holes in my socks and 'th's on my 's's

with the summer months quickly approaching i find myself in a constant whirlwind of contradictions. while some of the last 10 months crawled by, others zipped, and now i face a little under two months to 'wrap up' this abroad experience. as i have started to think about my journey back to the glorious place i call home, it is clear that preparing for my 'despedida' (farewell) will be much more than packing up my suitcase; it will be saying 'hasta luego' to a different life. how can i explain how daily life in this city, in this country, with a culture and language that are not my own, has become so normal? little things such as, lighting my stove with a match, to buying groceries based on how much i can carry home, interacting (speaking spanish) with people from multiple countries daily, cooking dinner at 9:30pm, ordering a beer (for less than 2 euros!) with a free plate of food, and picnic-ing at moorish castles are all amazingly normal and are done without much thought. when i ask the waitress for a 'cafe con leche' (coffee with milk) i say, 'gracias' with the andalusian (southern spanish) accent, pronounced, 'grath-i-ath'. but, it is so much more than that. this place has become my home, and this has become my life. most importantly, i am different because of this life.

yet, much of me longs for my home-home and the distinct opportunities that the united states offers. the holes in my socks and dwindling amount of american coffee sitting on my cupboard stand as little indicators that whisper 'it is time to go home.' the truth is when i think of being back in the states, surrounded by the people i love, my heart soars and i can't help but be elated by the idea. suddenly, thoughts of cayucos (my ultimate comfort place), hugs and snuggling with family and friends, stores that stay open between the hours of 2 and 6, and a school system that actually makes sense, are soon to be my new reality. going back to my life before granada is such a blessing, but saying goodbye to this is undoubtedly going to be tough.
so, until that time comes, i am going to take time every day to do something unique to granada life whether it be watching the sun set over the city or ordering a tapa with a friend after class, because at this point, what will help the most is knowing that i truly savored this year as much as possible and that it is now forever a part of me.

fun during finals. yes, it is possible.

i've learned from last semester's spanish finals experience and have therefore decided to make fun a priority in the midst of stressful times. so far, so good.
first mission in living up to my new mantra was realized by enjoying the 'La Día de los Cruces' (the day of the crosses). this holiday is unique to the city of granada and consists of displayed crosses all over the city decorated in red carnations with spaniards of all ages dressed in flamenco attire (aka huge dresses of ever color fruit-loop with ruffles and fluff spilling out everywhere) dancing around them and/or eating ice cream. the culture of southern spain sparkled through each aspect of the holiday: the families out on parade, school cancelled, drinking beer and eating ice cream at 4:00pm on a tuesday, literally every spaniard breaking out their flamenco moves (it must be required in grammar school), chicks walking around in heels on cobblestone like it's no big deal, and all ages enjoying any reason to party. i absolutely love stuff like this--cultural events that remind me that i am somewhere DIFFERENT and get to be an intimate spectator of something that is in their blood, apart of who they are. here are some pics of the event:

this is an example of one of the 10 or more crosses just in my tiny neighborhood.

as i said, all ages :)

one of the main squares had an open stage for any brave souls wanting to get their flamenco face on...some were more into it than others.

that following weekend, i figured that i might as well roll with the fun i was having and headed off on a weekend jaunt to Bologna, Italy :) my main travel partner and i took bus, after bus, to plane, to the next bus to make it into several bear hugs from some italian friends and kristen's california girlies in italia before midnight on friday. the best part about traveling to places where you can hang with the locals is getting to see the insiders scoop of the place (and the best food spots!). bologna is a college town and therefore geared towards the younger crowd. fun, fun, fun :) here are some pic highlights:

california girls taken over bologna! or at least the eco breakfast cafe :)

bologna is also called the red city...this picture explains why. most all the buildings are some shade of this color.

sunday park fun with water guns. those things never get old.

the dog's cafe :) love it.

now it is back to granada and the time crunch has started. the crunch time for studying and crunch time for soaking up as much as i can in these last two months living in the south of spain. there is no time to waste.

danish love

hey all!
that time of the semester has come again...assignment due dates approaching, copious amounts of coffee consumed, panic in the pit of my stomach with thoughts of upcoming exams, and the need for deep breathes/some solid time for reflection. plus, i must share with you my completely soul warming 10 days spent with the one and only Julie Streton. as many of you know, julie is my other half--my tall, beautiful, silly, blonde other half. after growing together for a memorable year in california we became sisters of sorts. she knows my california world quite completely, from family to favorite spots to weird habits. yet, up until mid-april, i had yet to see her world--her family, her favorite danish spots, her home.
all that has now changed! after years of hearing about julie's people and places, i finally was there to physically meet and see them all. our adventures were numerous: exploring copenhagen, bike riding around town, swimming (and screaming) in the danish ocean in april, going to sweden, and eating breakfast in the forrest. yet, when thinking back on my time in the north what brings the biggest smile to my face are the memories eating dinners with julie's family in her home, feeling that homey comfort, and just feeling so loved. here are some pics that i think say it all:

the whole atmosphere along the water in copenhagen was stunning--the sun sparkled off the water and hit the colorful buildings, street performers sang that Titanic song, people of all ages lounged in the sun and chatted with friends all consuming a delicious beer or sweet ice cream, and naturally, there were smiles all around.

danish castle exploring with Michael, julie's fabulous dad. this is Shakespeare's Hamlet's castle with the fog and mist surrounding the gothic castle.

back to julie's hometown. we rode our bikes to this gorgeous lake surrounded by big, beautiful trees.

bird houses in "Freetown Christiania" the hippie, arsty part of Copenhagen.

julie and i climbed up one of the many towers to see the view. copenhagen rocks from above and at ground level.

on my last morning, julie and i first rode our bikes to the local, bomb bakery, then to the forrest covered with little white flowers indicating the coming of spring. listening to adele in the danish forrest, giggling and smiling...it was one of those 'life is good' moments.
now, let's head north and visit one of my homelands...sweden!

here's the story. julie's aunt bought a summer home in southern sweden as the perfect weekend get away and family time spot. although it is just three hours by train from copenhagen, it is another world--a place of moose, wild boars, chopping wood, and that inner peace that only nature can bring.

talking a walk around with julie, her grandma, and younger cousin.

the lake on our early morning quest to try and see a moose. although our wildlife sighting wasn't as successful as we hoped, the stillness and beauty of the morning was stunning.

although it is never easy to say goodbye to my danish sister, especially knowing it will be over a year before we are together again, i know without a drop of doubt that we have a lifetime of 'hello's and 'see ya later's.' in our future there will be world exploring, more freezing bodies of water to jump in, family reunions, weddings, hard times, love, and one of a kind moments. while we are definitely different people who have known different lives, we are forever connected and both take comfort in knowing that the next adventure of vanilla and chocolate is never too far away <3