August 17 9:40 pm
I've been back in the states 3 days now. It's almost like I never left. Things went pretty quickly back to how they were before I left. It's strange though, almost like I was in a coma for 2 months. It was like a long, beautiful, wonderful dream, but I missed 2 months of my friends' and family's lives. Yet no one seems to notice that but me.
So now what? Life, I suppose. Whatever that means. Work, maybe eventually my Master's. I just can't escape the feeling that I am meant to do something important. We are supposed to use our natural gifts right? Okay so mix empathy, communication, passion, determination.... and what do you get? No, seriously, it's not rhetorical. What do you get? The path that once seemed so clear and straight-forward has led me to an 8-way intersection with no map.
I guess all I can do is pick a road and go for it. Maybe I will end up back-tracking later but I can't just sit here and do nothing at all.
It's time to seize life and stop trying to plan and predict everything.
Look out world here I come!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Journal Entry August 13th 7:15 am
August 13 7:15 am
Well I got up on time, even with only 4 hours of sleep. I don't know if Owen was home when I left even. It made me a bit sad and relieved that I wasn't going to say goodbye to him. I struggled down to the bus station with my bags and walked right up to a taxi and asked for help. I felt so brave. Now I'm in the cab listening to Moon River and watching birds rising to flight in a plaza. It would be the perfect ending to a romantic movie, except that I'm alone. lol
8:21 am
I just realized a couple things. One, that was, I'm pretty sure, my first taxi ride! Two, I'm super hungry. Time for some super expensive, not that good, airport food!
11:00 am (Michigan Time)
I'm back in North America! The second in flight movie just finished, so I opened the shade and saw Canada! We are over Labrador, I think. Talk about world geography! The coolest views of Earth are from above definately! Seeing erosion patterns and land forms, mountains, rivers, lakes, beaches... from this high up amazes me every time! I guess I am the daughter of a science teacher. lol We should be in NYC in about 2 hours.
4:01 pm
Made it to NYC. I really must look like a typical innocent American girl, granted I am one, because I never get stopped for security stuff. I guess I just don't look like a trouble-maker, again that would be an accurate statement as well. I am super anxious to get to Chicago and find Mom and Dad. I can feel the lack of sleep and time change stating to catch up with me. Too bad I need to keep myself up until we get all the way home, to help reschedule my body. Mom and Dad said they may be late to get me in Chicado, I just wish I knew approximately how late.
Well I got up on time, even with only 4 hours of sleep. I don't know if Owen was home when I left even. It made me a bit sad and relieved that I wasn't going to say goodbye to him. I struggled down to the bus station with my bags and walked right up to a taxi and asked for help. I felt so brave. Now I'm in the cab listening to Moon River and watching birds rising to flight in a plaza. It would be the perfect ending to a romantic movie, except that I'm alone. lol
8:21 am
I just realized a couple things. One, that was, I'm pretty sure, my first taxi ride! Two, I'm super hungry. Time for some super expensive, not that good, airport food!
11:00 am (Michigan Time)
I'm back in North America! The second in flight movie just finished, so I opened the shade and saw Canada! We are over Labrador, I think. Talk about world geography! The coolest views of Earth are from above definately! Seeing erosion patterns and land forms, mountains, rivers, lakes, beaches... from this high up amazes me every time! I guess I am the daughter of a science teacher. lol We should be in NYC in about 2 hours.
4:01 pm
Made it to NYC. I really must look like a typical innocent American girl, granted I am one, because I never get stopped for security stuff. I guess I just don't look like a trouble-maker, again that would be an accurate statement as well. I am super anxious to get to Chicago and find Mom and Dad. I can feel the lack of sleep and time change stating to catch up with me. Too bad I need to keep myself up until we get all the way home, to help reschedule my body. Mom and Dad said they may be late to get me in Chicado, I just wish I knew approximately how late.
Journal Entry August 12th 9:14 pm
August 12 9:14 pm
Well today is my real last day in Barcelona. I went down to Port Olympic, the beach, Torre Agbar, and Sagrada Familia to take pictures and say goodbye to the city. And in traditional fashion it is now raining like crazy.
I now wish I could just go to sleep so tomorrow morning will come sooner. Yet I'm not ready for tomorrow to come either. I need to finish packing and make sure I have all of my stuff. But if I finish packing then I am really going home and the adventure's over, and that's hard to believe. Despite its difficulties I've learned a lot and grown a lot too during this trip.
Well today is my real last day in Barcelona. I went down to Port Olympic, the beach, Torre Agbar, and Sagrada Familia to take pictures and say goodbye to the city. And in traditional fashion it is now raining like crazy.
I now wish I could just go to sleep so tomorrow morning will come sooner. Yet I'm not ready for tomorrow to come either. I need to finish packing and make sure I have all of my stuff. But if I finish packing then I am really going home and the adventure's over, and that's hard to believe. Despite its difficulties I've learned a lot and grown a lot too during this trip.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Journal Entry August 11 7:10 pm
August 11 7:10 pm
Well I didn't go to Tarragona today because I got up and moving so late. I did go down to the beach Owen recommended. I lay on the beach reading for a couple hours and then came home because it got cloudy. After rinsing off and changing I went down to the Locutori to print off my itenerary for my flight. I asked for a computer, asked how to print, and paid all in Spanish! Woohoo! Hurray for Chicken Little Stacy! HaHaHaHa
Well I didn't go to Tarragona today because I got up and moving so late. I did go down to the beach Owen recommended. I lay on the beach reading for a couple hours and then came home because it got cloudy. After rinsing off and changing I went down to the Locutori to print off my itenerary for my flight. I asked for a computer, asked how to print, and paid all in Spanish! Woohoo! Hurray for Chicken Little Stacy! HaHaHaHa
Journal Entry August 10 10:32 am
August 10 10:32 am
Currently in silent giggles listening to Owen talking to the cat. I got up at 7:30 this morning and went down to Dan & Luna's apartment and got one of my bags. I'm hoping to go back at noon and get the other one. Then I will have two days to organize my stuff before I leave.
I helped a guy at the Metro Station on my way there, warm-fuzzies again! He was definately not from around here, he thought I was Spanish! Haha
Currently in silent giggles listening to Owen talking to the cat. I got up at 7:30 this morning and went down to Dan & Luna's apartment and got one of my bags. I'm hoping to go back at noon and get the other one. Then I will have two days to organize my stuff before I leave.
I helped a guy at the Metro Station on my way there, warm-fuzzies again! He was definately not from around here, he thought I was Spanish! Haha
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Journal Entry Aug 7 11:05 pm
August 7 11:05 pm
Today had to be the craziest day I've had in Barcelona, and I didn't even leave the building I live in! It started very normally, I chilled on the couch with the cat, went online, took a shower, and then started some laundry. That's when the mayhem began.
The line to the hot water heater burst. It sent water pouring everywhere! I searched like crazy for the shut off but couldn't find it. I grabbed towels and started soaking it up and put bowls under where it was flowing off the counter. But that wasn't enough it started spreading across the kitchen floor into the hallway and the bedrooms. I ran around picking up everything off of the floor and unplugging the microwave and toaster and every electronic that could potentially get wet and start a fire.
Then I ran around the building knocking on doors but no one answered, so I called my roomate, who also didn't answer. Finally I caught a woman who was going up the stairs and in terrible Spanish explained what happened. She searched for the shutoff but couldn't find it either so she called the fire department. My roommate texted asking why I had called, and, trying my best not to panic, I told him the apartment was flooding and I couldn't stop it. Poor Owen ran all the way home, did a mad search and found the shutoff (outside the bathroom window)!
So the water stopped but most of the apartment was covered in an inch of water. So we spent an hour soaking it up with towels and blankets and wringing them out over and over. It was exhausting, then in the middle of the cleanup the firemen came and we had to try to explain what happened (again terrible Spanish) the finish cleaning. I'm afraid the wood floor will be ruined though, it sat and soaked in for quiet a while.
Well I survived the crisis without being injured or having a panic attack so I'd say I did well. haha As Owen said, "I don't know whether I'm gonna laugh or cry." I decided I won't do either I will just write about it and be glad it's over.
Today had to be the craziest day I've had in Barcelona, and I didn't even leave the building I live in! It started very normally, I chilled on the couch with the cat, went online, took a shower, and then started some laundry. That's when the mayhem began.
The line to the hot water heater burst. It sent water pouring everywhere! I searched like crazy for the shut off but couldn't find it. I grabbed towels and started soaking it up and put bowls under where it was flowing off the counter. But that wasn't enough it started spreading across the kitchen floor into the hallway and the bedrooms. I ran around picking up everything off of the floor and unplugging the microwave and toaster and every electronic that could potentially get wet and start a fire.
Then I ran around the building knocking on doors but no one answered, so I called my roomate, who also didn't answer. Finally I caught a woman who was going up the stairs and in terrible Spanish explained what happened. She searched for the shutoff but couldn't find it either so she called the fire department. My roommate texted asking why I had called, and, trying my best not to panic, I told him the apartment was flooding and I couldn't stop it. Poor Owen ran all the way home, did a mad search and found the shutoff (outside the bathroom window)!
So the water stopped but most of the apartment was covered in an inch of water. So we spent an hour soaking it up with towels and blankets and wringing them out over and over. It was exhausting, then in the middle of the cleanup the firemen came and we had to try to explain what happened (again terrible Spanish) the finish cleaning. I'm afraid the wood floor will be ruined though, it sat and soaked in for quiet a while.
Well I survived the crisis without being injured or having a panic attack so I'd say I did well. haha As Owen said, "I don't know whether I'm gonna laugh or cry." I decided I won't do either I will just write about it and be glad it's over.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Journal Entry August 6 8:52 pm
Aug 6 8:52 pm
To summarize my day is quite simple. Today I took a shower, went to the market, watched movies online, ate Brunner (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner all combined) and hung around the empty apartment talking to a couple of cats.
Their names are Charlie and Principal. One is big, fat and fluffy with a superiority complex but a weakness for meat. The other is an anorexic short hair, who plays like a little kid but refuses to snuggle. Cats are the same everywhere. You couldn't guess a Spanish cat from an American one.
To summarize my day is quite simple. Today I took a shower, went to the market, watched movies online, ate Brunner (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner all combined) and hung around the empty apartment talking to a couple of cats.
Their names are Charlie and Principal. One is big, fat and fluffy with a superiority complex but a weakness for meat. The other is an anorexic short hair, who plays like a little kid but refuses to snuggle. Cats are the same everywhere. You couldn't guess a Spanish cat from an American one.
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