Day 58: Gracias! I mean…Merci!

I’ve heard Paris be called the greatest city in the world, the most romantic city in the world, the most fashionable city in the world, the rudest city in the world, etc. I guess Paris is a pretty talked about city! Personally, I was expecting to be unimpressed. I was very excited to go the Louvre and to experience the city, but I did not think I would leave ever wanting to return. In fact, I was happy to only spend one weekend there; because I didn't think I would enjoy it very much!

I was wrong. I was impressed. In fact, I even LOVED some parts! I was blown away by how right certain things were that I had heard: “the Eiffel Tower really is a lot bigger in person”, “the food is delicious”, “the Paris stroll is contagious" (Rick Steves told me that one through his book), etc.

I was able to see most of the main sights, while also experiencing parts of the Parisian life: going shopping for picnic ingredients at an outdoor market, having a picnic in a quiet park under the Eiffel Tower, walking along the river, riding the entertainment-filled Metro, and more. It was a wonderful balance of all I look for in a place: nice people, good and fresh food, beautiful surroundings, and simple pleasures. I loved it.

With all of the traveling I've been able to do recently, I have felt very grateful and so very blessed. Paris was the peak of those emotions. I felt in awe of Notre Dame and I didn't want to leave. I was enchanted with the river and the invaluable works of art in the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay. I felt so SATISFIED with the food! haha Everything was so fresh and pure, I am proud to not have had one drop of olive oil the entire weekend! (This references my internal struggle with Spanish cuisine!)

It was a surreal feeling-- and I loved it. I keep my experience in Honduras with me always and I think that every place I get to go now, is amplified and appreciated in an even richer way. I am grounded with the knowledge of how special this opportunity to travel and learn is, and I hope that when I return to the U.S. I may somehow pay all of these blessings forward.

That is really what I am focused on right now. I am excited for the time I have remaining, and the other places I will get to experience-- but I am really starting to focus on what I will do when I return. I have sent my resume to a few places, with no response as of yet! Please send thoughts and prayers my way for a successful and smooth transition back to the U.S.!

If you'd like to view my photos from Paris, just click the link below:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150772734104052.472652.655734051&type=3&l=5cc16b3dc5

Day 50: Is this Heaven? No, it's Lisbon.

Well, as you can tell by my title, I loved Lisbon, Portugal. It wasn't heaven and it wasn't Iowa, but it came pretty darn close. We drove to Lisbon from Sevilla and it took only about 5 hours. There was no immigration control of any sort-- our passports were never seen and our bus didn't even have to stop. The welcoming nature of Lisbon only continued from there!

When entering the city, we were told that Lisbon is a sister-city of San Francisco. In fact, they even have a Golden Gate bridge-- the one in San Francisco was supposedly modeled after the one in Lisbon. The city is built upon hilly terrain and so cable cars are also used in Lisbon as a convenient mode of transportation. The city just had a fantasy-type of energy to it-- the streets were lined with houses painted in all different colors and with white trim. There was a devastating earthquake in Lisbon in 1755 so only a couple of the old neighborhoods remain. The rest of the city was reconstructed, making the city a perfect mix of historical and contemporary architecture. Due to this more contemporary design, the majority of the city is laid out in a grid fashion-- with two main plazas at its heart. The city is easy to navigate and if you do get lost, there are plenty of English-speaking people to point you in the right direction!

This brings me to my next point: the people! The people were so welcoming and kind. The nature of the people reminded me of my experiences in Latin America-- they possessed a temperament and generosity which is very different from the Spanish culture. (The Spanish culture is much more European in this way. People are nice, but in a much less forthright way.) The waiters all spoke English and every place we ate had vegetarian options! People were so happy and friendly.

The city's location: on the Tajos river, next to the ocean, and in the midst of forests and natural parks-- made the nature just as beautiful as the city and as the people. I felt at home walking along the streets and just taking in the sights and sounds.

The entire weekend I had a great group to travel with and we enjoyed long meals: talking and laughing. One night, after our meal we even landed upon a free Portuguese dance lesson! It was a blast! I really hope I'll be able to return to Portugal--it left a lasting first impression!

If you'd like to see my photos, click the link below:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150757665124052.470322.655734051&type=3&l=33f64ff01f

Day 37: I can't believe I've been here for 37 days!

Holy Moly. Counting the number of days I've been here really surprised me-- I can't believe how fast the time is flying! The last couple weeks, I've gotten to see a lot of different places in Southern Spain.

I had a planned excursion to Ronda with my program. Though it was kind of a dreary day, I had some great company exploring the town and enjoying warm tea in a tapas bar. To the left is a photo of the famous Ronda bridge. The views were breath-taking from every angle.

Last week, I had my one and only visitor: Carlos! We had an incredible time! For 4 days of his visit we rented a car and explored Southern Spain.

I was exposed to a Spain very different from the one I know in Sevilla. It was very eye-opening to see the poverty in much of the countryside-- such a contrast from the apparent wealth in the city. I am very interested to learn more about the "Gypsies" here. I am not sure if that is a politically correct term but it is what everyone calls them. It is so fascinating to learn about another country's strengths and struggles. It is humbling to realize how little I really know and understand about our world. I feel like the time I have spent in Spain has given me a new-found thirst for knowledge and understanding of life in other places. At the same time, it as brought to my attention my luxuries in the United States.

Carlos and I were equally blown away by the beauty of the Spanish countryside. The "pueblos blancos" (white towns) were littered across the mountains and we had the most spectacular ride I've ever experienced! The different landscapes and formations made for an incredible ride. I loved driving our little manual car through the mountains and navigating the roundabouts! With no GPS we had the freedom to make mistakes and find new routes. It was quite exciting. You can view our road trip above.

I cannot express how comforting it was to have a loved one here with me! I wish all of my family and friends could come and experience Spain!

Observations, Lessons, Reflections, etc.

1. Empujar means to push, not pull.

2. Drivers in Spain are kind of crazy, but very good. -- credit to Carlos

3. Having a happy birthday is more about who you're with than where you are.

4. Sometimes waiters will offer you a second entree. Don't let the language barrier fool you, it's not complimentary.

5. Arab baths are really cool-- literally. You begin in a warm bath and rotate to a freezing cold bath every other turn. It was a super fun and relaxing experience!

6. Labor day in Spain calls for festivals in every small town-- and festivals call for gigantic celebration dresses.

7. There are a lot of stray cats here-- today I thought one was going to attack me.

8. Living in a city allows for new discoveries every day. I love it.

9. While talking about culture in the U.S., China, and Spain, the Spaniard in my group asked these three questions about the US: Do frat houses really have huge parties? Do all people in Texas really listen to country music and line dance? and Do all people really own guns? Pretty interesting!

10. American music is everywhere-- along with American TV shows, movies, etc. Why are we so dominating?

Thanks for reading and have a great week! Love to you all!