Dare I Say Best Spring Break Ever??

Here's the short version:

We got to Galway and hit up an amazing pub with local live music. I'm actually moving there. After spending two awesome days in Galway, we took the train back to Dublin and set up in the castle. We took actual showers and slept in an actual bed. Amazing. The parade on St. Patty's day was maybe the coolest thing I have ever been to. We also hit up the Guinness Factory, the second coolest thing I have ever been to. After an excellent time in Ireland, we left for London. We were only there for about 19 hours, but it was enough to get some sweet pictures for my scrapbook and to see the city. If you ask me, it was basically an English version of Madrid. I had to leave the next morning for Barcelona, and forgetting that London is an hour behind Spain, I woke up an hour early for the airport. Don't worry, I got to the airport three hours before my flight and was the first in line at the ticket counter. Sweet life.

Three hours later I was at the hostel in Barcelona, waiting for Brie. I had to register for my classes for next year and actually have the biggest joke of a schedule ever. After a long day of waiting, Brie made it to the train station and we headed back to the hostel to pass out. The next four days were awesome and they included renting bikes (and crashing into walls), going to the beach, shopping and meeting fun people at the hostels. Sunday was actually the worst day of my life when we waited around all day for our trains and then I boarded my "hotel train" at 10pm where I was told I would have a bed, only to realize that I was going to be sitting in a seat across from an old couple for the next 11 hours. Worst 11 hours of my life. But I made it back to Granada and collapsed in my bed and am now almost caught up on my sleep.








Future trip plans include Switzerland and Greece, but we'll see how it goes and how far my money can take me.



Aren't you glad I gave you the short version??

For Your Knowing Pleasure

I am alive and I found Brie. We are about to rent bikes and tear up Barcelona.

2 points for every person we hit

Spring Break 2008

Galway, Dublin, London, Barcelona

• 4 cities
• 3 plane rides
• 3 train rides
• 7 hostels
• 1 hotel
• 10 days

Bring it.

"It's time that I go, I can sleep on the road. It won't be soft, but it will be on my own."

I'm Losing It

I think I'm in a state of Spanish-Overload.... We just got back from lunch and I tried to tell Antonio I didn't want an egg and I said "sin hueve." The word "hueve" doesn't exist and I ended up with an egg (huevo) on my plate. THEN I asked him if I could have more potatoes and ended up saying "Puedo tener mas potatoes" instead of asking for "patatas." It's probably good I'm getting out of this country for a few days because I literally can't speak Spanish anymore.

Also, the past few days there has been a disgusting stench in the hallway of our apartment that intensifies daily. The smell is at its worst near the door of the old man who lives downstairs. We usually see him walking down the street everyday and we haven't seen him in over a week.....

Ireland, anyone?

In the Words of Ralph Waldo Emerson....

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.

The Highlights

Ok, I'm back and let me just say that Germany is AWESOME. Munich was one of the coolest places ever and the trip was so much fun. There's no way I can write everything that happened in the past six days so I will give you the short version:

1. Rachel lost her passport in Barcelona and had to stay behind one day to get a new one from the American embassy. Luckily there was one in Barcelona and she met us in Munich the next day.
2. We went to the Dachau concentration camp and it was one of the most eye-opening experiences that I have ever had.
3. We tried to go to Salzburg, Austria but the train system ended up breaking down 45 minutes after we left and we sat in a parked train car in the middle of Germany for 4 hours before being shuttled back to Munich in the smallest bus I have ever seen. Standing smashed up against a bus window with horrible smelling people was definitely a great way to spend 2 hours. I highly recommend doing it in your lifetime.
4. We met 2 boys from England and they were two of the coolest people I have ever met. We hung out with them throughout the whole trip and they kept buying us vending machine beer from the hostel. I am trying to bring the concept of vending machines that hold beer back to US.
5. We had pizza for lunches and dinners 6 times during the trip and the last night in Barcelona I had half a bag of cheetos and 2 bananas for dinner. I highly recommend never doing that in your lifetime.
6. Rachel risked her life every night for 5 nights while I slept above her in the creakiest bunk beds I have ever encountered. I chose the top because I didn't want to be the one catching the top bunk in the face if it went down.
7. We found a Starbucks and practically lived there when we weren't living at the pizza place. German coffee beats Spanish coffee any day.
8. We made it back to Granada yesterday at 7:30 and not one of us made it to our 10am classes.
9. I am still exhausted but that's the price you have to pay to live the dream.

Sevilla on Friday. Just enough time to unpack and repack my suitcase. Yesssss.