THE WRAP UP...

My bad. I got back over a week ago and never started/finished the final blog. It's been a big week since I last checked in:
I am now a Fres-yes resident. My last night in the 1st street house was the 31st. So I've spent the time packing, cleaning, moving, cleaning, stuffing a storage unit full of stuff (probably beyond capacity), cleaning, and tried to get settled. Then I got a call to work a temporary job back up in the bay area so I'm sitting in Pleasant Hill, near Concord (yay Chu!), waiting for all te technical stuff to get set up. Luckily this is giving me a chance to finish my last update. What is it saying that I have to go to work to get a break long enough to update my blog. Odd...

So here we go back to my flight on July 24th. We were slightly delayed leaving Madrid, but no more than an hour. It wasn't a big deal for me because I had a 6-hour layover in Atlanta so I wasn't freaking out like everyone else. I sat next to a woman who worked for the FBI and had been stationed in Madrid. She had interesting stories but also knew when to stop talking. She was the perfect seat-mate!!

After the jetlag from my ride to Madrid, 6 hours "naps" in the middle of the day, I was determined to do better. My plan was simple: don't sleep until I got home. That meant staying awake from 2am-midnight California time. I was able to stay awake the whole MAD-ATL flight and kept myself busy walking around and making phone calls during my layover. During this time I got to rediscover how my phone works! I forgot my email automatically updates, was excited to make a non-skype phone call, and loved downloading podcasts with no Internet connection. It was a small thing, but was funny to see what I had forgotten already!

Oh yeah, back to landing in Atlanta and even just boarding a U.S. bound plane. It was crazy how I suddenly understood all the conversations people were having around me...and a little irritating. I got through customs in about an hour with no problems or random searches. While people were calm for the most part there was this energy in the room that hinted at the panic just below the surface. This was especially apparent during the last stop when people dropped their bags off for the next flight, nothing more than throwing it onto a pile to be whipped off to who knows where, and quickly ushered into different lines. People got separated and did the half-walk/run thing. I felt like cattle being led to the slaughter house. Luckily we were just being delivered to the U.S.! :) After I made it through the last checkpoint I had a huge wave of emotions roll over me: relief, joy, and so many more.

Back to my plan and the ATL-SFO flight. We loaded up and were also delayed, but I didn't care because I was going home!!! At this point nothing really bothered me, except hearing all the words/conversations!! I'm better now but seriously, we talk a lot!! :)
We loaded up and I made my way to my seat which was occupied by a tween girl. She was trying to swoop on my window seat!! I let her know that was my seat and got ready for the last leg of my trip. I have to admit that I did fall asleep a few different times on this flight, but it wasn't on purpose. It was one of those head nodding, fighting sleep movements that toddlers and babies do. Eventually the sleep won, but not for long. Overall I think I did a pretty good job!

I landed in SF a little before midnight with a huge smile on my face. I walked down to collect my bag and was greeted by Sonet who was holding a "welcom 2 amurica" sign!! It totally caught me off and guard made me laugh. We got my bag, she was impressed that I was able to lift that sucker and put it on my back, and went outside. Maria, Pepper, and Peanut were all waiting for me. The crew!

I hadn't had much to eat all day so I convinced them to go to El Grullense for some Mexican food!! Yes!!! It was fantastic. Then we went back and I crashed. I woke up and hit the ground running. We had a moving BBQ on Saturday. I had brunch with Mom and Sally on Sunday. Went to Merced for the birthday celebration on Tuesday and then moved out Friday. Luckily my plan seemed to work. I haven't had to take any naps or passed out at random hours.

Overall I'm really glad I took the trip. I learned a lot about myself and about you guys. I was pleasantly surprised by the support and feedback I got from so many of you. I loved seeing new places and visiting sites I'd only seen on TV/movies or read about. Meeting new, incredibly random people just added that much more to the experience. I would do it again in a heartbeat!

People have asked me what city or place was my favorite to visit but it's really hard to narrow it down to just one thing. Some of my highlights include:
Paris at night
Madrid's winding streets
The amazing history of Rome
Getting lost in Venice
My night at the Nice train station
Hitting the beaches
The beautiful train rides
Walking more than I have ever walked in my life just because I could!

And...coming home to realize how much I appreciate where I come from, despite all our problems, and love the people in my life.

Thanks for taking the time to follow me on my journey. Look for the blog
for my next trip as soon as I find a job to support this new habit!!

Until next time...

Yay!

Just landed at SFO. More info to follow tomorrow but just wanted you to know I landed safely!
Good night!!

The longest day ever...

Maybe not ever, but pretty close since I get an extra 9 hours...most of which (all??) will be in an airport or airplane. The good news: I'm in Atlanta!!! You probably figured that out by the previous two posts, but I thought I should make it official. My flight from Madrid was uneventful. I sat next to a woman who works for the FBI and had been working in Spain for the last month. We talked at first, but she has good plane manners so we went back to our own little worlds. I am pretty sure I watched 4 1/2 movies on the flight. Add that to all the movies I watched on the way to Madrid and I just about exhausted their movie selections.
I got into Atlanta at 3:15, Atlanta time, and got through customs in about an hour with no major problems. Right now I have about an hour before my flight leaves so I have to run so I can hit up a bathroom and some dinner before boarding. But: I'm back in the U.S.!!!!! Who knew I liked this place so much?!?
Gotta run! I land at SFO at about 11:20pm. Yay!!!

Madrid the 2nd time around

I got into Madrid a little after noon and found my hostel quickly. It was nice enough, but they sure know how to stuff the bunkbeds in a room. I was in a 6-bed room and ended up on the bottom bunk. I went to sit on it and realized that this was the shortest bunkbed in existence...to the best of my knowledge. ;) I sat on the matress and the top bunk touched the top of my shoulders. I laid down in my cave/coffin and realized there was less than 3-feet of space between my bed and the bunk above. I know this because I stacked one foot on top of the other and almost touched the top bunk. Nothing like a funky finish! I spent the rest of the day walking the city, napping, and getting ready for my dinner with Pedro.
Dinner with Pedro was definitely a highlight for me. I got to try some tapas dishes I never would have ordered on my own, including oxtail, and got to enjoy a fun conversation over drinks and dinner. This was a stark contrast to dinner the night before. We ate dinner, then headed to a nearby bar that had a 3rd floor terrace that overlooked one of the plazas. At 12:30 I was a punk and chose bed over going to the next spot!! I really wanted to rally, but Madrid nights are still out of my league! When I told Pedro I was tired and couldn't hang, he laughed and said "And it's only a Wednesday!" Ill be ready for him next time!
Thursday was my last full day in Madrid, and really of my trip. I decided it was time to shop! I wouldn't have to lug my bag around any more so it was time to go souvenir crazy!! Shopping is hard work. Especially if you are looking for stuff that isn't too touristy but not in English. I found a lot of the same brands of clothing we have, which makes sense, but can be frustrating if you are looking for Spanish writing. I ended up finding everything on my list, but it literally took all day.
I was excited for my flight and decided it was a good idea to pack most of my stuff the night before so I started to put my souvenirs away. Then I saw one of those security tags that squirt ink all over if you tamper with it. Perfect! It was already after 7, so I walked as fast as I could without looking crazy to see if the store was still open. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to get it taken off and would have to start a new trend of wearing shirts with these tags. Luckily for you and everyone else who wouldve started to wear these tags, it was still open. They remove it and I headed back to pack.
My plan for the rest of the night: pack, skype, perubian food(suggested by Pedro), and finish with Harry Potter. Good plan, right?!? I was skyping when I said my plan out loud. My roommate, Simone, almost had a heart attack! Simone and I met the day before. She is from England and testing herself with a 6-week solo trip before "going off to Uni." (Please make sure all of her quotes are read with an English accent. Thanks) :) She just finished her first week and a half, and said she was getting homesick. We bonded over travelling alone and talked about where we had been so far. She just came back from the music festival that many of the people I came across in the hostels had just come from. It included four days of music, camping, and partying. There was also the added bonus of a storm in the area which resulted in some really strong wind. She said it made her nervous in her little tent as she realized "I'm quite light!" (Did you add the English accent??) I had invited her to dinner earlier in the day, but I think the mention of Harry Potter sealed the deal! We headed to the restaurant, which ended up being really close.
It was completely empty when we got there, which made me nervous. Why was it so empty?!? As it turned out the food was great!! We both really enjoyed our dishes. I even did the happy dance. :) We were on a tight timeline so we started to walk to the theater. We got there 10 minutes after the start time, so we missed a few minutes of the movie but dinner was completely worth it. As an added bonus the movie was in English with Spanish subtitles!! Yes!!!
We laughed, cried (ok, maybe not cried but close), and headed back to the hostel. We were the last to get back to the room so I had to sleep in what I had in again...plus, I already packed everything and it wasn't really worth the effort!
Sleep was a little elusive. I think it was a combination of the heat, squeaky bed, recalling what I experienced over the past three weeks, and the excitement of going home. I woke up before my alarm. Showered and grabbed some free breakfast. Then caught the metro to the airport.
I have a master plan for the day. I leave at 2am Pacific time and get in at 11pm. I am trying to keep from sleeping on the flights or during my 6 hour layover in Atlanta so I'll crash out when I get home, which will hopefully help put me back on Cali time. We'll see how it goes, but I think it's brilliant!! ;)

Last day in Valencia and on to Madrid!!

When I decide to go on a walk, I really go!!! When I made the decision to walk from my hostel to the beach, it didn't look like it would take very long. I'm not sure why I thought it was a good idea to start my walk during th hottest part of the day, but I did. After a few wrong turns and a lot of walking, I reached the beach (1 1/2+ hours later...it might have been longer but I stopped carrying a watch). It was totally worth it. The sand was soft, which was a welcome change after the rocks of Nice and the rougher sand of Barcelona, and the water was warm with small, gentle waves. I laid on the beach for a few hours, my sunburn wasn't nearly as red today, until dark clouds started to block the sun. I waded out in the water to wash off the sand, but couldn't stay too long because my bags were still on the beach.
I decided that walking one way was good enough for me and took the metro back. I think it was a good decision because it started to sprinkle as soon as I got to the station.
Oh wait...going back to my walk. Valencia has this cool park that cuts through the middle of the city, sort of like Golden Gate Park but not as wide. This is where I saw the fair and the path I took to the beach. As you walk along the park it takes you to the cuidad de artes y ciencias (I think I spelled it correctly) which is crazy-cool to walk by. The buildings are modern in design and really stick out from the rest of the city's architecture. It's difficult to describe what it looks like, and I failed you all by not taking a picture (I planned to take it on my walk back when it was lit up at night, but now you know I got lazy and forgot about those plans) so you'll just have to use google images. It's worth it...very cool!
So I hit up the Metro and headed back to my room at the hostal. I'm actually really thankful I had the room to myself. I was able to relax in a way that's harder to do with the shared, cramped hostel rooms. (FYI: hostel- shared rooms; hostal- private rooms but probably a bathroom down the hall). I took a shower and a nap, then headed out to eat. This hostal was right in the middle of all the action, so close that I went to a restaurant only two doors down for dinner!
It was a Cuban restaurant, but offerred the "typical" Valencian cuisine. I tried to order some Cuban food, but the waiter suggested the menu of the day which included paella valenciana, which is paella with chicken/beef/pork (one orall of those...hard to tell) instead of seafood. The meal was really enjoyable, but it was extra-lonely for some reason. Maybe it was the fact that he sandwiched me between two groups of people and a couple, all of whom kept staring at me out the corner of their eyes. Or it could be the flower guy, who seems to be outing guilt trips on men to buy flowers in every city, who cut to the chase and gave the guys at the table next to me a hard time for letting me sit by myself while I tried to wave him away. Thanks dude. My favorite part is when they realize you are sitting by yourself and pick up the table settings for all the other seats, bringing a little more attention to the fact that you are rolling solo. Any way, the meal was good even if I felt like I was in the spotlight. Oh crap! I almost forgot the best part!!!
So, the service was slow but that's not really abnormal. I think we just rush more in general in the U.S. I was waiting for dessert but enjoying watching the cook. I was able to see directly into the kitchen so I could see how much she used the microwave, when my food was ready compared to when it got picked up, all that good stuff. So, I was watching and waiting when I thought I saw a bug crawling on the ceiling above her. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. Then it fell down onto the working surface. I know this because the waiter grabbed the bottle it was now on and jerked it away from the food, then stomped. I started laughing. I was already done with my meal, and I'm pretty sure I just witnessed a kamikaze cockroach attack!! Under any other circumstance I would have been freaking out. Instead, I laughed and knew I would have to tell you guys about it. I can't believe I almost forgot!!!
After my meal I headed to the bar across the street that had a street sign advertising the WNBA game that would be playing at 11pm. After my dinner I wanted to see if I could find some bball fans so I headed that way. Unfortunately, I was the only fan there! I watched the first half then headed back to pack and get ready to head to Madrid in the a.m.
I woke up in time to grab a coffee and catch my train. There was open seating so I plopped down in one of the window seats. There was another movie on this train, so I got the watch the latest Brendan Fraiser Curse of the Mummy movie in Spanish. I also made sure to make my way to the food car so I could say I ate in one of those on my trip. It might have only been a pastry, but it still counts!! When I returned to my seat an older woman had swooped on my spot. I didn't really know what to do, my backpack was in the luggage rack above the seat, so I sat next to her. She asked if she was in my seat, I said it was fine I just sat there because of my backpack, and she took this as an invitation to start talking for the rest of the train ride. She was actually really interesting: she lived in many different countries when she was younger including the U.S., had very liberal views (talked about socialism vs. communism and how Americans freak out over both terms), which of course led to the Bush vs. Obama conversation, which makes me really glad I waited until Bush was out of office to travel, and then she finished by talking about her grandkids. Then she touched my face, twice, telling me how sweet I am and disappeared towards the train platform. Out of habit I touched my pockets...just in case she was a super-slick pickpocket. :) I was clear and, as it turned out, back in Madrid. I got off the train and headed to the last hostel of my trip!

Valencia

I just have to tell you I'm really excited! I'm actually blogging about the city I'm actually in for the first time in about a week! I'm all caught up!!!

I got into Valencia two nights ago, and have one more to go. I arrived in Valencia a little after 9pm and headed to the hostel, Purple Nest. I hopped on the metro and was only two stops away. I walked up the steps and stumbled onto some sort of fair. There was a ferris wheel, screaming kids, and the smell of fair-foods. I was so distracted and caught off guard I started walking towards it. Then I remembered I had to check in before they gave my room away, so I refocused and followed my directions. I hope to go visit the fair to tonight though. I want to see how everything compares to what we do.
Valencia is beautiful at night. You can tell they have spent a lot of money to highlight their parks and historical buildings, and it really shows. Everything is lit up, including the many fountains scattered across the city. I almost go lost, but asked for directions this time (I'm learning!) and was only a few blocks from the hostel. I checked in, took a shower, and called it a night.
I woke up and realized my skin was itchy and a little sore. As some of you already know thanks to Facebook, I pulled the ultimate white girl move and got a little crispy at the beach yesterday. The places that were most affected are the ones that haven't really seen any daylight for the past 5 years: the back of my thighs and my lower back. Now I had a mission: continue my toiletry tour and purchase sun screen and aloe vera. I'm still going to the beach dang it!! I also contiued to search for glue (pegamento). I found a farmacia and bought a small container of aloe vera, but should have waited for the grocery store. I bought sunscreen and twice the amount of aloe vera for about the same price. Oh well, now I'll be nice and hydrated. Then I started my search for glue. I asked serveral store owners who directed me (derecha y.....) to the mysterious papeleria store, which I never found. I did find a hardware store that sold all-purpose glue that would work for paper. It smells and is much stronger than I need, but now I can keep working on my journal.
Victorious, I returned to the hostel, retrieved my journal, applied aloe vera and sunscreen then headed to the park. I worked on my journal for the next hour while sitting by/on one the fountains. After that I ate a picnic lunch I bought at the grocery store earlier: bread and an apple. Yum! :)
I returned to the hostel and took a little siesta, only an hour this time, then went to get some coins for the laundry room. When I heard they had a laundry room, I thought there would be 5+ washers and dryers. Wrong. There was one washer and one dryer along with stacks of clothes holding places for people waiting. Sweet. Instead of doing laundry I went down to blog and get caught up. I returned to the laundry closet around 6:30, determined to get a spot. I pushed my way in, and jumped in front of a guy trying to swoop in front of me, but managed to get it in there. For the next two hours I did laundry. Boring right? But really important to have clean underwear people. :)
I finished up laundry and packed, I had to switch hostels in the morning, then headed out at about 9:30 in search of food.
I didn't take a map. I figured I would just walk around and keep track of where I went. Plus, if you just follow the flow of traffic you will usually find something cool. It totally worked! I walked to the Plaza de la Reina which had a church and fountain that was all lit up and had several restaurants with patio seating. I went for the gelato instead. :) I decided
to skip dinner but walked by a Chinese restaurant and got curious. So I stepped inside to order Chinese food off a Spanish menu. :) The food was tasty and I got to watch a soccer game. What more could I ask for?!?
At about midnight I headed back to the room. For the first time I wasn't the first person in bed. Yes!!!! I took a much needed shower then climbed into bed. I slept hard and fast, the woke up at 9 this morning. It's my last full day in Valencia before my train leaves. I go dressed ad ready to check out, turned in my key, then worked on the Barcelona blog.
After that I went in search of my new hostel for the night. I have my own room tonight. Not by choice, it's more expensive, but I'm sort of glad it was my only option. The cool thing is I totally walked down these streets last night, almost ate on the exact street the hostel is on, so I feel lik I sort of know my way around already.
When I went to check in there was a dog, maybe 8-9 months old, laying by the check in desk. She was super sweet and made me miss my pups a lot!! My room wasn't ready so I dropped my bag and headed to the central market. It is their farmers market, but bigger and with fish, meat, veggies, everything. I thought it would be cool to check out, but on a warm day like today the smell was overwhelming. I walked
in there for a very long 2 minutes then had to leave before I threw up. :(
Now I'm sitting in a coffee shop, eating breakfast and planning my day. I want to walk down to the beach and by the buildings called the city of art and sciences. I think it'll be a great way to spend the afternoon!
Time to get going. I've burnt enough daylight catchin you fools up! :)
I'll check back in soon, especially now that I'm all caught up.
And....I'll be home Friday!!!

Barcelona

The view from the 3rd floor terrace where I ate breakfast at the hostel.

The view from the beach, looking back at Barcelona.

You had to cross the train tracks to go into a tiny little store to buy the metro/train ticket back. If you look close you can see the people crossing before the next train arrives.


I crashed out pretty hard on the train, which was nice. We all laid around, not much choice since th beds stay down, and relaxed until the train pulled up. I've noticed that usually when a train pulls up to it's last stop it cuts the power or air conditioning or has an announcement saying we have arrived. Not this time, which left everyone a little confused. I saw a lot of people leaving and asked the sisters if this was our stop. They had no idea and when I stepped out of the room the people next door looked equally confused. I stepped outside and tracked down one of the porters and yes, this was our stop. Everyone started to roll out and I grabbed my bag to begin my hostel search.
Every time I go to a new city I try to track the hostel down first. Even if I can't check it yet it helps me to feel like I know where I am and helps me to orient myself. Luckily the website I've been using to hook hostels generates good directions and I've been able to find every place fairly easily so far (knocking on wood).
I was block from the hostel, yes I was being brave trying a hostel again but this time I booked a female room, and stopped into a cafe/bar. I ordered a coffee and a selection of super sweet pastries. They tasted like they had all been soaked in honey for the past two weeks. Thankfully the coffee was pretty bitter so the two items offset each other nicely. :) I sipped on coffee and wrote in my journal for the next hour. The radio was tuned to a station playing a lot of American music, which was nice...sort of like being home.
The waitress was young, probably in her early twenties. We talked but my broken Spanish and her limited English kept us from talking to much. We were able to talk about how long I'd been traveling and where I am from. A Pitbull song came on, "1,2,3,4. Uno, dos, tres, quatro..." and she started to sing along. It made me smile. Songs are catchy regardless of the language! I even caughther humming it later I started laughing and told her it was stuck in my head too.
I finally burned enough time and went to check in at the hostel. I paid and was about to go when she asked if I had any dollars on me. Of course! I traded a dollar for a euro (I'm totally getting the better end of this deal thanks to the weak US$!) and I gave her one of the new quarters. She looked excited and thanked me. This is this second time I've traded out currency with someone. It's fun to do and I will always bring extra dollars when I travel from now on!
I walked the block to th hostel and checked in. This place was much nicer than the last hostel and I was the only one who had checked in so far. AND there was Internet in the room!! I decided to stay put and catch up on blogs, phone calls, and let my feet and body recover. I was only in Barcelon for two days but was really comfortable and excited with my decision to rest.
I left the room twice that day. Once in search of glue. I've been keeping a journal and pasting ticket stubs and other stuff in it but ran out of glue (my bad for going with the skinny glue stick). I have been looking in grocery stores, pretty much since I reached Italy but havenet found anything yet. I went to the little mini mart across from the hostel to ask of they had glue. Describing glue when you don't know the word in Spanish or the word for sticky, is...entertaining. I think they thought I was crazy. And they also thought I was talking about food. The next store reacted the same way. I thought for sure that saying papel or libro and acting out the gluing motion (whatver that is!!!) would do the job. Defeated but thoroughly entertained, I returned to my room. I looked up the word on my phone, so I'm prepared for the next opportunity!
My next outing was in search of food. This area closed down pretty early on Saturday but I was able to stop into one place for some paella. The waiter (owner?) was great. Very polite and hooked me up! I wasn't very hungry so only ordered paella and a glass of white wine. An order of croquettes, olives, and two glasses of wine later my bill came, 13.50€. He hooked it up big time. The paella itself was 16€ on the menu!!! I walked to two blocks to the hostel and went to sleep; it was already midnight.
I woke up the next morning and had to check out of my hostel, but my train didn't leave until 6, so me and my backpack headed to the beach. The woman at the ticket counter directed me to the best beach so I took the metro/train over. When I got to the beach I had a plan in mind. My theft prevention system, my backpacks rain cover, was already activated so I threw my pack down on the sand and started to dig like I knew what I was doing. I dug out a hole and put my pack in. I turned my monster pack from an obstacle and obligation to a first class, padded lounge chair. I felt like a genius!!! I laid on the beach for the next 2-3 hours listening to music and This American Life podcasts. I watched people and enjoyed the view. I didn't go in the water though. It was too far from my bag and I didn't want to risk anything walking away. It was a great way to enjoy my last day in Barcelona.
I feel like I didn't give Barcelona everything I could have. I didn't go see the Gaudi buildings, which looked amazing in the postcards, or check out Olympic Park. I guess I'll just have to come back and visit again. I was happy with my day of rest and my beach trip!! :)
I made my way over to the train station to head to Valencia, my last stop before heading back to Madrid to catch my flight home. This was te first station where I had to put my bags through an x-ray machine, so it seemed like they had over the top security measures. :) Maybe they are a hold over from the Olympics.
The train ride to Valencia was beautiful. Most of it was along the coast, which was accompanied by a picturesque landscape full of castles, churches, beautiful green valleys and mountains, and old buildings. Very cool train ride. Plus, I got to watch "Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa" in Spanish. Double bonus!!
Back tracking to Barcelona for a second. I really enjoyed the city. It felt safer than Rome, despite being known for having a pickpocket problem. It had nice parks, good lighting, and just had a great energy. I would definitely go back.
I arrived in Valencia a little after 9pm, my last stop off before rolling home. My plan is to lay on the beach, eat, roll over, and repeat!
I'll check in with you soon.
B