Thoughts on Spain

I had a most excellent time on a whirlwind 8 days in Spain! I ate drank, wandered and saw tons of art. What’s not to like?

The first four days in Madrid were my favorite. The art was great at the Prado, the palace was beautiful, and the walkability awesome. 

By far my favorite thing about Madrid was the nightlife. Taking late afternoon naps to wake-up and bar hop into the wee hours of the morning; fantastic! The best bar was a sherry bar, La Valencia that Hemmingway frequented and so did I (3 times😊).

The affordability surprised me the most with most drinks costing under 3€ and most food items under 5€. Plus so many great vegetarian restaurants which made it easy! I especially loved the wine, cafe con leche and churros. 

I have to admit playing Pokemon Go in Spain was fun. Coming across other Americans playing too was super silly. The only downside was how inconsistent the app was. 

I have enjoyed Barcelona as well, but it is more urban, touristy and less cultural. 

Walking around has been my favorite thing. I love the architecture and people watching. 

There was a lot more beer and tasty sweets in Barcelona. Ice cream and craft beer are the best. 

There are a lot more specifics I could go into, but you can come experience it too!  

Spain Day 2

I’m having the best time! Spain is wonderful. I love the food, people and atmosphere here. 

I think we have approached this vacation the right way. Just the right mix of sightseeing, resting, and exploring. 

Today started out with another inexpensive breakfast. I’m digging the Spanish omelettes. Es delicioso! 

Then on to the Royal Palace. It is super cool and is well maintained. The current prince lives there, and it is interesting to see the modern elements mixed in. I think it definitely rivals Versailles in ostentatiousness. Well worth the wait in the hot sun. 

We then wandered about playing Pokemon Go and shopping. During this time, the most enormous lunch I’ve ever had  was consumed! There were also delicious churros involved. 

Then a siesta was had followed by bar hopping. A completely wonderful day!

Spain Day 1

So far Spain has been amazing! Madrid is very hot even in the evenings, but the streets are lively and fun to explore. 

The day began with a Spanish breakfast which contained a potato omelet, fruit cake and cafe creme. All of which I was able to order in Spanish. 

Then on to the Prado Museum which was awesome. Well laid out with a huge collection of classical paintings. It was fun to read all the descriptions and learn about the symbolism within them. 

Then a vegetarian lunch. Arriving there right as they were closing, but were served. I have been pleasantly surprised by the amount of options for vegetarians here:)

Then siesta time which was much needed. I’m thinking there is an art to it that I need to get the hang of, so I don’t over do it. 

Then the best part of the day, a bar crawl, assisted by Yelp. My favorite spot was La Valencia a sherry bar that Hemingway once frequented. After 5 places, going back to the hotel was needed!

Can’t wait to see what the next day brings. 

Finding Emily

Because I could not wait for death, I offered to meet him there. 

 Seeking a pain free nonexistence.

Not knowing where to turn…

He gave me a nod and pointed the way.

The path full of wandering dreamers and heartsick fools: all those saps that thought there’d be more.

But, you know the truth:

This is the life you’ve been handed. 

It could have been worse, you could have stayed longer. 

There may be mourning, but you’ll know the truth. 

There is nothing worth finding it’s all very clear. 

You weren’t even looking and see what you found? 

All of us waiting just wanting and craving. 

The sounds of slumber calling you there. 

Away into the cool dark nothing. 

A Path Decided

A path
Set
Impossible to change
Decisions made

A mended heart
Seam hiding injury
Self-inflicted wound
The choice to look away
Let it happen

Treading slightly
Hoping to move forward
Knowing to stay right here
Surviving
A good life
A decided path

There is no going back
There is no escape

The stress tears
The pain holds on
Stuck on desire
Time unchanging

Acceptance
An unwanted passenger
An addiction

You unseeing
Uncaring
Unwilling

The clearing ahead
Leading
Waiting
Understanding

Committed

Do you really believe everything that you say?
Is that what you meant?
Is that what you want?
I’ll go away
I’ll stop this game
I’ll let you win
Make the rules
Get the prize
Set the date
Make the move
End this race
Find the place
Make it yours
Forget my name
Find a new one
A better one
A sane one
The last one
I’ll rip out my heart and give it back to you
You’ll know where I am
What I’m doing
You won’t have to wonder
You’ll always be right
I’ll be there beside you
Answer your calls
Fix what’s broken
Be what’s good

Solo Adventure-Time III

I’ve had so much fun the last two days!

Yesterday I worked with pigs! This was such an awesome experience. Pigs are amazing animals. I learned a lot. They have very specific requirements for their diets. I got to make them salads:) They are also super smart and are able to learn lots of tricks. Be warned if you meet a pig, you probably won’t want to eat one again.

Then I got to work with parrots. It was so cool. I got to give them showers that are suppose to simulate the Amazon. The lead caretaker was really fun too. She even gave me a hug at the end of my shift.

Then I tried to go to Zion but there was road construction which said it would be a 45 minute wait, so I decided against it as I would have only had an hour to explore.

So, I went to rest and just fell asleep. I was just so tried from all the farm work:)

Today was also amazing! It started with working with goats and sheep. They are adorable creatures! They all wear dog collars, which makes them even cuter. They are very curious and friendly. They love just following and watching what’s happening. However, they are messy and cleaning today was the toughest physical work I’ve ever done

Then, since the work was finished early one of the farm hands offered me a back roads tour of the sanctuary. It was awesome! I got to see an underground lake in a cave, ancient ruins, and more beautiful rock formations. I am a lucky girl:)

This afternoon I got to teach puppy preschool. This class teaches puppies good manners and gets them used to the real world environment. All of this is to help them find homes and keep them.

Now I’m chilling with my 6 month old puppy pal Kavi waiting for it to cool down so we can go for a walk! Tomorrow is my last day here, but I’m so glad I came:)

Solo Adventure-Time II

Today was pretty fantastic.

It started out early with a volunteer orientation that lasted about 15 mins, so it gave me half a day to kill 🙂

So, I decided to drive and I found a tourist trap “cave of wonders.” I am not sure what was the funniest part. So much to chose from! Be it the weird black lighting, fake plants and pictograms or the bar oddly placed off to the side. But, if I had to pick, I’d say it was the 15 year-old tour guide who sounded like he was reciting an essay that he was trying to remember all the parts to. He was unintentionally hilarious. He asked me where I was from and then asked if I was a Raiders fan. I said “I’m not a sports fan” he said, “that’s unamerican” I said, “I’m not offended by that” he did not know what to say to that. 😋

So, from there I continued to drive and I kept finding places to take pictures. But, earlier in the day I had a conversation with a French woman that scared me too much to wander too far from the road. Snakes are the worst! Plus, in this instance they hindered my photo taking.

Then back to town to find coffee! I did and it was 6$. It made me so cranky!But, it was already made, so nothing could be done. The saddest part: there was shaved ice across the street! Oh, to go back in time and spend my money more wisely!

From there it was lunchtime! All vegan lunch buffet:) I had the idea that I was going to be bravely social, but the opportunity did not present itself. Perhaps tomorrow.

Then, the scary part of the day happened. I got lost on unmarked dirt roads and I thought about panicking, Then I took a deep breath and thought better of it! After nearly a half hour, I found my way to the main road:)

Finally, volunteering with dogs! Today, I worked with “older friends” which are dogs 8+. It was super fun although cleaning heavy and heat intensive.

I knew I wanted to have a dog for a sleepover, so I asked who could use some time out and about. Thistle fit the bill, so we made haste together.

Then the skys opened up and the lightning and thunder crashed. So, we chilled for a bit and let the storm pass.

Then, I decided to brave the snake ridden outdoors and hike. I wanted to show Thistle a good time and go exploring. So, adventure we did and it was wonderfully beautiful 🙂

This was long and terribly detailed, but I wanted to capture the day for future remembering:)

Solo adventure-time

So, I have been so excited for this day to get here and it finally did!

My trip to Best Friends went very smoothly. I was able to pick-up the rental car, make a pit stop for supplies and arrive in Utah just in time for the sanctuary tour. This place is so awesome! It is over 3700 acres and houses 1700 animals. That is craziness. I can’t wait to get to volunteer tomorrow 🙂

I headed into town to dine alone. It was pretty tasty sorta Mexicanish food. Utah is so beautiful, but why is there zero night life? No bars at all, really? There was only one place in town to buy beer and it wasn’t cold. Oh well. Mormons, are nice, but not my ilk.

I try not to be an ass most of the time, but today it happened. A girl at the market in town complemented my wallet, and she asked where I got it. Unfortunately, I told her the truth, “I got it in Paris” made me feel like crap. All she could say was “I guess I won’t be getting one” I am a terrible privileged city girl.

Now, I sit in my cabin in this beautiful scenery wishing I had someone to share it with. I need to study, I have been studying, I will be studying. Ok, no more writing! Back to work:)

Last day in Paris

Today was great! It was a beautiful sunny day in Paris. I got enough sleep and was energized for the day. We started out with a French breakfast which is coffee with cream ( like a cappuccino) orange juice and a croissant. Yum! Then we headed to the Marmatton museum which had tons of monnet’s work. But the best part was Berethe Morisot special exhibit. I love seeing new art! A famous female impressionist. Awesome.
Then we went and walked around the Marais neighborhood. It was my favorite neighborhood in Paris. Beautiful with reasonably priced shops (for Paris) and delicious falafel. We also met a man from Belgium who Is a solider and super nice. It was fun having beers with a Belgian and learning different perspectives on the world.
Then we walked around more and headed to a boat ride on the seine which was a bit disappointing with the daylight. Oh well. We walked around Notre Dame and saw the pretty lights. Then we headed to a “Mexican” restaurant. Funny place. Weirder than you’d expect. Good times.
I can’t express how pleasant this day was:)