Hi Austin February 10, 2011

This guy is Austin bound. What am I expecting? I’ve only heard good things about Texas’s largest college city. My brother and I were just discussing what we know about the place. All we could come up with was steakhouses, an 8 mile trail my sister posted a photo of online, and a movie theater that serves full meals like a restaurant. Can one really ask for more? It sounds like a magical place from Above.

I’ve already started preparing by cutting my caloric intake by half. If I’m going hang with locals at the steakhouse, Imma need to be able to throw down. And I mean, throw down. An 11oz steak isn’t going to eat itself.

Another item on my preliminary list is a tour of the University of Texas. It should be fun to see how big a university that has 48,000 leaders of the future is. I’m guessing slightly bigger than my school. I’m sure their sign language department is bigger than my quant university on the bluff. Do they have a climbing club is the real question. Doubtful, but if they do it probably rolls 200 members deep.

The real reason I’m going to Austin is to visit my sister and see her new house. Right before Thanksgiving she moved to her new home and then proceeded to spend the holiday season moving an entire company and its families half way across the country. So we’re having a postponed family holiday get together. If everything goes well we will all be converging in Texas around three in the afternoon on Friday.

Love January 21, 2011

My last day in Spain – I went wandering the streets of Barcelona in a random fashion. I distinctly remember consciously soaking in the feeling of having nothing to do. Walking up and down streets for the sake of walking up and down streets is something everyone should do at least once in their lifetime. I can’t tell you how nice that feeling is.

Anyway, my last day in Spain I really wanted a Starbucks coffee. My trip felt slightly incomplete without it. I thought it would be really funny to order drip coffee in Spain. No one drinks drip coffee in Spain. And apparently neither do I. After spending five minutes tinkering with my internal map, I found a Starbucks right up the street. For some reason the Barista couldn’t understand my Spanish, it was a first. I ordered a drip coffee and got a latte. I typically don’t order lattes because it’s a very girly drink but on this occasion it was a fine. I finished my private city tour with a Starbucks latte in one hand and my camera in the other. I knew what I looked like and I embraced it as I took photos of Obama British Africa. It was perfect on a few levels.

 

 

Video January 21, 2011

Leaving Barcelona for the first time January 21, 2011

Usually I don’t mind saying goodbyes but today I had to say one I didn’t want to say. It was very strange. All I could think was: I should have taken a damn picture. Thank you Barcelona for the perfect start to the best year of the decade, to the best decade of the century. The trip was everything I wanted it to be. I’m really happy I decided to study abroad over intersession instead of working, I have the rest of my life to do that.

Barcelona is a big city to handle. I don’t think could have hung too much longer. I tried preventing the American homesickness from kicking in by immersing myself in Catalan but eventually the burger got the best of me and all I could think about was familiar foods. Three weeks was the perfect length to stomach.

I’ll see you on the other side.

Simpler times January 20, 2011

I remember when class was three hours a day and all we did was sing songs and eat cookies. On break we got to eat a snack or take a short nap. The teacher didn’t have any expectations or try to make anyone feel stupid. During field trip days we would only have two hours of class so everyone had enough time to use the bathroom and pack their backpack with a sweatshirt and water bottle. Those were the days. I’m going to miss Barcelona.

Eating food January 19, 2011

I think I found him Yup, you heard me. I found him at a hole in the wall off of Barceloneta near the beach. This place serves the tastiest sandwiches. I think it could displace In ‘n Out if it ever made its way to California. It was that good. Ad the prices were hard to beat. €3 ‘wiches and €2 bottles of sparkling rosé. I’m not really into the rosé variety but I figured when in Europe.

Round one I went with hamburguesa con bacon y pepinillos.

Round two put me over the top—cerdo con foie gras y york. I was so full I nearly gagged the last two bites, which were almost entirely foie gras.

It was another positive food experience in Barcelona. I haven’t been that impressed with the food so when we find an awesome place I think we overdue it a little. I’m still full.

My days on this continent are winding down. The scary dark tunnel I entered from the airport two weeks ago is all lit up. A small part of me wants to stay but the majority of me is homesick. I miss my car, my dog and my family the most. And my bedroom—oh wait that got given away months ago. I guess my dorm room will have to do .

Letting the dogs eat January 16, 2011

Can’t get much higher January 16, 2011

This has been the least utilized free weekend known to God. Saturday: slept in, ran, napped, ate, slept. Sunday: slept in, ate, homework, napped, and homework. No museums, no parks, just amazing relaxation without a care in the world. The only thing I wanted to do this weekend was climb but I don’t have a rope or a belayer. So as underutilized as it was, it was a swell weekend in Barcelona.

Not to look too far in the future but real school is right around the corner. That transition is going to be tough. This is the most time I’ve had off at work in three-ish years. Do I miss it? It’s embarrassing to say but yes, I do miss work. I miss the holiday candy which is all gone by now. If I’m lucky there will be a few boxes of spice cookies left but I’m not going to hold my breath. When I get back I’m going to be eating all raw food anyway. Cashew and mushroom cheeseburgers!! Kidding.

If I keep listening to this music imma get up and go for a run. I know it’s so cold out but are you hearing this?? Of course you aren’t. I haven’t even said what I’m listening to. You should have a pretty good idea what it is. I’m living in that 21st century… I’m hanging out in the Agora lounge drowning out the sounds of billiards and ping-pong—traditionally both sports are quite quiet but these guys are way too in to it—trying to start some homework but this relaxation honeymoon is hard to end.

Such a tease January 16, 2011

Metro madness January 16, 2011

I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not the best traveler. I just finished dinner at my favorite Mexican place. It was delicious. I was on my way to meet some USD guys at Temple Bar. I tried getting on the Metro but my pass was all used up so it didn’t let me through. Obviously! Not a big deal right? All I had to do was buy another pass. I had no idea the machine didn’t accept credit cards (debit only). Not a big deal right? I could just pay with cash. I didn’t have any. Nothing to get worried about… I could ask a friend to loan me some money. I was alone. I could call someone from the program. I didn’t have a phone. Bingo!: All I had to do was go to a bank and change some American money. It was 2am. Walking wouldn’t be too bad. I’m all about roughing it. I was in a new part of town and had no sense of direction. I would have been stabbing in the dark or getting stabbed in the dark.

While all these thoughts were going through my head I kept thinking how stupid I was for not being prepared. I can proudly say I wasn’t panicking at all though. I was very cool through the whole ordeal. Or at least I think I was playing it cool. Maybe some Metro security footage would say otherwise.

I felt like I was out of options. I figured I could start signing in the station with a plastic cup in my hand to get a €1.45. I wasn’t ready to open that book. After bitching out a few times I finally put my head down and snuck in behind a paying stranger. It wasn’t a proud moment but I felt like it was the only thing I could do. I decided to cut the night early and head back to school.

An awesome photo from an unrelated Metro trip (not my blood)