were wet... The coffee had spilled all on the sheets, the pillow, and my sweatshirt... Luckily that's all. And because I fell asleep on top of the sheets, it was only the top layer that got stained. I feel so bad for housekeeping but also a little embarrassed about it. But shit happens and now I have a story I can laugh at.

I don't think I wrote about the last day in Sevilla and I almost don't remember anymore what we did 😳 ... But I did take some time away from the group (I felt fairly safe in that city) and ended up walking over FOURTEEN MILES exploring the city. Bless my poor feet.

*edit: I didn't write about Sevilla at all; to come ASAP!

Yesterday in Barcelona we wandered down to the Mediterranean and stuck our feet in, even though the water was fucking freezing. I also got my sand! For whoever doesn't know, I take sand from every beach I'm at! Kind of a weird souvenir and I don't remember why I started doing it, but it's a "thing" now. We also went to the Christopher Columbus memorial. It's incredible, and the more I learn about him, the more I want to know (thanks Profe!). I just love the thousands of years of history Spain offers and how it's still embraced today. There is just something about this country that makes it absolutely amazing and inspiring. It's a different pace of life and an appreciation for the more simpler things. (Plus good food and shopping and physical activity... To name a few)

We ate at a nice little seafood restaurant right off the beach and I had the most delicious codfish (they're known for that here). After the adventure a la playa we took the metro (big city plus) to Sagrada Familia. Ab.so.lute.ly. stunning. And they're STILL building it, after all these years; pretty incredible. After that we stopped by a few shops (and Starbucks, where the coffee incident began; all because I just wanted to hold something warm...) and came back to the hotel.

Today we went to la Plaza Catalunya and walked down through la Rambla, which surprise, put us back at the Christopher Columbus memorial at the Port of Barcelona. We ate lunch at a cute little tapas place that was right at the port so we have a beautiful view of the sparkling blue water while we ate. I had French fries with fried egg y jamón on top of it. It was one of my favorites last time I was here and I was so glad to find it on the menu somewhere! Oh, and we can't forget the pitchers of sangría we enjoyed.

We also went to the Barcelona History Museum (I don't think that's what it was called, but that's what I'm calling it) and well, if you know me and history or science museums... I loved it. There aren't words that can't make me even begin to fathom the years and years and years of cultural events that led to the city as it is today. The coolest part of the museum?! It's mostly underground IN the Roman Ruins of Barcino that Barcelona was built (literally) on top of! It was SO FREAKING COOL. So much was still intact to this day, which shows just how wonderful the artisans who built the city were. There were some pretty stunning artifacts that were recovered that we got to see. It just blows my mind to thing about that time and the work that went into everything and then how the town expanded to now over at least 2 million inhabitants. I think I will have a new reading topic when I get home, haha!

After all that exploring we went through some shops where I (proudly) didn't buy anything; even though I want all the clothes and shoes Spain has to offer. We came back to the hotel (now) and will head out to dinner for drinks and tapas in a few hours!

We have one more day in Barcelona and then leave at 3 something in the morning to catch a flight to Amsterdam to connect to Atlanta then to Wilmington (talk about a lot of planes in a day aka lots of sleeping time 😊 ).

**edit again: still can't fucking figure out how to upload photos even though I'm on my phone 😠 .... So I will have to add them in later. No me gusta.

Segovia dia dos

Today was a pretty good day, other than the fact that Segovia is SO COLD. Today we took a tour of Alcazar aka the castle Disney's castle in Disneyland is modeled after. I was kinda bummed that the tower (which you can normally climb) was under construction, so we were unable to climb to the top and see the view. But otherwise, it was just amazing to be in the castle. So much of it is the original tapestry, furniture, wall carvings and decor, etc. We also got to see a little space where they were excavating some Roman ruins underneath. History is just so cool. To think that I stood in Queen Isabel's bedroom with the same bed she slept on.. and see the thrones that Kind Ferdinand and the Queen sat on. It's just unreal that history and those artifacts have been preserved for so long.

After the castle, we had some time to stop in a few shops - where I bought a scarf (among other things); and thank goodness I did, because later in the day we got caught in freezing rain/sleet. Then we met for lunch at a restaurant called Jose Maria where we got a taste of real local Segoviano flair. This included cochinillo which was delicious; and came with a fantastic ceremony. For desert we had the city specialty, Ponche Segoviano; just another delicious item to add to my long list of favorite comidas espanolas.

After lunch came the rain; cold, cold rain. So, of course, we had to go dodging shop to shop to stay warm and dry-ish. It was fun but my wallet might not have thought so. But I promise everything purchased was needed or a present for my favorite people. The real dilemma is... how the hell do I fit this stuff in my already overflowing suitcase? I did bring one of those duffel bags that zips up real tiny and then you can expand it when you need it. (Thanks, Debs!) The rest of our day kinda got botched, since we were supposed to have a walking tour up and around the Roman Aqueduct andddd because we were all wet and freezing we opted not to. So we get a little down time in the hotel room right now before we head downstairs to the bar and have some drinks and tapas!

time flies, but nothing changes

Today we had quite the day traveling from Toledo back to Madrid, from one train station to another, and then catching the train to Segovia. We had a slight "layover" in Madrid at the second station before our train came - about an hour. So I got in touch with mi hermano and he came to visit me at the station! It was so good to see a little piece of my Spanish home and spend time with him! It's been 4 1/2 years since I studied abroad, but all the sibling love was still there. It would've been cool to see mis padres, but they're all the way back in Ubeda and I think it'd probably be frowned upon if I took a little (quite a distance) detour from our scheduled route.

When we got to Segovia, we checked into the hotel, bundled up in our warmer clothes, and went exploring through town just to take in some sights. We walked around with no agenda and found some pretty awesome views. We also stumbled across the castle that inspired Walt Disney to build his castle at Disneyland. We'll actually tour it tomorrow. But the view from it is jaw dropping. There's beautiful green fields and also snow-capped mountains off in the background. And we were there at just the right time of the day that the sun was reflecting off everything just beautifully.

I promise there will be pictures soon! Hopefully, I can get the app on my phone and upload them from there. Well, it's after midnight here and we've got a busy day planned for tomorrow. Buenas Noches!

Toledo rhymes with potato

So the wifi here has been pretty unreliable and I'm writing this with one bar; hoping it will last till I hit the "publish" button. The flight here was alright - I didn't sleep as much as I wanted to, and when I finally decided that it was because my medicines were off (still on American time) and took them, I only had about 2 hours to sleep with an 8-10 hour pill that helps me sleep. So you can imagine the zombie I was while we got off the plane, hiked to customs and got our passports stamped, and went and found our luggage. Then we had about an hour/hour and a half to explore in Madrid before we had to get on the train to Toledo. We walked up and down a few streets and my former professor (who is leading this trip) makes a wonderful tour guide and is so knowledgeable about the history and cultures of each city. I passed out on the train to Toledo, which was only about a 30 minute drive. Once we made it to the hotel, we checked in and then had about 3 hours before meeting to walk around the city. You best bet I got a solid siesta in. Then we climbed mountains (literally) to get into the actual town part of Toledo. Goodness, it is gorgeous here. It makes me kind of sad we skipped coming here on my last trip for an extra day in Madrid. It just an ancient city that has beautiful architecture all around and was once the capitol of Spain and is basically built as a city in a fortress. The military academy is also here. It's a really cool building, too, although we haven't been that close.

Today we walked around a little this morning, just wandering and taking it in, and then we met the rest of our group at the Cathedral aka el gordo. Words literally can't describe the intricate details and quality of this ancient worship ground. I still can't believe it was all made by hand. It was pretty cool to be inside one of the most important churches in all of Spain. I suppose I will have to somehow upload pictures later; since I only brought my phone to take pictures on. Well, also my GoPro camera, but I still don't know how to use it. Probably should figure that out.

We are here until tomorrow morning, when we leave to go to Segovia. It is currently snowing in Segovia. I may be purchasing a winter coat here in the future, since we were all cold today and it is about 20 degrees warmer here. Oy vey.

I've gotten to eat some of my favorite foods, as well as try some new ones. Probably a good thing we have to walk so much! Anyways, it's officially siesta time, so I'm going to try and take advantage of what's left of it before we head out again. Basic summary: I still love Spain; I wish it was more summery and warm; and I like food, drinks, and sleep. Hasta luego!

see ya later, America!

We are currently sitting in the Atlanta airport killing an excruciating long amount of time before our flight to Madrid. I'm so ready to be there. Yesterday I was questioning if I even wanted to go and now I can't wait to be there. I've even been in contact with my host brother from my first trip today, and we are trying to figure out a way to meet up. It would be really cool to see him!

We got our itineraries and it looks like we'll be busy, but have plenty of time to explore. It's nice that everything has already been pre-booked for us by a travel agent for this trip. We don't have to worry about buying train tickets and making it on time and what not; because she's already done that! Everyone in our group seems to be friendly and I think we'll all have fun adventuring together.

I'm sure the plan ride will be a wonderful nap for me, and then when we arrive it will be 8:15 on Friday morning in Spain and we'll have a day of travel and leisure ahead of us.  I realized I need this trip for so many reasons right now. I can't wait to see even more of this beautiful country and acknowledge that the world is so much bigger than me or my problems; and that our Creator is amazing. Amazing for so many reasons. For the different countries and cultures, for providing me with this opportunity, for giving me a glimpse of sunshine in a world of darkness.

The Days Are Dwindling

It's hard to believe that a week from now I'll be embarking to the great land of España for a much needed 10 day get away. In typical Sarah fashion, I have about 3 items packed: my passport, my wallet with Euros, and my outlet conversion set. At least I have the important stuff, right? Kinda? I've been meaning to look up the weather, although I would imagine it is very similar to what we are experiencing here, since the latitude is about the same. I am starting to get anxious about little things. First, I'm going with a group of 20 strangers. Granted, on the last trip I didn't know anyone and we became super tight knit. Somehow I think this will be just a little bit different. But it's a great challenge for someone who experiences social anxiety to not only be in a new country, but to have to open up to a group of people you don't know. However, I know we'll be seeing so many fascinating sights and I'll be so immersed in taking in the culture again that I probably won't even notice!

I know this is weird, but sometimes I get homesick for Úbeda and Spain. The simpler life. The welcoming kindness of the people, and their patience with my broken Spanish. And of course the drinks and food. I know that this trip will be different, as we'll be traveling a lot and I won't have the consistency of my family to go home to. Oh, what I'd do to climb those stairs and walk in that door again. I'm hoping that Daniel will be able to meet up with us somewhere. I'd love to see Luis and Dori, but we will be decently far away from home, and obviously work and taking care of the house has to be done. (Remember, don't be barefoot in the house!)

I still have A LOT of things to get in order within the next week, but I know I could go there with just the clothes on my back and still be happy.

Mi Familia Española (2011 - it's been FIVE years, holy smokes) 

I'm Baaaacccckkkk

Guess what!? The blog has been reactivated. I'm going to Spain again! I'm super excited and can't wait to explore different parts of the country! Once again, I spontaneously decided that yes, I should join in on a group trip that was taking place with one of my favorite UNCW professors. This trip we will be visiting Toledo, Segovia, Sevilla, and Barcelona! Of all those places, I've just been to one and we weren't there for long. Here's the part that kinda sucks: I have to wait 6 months to go on this trip. I know it'll fly by, but right now it seems like so long. I've been planning to possibly go to Spain this coming summer anyways, just because I miss it so much! However, in my head I had this big ole Eurotrip planned - 2 things wrong with that: I have no money, and I would be a single female traveling alone in countries where I don't speak their language. So when I saw this opportunity I knew I couldn't pass it up. I know my Spanish is way rusty - it hasn't been used much since the last time I was in Spain, but hopefully with some good Spanish wine in my system, it'll come right back. My intentions are to also blog about this trip, too, so those of you following along can keep up with our adventures. I'm just so, so, so, so, so excited right now! (Just don't tell my bank account yet)


And here is a map of Spain for those of you who have no idea where these places are.