Amsterdam... nothing is ever the way you think it is!

I know it's been a while since last posting but we waited to travel until last weekend so I haven't had much to write about.  Funny story for some of my friends back home... if you know me or my friends then you know we like to dance and have fun everywhere we go.  So along the way we have mastered some dance moves... many from famous music videos.  If you know the song Cat Daddy or the music video (if you are a teacher I'm sure your students have heard of it) then you know but for others the jist of the dance move is to do your arms in a circular motion at your side while bending your legs to make it look like you are moving a wheelchair.  I was trying to explain what a wheelchair was in English without using the world in Spanish so I was attempting to pantomime the word which turned into me doing the Cat Daddy for the class.  I looked like an idiot clearly and to my surprise after they were finished laughing they said she knows how to do the Cat Daddy...  in conclusion I didn't think they would know what it was and in the process I made myself look like an idiot... although as a teacher couldn't be happier because now they know what a wheelchair is and will never forget!  

So this past weekend Melissa and I traveled to Amsterdam for her birthday.  What a great time but as always I must start with a quote from Mark Jenkins.  

"Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.”

 I think that this quote has true meaning especially on this adventure that I am taking in my life.  It has forced me out of my comfort zone and away from the people and places that I have known for a long time.  And after this trip to Amsterdam I must say that nothing is black and white (although I knew this before it was just reaffirmed in a LARGE way).

To start the trip we got to the airport early, which we always do because we like to take our time and just relax and not worry about anything.  Also we were flying a legit airline this time (not a budget airline) because it was the cheapest flight to Amsterdam.  When we arrive the woman at the check-in desk proceeds to tell me that she is putting me on a different flight because they are going to cancel the later one and that the new flight just started boarding.  I was totally okay with this because it was going to give us more time in Amsterdam.  As we get through security I ask Melissa what row number she is and she says 2 (mine is 3) and I laugh and say watch we are probably at the back of the plane... which now looking back at it I'm an idiot because the numbers don't start at the back of the plane.  So we get on the plane and discover we've been upgraded to business class!! What a great start to Melissa's birthday weekend.  We make it in to town and despite having food on the plane we are starving.  (No not what you're thinking we were just starving)  So we decide to walk up to a local Dutch restaurant that is famous for it's food and location.  It is in the old tax house so it had a really good atmosphere.  We ordered the special which was soup, meat and a beer.  So the plate comes out and looks like this:

 Which isn't bad... but considering we paid 12.50 we were expecting a little more.  So the waiter comes back to the table (keep in mind he speaks English but it's not the best) and I ask him if we can have an order of french fries to share and he looks at me confused and says "Why?  You just so hungry?" and I reply with "Yes actually, we are."  He then proceeded to tell me that french fries came with the special and that there was another plate coming.  After he left Melissa and I laughed until we cried and were then pleasantly surprised with the second plate.  Which consisted of french fries and kabobs!

 Then we walked around the Red Light District because most of the monuments close before 6 so there wasn't much to do in Amsterdam and we were close by and wanted to see it.  So I wouldn't say that I have lived a sheltered life or anything and I definitely knew what to expect from Amsterdam but it is still a culture shock!  To see it first hand or walk down a street and smell weed it is just completely different than home.  This part of my adventure was my firsthand encounter with the world and it definitely changed some perspectives for me.  Later on Sunday we walked to the Old Church (the oldest monument in Amsterdam) and literally across the street from the entrance are half-naked women standing in windows.  No offense mom but I was literally thinking to myself my mom would definitely not come to church here or she would freak out if she walked out of church and saw this.  This is not a big deal to anyone in Amsterdam because they are much more liberal and free spirited.  But still... it was just something I'm not used to... but I'm here to discover the world and all the different places.  

Aside from this and the snow and freezing temperatures,  Amsterdam was a pleasant surprise.  I loved it.  I HAVE to go back!  On Sunday morning we visited the Anne Frank house.  Truly amazing if you have read her book you can bring to life her story.  After this we went to the Van Gogh museum which was educational.  I learned a lot about Van Gogh and his life and how his style of art changed over time.  Although some of his most famous pieces are not in the museum the pieces they had were amazing!  Then we went on a canal cruise which was crazy because as you can tell from most of my pictures (in the picasa photostream) that the canals are frozen over.  Still very beautiful and learned a lot about Amsterdam.  Afterwards we went to the Gassan Diamond factory.  In case you didn't know Amsterdam is one of the largest diamond industries in the world.  This doesn't mean they are found there they are just processed and made into jewelry here and then sold.  So we got to see how diamonds are made and of course the most important thing for any female we learned about the 4 C's: Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat!  After this we attempted to do a cheese tasting (we needed reservations.... it just means I have to go back :))  Then we went to the Heineken factory and saw the history and making of this famous beer.  We also got 3 beers along the way... and I got an extra one for getting a question right (and I think because I was girl... bartender was a guy)  so I split this fourth one with Melissa since it was her birthday!!  After this everything was pretty much closing down and we were starving so we decided to try a traditional dutch pancake restaurant.  The picture above says it all!  It was a Dutch pancake with apples, cinnamon ice cream, whipped cream, powdered sugar, and cinnamon!  Delicious (and huge)!!!  

The people of Amsterdam were very nice... maybe 2nd to Germany on hospitality.  Also the city wasn't too dirty and it was stunning.  While my experience in Amsterdam made me experience life outside of my "bubble"  which is a necessity during my adventure... it also made me appreciate home and where I come from.  I'm proud to be from a small town in the country.  Also proud to be born and raised in the South!  This adventures just helps me appreciate what I have and open my mind to a different lifestyle.  Overall a beautiful city... and hopefully I will get a return in the Spring to see the beautiful tulips!

One Step Closer in Berlin

It might take me a while to get it to you guys!

Before I start with Berlin I would like to thank everyone for an amazing trip home for the holidays.  I am blessed to be surrounded with people who make life more enjoyable!  For my guys Eric and Virus... since you are big timers now I got you a little something in Berlin... it's not as cool as the Star Wars LEGO watches but it might help Virus get Kalyn! Love y'all and can't wait to see you soon!

So my blog will start to have many more travel updates since Melissa and I will be doing a lot more traveling... starting with this past weekend in Berlin!  A quote that really relates to my weekend experiences is “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream.Discover.” -Mark Twain.  Coming back to Spain after the holidays was very difficult and I began to think why do I need to go back... and this quote helped me realize what I'm really doing here.  It would have been easy for me to stay home in the safety of my comfort zone but I would have been missing out on the chance of a lifetime to explore the world and myself.  So here I am again... ready to go!

Melissa and I have pretty different schedules so we really only see each other at night and on Saturday and Sunday.  I work Mondays and have Fridays off and she works Fridays and has Mondays off... soo some of the traveling we are doing will be me leaving on Friday and returning Sunday and her leaving Saturday and returning Monday.  But it really worked out well this weekend!  I arrived in Berlin late Thursday night and immediately went to bed from exhaustion (still a little jet lagged) Friday morning I woke up in an attempt to get lost in the city.  For those of you who have lived in Boone or visited during the dead of winter let's just say that Berlin could probably be it's twin without mountains.  I decided to do a lot of walking instead of taking public transportation because when I'm by myself I want to get lost walking around and discovering some hidden "gems" of a city.  Well this was a horrible idea... I was bundled up pretty well (with some experience from living in Boone) and still managed to get some windburn on my face.  It felt like I had been snowboarding all day and all I was doing was walking around from 10:30-1:00.  Needless to say it was not fun but I still saw some pretty inspiring things despite the weather.  

While waiting on Melissa to arrive late Friday night a new acquaintance who was sleeping above me in the hostel asked if I wanted to grab a beer downstairs (the hostel reception was a bar).  I agreed since this was where I was meeting Melissa anyways.  This new friend offered some very insightful comments and brought me to the realization that I am one step closer... to what you might ask.  Well the things that I want most from this experience which are to discover me, to not let things pass me by, experience different cultures (be awestruck by history), decide what I really want to do with my life and conquer my dreams.  I must say after talking with this very intelligent individual (can't remember his name for the life of me... I'm horrible with names) I feel one step closer to the most important thing for me... conquering my dreams.  I am in no rush to figure things out quite yet but right now I feel like I have all the time in the world.  What a great feeling!

Berliner Dom

Currywurst! Yum!!

 During the day on Friday I saw the Berliner Dom, Brandenburg Gate, Topography of Terror (the former location and remains of the basement wall where the SS Headquarters were), The west side of the Berlin Wall, attempted to find Führerbunker (where Hitler's Bunker was) and Checkpoint Charlie (the most famous crossing point between East and West in the Cold War).  I enjoy history so of course I found everything very interesting.  On Saturday when Melissa arrived we went and discovered a little more of Berlin.  We were a little bit smarter today and decided to use public transportation (which I think Germany has every form of transportation imaginable under the sun) even though it wasn't quite as windy and cold as the day before.  We walked along the East Gallery of the Berlin wall, got lost a couple of times on the subway, made our way to the Holocaust Memorial, enjoyed some great Vietnamese food and of course some German currywurst.  Despite the freezing temperatures Berlin was an amazing city filled with amazing people.  My favorite site was the Holocaust Memorial.  The design was very intriguing and the story behind it makes it even more impacting.  From a distance it is 3,000 concrete blocks but while you weave throughout the memorial you begin to understand the designers reason for the monument.  The blocks change in size and are located on an area that has slight hills throughout the monument. 

The Holocaust Memorial

From a distance you can't tell any of this.  Many believe the designer wanted to produce an uneasy confusing atmosphere that as a whole represented a supposedly ordered system that has lost touch with human reason... in the tourist pamphlet it states that he wanted to create a radical approach to the traditional concept of a memorial.  Either way if you think of both of these while observing the monument all you can do is be silent and imagine the impact of this memorial and the history it portrays.  I still believe that Germans are some of the nicest people I have met thus far and one of the cleanest countries I have visited.  I would definitely live here for a prolonged period of time.  Until my next adventures of discovering the world and conquering my dreams this will have to do!

Creating Myself In Italy!!

So to start off with Thanksgiving here was a great time.  We had some amazing traditional American dishes and it really made me feel at home!  I have met some truly amazing people throughout my stay here so far.  And my birthday was last week! Wee!!  To start my roommate surprised me with Funfetti cake!! She knows the way to my heart.  It was the one of the best birthdays that I have had.  We all had holidays that week (Tuesday for Constitution Day and Thursday (my birthday) for The Immaculate Conception... since they had Thursday off they also took Friday off) so it was a really easy week.  Since most of us were flying out Thursday on my birthday for the long weekend, we decided to celebrate on Wednesday night.  A group of us went to a Thai restaurant (one of my favorite restaurants here) and had a large dinner... they surprised me with a desert and then we went out for drinks afterwards it was the most uneventful fun night that I have had for a long time.  We literally just sat and laughed and planned upcoming group trips :)  It was an earlier night than usual but still made my day.  Then on Thursday Melissa and I flew to Italy.  I would like to share a quote with everyone that I have recently discovered.  It has been especially helpful with the events that have been going on the past month in my life.  Besides the fact that my roommate has been a blessing in disguise and has taught me how to keep my head up again, this quote proves to me why I really came here.  "Life isn't about finding yourself... it's about creating yourself"  I think that everyone should do a little bit of both but it's is so much more fun and honest if you create  yourself as the person that you truly find yourself to be!!  On that note I have decided to start creating myself on my journey throughout Europe.  So Italy was obviously a great way to start this.  We started in Rome and although we were only there for a short period of time everything I encountered gave me chills.  I think a person only realizes that there is something bigger than their own life once they have seen things that make them silent and think and give them chills.  Which is what happened in Rome.  We started our first night with the Trevi Fountain and of course I gave in to superstitions and threw some coins in the fountain and made a wish! :)  Then we had some amazing pasta (which is a recurring theme in this post).  We called it an early night because we knew that Friday was going to be an early and long day.  We started with The Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palantine which you can see in my pictures.   I must say though that none of the pictures on this trip will do anything justice.  Only my eyes could show you the real photos.  We took a quick metro ride to the Spanish steps where we got a great view of Rome!  After this it was on to the Pantheon and amazing pizza for lunch (with wine of course).  Then we went to Piazza Navona where they had a cute Christmas market set up and we also just happened upon Grom (one of my favorite Gelatto chains that we discovered in Paris)... After this we walked across the Tiber and visited the Vatican Museums (which includes the Sistine Chapel) and St. Peter's Square and Basilica.  The Sistine Chapel was very noisy but obviously the painting "The Creation of Adam" is breathtaking.  The Museum had some of the most amazing Egyptian art exhibits.  I must say that I am not the most religious person and I am not Catholic but St. Peter's Basilica is absolutely amazing.  It is huge and the architecture is stunning.  After this we walked to Castel Sant Angelo (from Angels and Demons- at night it is lit up and is where the secret passage way is near the end of the film)  and then finished the night drinking some wine with some new friends in the hostel before catching our train to Florence. 

Florence is very different from Rome... when I think of current Italy with its country side Florence is what pops into my head.  It was much nicer to just walk around and look at the markets.  We did a lot of shopping here at Piazza San Lorenzo since Florence is famous for their leather.  I got a nice leather clutch that I'm in love with!!  The rest of the day we went to the Cathedral (Duomo) and saw the Bell Tower which is what Florence is famous for!  We also of course had to cross over the Ponte Vecchio and get a view of the river.  There were amazing jewelry stores here... literally thought to myself "Frost Yourself" if only I had that money!!  We had some wonderful restaurant recommendations from my little (thanks Kristi) and enjoyed amazing pasta at Osteria de Benci and amazing pizza at my favorite restaurant ever  (Pizzeria Dante)  For sunset we took the long trek up to Piazza Michelangelo but the weather was horrible as you can see in picture but you still get the most amazing view of the city. 

Our last day we traveled to Venice which has now become my favorite city thus far.  It was amazing to just get lost and walk around.  One thing I've learned about myself is that I like to control situations and know where I am going but I have started to figure out it is much more fun to just let go and get lost and see what happens.  So this is exactly what I did.  I didn't worry about a map.  We went and saw the Piazza San Marco to see the basilica and clock tower but other than that it was great to just walk around and really experience Venice.  Maybe this is why it is my favorite.  Who knows but it definitely made me want to spend the rest of my days not stressed and just wandering around and letting whatever just happen!  While wandering we happened upon Grom twice so we couldn't pass it up a second time and of course had some more of Crema di Grom (my favorite flavor)

The end of our trip was a bummer because we had to wake up early and catch a train (which of course was late) back to Rome for our flight.  Once we finally made it to the airport we were notified that our plane was delayed for 6 hours!!! Are you kidding!! I hate you RyanAir.. but now that I am home safe and getting ready to spend my last weekend in Madrid before coming home I am realizing that life is good :)  See you all in 10 days!! Get ready to go crazy Kalyn Laughridge because I miss you like no other (saw so many gorgeous Italian men that I couldn't choose which one to slip in my pocket and bring back to you... I would have gotten hot flight attendant Ricardo but I wouldn't have been able to give him away)  CAN'T WAIT... USA GET READY because this Fletcher is about to arrive!

Shenanigans in Barcelona!

I know it has been a while since I posted because not too much has happened since the last post.  My school went on strike again (typical) and Melissa and I literally bummed around the piso for a while.  Nothing too eventful.  Well this past weekend we went to Barcelona... all I can say is shenanigans.  Last week was not a good week for me and I was really upset and kind of wanted to come home so this might be the main reason why the shenanigans occurred.  Melissa and I went to visit some friends that we met at Oktoberfest.  Friday was not too crazy.  We just walked around the city (which is beautiful) and then hung out at a bar.  Saturday we woke up early and went and saw the Casa Batllo and La Sagrada Familia.  We also walked around Las Ramblas and went to the market (which was amazing-  you can see it in my pictures).  We also walked up to the Hospital de Sant Pau.  Barcelona is very well known for its architecture and the artist Gaudi so most of the sights we saw dealt with these two.  We went and had typical tapas and beers at a local bar and watched some futbol to finish up the day.  Saturday night is when it started to get a little crazy.  We met up with our friends and started drinking at their place and then went to the bar.  I honestly don't think I had that much too drink... but I just drank it in a short amount of time.  Apparently on the walk home I gave a street vendor (man from Pakistan... aka Paki) 20 euros and told him to give me as many beers as that would get me... so I got 30 beers (side note... they hide them in the sewage grates) While carrying them in plastic bags up the street back to our friends place apparently I "broke" the bag and dropped all of the beers (side note... Barcelona is very hilly)  so they were rolling down the street.  (This happened on the street and in the stairwell up to their door)... oops (I hope no one wanted to drink them)  We stayed here for a little bit and then 3 of us decided we wanted McDonalds (hahaha too bad they don't have Cook Out)  so we went and I ordered a Big Mac, Large Fry and Water.  I ate the pickles and 2 bites out of the burger and said I can't do this.  (not because I was going to be sick but because I was tired)  "I can't eat this anymore I'm too tired and I'm going to fall asleep"  So I did.  I feel asleep in Melissa's lap in McDonalds.  So Melissa ate my burger and our friend at my fries.  At this point I told our friend to walk Melissa home and I was going to stay at McDonalds.  Melissa asked where I was going to stay and apparently I planned on sleeping at McDonalds.  When they got up to throw their trash away I went to the bathroom hoping that they would just let me stay at McDonalds.  Thankfully I have an amazing roommate who saved the day and made sure I made it back home that night :)  oops... I'm still a light weight (sorry mom dad and whoever else in my family is reading this and is worried about me).  We still had all day Sunday to see some of Barcelona so we went to the soccer stadium,  the Harley Davidson store (yep dad I have pictures... actually pretty cool), Parc Guell (amazing views of the city and some of Gaudi's most famous architectural work) and I went inside La Sagrada Familia (amazing and beautiful... hard to believe it is still being built and has been under construcion since 1882!!)  After that we bought some souvenirs for people and then called it a day with a bottle of wine, large pizza and gummy bears!  Of course I also went down to the beach and put my toes in the sand.  It was definitely a great weekend that I needed.  This week we are celebrating Thanksgiving with a lot of our American friends here but it won't be the same (turkey is too expensive so we are substituting with chicken).  Wish I was home for this holiday since it is one of my favorites but guess what I'll be home in 32 days!!! See you all soon!!

The Magical Romance of Paris... with my Roommate

So my roommate Melissa and I went to Paris for the weekend!!! It was absolutely amazing but first I must say that you have to go here with your significant other.  It felt like Melissa and I should have been dating and we kept getting asked to take pictures for other couples (this was the worst thing about Paris)  I had heard terrible things about how dirty it was and how rude the people were but I must refute all these statements and say that Paris was no dirtier than Madrid in my eyes and considering that I think people in Madrid are some of the most rude people in Europe I would definitely say that people in Paris were welcoming and helpful.  We stayed in the Montmartre district and I wouldn't have wanted to stay anywhere else!  We saw the Eiffel Tower and rode to the top (it was freezing so I recommend doing it during the day or in the spring/summer), the Louvre (yes Mona Lisa is tiny but it doesn't help that they put the largest painting I've ever seen opposite from it),  Notre Dame (we went to the top and went in the bell towers and I must say the coolest thing I did in Paris with the most spectacular views), Sacre Coeur (stunning work on the inside of the basilica), and the Luxembourg Palace and Gardens (was beautiful even though most of the leaves had fallen so I can only imagine what it looks like in the spring or right before the leaves fall).  Other than that we shopped and ate our way through Paris.  I will hopefully be making a return trip after New Years to visit Versailles, the Catacombes, and Père Lachaise Cemetery (where Jim Morrison is buried).  Some of the best food I have had thus far was in Paris.  Traditional french onion soup (AMAZING), crepes filled with everything from banana and nutella to sugar and jam, and pastries and croissants.  Melissa and I had a great time travelling just the two of us and laughed at each other tripping over everything (mostly me- twice in a row up the steps to Sacre Coeur), being delirious (from lack of sleep and walking an average of about 6-10 miles a day) and developing blisters on the bottoms of our feet (from flat shoes, not heels).  Pictures are posted on facebook or at the bottom of my blog on the Flickr page.  On to this week in Madrid... I had a three hour day yesterday (that didn't start until 10:20) and today teachers were on strike so I went in for one hour :)  please keep striking because this helps my sleep schedule.  Laying low this weekend in Madrid with a trip to Barcelona coming up in the middle of November then Thanksgiving and then travelling for my birthday (since it's a holiday-- thank you Catholics)  I hope everything is well back home... Happy Birthday to my brother, dad, and Nana (hope it's great) and thinking about mom today (hope your visit with the doctor goes well)... I will post in a week or two unless something eventful happens!!

The Life of a Madrileña...

Soo the past two weekends I have spent in Madrid trying to relax and prepare for the full weekends ahead.  The first weekend I just relaxed and went out with a few friends.  Last week the teachers were on strike again so my schedule was very bare and I didn't have hardly anything to do.  This past weekend we had a Halloween party at one of my American friend's piso... it was a lot of fun and really made me wish I would be home for Halloween.  All in all the past 2 weeks have been pretty uneventful.  I'm starting to feel better and my sickness is finally going away! Yippie!  Good news from home was that my cousin's baby girl was born... I can't wait to see her at Christmas :)  I'm also doing private English lessons for two young boys (3 & 5) and they make me rethink my original idea of having children.  It would be an understatement for me to say that children in Spain misbehave all the time.  They receive absolutely NO discipline.  For instance they cry when they run out of ketchup or they break a LEGO toy (which you can rebuild LEGOs).  So it can be frustrating and sometimes I want to throw them out the window (which there are a lot of because this family has tons of money) but it is definitely worth the extra money.  So things are slowly moving along.  This weekend we have what is called a "puente" in Spain.  Puente meaning bridge represents a time when there is a national holiday on a Tuesday but no one wants to go back to work/school on Monday so they just take both days off (which I think is very logical).  Hence the bridge and why it is called a puente.  So Melissa (roommate) and I are heading to Paris!!! I can't wait... Friday morning couldn't get here soon enough!!  Before I end.. upcoming news is that there are 2 more weeks that have strikes (one is the 3 of Nov.- the Thursday after the puente.. meaning I have Monday and Tuesday off and strikes on Thursday... YESSS and the other strikes are Nov. 15, 16, and 17 aka I could really get used to this whole striking thing)  Miss everyone back home... bought my flight last week so I will see you all December 23rd!!!

Sun, Cliff Jumping, and Sangria Sailboat Cruises

Hello everyone!  So this week was the easiest week of work in my life.  Monday was a full day of four hours... Tuesday the teachers were on strike so I went in for two hours... Wednesday the teachers were on strike again so I went in for an hour... and Thursday the students were on strike so my classes were empty.  All of my fellow teachers in the states be super jealous (especially since there are more strikes planned for this month)  The room mate and I decided to go on a trip to Lagos Portugal this past weekend which was much needed.  So we boarded an overnight bus on Thursday night after my private lessons and arrived in Sevilla on Friday morning (6:00am)  Boarded another bus for 3 hours and finally arrivedi n Lagos Portugal at 12:00 (Portugal time- 1 hour behind Spain)  Immediately after we got to our hotel we went on an unlimited sangria sailboat cruise (this seems to be a common occurence in my weekends)  Then took a long nap and enjoyed the largest hamburgers I've ever seen.  Saturday we went to see some cliffs and relaxed on the beach all day.  At sunset we went to the "end of the world" to watch the sunset (amazing!!! everyone should go with a special someone :))  Saturday night I enjoyed some piri piri chicken and a bottle of vino verde (yummm)  and went cliff jumping on Sunday.  Overall a pretty successful weekend.. no crazy stories and nothing went terribly wrong.  The worst part was we had to take an overnight bus on Sunday night and didn't get back to Madrid until 5:00am and I had to be at work at 9:20 (aka I didn't have any sleep and I really hated children today)  On top of all this I am sick.  Where is my mom when I need her?? I love you mom :)  I hope everyone is doing well and I'm laying low in Madrid this weekend (aka passing out in my bed or the park)  Also I'm going to post some pictures of my tiny yet amazing piso for people who have been asking.