Sometimes it's not so easy being so far away

Today my best friend in the whole wide world is getting married.  Needless to say, I'm only going to be there in spirit.

When moving to a far away place, even for a short period of time, inevitably you face the reality that life goes on without you.  Even important, life changing stuff happens, for which you can't be present.  This isn't the first wedding I've missed because I've been too far away to make it feasibly possible to attend, and it probably wont be my last.

There are definitely upsides to traveling and being far and away from home, all of which are obvious.  Sometimes the downsides aren't so obvious when we make the decision to leave.  I'm not at all implying that the downsides ever make me wish I had chosen to do things differently.  But when things do happen, it just makes it glaringly obvious that Skype sometimes just doesn't cut it for everything that life throws at you.

But it will have to do for now.

And with that, I am thinking of her constantly and wishing her all the best and sending her so much love for the beautiful occasion.

They didn't call it the Cold War for nothing!

Most of my adult life, I had wanted to travel to Prague.  I heard wonderful things from others who had, but never actually thought I would actually make it one day.  It always seemed like one of those "pie in the sky" hopes and dreams that would never actually come to fruition.

Luckily for me, one of my closest friends this year had the same hope and dream and the gumption to actually do something about it.  Fortunately, I got to come along for the ride.

Taking advantage of a long holiday break (before the actual holiday break), we snuck out of town on Friday to make our long journey to Prague.  I say "sneak" because upon our arrival in Prague, we were shocked to find out that only a few hours later nearly all flights coming in and out of Spain were grounded to an air traffic controller strike that continued for 3 days (apparently, they're opposing the upcoming privatization of airports which might keep them for earning unlimited overtime, and for some of them, over €1,000,000 annually.  I still have yet to understand why Spain is in financial trouble.)  Moving on...

Old Town Square, Prague

Prague turned out to be everything (and more) I ever imagined it could be.  I felt like I was living in a fairy tale for 36 hours.  The snow dusted everything spectacularly and gave that extra Christmassy feel.  The Markets stole my heart and the food my appetite.  When I didn't think anything could get more beautiful, we would turn the corner and the sight would then take my breath away, and probably a little bit more because of the extreme cold as well.  When we landed in Prague, it was 17° and it only got colder the remaining time we were there (warming up, of course, the day we left).  Unfortunately, due to the weather, we probably didn't see as much as Prague as we would have liked (frequently stepping into stores and cafes to warm up and defrost our extremities), but it didn't slow us down too much, and didn't keep us from loving almost every second of it.

Overlooking Budapest

Two days later, we made our way to Budapest via a 7 hour train ride (thank goodness it was great scenery).  Even though it was only in the 30s when we arrived, anything felt like a nice Spring day compared to brisk Prague.  Unfortunately, we didn't have much time in Budapest, a city that after all was said and done, seemed like the type of city that really would take time to discover and see all its hidden wonders.  But in the one whole day we did have, we saw a lot.  The Markets in Budapest, although not as spectacular looking, were my favorite because the stands were either full of handmade crafts or large pans of savory stews.  To finish the day, we went to the Turkish baths which offered us a warm reprieve under the stars.

Presidential Palace, Bratislava

Finally, the next day we took a much shorter train ride to Bratislava (leaving Budapest just as it was warming into the 50s).  None of us had a strong desire to go to this particular place, but as we were using it as an inexpensive flight back to Malaga and we thought we would take advantage of it in the meantime.  Of course, after our successes in Prague and Budapest, we immediately headed to the Bratislava Christmas markets where we once again indulged in delicious food and drink and spent way too much money on gifts (...for ourselves).  The next day we had a few hours before having to head to the airport, but even in that short time, we felt like we had seen the bulk of Bratislava and felt that it was surprisingly charming and beautiful.  We were glad we made the effort.

It was an amazing trip and I'm so glad I got to do it, especially at such a festive and magical time.  I'm hoping that maybe at some point in my life I'll be able to make it back to these cities to explore them even more (and preferably at a warmer time of year!).

The links to the full Facebook photo albums are here: Prague, Budapest, and Bratislava

Dar Gracias

By no exaggeration, when I think of all the things I have to be grateful for, I get a warm and fuzzy feeling inside and I seriously can't help but smile.

It happens all the time too.  I'll be walking down the street, LOVING everything and just the fact that I'm here, have people that support me being here, that I'm capable of being here (finically, emotionally, physically), and I'll realize that I have this huge grin on my face.  I'm sure I look ridiculous, but I have no concern in the world, least of which is looking totally blissful.

I know that technically Thanksgiving was yesterday, but for me and all my American friends with whom I'm celebrating here in Malaga, we're saving it for tomorrow: A day when we all have off and time to cook and appreciate the holiday to the fullest extent possible.  So, in honor of our Thanksgiving, I want to express my gratitude for all the blessings in my life.

Thank you for my mom and dad.  There aren't words or space sufficient enough to go on about everything I owe to them.

Thank you for my friends - new and old, close and far.  I am so blessed to have friends that have stayed so close despite time and distance and I am even more blessed to still be meeting incredible people throughout my journeys.  All of them have given me the invaluable companionship and constantly challenge me and mold me into a better person. 

Thank you for all the amazing opportunities that have been provided to me.  I have had the honor and privilege to do life-changing things that have taught me so much about myself and the world.

I'm even thankful for Thanksgiving.  Spending Thanksgiving outside of the United States only makes it all the more obvious how special our country and this holiday is.  There aren't other countries in the world that nationalize a day of gratitude and when I explain Thanksgiving to non-Americans, the notion even fails to translate.  Thanksgiving transcends religious differences, corporate-takeover, and economic hardships.  And although we should constantly be recognizing the blessings in our lives, it's especially wonderful that we celebrate them too.

A Tuna In the land of Paella

About a month ago, I was doing my routine I'm-bored-so-I'm-going-to-look-for-the-cheapest-flights-on-Ryanair.com and I found one that was from Malaga to Valencia, round trip for 20 euros and some pennies (the taxes were more than the flights!)  As we were already looking for a mini-vaca (because after working an exhausting 12 hours a week, we needed a vacation) me and my roommate Erica couldn't pass up such a good opportunity.

Thank goodness we were so smart.  It definitely had to be one of the best trips I have ever taken.  And quite possibly one of the most unique.

Besides a "free" guided tour provided by our hostel, there were no museums, no cathedrals, and nothing else out of a boring guide book (with all due respect, I usually live by and love guidebooks).

The first night we came to Valencia, we encountered a eerily quiet city, with few people out and dining on a Friday night.  Being that we weren't especially eager to go out (totally exhausted from our 12 hour week of course, and wanting to get a full day in on Saturday), we found an excellent eclectic restaurant around the corner, had a scrumptious meal, and immediately crashed at the hostel afterwards.

The next day we tried to get as much in as possible, which became nearly impossible as we were constantly distracted by the markets, gardens, and architecture of the city (ok, and a little bit of Zara and Calzedonia on the side).  We bought veggies at the largest market in Spain for our dinner that night (2.60 for eggplant, pepper, zucchini, onion, and a TON of basil.  love this country!)  We wandered through the city gardens (which was established by the city residents as a protest against the proposed freeway in the same location) and made our way to the famous Ciudad de los Artes y Ciencias, designed by the famous Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava (who is currently designing the WTC transportation hub in NYC).  In midwest terms, it was unreal, and the buildings seem to come straight from a Star Trek episode.  Making it to the end, we discovered that the aquarium was a bit out of our budget (and besides, it was close to lunch time), and we went back to the center to a recommended vegetarian restaurant.  We were so taken in by Valencia's ultra chill vibe, we took our cue and tomamos una siesta afterwards in preparation for our evening ahead.

...Which was crazy.  We headed out with our new German roomies en tow (and our Italian roomie from the night before) and as we were trying to find a hoppin' place to put down roots, we ran into a tuna from Sevilla, and we never looked back.

First off, let me explain.  A tuna is a group much resembling a university fraternity, except that they dress in 17th century outfits, play ancient instruments, and have folk jam sessions for hours at a time.  It's way cooler than it sounds.

(Getting back to the story...)  The Tuna invited us into the bar to in order to serenade us, and it didn't stop until about 4:30 and two more bars later.

The next day after sleeping in and barely catching the free breakfast, we did the walking tour where we learned a lot about how the Christians conquered the Muslims in Valencia (pretty much the same story as every other city in Spain...) and had the mandatory paella that you must have while in Valencia (without rabbit or snails though - we went strictly seafood).  The Tuna had invited us to watch their competition in the Art Center that night, which not only gave us an opportunity to see the Ciudad at night (impresivo!) but also see other Tunas from around Spain give their best performances.  Our Sevilla group won for best original song and overall second place (the grammys of Spain?).  But even before the other performances were over, the Sevilla group didn't miss a beat (pun intended) and they started jamming in the lobby of the auditorium.

We followed them to the afterparty at this gorgeous hotel where they shoved food and drinks at us (including a sip of ceremonial beer out of the 2nd place prize cup!) and within moments started playing their instruments and belting their lungs to traditional Spanish songs, and even some we recognized from other places like Bamboleo and La Bamba.  The dancing and singing didn't end until nearly 8am (and another couple venues later).

Erica and I caught a snooze (maybe?) and rushed around to get ready and check out of our hostel, and even got a brief walk of the town and hot chocolate before catching the metro back to the airport.  At one point, Erica and I both remarked to each other that everywhere we went that day, we could still hear the guitars and singing ringing in our ears.  Not bad at all.

Fortunately, our goodbyes weren't final as we ran into a small group of the Sevilla Tuna men that we had been talking with the night before. So before our respective flights we had a conversation (without music, oddly enough) about travels, politics, life, and love (ok, not love, but any longer and it would have gone there!) with the guys.  We left with addresses promises that we would make them each a ribbon for their capes with our words of love and dedication.

It was an incredible and unforgettable weekend, and I definitely owe a lot to my extremely extroverted and fun travel buddy, Erica, who got me out there and meeting more people than I would have ever met on my own.  I saw a beautiful city, met incredible people, participated in a centuries-old tradition, and learned more about Spain, its people and myself in the meantime.

I'll post some pictures here, but for a fuller review, visit my facebook album here.

Erica and I in a gorgeous plaza 

Pausing a jam to take a picture

Trying on the capes!  Do we fit in?

The Sevilla Tuna performing

One of my favorite pictures: Erica with one of the Tuna leaders

Nonstop November

It's been a bit crazy this month, to say the least.  More or less, it feels like I haven't stopped moving in days, and haven't had a weekend to myself in a more than a month (that's necessarily a complaint either).  Here's a roundup of the last month.

Halloween costumes and dinner

Halloween weekend my friend from Cordoba came for their first visit to Malaga so it was a full few days of going around the city and fitting in as much as possible while also putting on a fabulous Halloween party.  The party was a huge success with our apartment looking gorgeous (full of candles and our own jack-o-lantern), a scrumptious meal (thanks to my new favorite website, Chow, for the great butternut squash pasta recipe), and fabulous costumes!

family dinner with Vanessa y German

The next weekend I finally got back to Granada to visit Vanessa for the first time this year.  I was a little stressed about the trip, knowing that I would also be gone the following two weekends as well, but was eternally grateful that I did go.  Spending time with Vanessa and being in Granada is always so rewarding and relaxing, and the weekend wasn't any exception.  We made cookies, went to a movie, had a couple "family dinners" (what I've now termed for the reoccurring group meals that have been a staple of the year so far) and slept in after it all.

A few days later my dad arrived in Malaga and I had the fortune of showing him around for a second time in Malaga.  The day after his arrival we flew to Barcelona for a beautiful weekend of exploring a beautiful city.  We didn't see everything, but my feet hurt so much that it felt like we did.  The first evening we went up to the Monjuic castle and we're there at the perfect time to witness the sunset overlooking the city.  It was amazingly beautiful, and could only be surpassed by the next evening when we saw the sunset from the tall towers of the Sagrada Familia (which was absolutely incredible itself, having most the construction cleared away for the pope's visit the week before, and the sun at the perfect hight to shine through the stunning windows in the nave).  Although I was ready to get back to Malaga, the weekend was so incredible and memorable (some of my favorite moments in Spain thus far), it was sad to see it end.

Which leads me to this last weekend in Valencia, which was so amazing, it deserves a post of its own.

The Nave of the Sagrada Familia

Sunset from the Towers

Nothing's perfect!

Today I made a sandwich and hiked up to the viewpoint on the way to the Castle.  It's a beautiful walk up supplemented with sweeping views of the city, harbor, and bull ring.  Half the postcards on stands feature the incredible vista at the apex of this walk.

Understandably, the ease of maintaining the hillside path usually leave it much to be desired.  The walkway is usually littered with broken glass, plastic bags, empty cans, and other post-party paraphernalia not to mention the dried spills and deposits of you-don't-want-to-know, and the consequential smells of the combination of everything.  Off the path scattered among the eucalyptus, oaks, and cacti, it looks like a time capsule of the many irresponsible individuals and their exploits.

Unfortunately, this is more of the rule rather than the exception around the city.  As much as I love Malaga, it's far from being a perfect city, and in many ways falls short where other Spanish cities seem to have an advantage.  The nearby Malagueta beach is notorious for its litter and cigarette refuse.  And going anywhere outside the tourist center means you'll encounter an inordinate amount of trash and animal excrement.  The general rule is: always look down when walking.  Near the stadium and site of the Sunday flea market the trash has formed massive heaps along the river banks where people have simply tossed their boxes, plastics, and whatnot over the side.  Most would have a difficult time discerning between it and a landfill.  It becomes more revolting to then think that when water does flow through the channel what it would then take with it to the sea.

As a result (it would seem), Malaga is infested with stray cats and flies.  I've heard a rumor that the Mayor is attempting to attack the cat problem, although not diligently, as they want to keep a small population to deal with the rodent problem as well (however, extra food from people and restaurants keeps either population to stabilize).  And the flies are so annoying that to stay in any one place for too long becomes unendurable.  Heck, it doesn't even take staying still for them to be complete pests.

It's sad to see and hard to understand a community that does not take more pride in how it presents itself.  Or maybe that's exactly the point: in most areas that are frequented by the massive amounts of tourists (most on pre-designated routes through the city) are well kept.  Everywhere else is treated more or less like a dump.  And there are no lack of trash cans either, which indicates not a lack of effort on the city's part, but rather places blame on the citizens and visitors.

I wont pretend to understand the psychology or demographics behind the phenomenon, and why it seems to be more prevalent here than any other Spanish city I've visited (and I still admit, my personal experiences are incomplete).  All I can confidently say is that as much as I love Malaga, it troubles me that the Malagueños don't necessarily feel the same sense of pride and joy for their inherently beautiful city to maintain it at the same high standard.

So much like home

This summer, I developed a theory about myself.  It's not very deep, or even very wise.  But I think being here in Malaga has only proved it to be true.

Since I was three, I've lived spitting distance from the airport.  Ok, maybe not that close, but pretty darn close.  Our home was so close that under the city ordinance we had to have all of our windows and doors replaced with those to keep the sound out of the approaching planes.  They don't have their gear down yet, but you can practically see the numbers under the belly.

I've fallen asleep to their dull (and sometimes not-so-dull) roar.  I find amusement in just watching them take off and land, even going out of my way to do so.  I spend summer evenings in the pool watching them make their final decent and I even run outside when Dad calls to say that Air Force One has just taken off (no matter who's presiding).  I usually wonder where they're flying to, or where they're coming from, who's aboard, why their traveling.

To me, planes and airports have always signaled progress, exchange, diversity, openness, communication, culture, and pretty much anything else that "traveling" also means to me.  Therefore, living far from a major airport also seemed like the absence of many of these qualities too (whether true or not).

I'm comfortable with planes.  But more accurately, planes make me comfortable, and their presence have always signaled "home" and a brought a certain peace of mind.  Last year in Cordoba, the absence of planes was practically deafening.  I searched the skies for any sign of life, and on the rare occasion of seeing a plane (so high up it was more of a shooting star) I would get so excited most would believe me to be crazy.  On more than one occasion, my friends made mention my uncanny ability to spot or hear a plane  in the far, far distance, and still thought me crazy for it (I don't really blame them).

This year, I've found myself more at peace, and feeling more at home and I think so much of it has to do to the proximity to the airport.  Often I can hear the planes taking off over our apartment and watch them as they start their journey.  And because it makes me recall a home I've always known, I can feel the comfort of that home even when being so far away.