Tomorrow.

Micks comes to Spain.

I can't wait to rediscover the beauty of Spain in a new way with my mom.

I'm so lucky!

June 18.

Europe to USA.
officially.
Even though it's hard for me to picure life past here&now. Sometimes it feels like it has always been this way, and will always carry on this way...
But, it's calendar'ed.
And comforting to know there's some sort of 'endpoint' / new beginning in my future.

Some Photos, Finally.

the group.

After a 5 hr bus journey, (filled with games of MASH and risque Spanish films...), a group of friends and I landed in Salamanca. Besides the the young vibe offered by the oldest university in Spain, or the generosity in tapas served free with a drink... my favorite part of this excursion was uncovering historical Spain in a new way. A tour of the old uni, finding luck in the frog statue, and participating in the traditional Spanish fiesta/siesta mindset is the only way to fully live the experience of Sala. Mission accomplished.

(One more, bc I couldnt resist. And Laura will appreciate? :)

Listening.

¨Give a little time for the child within you,

don't be afraid to be young and free.

Undo the locks and throw away the keys,

and take off your shoes and socks, and run you,

la... la... la...

Run through the meadow and scare up the milking cows,

Run down the beach kicking clouds of sand...

Walk a windy weather day, feel your face blow away

Stop and listen: Love you.¨

- ¨Love you¨ by: Free Design -

Weekend Line-Up

Time is passing fast.

The weather is finally perfect.

This can only mean one thing: Travel.

After hours (on paid internet), I finally have trips planned for every weekend until I leave. (And should probably consider a career with RyanAir, Hostelworld, or Renfe...) There's only one way to return to Chicago... completely exhausted. So, if you're interested, here it is:

3.28-4.4: Mom here! Marathon: Santander, Bilbao, San Sebastian, Biarritz (France), Somo, Madrid
4.5-4.11: Spring Break... to Andalucia: Granada, Malaga, Cadiz, Seville
4.15-4.17: Valencia
4.22-4.25: Excursions in the North
4.29-5.2: Barcelona
5.5-5.8: Morocco
5.13-5.16: Andorra (seriously. i've always wanted to go there!)
5.20-5.23: Picos / hiking.
5.30-6.15: 2 weeks of travel with Kate... Pending Plans: Como (Italy), Switzerland, Munich, Berlin (Germany), Prague, and more...
6.15-6.30: Santander. Adventures to come. Stay tuned.

Today, I Miss

splenda.

carry-out.

grande coffees.

deep-dish pizza.

... everything I miss relates to food?

Re-applied.

and Re-accepted.
But this time... to Andalucia.
Sometimes dreams change. Sometimes they don't.

No decisions quite yet.

Only time can tell...

When in Spain...

try new things?

Or at least that can explain why I spent the entire day sliding down a mountain on my butt.
And called it snowboarding.

Not my fault... the lift rejected me 3 times, a ski instructor decided it was a good opportunity to practice his English, and today all the professionals were there to show off their moves.

Upon realizing my fate with snowboarding, I soon switched to skiis.

Some things are worth a try. But this is one I could've saved for a Bunny Hill in WI. Not the largest mountain range in Spain.

Nostalgia.

¨Young boys should never go to sleep because they always wake up one day older...¨

¨Descubriendo Nunca Jamas¨

(Finding Neverland)

with my roomie.

so good.

Makes me miss best friends back home.

Dunce.

Today I was called into the principal´s office.

Immediate reaction: to trace every word I possibly mistranslated, or make an excuse for taking extra chocolate from the teacher´s workroom, or cover for Monday´s disheveled appearance.

Instead, a gleaming object was thrust into my hand upon entering. Unable to conceal my confusion, it was soon interpreted as a cultural difference in the use of keys. After undergoing a demonstration of exagerated hand motions in mixed-up Spanglish, I now know how to both lock and unlock the front gate.

Okay... so I was only slightly looking forward to the dunce hat. Maybe next time.

This Year.

In researching an article to use in my conversation class tonight, I stumbled upon this year´s Academy Awards winners (...this past weekend?! Okay, so I´m a bit out of touch...) While normally I look forward to the obvious - Best Picture, Actress/Actor - this year is different. I am a frequenter at our local cine, and am pleased to see that one of my favorite films has won this year - El Secreto de Sus Ojos. I might be slightly biased, as it was the first film I saw (and understood) here, but I think it is a deserving film. Check it.