It'll take you four minutes...

...to read the post in the attached link from the Huffington Post. (Although I also recommend taking another eight to watch the video at the end of the post as well.)

The Brain on 23

Most of us contributing to this blog are approximately this age on our life journeys. And not surprisingly we are experiencing some of these very moments, dilemmas, heart breaks, questions, and joys. We take solace in the fact that we have not only have each other to assist us in putting together the puzzle pieces of our individual lives but we also have the thousands of other 23-year-olds in the world as well, not to mention everyone who has ever been older than 23 (thank you for your wisdom and understanding).

Although, in contrast to this article, we definitely aren't 22 anymore [Taylor].

I guess I'll give into peer-pressure and say something finally!

I'm Emily. I strongly believe its in our nature to make life more complicated than it has to be, so I embrace simplicity and enjoy the little things. I believe that happiness is something that we create, and love is the most important thing in this world. 

As for what I am currently up to: 

October is my absolute favorite month, and fall my favorite season, so my life this month can be summed up essentially by two things: work and going outside. I'm a little obsessed with fall foliage, and I may or may not have maxed out the number of pictures I can take on my phone (which I may or may not have learned is close to 1100). I added just two of them.

I live a little outside Cleveland, Ohio with Austin, my boyfriend. I am lucky enough to be with someone who has a heart of gold, and am so thankful for our love (ending sappy writings here). I work at the Cleveland Clinic as a Registered Nurse on a neurology floor. I just came up on my one year anniversary of working as a nurse. While difficult to adjust to in the beginning, I am very content with my work. I feel lucky to have chosen a career that is constantly challenging me and making me grow, as well as giving me the opportunity to make a difference in someone's life every single day.  

I am very lucky to have these 5 ladies in my life. I love everyone so much, and am so proud of the strong and beautiful women they are. I miss all of you! Since my joy in life is so intricately woven with spending time with my loved ones, I am planning on moving back to our hometown by the end of 2015 to be close to my family, and hopefully friends (if there are any left)! :)  I would like to remind them (as if I don't do it enough), that I would be very very happy if everyone would just come back after going out and seeing the world and we could have jolly-good fun together all the time forever! ;) 

2 Weeks

2 weeks down, 11 to go!

It's weird to think that it's already been half the time that I was here before. It's been quite the adventure so far with lots of different kinds of experiences, from trying to fit in to the family dynamic, to figuring out my role in my school, to going out, to giving private English lessons, to having Spanish classes again. 

The most important things I think have been to be flexible, open to anything and everything, and also making sure I have a little time to unwind by myself. I have no idea what's going on half the time, because, hello, everyone is speaking in my non-native language and I miss context clues or I pay attention to the wrong parts of the conversation. It's hard to be 100% tuned-in all of the time; it takes a lot of brain power and then I often still don't understand. I just have to go with the flow, pretend I know what's going on, or *sigh* ask questions, which is embarrassing for me because I don't want to ask a question in terrible Spanish. 

Last weekend for example, I thought we were going out so that my host sister could get a haircut, and we ended up at the cinema to see a 2 hour documentary about the local festivals and traditions. Last night we went to the country at 6ish for what I thought would be a few hours, and we ended up staying for dinner at 10 or 11 and then until about 1:30 in the morning. That's like a full work day where I have to be awake and paying attention and trying to communicate with people who I just met. Although a huge part of this experience is talking to new people, and I have really been enjoying that, my introverted self is more attuned to sitting back and observing what's happening around me and taking notes for later.   

Another aspect that has been a little difficult is not having another (English-speaking) person here to experience it with me. Last time I was here in Spain, I had a shared story with the Katie and Kaitlyn who I lived with and the people I traveled with; it's part of a collective memory and we all remember different parts. This time it's up to me and I don't get to say to a close friend, "Remember when we went to the disco and we danced like crazy people when they played the Spice Girls?" (Unless it happens on the weekend travels with Katie, which I'm looking forward to for the above reasons). There are some things that transcend language and the incredulity or hilarity can be communicated with just a look between my host sisters and I, and those things I really enjoy paying attention to. But I get to be an observer of my host sisters with all their close friends and their inside jokes and shared history, and I know I have that somewhere else in the world, and if they were transplanted here it would be a natural fit. I know I could make close friends here, but it's not quite the same. Now I know that I can do Spain on my own, and it's great, but my next adventure I'd like to share with others. For now I hope the blogging suffices; it's been helpful for me to get down in words what I'm feeling and what I want to remember. 

Wish you all could be here and see this through your own beautiful perspectives.

Siempre,

Emily

It's My Turn

As I peruse these posts, wanting desperately to be experiencing all of these adventures together, I am also reminded of what a glorious world we live in, and what an unparalleled bond we have where we can be all over the world, yet still be together.  I’m currently trying to get acclimated to grad school life in perhaps one of the farthest spots possible, and am awakened to the harsh reality that I did not, in fact, outgrow my shyness (as I had come to believe), but had merely become so attached to, comfortable with, and fulfilled by the friends I already had that my brain merely shut off the instinct (and resulting fear) to seek out new friends at all.  Of the 6 of us, I am definitely not the social butterfly.  In fact, I usually feel like I’m the only one that’s not brimming with that magically magnetic and vivaciously friendly vibe.  I have the occasional ability to play the part, but as an introvert, it is mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausting.  I’m not saying I’m not friendly (at least…I hope I am) – it’s just harder to make that initial connection.  I can’t be my crazy self around you until I know you, but I can’t get to know you without putting myself out there…and hence the vicious circle.  Add the whole foreigner aspect, and it's a nightmare.

So in this time of transition, as I figure out what it means to be a PhD student and try to find a sense of social normalcy, I am lucky to still - and always - have such an amazing group, the ability to read about what they’re doing, see their amazing pictures, and then chat about it all face to face over the various internet communication tools we have available.  Though difficult, I’m truly happy to have embarked upon this adventure.  I have yet to feel at home here, but I know this will be a life-changing-for-the-better experience.  

In the words of Robyn Davidson (an extreme adventurer if there ever was one), we get to choose our own adventures, even in the most ordinary of circumstances, and have to "learn to use our fears as stepping stones rather than stumbling blocks.”  Growth is all about pushing the limits of your comfort zone.  I’m currently so far out of that zone that I’d like to get it in sight again, but maybe not much more than that.  I'm the last of the six to embark upon a daring adventure of this magnitude, and it's my turn to reach boldly into the unknown.

 

  

 

A quick taste of Christchurch City Center, the Port Hills, and New Brighton Beach (more  pics at www.mypursuitofwonder.wordpress.com).

The Chef Life

About two years ago, I went down to Florida for my first Disney internship. I started as a quick-service sandwich maker and moved on to being a seater/ice cream sundae maker and let me tell you, I rode the struggle bus the whole six months I was here. I went back home, went to culinary school, and felt Disney calling my name again. This time, my attitude is so different. Its amazing how much your attitude can change about a job when you actually love what you are doing.

I currently work as a culinary cast member at The Epcot Food and Wine Festival. I get to cook foods from around the world everyday at work, and I have never been a part of such a huge event before.

Not only am I learning how to cook these foods but I'm also learning how to supply mass quantities quickly, organize myself better, multi-task about 20 things at once and everything that goes into making this festival run. I wake up and want to go to work and I couldn't be happier about that.

I've started talking to my chefs about moving to full time and I just turned in an application for a 15 month lease on a new apartment....yikes! Fingers crossed as I move into this new stage of my life!

Ciudad Un-Real

Ahhhhh!!!! Still can't believe I'm here. Katie and I were talking about how we weren't uncomfortable at all here because it feels like coming home. It's like we stepped right back into our old Spanish life and every tiny cobblestoned street we turned on felt familiar to us somehow. 

Toledo is a beautiful historic city and so we all walked around and got lunch when we arrived. My first Spanish meal was tapas of course! Partridge pâté, beef stew, croquettes, tuna and potato salad, Manchego cheese and ham, and patatas bravas with sangria! 

Then in the evening we met back up with group for dinner at this yummy restaurant with lots of little alcoves to fit us. It felt like we were in a little cave. I had more pâté, croquettes, and cheese, an egg and sausage biscuit, veal and potatoes, and ice cream with wine and sangria again. 

Then we went to the roof of our hotel which had a nice bar area and a bunch of us played Cards Against Humanity! It's a good way to get to know everyone haha  I wish we were all going to be staying a little closer to one another but it will be good to be a little separated so we make Spanish friends. We're all going to make travel plans together which will be nice. This was the panoramic view off of the balcony in my hotel room with the Cathedral in the distance. 

Today we woke up and had a light breakfast 

and went to our orientation at the library of Toledo: 

We learned a little more about our roles in the school and got some practical information. Then we met our tutors! Maribel is a 34 year old English teacher in the school I'll be at in Daimiel, but she lives in Ciudad Real which is about a half hour away. She picked me up from orientation and we drove about an hour and a half to her apartment. She ordered pizza for me (a very delicious peperone) and I met her boyfriend Samuel. Samuel is also an English teacher; he was born in Portugal, then went to South Africa when he was a year old and spent 17 years there, and then went back to Portugal for 15 years. They're both pretty cool to say the least and we got along well. (ALSO she told me I looked very Spanish right after I met her AND she says my Spanish is good!! Those are THE highest compliments and I love her for them).  She showed me my timetable for school and explained how things would work. Then we went to the city center, met her parents, and took a walk! 

Ciudad Real has about 75,000 people so it's about double the city of Dayton proper without suburbs. I had some ice cream (Chocolate Brownie), met one of Maribel's friends, and talked to the boss of the English academy where Samuel works to inquire about whether I could teach English lessons for "pocket money" as she says. The answer to that question was "vamos a ver," so "we'll see." I'm so excited and grateful for every aspect of this experience and I can't wait to see how this will change me and make me better. It feels so unreal to be here, and thus the punny title of the post. I'll probably be hashtagging it so prepare yourselves. 

I think I'll save my introduction to my host family for the next post because it's 12:58pm here and I am ready to sleep for a whole day. 

Siempre,

Emilia

And then there was one...

For the first time ever, there is only one person left at (or within an hour of) home: Me. For the last 5 years, there have been at least 3 people an hour's drive of each other and our families. It has always been a comfort for those scattered on their own adventures, myself included, to know that there are people at home waiting for them to return. I've had my share of gallivanting, usually only staying in the country long enough to plan my next trip out; so it now seems to be my turn to keep the home fires burning. Schaef (who has yet do anything on here *hint cough cough hint*) is about 3 hours away and she and I are the closest ones now. It's an odd feeling, knowing that I'll be the only one complaining about the continuous highway construction and the ridiculously unpredictable weather.

There is of course the tinge of jealousy as my best friends go out into the world and do exciting things while I'm starting to settle down into my career and "adult" life. It leaves me feeling as though the "adventurous travel" chapter of my life is complete and I've turned into the homebody. It's a slightly terrifying and exceedingly depressing thought. I'm not ready for my yellow leather suitcase to start building up dust. (I saved it from the Goodwill Outlet store. Yes, even the thrift store has a place to send their outdated unwanteds.) I know in my heart that my passport wont sit in the bottom of a drawer for much longer. However as a child of instant gratification and one who has seen Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory too many times, "I want it now!"

*sigh* I suppose that I will just have to live vicariously through the girls and wait to hear every detail of their adventures to pretend that I'm there with them. That and start making notes on the various places we'll have to go when I visit them.

Biz,

Sarah

Ay. Dios. Mío.

On the bus to Toledo to our hotel for the night! 

Our flight went well. I was writing a very poetic post during it about how I felt like I was in outer space, but then a very friendly gentleman in front of us named Manny started talking to us over the seat for like a half an hour at least. He's a business man and does something with tiling roofs and also managing landfills? But he has a dog named "Lost," because he said he found it, which is pretty funny. Anyways. I slept a tiny bit, we watched Maleficent in Spanish (may have to see it in English now), and we got a pretty good dinner including free wine! I love Spain! We touched down at about 8:15am Spain time which was 2:15am EST and made our way to get our luggage, buy a SIM card for our phones, and then took an airport bus to another terminal to our meeting point. We found out that the girl sitting behind us on the flight was also in our program but not until after we landed! Then we had to wait until 1:30pm our time to take the bus with our group. We got coffee (cafe americano para mi), a donut AND FANTA DE LIMÓN. It's like regular Fanta but lemon flavored and it sparkles like sunshine. You can't get it in the US but it's so good and Katie and I both have missed it. 

All of the people we've met have been super nice so far and we spent the past few hours talking about where we're from, previous travel experiences, and where we would all like to travel while we're here. I feel right in the middle of the pack when it comes to experience traveling abroad and language ability, but I also feel a real connection to these 50 people because most of them chose this program for  similar reasons as I did (love of travel, love of Spain, not knowing what the next life step is, etc.). 

Feelings I'm having: ALL OF THEM. 

This feels like a continuation of a dream I've been having for the past 3 years. It already almost feels like I never left. My month here felt like an entire lifetime and so it feels as if I'm jumping right back into that life.  I've never experienced anything like this before. The street signs, billboards, and store signs are in Spanish and/or kilometers, the music on the bus is a mix of American top 40 and songs in Spanish which is fun, the terrain is just like I remember it, really dry and arid looking with some hills and mountains in the distance, and the sky is blue as can be. I'm so happy to be back and see what this adventure is going to be like! 

Bon Voyage y Buen Viaje!

I'm currently typing this on my phone in the plane from Columbus to New York which is so cool! When I went to Spain the first time (also the last time I flew) I didn't even have a smart phone so I'm interested to see how this trip with be different social media-wise. Anyways, I LOVE flying. This is only the 3rd time I've flown for a trip so it's still very exciting and new. When we were taking off I had the thought, "How amazing are the Wright Brothers and how cool is it that I was born and raised in the same city as they were?" I'm excited to tell my host families where I'm from and see what they know about good old Orville and Wilbur! 

Everything went really smoothly checking in and going through security, I was about a pound over weight on the checked bag but I shifted a couple things to the carry on and it was all good! Our parents all watched us go through security and waved us off (thanks for the ride Mom and Dad!). Katie and I got some Starbucks since I was up until 4am packing and needed a pick me up, and we caught up on life happenings since we saw each other last. It's very strange to go from living together to living an hour away from each other. All this travel time together is great for us!

It's finally starting to sink in that Spain is actually happening. There are no more things on the To-Do List after 10 months of talking about it and planning and preparing and packing. Now it's just a whole lot of Wonderful Unknowns.  It's hopefully a smooth process the rest of the time; we have over 4 hours at JFK before the next flight so there's time to get our bearings and have some food. We're both craving hot dogs so I think it would be a fitting last American meal for three months. The weather is beautiful and the view out the window has been a beautiful sight to see. 

I'm going to keep sipping on my cranberry apple juice and watching Katie doze and I'll post this when we arrive at JFK! ;) 

Siempre, 

Emily W. 

Learning to be, again

I am a college graduate, former Jesuit Volunteer who lived on $100 a month, Catholic, friend, family member, traveler (well, inside the US so far), employee, etc. When I left Dayton, Ohio for college in 2009 I told myself that I would no longer live at home except for the summers between Spring and Fall semesters. It's not that I don't like home or have issues with my family, in fact, it is the exact opposite, that I love home and my family. I know they love and support me no matter what, that they want me to be happy and follow my dreams. My Momma always told me to spread my wings and see the world. Since I know there is a bed waiting for me at home when I visit so I have taken her advice to heart.

I lived in St. Louis for four years and swear I will live there again. I had a tough time adjusting since I was living away from home for the first time ever, six hours to be exact. I knew two people when I moved there and clung to them for the first few weeks. I fought through being homesick and finally fully embraced what my school and new city had to offer. I loved spending the summer there between junior and senior year and made fun memories that only St. Louis has to offer. I cried when I left for that final time after I graduated and could no longer call St. Louis home. I still get chills each time I see the Arch when I drive through, or maybe even just seeing pictures that reflect the sunlight just right.

I moved to Syracuse, NY to live with six complete strangers in a part of the country that I had never been. I was nine hours away from home with no one to call on who had known be before. I figured how to to take the bus to work, to work with hundreds of volunteers and hundreds of hungry folks. I creatively figured out how to cook foods I had never heard of and make decisions that collaborated seven different perspectives regarding one bank account. I was drenched in summer sweat when the temperature was in the upper 90's and covered in blankets and layered clothing when the high temperature was in the negatives with a foot of snow on the ground. I once again fell in love with a city and a group of people that will forever be in my heart. And then my year was over there, and I moved again, just when the rhythm of life seemed normal.

Now I am living in Liberty, MO just north of Kansas City. I am living with an aunt, uncle and cousins as I work with adults with intellectual and development disabilities. I have paternal family all around me which makes being ten hours away from home not that bad. My life is mostly work and family schedule collaboration with splashes of sports and trips to Walgreens. I am learning to be me, again. Learning how to blend my experiences into those of my extended family members, new city, and new responsibilities. Learning how to grow and open myself to challenge, change and life in general, again. Oh, and loving it. :)

Peace,
Annie

List(a)

"Estas lista?" in Spanish means "Are you ready?" I've always remembered this phrase by saying to myself, "You're only ready if you've made your lists!" and I believe it. I'm the type of person who has notebooks and notepads and random pieces of paper in every purse and every surface of my room with different lists scribbled on them. Whether it's a To-Do list or a list of songs I want to look up, I find that they are essential for my productivity and probably for my hygiene (how else am I supposed to remember to shower, or at least put deodorant on in the morning??).

I'm quite the accomplished procrastinator (hence why I am writing on the blog about packing, rather than actually packing), and so I have yet to begin to fill my suitcase with the things I think I'll need for the next 3 months, even though I leave on Sunday. BUT, today I made my packing list and I already feel much better about everything I have to do. The list is very exhaustive and neatly categorized; even though I still haven't crossed anything off of it, I think I'll be able to handle it on Saturday, when I assume I'll actually pack. There are some other hurdles to come though, and weight limits and heartbreaking choices about shoes are the first ones that come to mind.

On some level this does not quite feel real yet. I've been looking forward to going back to Spain since I left there in July of 2011 and it's all I've talked and thought about for months and months. But it's finally almost here, and it's time to get this show on the road! I have a feeling it might not sink in until I'm on the plane, but my heart is ready. Of tonight though, all I can say is that cats, internet, phone calls and texts from important, old friends, and the antics of my little bro have all brought me to this point: with Lists, but not quite Lista.