Here I sit, contemplating my next adventure in España (among other places)! Crazy enough, I leave in only two days. Monday evening will find me leaving my home, saying goodbye to my love, and vaulting thousands of feet into the troposphere. This time, as with Costa Rica, it is masquerading as an educational venture, though I think you and I both know better. Tough life, right? I have to go to Spain in order to finish collecting the credits I need in order to become a teacher. Not sure what classes I'll be assigned, but my top picks are Islamic Culture in Spain, Spanish Literature, Spanish History, Spanish Civilization and Culture, and History of Spanish Art. The five week program takes place in the southeastern city of Granada, where the Islamic influence is particularly strong. Apparently you can find this influence reflected in the architecture, the abundant markets, the food, even the language. For instance (fun fact you can pull out at parties to impress people), every word in the Spanish language that begins with "al" is from Arabic. Like almohada (pillow), or albahaca (basil.) This is just the general impression I've gathered from the research I've done. I hope to get a much better understanding of the cultural mix very soon!
The Alhambra. So pretty...
As always, it is particularly difficult to leave that boy I'm so terribly fond of. This time, however, it will be ME who meets him at the airport, instead of the other way around. A month from now, he will be arriving at the Granada airport, to spend a glorious three weeks with me, galavanting through places new and exciting. Before that, I will be in Madrid (with a stop in Toledo) for a four day orientation, Sevilla for a weekend, and Cadiz for a weekend to visit an old friend. Once my love has joined me we will go to Tangier, Morocco! It seems like a really cool, unusual place - I only wish we had more time there. Once I finish my last week of school we take a night train up to Barcelona. The train has individual cabins with beds and bathrooms and everything! Worth every penny. After six days in that - hopefully - magnificent city, it's on to Heidelberg, where we spend three-ish days wandering around and eating bratwurst. All reports say it is an extremely beautiful place. I gather the old ruined castle has a garden that's open at night, which is supposed to be quite lovely and romantic (puke.) When the three days are up, we take the train through the countryside to Amsterdam! I've always been very drawn to that city, and now I will have my chance to explore it for five days! And then it's home.
Lots of things to get excited for. And lots of things to pack, and carefully! Women in Spain are apparently ridiculously well dressed, which means I can't fall back on jeans and t shirts. Obviously I will not fit it, but I'd rather not be too overtly gringa. I think all my papers are in order, however, and all my tickets are printed. I was hoping to have this weekend to just hang out, sleep, relax... I scoff at the hope! This weekend is the 48 hour film festival, which means long days and almost no sleep. Since I'm participating only peripherally I have given myself permission to go home and sleep tonight, since beginning a journey of this magnitude already exhausted seems like a bad idea. It seems, then, that Monday is my partial day of relaxation, before I tearily hop aboard the plane that will carry me 3,500 miles away. I never thought I could dread a thing as much as the security checkpoint; the moment when I have to turn around and walk away. Adventures await, certainly, but there's always that part of me that wonders where he is and what he's doing. But the adventures must be had by someone, and I cannot be sad that the adventuring falls to me.
So, until we meet again, happy adventuring!
*Olivia
So, until we meet again, happy adventuring!
*Olivia
"There are two sorts of romantics: those who love, and those who love the adventure of loving."
- Lesley Blanch
