Less Gluttony, More Thanks

Today, I return to write with a more perhaps, positive outlook on life, the future ahead, as well as satisfaction with the past. To those of you who are unaware, such as my non-American friends, today is Thanksgiving. Normally, at this hour, I would be helping in order to prepare the most succulent, delicious feast one would ever taste in their life. Instead, I am currently in a café, having a café con leche, and a tortilla con atun, pimientos y pan (omelet with tuna, peppers and bread). Needless to say, I have not forgotten about my American roots and have chosen to observe this holiday regardless of where I happen to be living at the moment.
This year is the first year I have been away from such celebrated traditions and I feel I have had an epiphany. Has anyone really ever taken the time to understand the Thanksgiving holiday from a foreigner's point of view? Well, today I finally have. In order to sustain myself here, I give conversational English classes where I just talk to my "student" in English for one hour and get paid anywhere between 10-20 euros an hour. Today, I was giving a class and I told the person that today was Thanksgiving. Of course she has heard about it before, but she didn't really understand the concept of it all.
"Don't you just eat a lot?" Well, yes. But then I found myself trying to defend this ridiculous concept: "There's football on TV, and a parade, and they normally play the first Christmas movies...". Of course maybe once in a blue moon, family members go around the table and name a couple things they are "thankful" for as they savagely devour their fifth helping of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pie, bread, gravy, etc, etc. Does anyone else spot the irony here? Of course, I am not bashing the delicious spread of heart attack helper, because I, for one, love to eat and thus love this sanctioned-for-eating holiday.
However, looking from the outside in, today I will not be having immense amounts of food shoved down my throat, and instead am forced to observe the holiday for what it's worth-- giving thanks. I have realized that a lot has happened in my life, more specifically the last 5 months of it, that I am incredibly thankful for. And for that, I would just like to properly name the things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving.

THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR...

1. The opportunity to travel and live in Spain.
2. The undeniable support from my family.
3. The friends back home who check up on me, send me their love, and so forth. I love you guys!
4. Florida weather. Believe it or not, I miss the warmer, humid weather.
5. This coffee shop for putting up with me for at least two hours every day.
6. The unfortunate situations I have been in since I have been in Spain. They have helped me grow.
7. My new family, support system, soul mates, circle of friends, whatever you want to be called, that I have made while being in Spain. You guys have kept me sane, have kept me laughing and have been there for me during the most pertinent times. I don't know what I would have done without you guys.
8. Whoever created the first heater.... I'm VERY thankful for you.
9. Cats.
10. The iPhone/skype/modern technology for allowing me to keep in contact with my family and friends while abroad.
11. I know I said my family, but I would like to specifically address my Mom and Dad. I was seriously born with the greatest set of parents ever. I'm really missing you guys today.
12. The bickering, the giggling, the singing and so forth that occurs throughout the day during Thanksgiving. My day is going to be mighty quiet today.
13. Socks.
14. The snowcapped mountains in Vitoria.
15. Home.

I could probably keep writing about things that I am thankful for, but I'm sure you will read more than enough Facebook posts today addressing what everyone is thankful for. At least you can have the satisfaction of knowing that I'm not social media-ing from my iPhone with greasy turkey fingers as I'm reclining on a couch miserably.
In all seriousness, I do miss my family a lot today, and I whole-heartedly respect what this holiday is trying to accomplish in theory. In fact, my friends and I are hosting our own rendition of Thanksgiving tomorrow. It will be on a smaller scale of course. However, today, I am glad that I can for once give my thanks instead of devouring it.

XX

Good Things Must Come To An End

It's been a little bit since I have written for my blog. Times have been stressful to say the least. The whole "I'm going to find conversational English classes" thing hasn't been particularly successful either. I have a roommate now, which is a good thing. But at the moment, I'm just not really doing a whole lot which is a problem. Even though I'm trying to remain optimistic about the whole situation, it looks that I will most likely be returning home in January. No one really knows how much it pains me to say that. I'm starting to come to terms with it more and more, but at the same time, I just want to run away and never leave. Except they would deport me which also wouldn't be a good thing.
In my spare time, I have been watching a lot of Breaking Bad, I'm not going to lie. I've become very involved with the show and have developed the biggest crush on Jesse Pinkman. As you can see, my life has been extremely riveting lately.

On a lighter note, I discovered the strangest thing that still baffles me and goes to show just how small this world is. When I walk to the city center from my flat every day, I pass this sign with a basketball player on it. In Vitoria, they have this pretty good team here that's in the European League. Actually, Magui and I ran in to a player (of course we had no idea who he was) and made Magui take a picture with him because she's so short and he was so tall. It ended up he played in the NBA for a little bit and is a key player for the team here. That's beside the point. This sign I pass every day has this person on it that looked very familiar to me and above him the name said Hodge. I thought to myself "Ha. That's strange. He kind of looks like Walter Hodge from the Gators." I didn't really think that it was him because why on earth would he be in Vitoria. Come on. But one day, I decided to stop and actually look at the sign, and right to the left of the name "Hodge" it said "Walter" on it. Walter Hodge plays basketball in Vitoria. Walter Hodge from The University of Florida. It's seriously the strangest thing. Of all the places in Europe, this is where he ends up. So fingers crossed I get to see him walking in the street so I can throw some "Go Gators" at him. Then naturally we would become best friends and he would eventually introduce me to Chandler Parsons and we would get married.

Another update is that it snowed for the first time on Friday. Snow. In November. I didn't even know how to handle it. Mainly because I walk everywhere. Of course I have been in snow before, but normally if I'm traveling somewhere, I get into a car and it's not a big deal. However, in Vitoria, my only mode of transportation is my feet. So I put on several layers of clothing and didn't know if bringing an umbrella was acceptable or not. It just seems weird to use an umbrella for snow. I used it nonetheless and apparently that's what you do. I just, again, didn't know how to handle myself. Tomorrow we are supposed to get more snow. At least, that's what my phone said. 

The cold is great. The only downside is that it makes me want to stay inside all day long underneath my blankets. And side note: I still haven't turned on my heat. How's that for energy efficiency?

I wish I was able to supply you all with more exciting news. But really, nothing that exciting has happened. Maybe it's kind of sad that the only really cool thing (to me anyway) that I reported was about Walter Hodge.

I guess being here is a little depressing at times because I just think about the future and how soon I'm going to go home. Of course I want to see my friends and family, but I just feel like I'm giving up leaving so soon. Yeah, six months is quite a while to live abroad, make no mistake. It's just I planned to stay here for a year. Furthermore, the friendships I have made here, all the people I have met, it's just weird to think that maybe I won't see them again. It's weird to think that they might only be a memory in a six-month period of my life. Granted, they will be awesome memories, but still. These friends are completely different than the ones back home, and I really don't want to lose them. I guess that's part of life though. Of course then, I start having these fantasies about reuniting with all of them at one point (I'm looking at you, Melanie and Sophie) ten years down the road, in La Virgen Blanca. On top of that, I start thinking about how small the world is, and then hope is kind of restored in my head for a little bit. If we're meant to meet again, we will. So, I'm done being a little depressing. Maybe next time I will have a bit more to write about.

XX

Back in Business

Hello all!
I recently realized that my last entry was rather depressing to say the least. Luckily, I'm returning to blog on a much happier note and bearing good news. However, I will start with the part where I stayed at a friends flat for a week.
After my dramatic "step down" from being an au pair, I have to admit, I hadn't really done much thinking about the "what next" part of my adventure. Luckily, I have a really great and secure circle of friends here who have really helped me so much throughout this less than awesome situation. Throughout this week, I searched for flats high and low and finally landed one. It's on a street called Calle Reyes Catolicós and it's a super cute two bed, one bath flat. Furthermore, it's only a five or so minute walk from Casco Viejo which is the old town.

My living room area/part of the kitchen

The kitchen!

I am very, very excited to be here. For a while, I was pretty depressed about the situation because obviously, this is not where I thought I was going to be four months into my gap year. I thought I was going to be in Barcelona, wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Instead, I'm in Vitoria, sitting at a café with three layers of clothes on, one including my coat, jeans and boots, as it rains and blows cold wind in my face. I had no idea that I was going to be living on my own in a foreign country, just barely scraping by. But instead of looking at the negative side of it, I'm in Spain, living on my own, making my own luck. And that's pretty cool. I guess it's just funny how things never work out the way one thinks they will. One small move and it changes everything. Of course I assumed that taking a gap year  would change me here and there. However, I really never thought this is the hand I would be dealt and how fast I would have to really grow up. You college kids have it easy.

On Sunday, I made new friends. Two are from the states (California and Texas) and the other two are from England and France. They are all English teachers and teach at academies in Vitoria (except the French one teaches French I believe). Their names are Erika, Laura, Jess and Adele. It's funny how I met them actually. Sunday I was very depressed seeing as everything was fresh-- I had just quit, I didn't know what I was going to do with my life and I was on the phone with my mom telling her just how conflicted I was. There was a girl sitting at a cafe in front of me and I remember looking at her and thinking how much she reminded me of my aunt. When I got up to leave, a group of friends had joined her and I heard them all speaking English. So of course, when I hear English in Vitoria, my attention perks up much like this:

Yup. That's basically me. I then turned around and asked them "….English?" and they were all "Yeah! You?" and that's where our friendship began. I told them my sob story about my confused life and they ended up inviting me to go see this short film at a bar where we had drinks. The film was made in a city about 45 minutes north of Vitoria called Bilboa and it was a thriller. It was interesting. It was filled with people you typically see stereotyped in movies that go to these small short films and act all proud and intellectual. But it was actually really awesome to attend. 

Tuesday came around, and as most of you know, or don't know maybe, Tuesday was my birthday. I'm not going to lie, Tuesday was not a very awesome day. It didn't feel like my birthday at all. I searched for flats basically all day with Erika which was extremely exhausting. However, before that, I met with Sofie and Melanie who surprised me with a cute cake, coffee and party hat. I couldn't meet with them for very long unfortunately. But, it felt very special to know at least two girls who cared enough and put effort into making my birthday noticed. That night, I was invited to eat dinner with Erika, Jess and Jess' flatmates, who happen to be a couple with a very, very cute dog. Stephanie is one of their names and the other one…. I don't remember. Don't kill me if you read this. I'm sorry!! Anyway, Stephanie is also from the United States and is from Rome, Georgia. COME ON! That's like a hop, skip and jump away from Gadsden where I used to live. So that was crazy to hear. 

The food ended up being absolutely delicious thanks to Jess' amazing cooking skills. I was very grateful to have been invited to dinner, and now I have some nice friends due to it.

On Wednesday, I attended an event at a bar called the Pub Quiz. It's basically a trivia game where you create teams and answer trivia questions. The winner gets a bottle of wine. I went with Erika and Jess and coincidentally, bumped into some couchsurfing friends. We didn't win, unfortunately. But it was still very fun. 

Thursday, I attended Pintxo Pote (pronounced peen-cho po-tay) which takes place every Thursday. Bars supply pintxos which are basically tapas, and specialize in one for the night. You go with a group of friends and everyone puts money into a "pot" let's say. About five euros. Then you just go from bar to bar eating pintxos and the alcoholic beverage (or non-alcoholic beverage) of your choosing. Thursday is also the night that most of the University students around here go out, much like back home. So I made my way to the popular street Kutxi (pronounced cu-chee). There is where I met up with Melanie. 

Ah! I forgot to mention, Thursday was also Halloween. Being born only three days before Halloween, I have taken a strong liking toward the celebration. In Vitoria, not so many people celebrate it. Some kids do, but it is very rare to catch an adult dressed up. That didn't stop me. I painted my face like a cat and hit the streets. Granted I did get a lot of funny looks for wearing tiger ears and a cat face, but it was self-satisfying to know that my Halloween spirit follows me everywhere. 

Some other fellow Halloweenies

Me and Melanie dressed up as kitty cats. MEOW.

Those are the only updates I have to report as of now. Hopefully I will find some conversational English lessons to help pay for the rest of my time here. If not, maybe all of you will be seeing me a lot sooner than planned. Who knows? But at this moment, it's very cold outside and I feel as if my hands and nose are going to freeze off if I stay out here a minute longer. So I guess it's time to say hasta luego. 

Cheers my fellow readers. 

XX

Updates...

Hello all,

Just so everyone has the opportunity to be on the same page as everyone else in my adventure, I am posting this very publicly:

I quit.

Before anyone asks, I quit for my own well-being. And since this was the second family I was with, I really see no point in trying to find a third. To be honest, I don't really know what I am doing, or going to do. I have a place to stay currently, but I am looking for a flat to rent for two months so I can be here when my mom comes. I am hoping that I can find more opportunities with conversational English classes, but honestly, who knows. I'm just a 19 year old girl, thousands of miles away from home, and I feel completely vulnerable. But, I guess we all have to grow up at some point.

XX

Kaixo! Hola! Hello!

Well, it's Monday. So here I am, blogging again, in the same spot, with the same café con leche and croissant. Wow, it really took me a long time to figure out how to spell "croissant." That's a word that I'm pretty sure I've never had to sit down and actually spell. I was butchering it so bad that auto-correct couldn't even help me out. Anyway, as I am sitting here blogging, there is a wonderful protest taking place with Basque Country citizens requesting to be separate from Spain. And by "requesting" I mean, shouting and marching around with signs in a less than subtle fashion. Since I'm talking about the Basque people, I might as well talk about their fashion sense that I have been judging ever since I have been in Vitoria and I just haven't gotten around to expressing my thoughts on it. The Basque people have a certain style that is, how can I put this, caught somewhere between 90's grunge and 70's punk rock. But not the good kind of punk rock style... like the mullets and awkward bangs. Think Ramones. I'm not one to necessarily judge based on style, but this one is just a really, really bad fashion trend. It is not uncommon in the least to see young boys and young men sporting this awful spin-off of a mullet. Let me paint the picture for you: You see a guy head on, and you think to yourself, "hmm, he is pretty cute." You keep walking, pass him, and turn around and then there it is. The dreads. They normally have anywhere between one to six dreads at the nape of their neck. And not short little rat tails either. Like full on, long dreads. Yikes. Mullet to a whole new level. The female hairstyle is the connection I make to the Ramones. If you don't know what the Ramones look like, I encourage you to look them up and you will see just how awful their hairstyle was. On top of this strange hair trend, everyone likes to wear bouldering clothes, meaning lightweight, capri like shorts, and hiking shoes. If that isn't enough to turn you off, the men also wear hoop earrings. Yes, hoop earrings. They can be anywhere between a small hoop to one that is seen on perhaps Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman when she's working the streets. It is very interesting to see.

To continue, I got my haircut! That was probably the most exciting thing that happened to me this week to be completely honest. I was ready for a change! So I made an appointment and did it. Most of you have already seen my lovely bangs and layers I got. I love 'em! My mom, however, pointed out that I resemble Björk STILL. That was something that I used to get a lot when I was a toddler because of my Asian eyes. But you guys, I'm still Björk. I'm thinking I should start making electronica music now, just so I can be even more like her. Just to show you how much I resemble her, I create a side-by-side picture of me and her. You tell me who is who.

In addition, my birthday is coming up! Hoo Rah! Unfortunately, I have had this idea ever since July that it was "close enough" to my birthday that I can just say that I'm 19. So, basically, everyone that I have met since July thinks I'm 19 right now. And they will probably think I'm turning 20 in eight days. So not that it's really awkward, it's just I'm going to feel a little silly letting everyone know "hey, I'm really still a teenager. Sorry I lied." So, to anyone who I am friends with that I told I was 19, I hate to break it to you, but I still got one more year of teenage living. Please don't confront me about this. I'm glad I got that one off my chest. But I'm beginning to fear that my birthday is just going to be another, ordinary day and I'm getting kind of sad that I won't be given any special treatments because it's my birthday. I guess that's part of "growing up," but I DON'T WANT TO GROW UP. I just want my dad to buy me Starbucks in the morning on my birthday, I want a birthday cake, and balloons, and hand-made cards. But beggars can't be choosers. And I'm only assuming it only gets worse the older you get. Luckily, 19 isn't like a super awesome year to celebrate anyway. 

Last weekend, I went out for a little while. Really, it was just an eventful Saturday overall. I went with the family to their Tennis Club's "Oktoberfest." They only had two beers on tap. One was some awful lager, and the other was Budweiser. Real German, ya know? But it was really fun nonetheless, and I ate like a king. They had schnitzel, meats, sauerkraut, sausage, pot roast, mashed potatoes and apple strudel. Ah, it was wonderful. Of course me being the stereotypical "fat american" I ate everything. And my host family, being all european, could barely finish the first plate. That's where I stepped in and decided to help them out a bit and eat what they couldn't finish. I began to wonder if they knew they also hired a personal garbage disposal in addition to an au pair. Afterwards, I went out for a while with Mel and Sofie, but ended up going home around 10. Not a late night. But still, it's always a good time with those girls. 

Paulina and Me at "Oktoberfest" (she loves to smile)

The girls and I out. It was this fellows bachelor party. Isn't he the cutest?

There's not much else to report. I miss everyone. And I'm excited to hear from EVERYBODY in eight days.... *Cough* My birthday *Cough*

Besitos xx

Happy Monday My Fellow Readers

Good day, good morning, good afternoon, good evening, good something to whatever time zone you come from. I am again blogging on a Monday. It for some reason makes me feel more relaxed and makes Monday's a little more bearable when I blog, because Monday's still suck even when I am enjoying a nice cup of café con leche at a cafe. Today is not so beautiful in Vitoria. It's a little overcast and windy. It's starting to get real cold here. For example: it has been in the 50's during the day for the past week and in the 30's when I wake up. For Floridians, this is considered winter. For the Basque Country inhabiters, this is fall and I should only expect it to get EVEN COLDER. I know I have always claimed that I like cold weather more than hot weather, but I think I feel that way only when living in Florida. I am loving the weather right now, but any colder and I'm not sure if I can handle it. Yes, I have been exposed to Pennsylvania winters, but for two weeks at a time, at most. So I am starting to prepare myself for a solid six months of rain, clouds, snow and arctic coldness. Speaking of cold weather, I purchased my first REAL coat since I was 12. I'm not even sure if my coat from the sixth grade even qualifies as a real coat either. 

Me in my new coat! Yeah!

I'm pretty excited about it. Hopefully it shields me from the elements that my body is not prepared for in the slightest.

Last week, I met with the host parents of my au pair friend, Natalia who recently went back to her home in Slovakia. They wanted to have conversational English classes with me. They ended up paying me as well, and we will be meeting once a week at a cafe for conversational English. It's awesome that I got this opportunity to make a little extra money on the side. It's only for one hour and we just really talk about anything in English and drink coffee. It's awesome. And they are really cool people. The mom is a flight attendant and the dad is a pilot. 

This past weekend, I went out again. And stayed out until a ridiculous hour, again. And the next morning I woke up telling myself "never again," again. 5:30 in the morning. I really don't understand why people insist on staying out so late. I feel so wimpy when I start to get tired around two in the morning. Like, come on Sydney, you're young, you got that young energy!! Yeah, wrong. Regardless it was a fun night. I had to take the bus to the city, which was only 1.50 Euros! So much better than taking a taxi which would cost me around 21 Euros. Once I got to Vitoria, I met up with Sophie and Melanie at a wonderfully, fattening, greasy, American style restaurant called Burgerland. It was like a blessing from God for two reasons: I had to walk 30 minutes from the bus stop to meet up with them, so I had quite the hearty appetite. Secondly, American style food... home... comfort... need I say more? I was kindly welcomed with mountains of food: burgers, chili fries, ribs, nachos, french fries and beer. God bless America.  Also, on Saturday, there was a "fiesta" called Día de Hispanidad, which is pretty straightforward-- Hispanic Day. In the Basque Country, it's not as heavily emphasized because the Basque people want to be separate from Spain. So, on top of it being Día de Hispanidad, it was also "Green Night." Vitoria, since it is the Green Capital of Europe, really plays up the whole "green" thing. I don't even know what they did that was so green and eco-friendly on Saturday to be honest. I know there was food somewhere, and they had a really cool light show that went on in the main plaza, Plaza Blanca. They had these lasers, and synchronized it with music. It was so cool. I was hypnotized by it. They even had fog machines. So my friends and I got some beer, for me, I had a pica which is lemon juice and beer, and watched the light show. Later, we went to other bars, where I had a drink that is considered an after dinner drink. It kind of tastes like medicine and is horrible. 

Me and Melanie

Today in my Spanish class, we got another new student. GUESS WHERE THEY WERE FROM? If you guessed Pakistan, man are you dead on. And of course he asked me where I was from. And of course he made a sour face about me being "Americana." But that's beside the point. He told me I spoke very good Spanish and understood very well for only being here for three months. Woo! That was encouraging to hear. 

Another little tid-bit to share: Melanie and I are planning to cook a thanksgiving dinner for her family, my family and some of our foreign friends. It will be so much fun. We've already started planning what to cook. It's going to be hard not being in the States for this glorious holiday. No Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, no football, no Christmas movies, no family, no arguments. But it will be so much fun to share the over-eating ways of America with others. 

Lastly, my mom and Michael, her boyfriend, purchased their plane tickets for Spain! I am so excited! I can barely hold myself together. 

Sophie has now joined me at the cafe so I am going to stop writing now.

Besitos!!

It's Monday!

Hello my lovely readers! I am currently sitting at a cafe in Vitoria and it is the most beautiful, sunny day ever. It is 72 degrees outside and I'm having one of those days where I am just so happy to be in Spain. I know as a Monday, it's hard to find the good in the day because, well, Monday's suck. But, I'm going to try to improve YOUR Monday with not only my blog, but also with this rockin' playlist  that will leave your spirit uplifted by the time you finish listening to it. If you're feeling dangerous, you can listen to some of the songs while reading this, seeing as I am listening to it while I write in my blog.

Sydney's Monday Playlist:

1.You and I- Wilco & Feist
2. The Underdog- Spoon
3. Why Do You Let Me Stay Here- She &Him
4. Silver Lining- Rilo Kiley
5. You Are The Best Thing- Ray LaMontagne
6. 5 Years Time- Noah and the Whale
7. L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N- Noah and the Whale
8. Lost In My Mind- The Heart and the Head
9. Up Up Up- Givers
10. Rock & Roll- Eric Hutchinson
11. Hang On- Dr. Dog
12. At the Bottom of Everything- Bright Eyes
13. Ain't No Reason- Brett Dennen

Enjoy this playlist. It will make you happy.

Now, to talk about my week. To begin, on Thursday, the kids did not have school. I was slightly upset with this because this meant that I would not 9-5 off to be carefree, to explore, to relax. But, that's beside the point. What I'm getting at here is that they didn't have school because of some special Basque holiday, no, no. They didn't have school because their teachers were on strike. Ah, yes, classic. Well done Spain. To be honest, I wasn't very surprised that the teachers just refused to teach kids that day. So, I ended up taking the kids to this optical illusion exhibit that they have going on right now in Vitoria. It seemed really interesting and like something I would be really into. The problem is everything is written in Oskera or Spanish. On top of that, the kids don't know how to read. It was kind of a helpless situation.


Maybe the coolest part of my week was that I got to experience the Medieval faire that they have here. Allow me to add: the only Medieval faire I have ever been to is the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire in Gainesville. Gainesville, Florida. A place that has absolutely no Medieval ties whatsoever. So, when I heard the faire was going to happen in Vitoria, I kind of just rolled my eyes about it. Like, big deal. Okay, wrong. It WAS a big deal and it was one of the neatest things I have seen since I've been in Spain. Vitoria, first of all, is a city that was established in Medieval times. So, the old city is nothing but old buildings filled with history and beauty. Within the old quarters of the city is where the festival takes place. There are vendors selling food, drinks, crafts, jewelry and so forth. Flags are streamed throughout the old city. The delicious homemade foods and drinks permeate the air as you walk through. And, of course, everyone is dressed up. It honestly felt like I was living in Medieval times. They even had people acting like the crazy people of the town, chained up with black teeth and flesh wounds (oh, it's merely a flesh wound!). They were such good actors they even made Paulina cry. We actually had to leave after that because she was so freaked out. They also had these gigantic, trained falcons and one owl, that were flying around. I wish everyone could have been here, as dorky as it sounds.

On Saturday night, I went out. I WENT OUT!! It was my first time going out in Vitoria and I had so much fun. But, I suffered the consequences the next day, make no mistake. Allow me to elaborate. There is a very strict schedule to follow if you want to cooperate with Spanish time:
9:00 P.M.- Go to a friends house and drink a little. In my case, I went to my friends house and enjoyed a couple glasses of wine as we got ready to go out.
11:00 P.M.- Go get dinner-- take forever to eat. Also have a beer.
12:30-2:00 A.M.- Go to the bars.
3:00-4:00 A.M.- Leave the bars (because they close) and go to the clubs.
5:00-7:00 A.M- Club.
7:00 A.M.- You have two options at this point. You can either A: Go home and finally sleep or B: Go to the "after-club" and continue to drink. I'm not sure why anyone would ever choose option B. It sounds awful and all I imagine are just people who are zombies and act as if they are lobotomized.
Anyway, I was "responsible" and only stayed out until 6:00 A.M. I opted out of the "after-club" portion. Partying is a tough way of life, man. But it was so much fun. I dressed up and everything. I even wore wedges! I'm still not sure if it was a great decision on my behalf, however. I'm already a tall girl, and with the wedges on, I was like some Amazonian woman/beast. In addition, the Spanish guys are so much shorter to me as it is. So when I was walking around on Saturday, I could basically see over everyone's heads. It was a laugh.

Au pair friends! Sophie and Melanie

Update about my Spanish class: We have a new student! And guess where he is from? (Drum roll) PAKISTAN!! Today, we learned the verb ser, which I already knew. But we had to go around the classroom, AGAIN, saying "Soy de..., Soy..." So when it became my turn I of course had to say "Soy de Estados Unidos. Soy americana." As soon as I said that, the new student said "QUE?! Es americana?!" And not in a very excited and loving tone either. He just stared at me from across the room for probably 2 minutes without looking away. Needless to say, I walked really, really fast out of class today. So much so that I got calf cramps.

Lastly, I talked to my mom last night for TWO HOURS. Man, oh man, I miss that woman. She's about to buy her plane ticket here! I am so incredibly excited for her to come visit. We started planning what we are going to do. Apparently, we can stay in a castle if we felt so inclined. But really, this is about to be the BEST mother-daughter trip ever and I can't wait for her to finally get here!

I suppose it is now time for me to go and enjoy my two hour nap.
Happy Monday!
XX

Just a Little Hump Day Treat

I know its only 12:25 am my time, hardly "hump day" but, technically, the new day has already started. So just bear with me on the title. And, while it's fresh on my mind, I would like to acknowledge the inner debate that just occurred in my head as I went back-and-forth trying to figure if "bear" or "bare" was the correct word for the above phrase. It was painful. Anyway, I will continue about how my past week has been.
After returning from Brussels, I have to say, it was very difficult getting back into "role-model" mode. Not like I was gone for a very long time, but still, it's just as coming back to any job is quite difficult to do after a lovely vacation. Despite feeling lazy and fighting the urge to just crawl into bed and wish I was vacationing again, I have been relatively productive lately. I don't think I have mentioned before, but I have a friend in Vitoria-Gasteiz, and I feel like shouting it from the roof tops!! I am just so excited about it. Furthermore, SHE'S AMERICAN. And let me tell you-- there is nothing as refreshing as the good ol' American accent when you have been among broken English for 3 months. Not that there's anything wrong with broken English. Actually, it's really attractive, and sometimes sexy (depending on the circumstance). However, I have created this mental radar. I can be on a different planet spacing out while going on a walk, or having a coffee, not listening to the murmurs of Castellano, but as soon as I hear English, more specifically American English, I freaking perk up like a meerkat out of his little tunnel. My radar is super powerful and strong. And then of course I feel the need to say something in English, just so the other fellow English speakers will know they are not alone. Most of the time, it's just a friendly, "hello!" with a nod though. But, I have an American friend nonetheless. Her name is Melanie and we hang out almost every day. Our schedules are very similar, allowing us to spend our weeks pay on coffee instead of saving for future trips. Sad, I know. But, walking around the old city can only entertain one for so long.
I also made friends with a bartender. Okay, yes I know that sounds sketchy. But I wasn't at the bar at night, and I only go in there for coffee. Patxi makes a mean cup of joe. And on top of that, he forces me to talk in Spanish. Yeah, that's a laugh. Pero, necesito practicar mucho y Patxi ayudame! (Please, Spanish speaking friends, don't make me look bad and correct my grammar on here. Just pretend it's correct and carry on with yourselves. I'll get there!)
Speaking of horrible Spanish, I started my Spanish classes yesterday! I am definitely the youngest person in my class. The second youngest is this woman from Latvia, and she's 28. She seems nice, but dang, she likes to talk. While I'm trying to listen to la profesora, Latvia girl is trying to have a full on conversation about how she lived in Atlanta once. I appreciate her being friendly, and I understand that she's probably trying to make friends, but come on! I'm trying to learn.
Secondly, everyone in my class speaks fluent, or almost fluent Spanish. I'm in the beginners level class. Don't ask me why. I'm still perturbed by this too.
In addition, Latvia and I are the only light skinned people in the class. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But allow me to explain the situation a bit more:
Today, we had to go around the room and say our names and where we were from, what we were doing, etc, etc. I was the fifth person to introduce myself. I stood up, smiled, said hello and told everyone "Hola! Me llamo Sydney. Soy una niñera para dos niños y soy de Estados Unidos!" I felt dagger eyes from more than half of the people in my class. Hold on, I'm getting to the point. The next 6 people, in a row, to introduce themselves were all from Pakistan. I know our relationship with Pakistan isn't the greatest thing in the world right now, and I also understand that many do not like the United States. To make matters worse, after introductions, I was chosen to try to name as many people in the class as I could. I could remember everyone's name, except for the Pakistan people. Not because I didn't listen. It's just all of their names were really difficult to understand or pronounce and I just felt so bad. I thought "great! now they REALLY hate America and it's all my fault because I didn't remember any of their names."
Lastly, I am using my time wisely and applying for scholarships and schools again! As a matter of fact, I just submitted my first application to Champlain College tonight! I'm pretty excited about it. And working on essays all the time makes me feel all professional on my laptop. I love it.

I know I just said "lastly" on the above paragraph, but I must inform you all of one more unfortunate even that took place in my life. I dyed my hair last night, as some of you may have seen on Instagram. I bought the dye and the color looked like a very nice dark brown--perfect for winter. Well, I didn't dry my hair before going to sleep last night, and so I never really got to see the end results. Long story short, it has been a tragic day. My hair is in fact NOT dark brown, but black. My hair is ebony. This is not a joke. And to make matters worse, I finished the dye last night, but did the really awesome thing where I missed pieces of hair. So it's just all really awkward. I'm not sure why I decided to share this information publicly. Maybe just as a forewarning that if you see any pictures of me and my hair in the future (it will be fixed. Fixed as in all the same, ebony color) please no snarky remarks. This is the most trauma my hair has ever received, and we are in a state of shock. I would post a picture to make everyone giggle a little, but I'm not feeling that generous right now.

I apologize for not having any pictures to post this time around. But it's late and I must bid everyone goodnight.

Missing everyone dearly.
XX

Yes, I am alive...

Hello friends, family, family friends, friends of friends and so forth! I have fantastic news to share with you on this fine night: I am in fact alive. I know it has been nearly a month since I have updated my blog and I feel ashamed for keeping you all waiting for so long-- I say "all" assuming every single one of my friends and family members is actually keeping tabs on my travels through this blog. A girl can dream.
Anyway, I come bearing gifts of stories--stories that begin on Thursday, September 12, 2013. I left for Brussels, Belgium to visit a friend, who I actually met in Valencia (if you remember that journey I went on. If not, I encourage you to scroll down the page a little bit and feast your eyes). Of course, the origin of our friendship is perhaps a sketchy one, considering we met at a bar in Valencia; but needless to say, we hit it off, we are friends, and it was one more connection I had enticing me to visit another country. The whole process of getting to Brussels was a little rough here and there. First of all, Elliot, my friend, was supposed to retrieve me from Charleroi Airport in Brussels, but he got into a fender bender and informed me I would have to take the bus to the city (which was an hour away) so I was panicking a little bit, considering I don't speak ANY french. Okay, I'm selling myself short. I can say "Bonjour!" "Merci!" "Parlez vous Anglais?" So on top of not knowing how to get from the airport to Brussels, I had to learn how to maneuver getting from the train station in Madrid to the Madrid Airport. Ah! That's a laugh.
The train ride was nice. I did manage to let EVERYONE on the train know I was a tourist, however, and that was slightly embarrassing. I didn't realize there were assigned seats, so I just plopped down right at this nice seat by the window and had a table and everything. I was all settled in, until this older man started talking to me in Spanish, which I had no idea what he was saying, but everyone else did. It took about a solid 30 seconds for me to understand that I was in his seat. Shortly after I found my seat number on my ticket, but it turns out I was in the wrong car of the train. So I had to lug my bags around asking where my seat was and looking like an absolute fool. I finally came across my seat and prepared myself for the four hour ride to Madrid.
PERTINENT INFORMATION: On the train ride, they for whatever reason found it necessary to play the movie Taken, which for those of you who don't know what it's about, heres the jist of it: a girl gets kidnapped. Dad takes revenge.

I finally arrived to Madrid around 11:00 at night. I was slightly nervous thinking about how I was going to find the metro, but I figured the Spanish are friendly enough and they will surely help me find my way. So I asked someone. He directed me in a certain direction and I followed his instructions, until I realized he was incorrect and there was no metro there. So I asked another person, who instructed me differently. And also incorrectly. So I asked another person, who pointed me in another direction getting me to a spot in Madrid that I was not to very fond of-- especially not at 11:45 at night. A young, vulnerable girl, alone... All I could think about was Taken. I thought for sure "All right. This is where it ends. In Madrid on a random street." Luckily I was able to find a taxi within a couple streets from where I was and swiftly hopped in. I had to pay the guy like 24 Euros, which is around $32.00 just to go about seven miles. It was GREAT!!
My flight didn't take off until 6:30 in the morning, so I got to spend my night in the airport, landing a solid one hour and 45 mins of sleep for the entire night. But it's okay. I made friends from Portugal and England along the way (both of which bought me food and drinks. Golden!)

BRUSSELS:
So I made it to Brussels safe and sound. And what's even better, I found the bus immediately (had to pay 14 Euros though...) and within an hours time, I made it to the city center. And low and behold, Elliot actually did make it to the bus station like he said he would. I have to admit, I was a little nervous that the whole car crash story was some elaborate tale he made up in order to ultimately ditch me. But he didn't. Hooray! He showed me a bit around Brussels on Friday. Saturday and Sunday we had more time to explore.
Truthfully, Brussels is an absolutely amazing city. I'm so happy I met this friend in Valencia, because otherwise, I'm not sure I would have taken the time to travel there. It definitely wasn't in my top cities to visit. But the architecture and the atmosphere are incredible, really. It delivers the classic European feel that you would see in any kind of movie. The cafés on the narrow streets, vines growing on historic, brick buildings, flowers in the windowsill... Not to mention the aroma of the city is to die for. There is a constant scent of Belgian waffles, chocolate and all sorts of yummy food (such as mussels). It's a charming city. So much so that I may go back and visit one day.
In addition, Elliot took me to a bar called Delerium Cafe which has one of the largest selection of beers in the world (maybe the largest?). Probably a bit touristy, but still completely worth it.
And then, I was exposed to another side of Brussels that perhaps most tourists don't venture off to, which was the university side. There were immense amounts of cafes and restaurants that were super trendy and had such a great vibe.
It was difficult to say goodbye to such a fun weekend and come back to work again.
Lastly, if you are ever given the opportunity to visit Brussels, do it. I've always heard it was pretty, but I feel like maybe this city is sold short among all the major cities in Europe. This city is BEAUTIFUL. Make no mistake.
I believe this is all I have to write about at the moment. It may be a while before I update this again.... Gotta earn some money before I travel somewhere again. Kinda broke after this trip.
And yes, I am now taking donations for the "help Sydney travel everywhere" cause.
Missing everyone dearly.
XX

Travelin, travelin, YEAH, fun, fun, fun...

Really good news, my computer (which has been giving me issues since day one) is finally fixed, I think. This means more updates from yours truly! Yay! Since my absence, I have traveled to San Sebastian, which is only an hour North of Vitoria. And let me just say, I was blown away by Valencia, but I got teary eyed when I saw San Sebastian. I know that sounds so cheesy, it's just THAT beautiful. The architecture is amazing, the beaches are beautiful (not to mention the beautiful surfers that are everywhere you look, eh, eh). Jorge Sr. decided to take surfing lessons for a week last week. That meant every day at two o'clock, we would stop everything we were doing and go to the beach. Considering he was taking lessons, I didn't really have much time to go walking around the city. But I'm definitely going to have to before I leave Spain. There's no way I will be able to continue on with my life as a happy human being without doing so (Mommy, we ARE going here!). As for traveling to San Sebastian, that is about the only thing that has happened to me that I consider worth blogging about. So this one is going to be a short one.

But I can fill you in on my future plans/schedule:
The kids start school the second week of September. We've been back to school shopping like crazy.
This means I will have more time in the morning to explore Vitoria more, take spanish classes and so forth.
The second weekend in September, I will be going to Brussels to visit. My plane ticket and hostel are booked! Yay!

Sorry I couldn't update you on some more exciting things. But stay tuned, friends and family. I will be back soon.

Long Time No Write

Hey, remember me? It's been a while since I have written on my blog and I apologize. I've tried to sit down twice and write in it, but my computer starts to mess up, or my internet doesn't work. It's always something. But I'm here now, and that has to count for something!
To start, I must inform you all that I have switched families and am no longer located in Barcelona, but in Vitoria-Gasteiz. It just didn't work out there. I am with a new family, Marina, Jorge, Paulina and Jorge Jr. Vitoria is a city, much smaller than Barcelona, but big enough to have something to keep me occupied, small enough for it to feel warm and welcoming. Also, it was nominated the Green Capital of Europe (woohoo!!). Everyone here rides their bike everywhere or is always walking somewhere. It's very nice. The weather is slightly different. Not exactly the tropical, humid climate I was preparing myself to endure more of. Instead, it's kind of cold. And it's going to get even colder in the winter if you can believe that. Of course me, being a Florida girl and all, has very limited winter gear and have not adequately prepared for what's to come. With me, I brought 7 pairs of sandals, 2 flats, 2 pairs of heels, 1 pair of tennis shoes and 1 pair of boots. On top of that, my winter "coats" are really only suitable for the mild winters of Florida. So as of now, I'm kind of panicking about what I'm going to do once it starts to snow and freeze.
Now, I'm going to back up a little bit to 2 weekends ago. I went to Valencia with my au pair friend, Catherine for the weekend and it was such an amazing time. The city, again much smaller than Barcelona, was beautiful and intimate. We stayed in a hostel (only 13 euros a night!!) located right in the middle of the old city to where we could walk to go sight seeing, or walk to the bars and clubs. It really was perfect. The first night we got there, we went out, got some pizza and box sangria and enjoyed the bars. The next morning was an early one, but we got up and took a two hour walking tour of the old city where a tour guide enlightened me with all of his immense knowledge of the city. It really was impressive. We again went out that night and stayed out until 6 in the morning! How's that for freedom? I actually did not really enjoy being awake for so long. It tends to make me a little cranky. But, I was able to watch the sunrise over the old city which was absolutely beautiful.

I highly recommend to anyone who travels to Spain, to visit this beautiful city. 

After we returned to Barcelona, I left to Vitoria-Gasteiz two days later, which is where I am currently located. It is Northern Spain in the Basque country. It is closer to France and only an hour from San Sebastian, which I will be visiting with my host family next weekend! Yay! 

Last Sunday, a festival called "Festival de la Virgen Blanca" began. It is similar to the festival in Pamplona/San Fermin (the Running of the Bulls) but on a much smaller scale. Basically, on Sunday, the festival begins by the whole city (and visitors and tourists) gathering into the city square. Thousands of people are crammed into a courtyard, shoulder to shoulder, where they wait for "Celedon" (the mayor) to appear. Teenagers, young adults, moms, dads, children, the elderly are all included in this festival, though it is more common to see teenagers and young adults. Eagerly, they hold bottles of champagne, wine, beer, and so forth. Among the sweaty scene, you can hear the popular chant:

"Celedon! Ha hecho una casa nueva!

Celedon! Con ventana y balcon!"

A puppet of "Celedon" comes down from the steeple of the church, over the sweaty, drunken courtyard, and over to a residential building, where the real Celedon jumps through a flag of the city, revealing himself. Wine, champagne, any kind of alcohol is sprayed everywhere as people chant, laugh, jump, and enjoy the festival. Really, it is quite the spectacle. 

From Sunday until Friday, festivities take place such as live music, bull fighting, drinking, more drinking, parades, drinking, fairs, fireworks and so forth. Every night, fireworks take place. I'm not exactly one for fireworks (unless they are the ones from Lititz, PA, because that is the best firework display EVER) but these are pretty amusing as well. A competition takes place with every night. People from different parts of Spain, some even from Italy and France compete with their handmade fireworks for some prize they claim at the end. I'm not sure what exactly. But nonetheless, it puts an interesting twist on things. And, the firework shows are guranteed to be different every night. 

However, my favorite part of the festival thus far has to be the parade. This parade is no ordinary parade. It is a parade of drunken men and women, wandering the streets to the arena where the bull fighting takes place. Every evening at 6:00, these people sing, dance, hand out stickers, play instruments and drink as they walk to the arena. It is the most entertaining parade I have ever witnessed as the bafoons stumble across the streets. To make it even better, most people in Vitoria wear certain outfits during this festival. The girls where long skirts, a blouse and a handkerchief, and the boys wear pants, high socks, lace up shoes, a "blusa" (also a blouse but for the men) and a hat. It really is a fantastic show. 

These are all the updates as of now. I'm sorry it has taken me years to update! 

Missing my friends and family dearly-- I love you all!

Miss Independent

It has been a while since I have written an entry. I just don't find it completely necessary to write in it until something interesting happens. Otherwise my blog would be very boring. Anyway, I would just like to announce that I finally have gone out and made friends. Most of you already know this because I have posted pictures about it. To continue, the first friends that I made were in the complex in which my flat is located: Catherine and Caitlin. Catherine is from Montreal, Quebec and will leave in about two and a half weeks unfortunately. Caitlin is from the UK and has already left Barcelona to go with her host family to Costa Brava which is North of Barcelona and is a very popular "holiday" destination (I'd like to visit it some time in the future!). Last Thursday, Catherine, Caitlin and I went out for drinks (yes, DRINKS) and dinner at a restaurant along the beach and it was wonderful. The weather was perfect and the food (although slightly overpriced) was yummy. And plus, I made my first purchase of an alcoholic beverage, but I wasn't asked to see my ID which was slightly disappointing. But, I've realized no one has asked thus far which kinda makes it seem like that as long as you look the age, you got the booze.

It was seriously such a fun time and great to finally have some girl time again. Lately, I have noticed that I have been keeping my guard up-- Not because I'm uncomfortable, but because I'm trying to maintain a level of professionalism (well, as professional as I can be as an au pair) and be a role model for the kids at all times. It was just really relieving being able to be myself 100%.

On Friday night, Catherine and I went to Placa Catalunya and Las Ramblas to eventually meet up with another au pair named Julia who is from Germany. We left earlier in order to get where we needed to be in time and to get dinner. Except here, they call "dinner" "supper." Bringin' it back to my Oklahoma roots! So Catherine and I ate at a restaurant along the Ramblas where I had to pay around 11 Euros for my meal, not too bad for the other restaurant prices in that area of Barcelona. But we ended up not getting water because in Barcelona, NO ONE SELLS TAP WATER!!! Instead, you have to buy bottled water which is bad for two reasons: it costs me 3 Euros for it, which is around $4.20 and it is totally not great for the environment for the unnecessary amounts of packaging and plastic. Regardless, the food was delicious and I had my first Spanish tapas! 

After we ate, we went out for drinks and to meet Julia, whereupon we were introduced to some lovely Norwegian boys who were traveling around Europe and ended up buying our drinks. It was great. That night I stayed the night at the flat in which Julia's host parents allow her to stay in over the weekend since she is located in a village 30 miles outside of Barcelona city. The next day we got to know the city a little better and met up with some more au pairs: Sydney and Louise. Sydney is from Eugene, Oregon and Lousie is from Denmark. We ended up going out with them that night which was also lots of fun. However, no boys offered to pay for our drinks this time ): 

All in all, this weekend was great and I am so happy I got the opportunity to go out and adventure with some really fun girls. Unfortunately, I must cut my blog short (although I could write so much more) because Hector is bugging me to go to the park with him. Let it be known that I am incredibly tired and have zero energy for this right now. But yet, I feel obligated. So here I go. 

Updates

Today, I finally stepped out of the complex on my own. I walked down a street called "Las Ramblas" which is one of the major streets in Barcelona. It also leads to the Mediterranean Sea. So, on my "day off" I decided to take a stroll. Now, Ángel told me that what I need to know in order to avoid being robbed is to steer clear of bad areas (easy, because he knows his way around Barca) and to not seem like a tourist..... not so easy. But I did as best as I could. I left the fanny pack at home, dressed classy (I referred to the internet to see how people from Barcelona dressed) and tried to seem as confident as possible. Luckily, I wasn't looking for anything in particular, so I didn't need a huge map and I didn't look lost.
So my first steps out on Las Ramblas, I was confronted by an attractive Spanish boy. He talked to me for a little bit and spoke beautifully broken English. That in itself qualifies as a successful day in my humble opinion. I continued to the beach where I people watched for probably a solid 30 minutes. The beach was absolutely beautiful, but not as beautiful as the panhandle of Florida. Not gonna lie. But I'm not complaining.

Yesterday, I made friends which was awesome. One is from Germany and the other from Czech Republic. Neither actually are staying in Barcelona city, but they both are about 30 minutes away. Next weekend, one of the girls is going to stay in her family's flat for the weekend and I'm staying with her. I'm very much so looking forward to it and to finally do some real exploring... Like the touristy stuff. Tomorrow, I go to eat lunch with extended family. I'm really looking forward to exploring more. It's so tantalizing being here and not doing much, but I keep reminding myself, I have a year. Which reminds me, I got my citizenship here. Which I didn't even know I needed. Anyway, it's late and I suppose I should get to bed considering I won't have the opportunity to sleep in tomorrow.

Ciao!

Getting there

Yesterday, I finally made it! It wasn't as awful as a journey as I thought it would have been. To begin, I thought it was going to be a lot more difficult to leave my parents. With all do respect, and remember, I'm saying with all do respect (Talladega Nights reference) , but even though I cried, there was a part of me that finally felt free. So there I was, trying to hold myself together, as I caught the last glimpse I would get of my parents for a couple months. I exhaled as they disappeared and turned forward as my new adventure began. Unfortunately, I kept bumping into people with my gigantic backpacking back pack. That was annoying. And it was super heavy. It was like carrying another person on my back. My shoulders are freaking sore right now because of it. Anyway, as I boarded my plane, I did that whole crying thing again. Luckily, no one sat next to me, so I could quietly sob to myself for like a solid 25 minutes. It also enabled me to completely sprawl out like no ones business for the 9 1/2 hour plane ride. I had my own personal screen in front of me allowing me to listen to music or watch movies or play games. It was nice. So yeah, here I am, flying over the Atlantic, crying to myself. The thing that made me stop was (brace yourselves, its about to get really cheesy) I saw a rainbow. And you better believe the plane flew OVER that rainbow. I felt pretty accomplished after that. For the rest of the time, I watched The Descendants, which is a great movie and I highly recommend it. I probably slept for a total of two hours within a 24 hour span, so that was great. But what time I didn't spend sleeping or trying to sleep, I spent playing solitare. And I beat the game eight times. EIGHT. After the eighth time of winning, I finally was able to sleep. And when I woke up, the sun was rising when we were flying over the coast of England. It was really beautiful. Then we flew into Germany, to my surprise, resembled the Mid-Western United states. It was just kinda flat and had a lot of windmills.

In Berlin, I had a 6 hour layover where I sat and did nothing. Then I got on my flight to Barcelona. The path that was taken went over the alps. And lucky for me, I had a window seat again. For a while, I thought I was just looking at clouds (keep in mind I was delirious from lack of sleep). But, no, actually, I was looking at extremely large snowcapped mountains. 

And then I came in over the Mediterranean (I'm not entirely sure which country. France, perhaps?) 

Anyway, I am now in Barcelona safe and sound. I haven't done much exploring yet because I've been busy unpacking and sleeping for 14 hours. And finally, one last picture before I conclude:

Ciao!