To anyone checking up on this blog...
Oops! I didn't get to post after the first few days of my trip! I was having so much fun I ran out of time to post :) i just stumbled upon this blog again amd I hope to post more in future adventures!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Last night in Barcelona!
Today is my last day in Barcelona! I'm sad to leave Barcelona (especially the nice hostel...who knows what we will be staying in next!!!), but I'm excited to discover Italy and France. I am going to keep this update quick because I fly to Rome tomorrow morning and still have to stuff everything in my suitcase and (hopefully) get some sleep.
Our day had an early-ish start. We were planning to take the metro to Gaudi park which i was surely excited about. I was expecting a NYC subway station (hot, trash smelling, dirty and gross) but was surprised by hoe CLEAN it was! Not only was it cool with a nice breeze (way cooler than the beating sun outside) but it also smelt pleasant, the trash cans had actually been emptied, and I felt fine holding onto the pole inside. We arrived at our stop and took a bus to Gaudi Park.
So far, Barcelona feels great but the vibe isn't extremely different from NYC. There are streets of gorgeous buildings and suddenly you come upon a monument or place of historical significance.
Although a lot of Barcelona doesn't have an exotic feel, Gaudi Park is beautiful and unique. It is a park designed by Gaudi for a wealthy man who wanted a villa overlooking the city. Walking through the villa you can see Gaudis detailed mosaic art covering entire buildings. He was designing a set for a Hansel And Grettle play at the time, so he was inspired to create life-size gingerbread houses. While climbing up the villa I reached a long park bench level overlooking the city. Te park bench is actually the longest in the world!! Climbing even higher we reach the highest part of the villa which has a breathtaking view of the city. I can't wait for. You to see pictures!
After this we stopped for lunch. To be honest, I have not been extremely impressed. Y Spanish food with the exception of the paella. It mostly consists of sandwiches and pork.
Next we were given the choice to visit FC Barcelona stadium or tour La Sagrada Familia. Since I am not a huge soccer fan (or should I say "football") I chose to tour the church which was absolutely breathtaking! It was full of beautiful columns and breathtaking designs. They are finishing it's construction as planned by the original designer, but can't fully complete the design because doing so would require destructing two city blocks!
Next we had then choice to relax at the hotel or visit the Dali exhibit. Even though I was SO tired after allbof the subway rides, walking and busses, I could not POSSIBLY leave Barcelona with an opportunity missed! I went to the Dali exhibit with only 3 other girls (the other 26 decided to stay in the hotel!) The exhibit was so unique! There were lots of sculptures that we took Funny pictures with and some drawings that ai had seen in art textbooks before. For those of you unfamiliar with Dali, he is the artist who drew the melting clocks.
Our final dinner in Spain was pretty special. We have yet to eat any "amazing" food (it has mostly been chowing down on bread or sandwiches..or both) and tonight we went to La Petit Galeria where we had an option of sushi or home-made stuffed pasta. I am not into the "raw fish" idea so i opted for the pasta which with was really good...but kind of saddening because we only got 4 ravioli and I am more familiar with larger portions =p The most unique thing was a magic man working in the restaurant. He did some tricks that in couldn't even figure out... He did crazy things, but I don't want to bore you with long details...just go for yourself if you visit Barelona! Trust me, it was awesome!
Before packing (we leave for Rome in the morning) we went to a small theater to see a Flamenco show. It was nothing like I expected! This traditional Flamenco consisted of music and fast tap dancing. A man and a woman danced with passion and strength that I've never seen before.
Well I have to go...off to Rome tomorrow morning!
XXX
Jess
Our day had an early-ish start. We were planning to take the metro to Gaudi park which i was surely excited about. I was expecting a NYC subway station (hot, trash smelling, dirty and gross) but was surprised by hoe CLEAN it was! Not only was it cool with a nice breeze (way cooler than the beating sun outside) but it also smelt pleasant, the trash cans had actually been emptied, and I felt fine holding onto the pole inside. We arrived at our stop and took a bus to Gaudi Park.
So far, Barcelona feels great but the vibe isn't extremely different from NYC. There are streets of gorgeous buildings and suddenly you come upon a monument or place of historical significance.
Although a lot of Barcelona doesn't have an exotic feel, Gaudi Park is beautiful and unique. It is a park designed by Gaudi for a wealthy man who wanted a villa overlooking the city. Walking through the villa you can see Gaudis detailed mosaic art covering entire buildings. He was designing a set for a Hansel And Grettle play at the time, so he was inspired to create life-size gingerbread houses. While climbing up the villa I reached a long park bench level overlooking the city. Te park bench is actually the longest in the world!! Climbing even higher we reach the highest part of the villa which has a breathtaking view of the city. I can't wait for. You to see pictures!
After this we stopped for lunch. To be honest, I have not been extremely impressed. Y Spanish food with the exception of the paella. It mostly consists of sandwiches and pork.
Next we were given the choice to visit FC Barcelona stadium or tour La Sagrada Familia. Since I am not a huge soccer fan (or should I say "football") I chose to tour the church which was absolutely breathtaking! It was full of beautiful columns and breathtaking designs. They are finishing it's construction as planned by the original designer, but can't fully complete the design because doing so would require destructing two city blocks!
Next we had then choice to relax at the hotel or visit the Dali exhibit. Even though I was SO tired after allbof the subway rides, walking and busses, I could not POSSIBLY leave Barcelona with an opportunity missed! I went to the Dali exhibit with only 3 other girls (the other 26 decided to stay in the hotel!) The exhibit was so unique! There were lots of sculptures that we took Funny pictures with and some drawings that ai had seen in art textbooks before. For those of you unfamiliar with Dali, he is the artist who drew the melting clocks.
Our final dinner in Spain was pretty special. We have yet to eat any "amazing" food (it has mostly been chowing down on bread or sandwiches..or both) and tonight we went to La Petit Galeria where we had an option of sushi or home-made stuffed pasta. I am not into the "raw fish" idea so i opted for the pasta which with was really good...but kind of saddening because we only got 4 ravioli and I am more familiar with larger portions =p The most unique thing was a magic man working in the restaurant. He did some tricks that in couldn't even figure out... He did crazy things, but I don't want to bore you with long details...just go for yourself if you visit Barelona! Trust me, it was awesome!
Before packing (we leave for Rome in the morning) we went to a small theater to see a Flamenco show. It was nothing like I expected! This traditional Flamenco consisted of music and fast tap dancing. A man and a woman danced with passion and strength that I've never seen before.
Well I have to go...off to Rome tomorrow morning!
XXX
Jess
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Arriving in Barcelona Spain
Ok, I'll admit it... I Have fallen under the Jet Lag spell! For those of you who are not familiar with "jet lag" it is an extremely deadly disease. Ok, so it's not a deadly disease, but it feels like it! Jet lag is a term for feeling exhausted and tired because of the time change from a flight. I arrived in Barcelona yesterday at about 10 am (which is about 4 am in the USA) after having about three hours of scattered sleep on the plane (I will try not to blame it on the larger woman sitting next to me who took up her seat and half of mine) and did not go to sleep until 11:45 ish (that is 4:45 pm in NC). Nevertheless I didn't get a chance to blog last night. So now I will recap yesterday and later tonight I will blog about my awesome day today :)
So after being greeted by a Travel for Teens counselor at the airport i realized how many differences there are from the USA and Spain. The Taxis are black and yellow and the ambulances look more like clown cars than emergency vehicles. Even the toilets are different... They have a push button flush! Barcelona is like nothing i have ever seen...it is a busy city like NYC but the architecture is exquisite and intricate and there is a definite beach feel since we are on the water. Jonny and I took a taxi back to our place of residence...my first Hostel! The hostel we are staying at is very nice and modern. Each room has 3-4 beds and it's own bathroom. It feels like a hotel minus the usual amenities. When the rest of the Travel For Teens group arrived I met my roommates- Tia from Texas and Rina from Manhattan. They are both really. Ice and we have gotten along great!
Everyone is sooo tired from jet lag, but we get some sandwiches for lunch (kind of like subway but the bread is harder and there is no mustard tear tear) and then we go on a catamaran ride (a type of boat). It was really cool to see the city by sea. There was an amazing saxophone player playing really relaxing music...maybe too relaxing because most of the group fell asleep!
I am soo glad I brought so many clothes because at this rate i will be going through 2 or 3 outfits a day! It is so hot in Barcelona and after a few hours out we all feel the need to shower and change. Las Ramblas is the name for a long street in Barcelona filled with cool shops, street artists, musicians and performers and we went here after freshening up. Keep in mind that by this time it is about 5:00 pm in Barcelona but it feels like 11:00am to me...and I had slept less than three hours in the last day-and-a-half.. We strolled along the town, everyone almost falling asleep, and socialized. I am meeting people from all over the country and counselors from all o er the world! If you keep reading i am sure you will hear more about them. Eventually went back to the hostel and changed out of our nasty clothes (again) to go to dinner.
Barcelona is such a cool place and I'm trying to capture the vibe with my pictures (which I will upload when I get back). We walked about 15 minutes to dinner and past some cool buildings I wish I could show you. It's funny that on the monument of Christopher Columbus he is pointing his finger to what is supposed to be america, but a month after it's construction was completed the Spanish realized Columbus is actually pointing towards Africa! Well anyways, we ate at this Argentinian place that is owned by two cooks. It was delicious, but the bad thing about traveling with a group is that it takes forever to get food. The result is eating tons of bread baskets before your meal comes out! It was worth the wait though because those guys really know how to cook!
The 15 minute walk back to the hostel seemed like 15 hours, but I am still entranced by this beautiful city. By the time I got back I was completely exhausted. I sent my parents a quick email and crashed into the deepest sleep on the most uncomfortable bed I've ever sat on, but hard beds dont even matter, por que soy en espana!
Until tonight,
Jess
So after being greeted by a Travel for Teens counselor at the airport i realized how many differences there are from the USA and Spain. The Taxis are black and yellow and the ambulances look more like clown cars than emergency vehicles. Even the toilets are different... They have a push button flush! Barcelona is like nothing i have ever seen...it is a busy city like NYC but the architecture is exquisite and intricate and there is a definite beach feel since we are on the water. Jonny and I took a taxi back to our place of residence...my first Hostel! The hostel we are staying at is very nice and modern. Each room has 3-4 beds and it's own bathroom. It feels like a hotel minus the usual amenities. When the rest of the Travel For Teens group arrived I met my roommates- Tia from Texas and Rina from Manhattan. They are both really. Ice and we have gotten along great!
Everyone is sooo tired from jet lag, but we get some sandwiches for lunch (kind of like subway but the bread is harder and there is no mustard tear tear) and then we go on a catamaran ride (a type of boat). It was really cool to see the city by sea. There was an amazing saxophone player playing really relaxing music...maybe too relaxing because most of the group fell asleep!
I am soo glad I brought so many clothes because at this rate i will be going through 2 or 3 outfits a day! It is so hot in Barcelona and after a few hours out we all feel the need to shower and change. Las Ramblas is the name for a long street in Barcelona filled with cool shops, street artists, musicians and performers and we went here after freshening up. Keep in mind that by this time it is about 5:00 pm in Barcelona but it feels like 11:00am to me...and I had slept less than three hours in the last day-and-a-half.. We strolled along the town, everyone almost falling asleep, and socialized. I am meeting people from all over the country and counselors from all o er the world! If you keep reading i am sure you will hear more about them. Eventually went back to the hostel and changed out of our nasty clothes (again) to go to dinner.
Barcelona is such a cool place and I'm trying to capture the vibe with my pictures (which I will upload when I get back). We walked about 15 minutes to dinner and past some cool buildings I wish I could show you. It's funny that on the monument of Christopher Columbus he is pointing his finger to what is supposed to be america, but a month after it's construction was completed the Spanish realized Columbus is actually pointing towards Africa! Well anyways, we ate at this Argentinian place that is owned by two cooks. It was delicious, but the bad thing about traveling with a group is that it takes forever to get food. The result is eating tons of bread baskets before your meal comes out! It was worth the wait though because those guys really know how to cook!
The 15 minute walk back to the hostel seemed like 15 hours, but I am still entranced by this beautiful city. By the time I got back I was completely exhausted. I sent my parents a quick email and crashed into the deepest sleep on the most uncomfortable bed I've ever sat on, but hard beds dont even matter, por que soy en espana!
Until tonight,
Jess
Waking up in Barcelona
Wow. What a day.
After struggling to wake up (my roommates and I slept 15 minutes into our alarm!) we were treated to a complimentary breakfast in the lobby! This is not usual for hostels...usually there are community bathrooms and you have to bring your own sheets, but this modern place has treated us very well.
After a yummy desayuno the group of us split into two? We were all going on a bike tour of Barcelona, however there weren't enough bikes for all of us at one time. My group was going first so we left the hostel with a counselor and walked across the town. We passed through La Plaza De Royal which is where we have been hanging out a lot. It is a beautiful square with a big fountain in the middle. We walked through some side streets, most of which have shops on the first floor and apartments on the top. We even felt little drizzles from families shaking their sheets out and hanging them out to dry on their balconies above us.
Soon enough we reached our destination-then beginning of the bike tour! We all picked out a bike and after type necessary "don't-we-look-cute-on-our-bikes" pictures I got a little nervous about riding around in a busy city!
Fortunately our tour guide named Midge (a cool Australian guy with a pierced chin) knew what he was doing. The bike tour was scenic and beautiful! Here is a highlight of some of the awesome things about the trip...
1) We drove down the beautiful beaches which are gorgeous! Unfortunately some of the people who chose to go topless on the beach are not so attractive...more like older larger ladies..yikes!
2) The statue of Christopher Columbus is a large statue of him pointing to the New World...but it wasn't until the statue (which is reaaaalllly high...u should google it) was fully mounted that they realized that he was actuallyvpointing towards Africa. The dude just can't seem to get himself strait! Did you k ow that syphilis was brought to the new world? If so I bet you didn't know Queen Isabella of Spain was the first to contract it (after d"discussing" plans with Christopher Columbus in the palace....sketchy, aye?)
2) We came to the edge of the dock overlooking the beach and could see the skyline of the city. The beaches were actually manmade for the Olympics years ago (the sand is imported from egypt) and when it storms really badly here the sand washes away to reveal bare rock.
3) When you turn around to see the city skyline the Torre Agbar is very prominent. Midge (our bike tour guide) called it the "worlds largest dildo". Google it and you will see why. At night it even lights up blue with red spots (this is suspected to be a reference from the architect of the spread of syphilis!)
4) I saw the last remaining bull fighting arena in Barcelona. We learned a lot about the treatment of the bulls and it is horrible! They have finallyvpast a law to close down this last arena in 2011 (it couldn't be shut down earlier because the spanish royalty forbid it until some recent stuff that would take too long for me to elaborate on!) Do you know those red capes they flash to make bulls run? Did you know that bulls are actually color blind? They only see black and white! They just chase after movement.
5) Marijuana is legal here and although I have NOT smoked it, now I can definitely identify the smell.
6) La Sagrada Familia is a beautiful cathedral designed by Gaudi. It was not completed before his death but is being worked on now and they are hoping to finish it I years to come. It is huge, detailed and truly a work of art. Google this for amazing pictures! I can't wait to tour the inside tomorrow!
6) oh there were soo many more funny and interesting things I could say, but I'm trying to keep it short!
After the bike tour (in which saw some beautiful things I did not mention) the group grabbed lunch then we split up to shop, go to the beach, or go to the Picasso Museum. I went to the museum and it was great! It was cool to see how he developed as an artist throughout the years. I do find it funny that all of his works from his teenage years Look very professional and mature while his adult works look like a kindergardeners notepad. I wonder if he would be so famous if the time periods were reversed?
For dinner we went to an authentic restraint where we were taught how to make Paella (a seafood and rice dish), Sangria (a sweet wine based drink) and Tapas (a traditional Spanish appetizer with bread and cheese, olive oil, tomato and meat). The paella was made from mussels, calimari, shrimp, clams, vegetables, spices, olive oil and rice on a huge skillet over a fire. I thought it was so good (although I did learn that I still do not care for mussels! ew) but I looked atound and noticed that everyone else only had a few bites! Few other people in my group liked the flavor of the paella, but I think it is definitely something you should try if you come to Barcelona. By the ay, Sangria is pretty great too :)
We eat dinner really late (the cooking class didn't start until about 9) so it was almost midnight by the time we finished. People had the choice to stroll Las Ramblas (the shopping area which was still very busy with people), go to the hostel to sleep or go to a club. Wanting to make the most of my time here in Europa, I decided to try out the club.
In most of Europe there is no age requirement for the clubs, but in Spain you must be 18. there were only 2 18 year olds teens on the trip and 2 teens with fake id's . A few 17 year olds like myself thought we could still get in and the counselors said we could go for it! We arrived in La Plaza de Real and stood a distance away from the club. The counselors told us that the club wouldn't really start to get busy and fun until about 1:30 and recommended that we send the younger looking people first to see if they could get in (if there were only 3 or 4 of us going it wouldn't be as much fun so if the younger people couldn't get in we would opt not to go). The group headed nervously over to the bouncers and my friend Tia handed them her ID. She is 17 but was born in 1993 so if they didn't look at the month she could still get in. We were disappointed when they all walked back to us and thught they were sent away for threir age. It turns out that the club doesn't even open until 12:30! Barcelona really is a late city...at this time there are still kids and families walking the streets.
We were going to stay and try at 12:30 but some of the girls were complaining and whining so we went back to the hostel. It's ok thouh because we will all be able to go clubbing in Florence, Italy at a club the counselors say is awesome.
I didn't end up getting to bed until 1:30ish because my roommates and some girls across the hall got together for some girl-talk. You know, boys and clothes and such. We are all so happy to be here and excited for the days to come!
XXX
Jess
P.S. Sorry it took so long for me to publish this post... Wi-fi isn't always 100% great so I type up the blog and post it later. I hope thats not too confusing... I may be posting multiple days blogs in one day because internet is kind of unpredictable!
After struggling to wake up (my roommates and I slept 15 minutes into our alarm!) we were treated to a complimentary breakfast in the lobby! This is not usual for hostels...usually there are community bathrooms and you have to bring your own sheets, but this modern place has treated us very well.
After a yummy desayuno the group of us split into two? We were all going on a bike tour of Barcelona, however there weren't enough bikes for all of us at one time. My group was going first so we left the hostel with a counselor and walked across the town. We passed through La Plaza De Royal which is where we have been hanging out a lot. It is a beautiful square with a big fountain in the middle. We walked through some side streets, most of which have shops on the first floor and apartments on the top. We even felt little drizzles from families shaking their sheets out and hanging them out to dry on their balconies above us.
Soon enough we reached our destination-then beginning of the bike tour! We all picked out a bike and after type necessary "don't-we-look-cute-on-our-bikes" pictures I got a little nervous about riding around in a busy city!
Fortunately our tour guide named Midge (a cool Australian guy with a pierced chin) knew what he was doing. The bike tour was scenic and beautiful! Here is a highlight of some of the awesome things about the trip...
1) We drove down the beautiful beaches which are gorgeous! Unfortunately some of the people who chose to go topless on the beach are not so attractive...more like older larger ladies..yikes!
2) The statue of Christopher Columbus is a large statue of him pointing to the New World...but it wasn't until the statue (which is reaaaalllly high...u should google it) was fully mounted that they realized that he was actuallyvpointing towards Africa. The dude just can't seem to get himself strait! Did you k ow that syphilis was brought to the new world? If so I bet you didn't know Queen Isabella of Spain was the first to contract it (after d"discussing" plans with Christopher Columbus in the palace....sketchy, aye?)
2) We came to the edge of the dock overlooking the beach and could see the skyline of the city. The beaches were actually manmade for the Olympics years ago (the sand is imported from egypt) and when it storms really badly here the sand washes away to reveal bare rock.
3) When you turn around to see the city skyline the Torre Agbar is very prominent. Midge (our bike tour guide) called it the "worlds largest dildo". Google it and you will see why. At night it even lights up blue with red spots (this is suspected to be a reference from the architect of the spread of syphilis!)
4) I saw the last remaining bull fighting arena in Barcelona. We learned a lot about the treatment of the bulls and it is horrible! They have finallyvpast a law to close down this last arena in 2011 (it couldn't be shut down earlier because the spanish royalty forbid it until some recent stuff that would take too long for me to elaborate on!) Do you know those red capes they flash to make bulls run? Did you know that bulls are actually color blind? They only see black and white! They just chase after movement.
5) Marijuana is legal here and although I have NOT smoked it, now I can definitely identify the smell.
6) La Sagrada Familia is a beautiful cathedral designed by Gaudi. It was not completed before his death but is being worked on now and they are hoping to finish it I years to come. It is huge, detailed and truly a work of art. Google this for amazing pictures! I can't wait to tour the inside tomorrow!
6) oh there were soo many more funny and interesting things I could say, but I'm trying to keep it short!
After the bike tour (in which saw some beautiful things I did not mention) the group grabbed lunch then we split up to shop, go to the beach, or go to the Picasso Museum. I went to the museum and it was great! It was cool to see how he developed as an artist throughout the years. I do find it funny that all of his works from his teenage years Look very professional and mature while his adult works look like a kindergardeners notepad. I wonder if he would be so famous if the time periods were reversed?
For dinner we went to an authentic restraint where we were taught how to make Paella (a seafood and rice dish), Sangria (a sweet wine based drink) and Tapas (a traditional Spanish appetizer with bread and cheese, olive oil, tomato and meat). The paella was made from mussels, calimari, shrimp, clams, vegetables, spices, olive oil and rice on a huge skillet over a fire. I thought it was so good (although I did learn that I still do not care for mussels! ew) but I looked atound and noticed that everyone else only had a few bites! Few other people in my group liked the flavor of the paella, but I think it is definitely something you should try if you come to Barcelona. By the ay, Sangria is pretty great too :)
We eat dinner really late (the cooking class didn't start until about 9) so it was almost midnight by the time we finished. People had the choice to stroll Las Ramblas (the shopping area which was still very busy with people), go to the hostel to sleep or go to a club. Wanting to make the most of my time here in Europa, I decided to try out the club.
In most of Europe there is no age requirement for the clubs, but in Spain you must be 18. there were only 2 18 year olds teens on the trip and 2 teens with fake id's . A few 17 year olds like myself thought we could still get in and the counselors said we could go for it! We arrived in La Plaza de Real and stood a distance away from the club. The counselors told us that the club wouldn't really start to get busy and fun until about 1:30 and recommended that we send the younger looking people first to see if they could get in (if there were only 3 or 4 of us going it wouldn't be as much fun so if the younger people couldn't get in we would opt not to go). The group headed nervously over to the bouncers and my friend Tia handed them her ID. She is 17 but was born in 1993 so if they didn't look at the month she could still get in. We were disappointed when they all walked back to us and thught they were sent away for threir age. It turns out that the club doesn't even open until 12:30! Barcelona really is a late city...at this time there are still kids and families walking the streets.
We were going to stay and try at 12:30 but some of the girls were complaining and whining so we went back to the hostel. It's ok thouh because we will all be able to go clubbing in Florence, Italy at a club the counselors say is awesome.
I didn't end up getting to bed until 1:30ish because my roommates and some girls across the hall got together for some girl-talk. You know, boys and clothes and such. We are all so happy to be here and excited for the days to come!
XXX
Jess
P.S. Sorry it took so long for me to publish this post... Wi-fi isn't always 100% great so I type up the blog and post it later. I hope thats not too confusing... I may be posting multiple days blogs in one day because internet is kind of unpredictable!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Last Night in the US!
I've packed, overpacked, unpacked and repacked about a hundred times and I think that after years of longing to travel abroad, my dream is coming true! There were some mishaps with my flight, but I managed to not freak out (at least not too much). I've already learned my first lesson...stay calm. With a clear mind and a good prayer everything will be ok.
So after much anticipation my flight has changed. My mom, Micoli and I drove to Charlotte today (I'm now flying out of Charlotte by the way) and tomorrow at 11:15am I will be on my way to Philadelphia. There I will have a 6 hour layover (super fun...not.) before departing for Barcelona around 6:35!
I know that many people have given me some great advice. My Aunt Susan gave me countless tips regarding my itinerary (which I have printed out and have in my cary on bag), my Aunt Nancy has given me some words of wisdom regarding guarding my money, my Aunt Lisa informed me on what pick-pocket-proof bag to choose, my grandma and Aunt Debbie were always there for me to talk to, my mom lectured me (I mean calmly spoke) about the horrors of bed bugs and of course my dad made sure I knew never ever to talk to anyone foreign. Never. (it's not like he is nervous and paranoid or anything...I guess it comes with the fathering package).
I can't wait for my adventures to begin. It will just be me, my red and white polk-a-dot suitcase, a shiny new passport and a whole new continent to discover. Well, just Italy, France and Spain, but it works for me!!!
Until tomorrow,
XXX Jess
So after much anticipation my flight has changed. My mom, Micoli and I drove to Charlotte today (I'm now flying out of Charlotte by the way) and tomorrow at 11:15am I will be on my way to Philadelphia. There I will have a 6 hour layover (super fun...not.) before departing for Barcelona around 6:35!
I know that many people have given me some great advice. My Aunt Susan gave me countless tips regarding my itinerary (which I have printed out and have in my cary on bag), my Aunt Nancy has given me some words of wisdom regarding guarding my money, my Aunt Lisa informed me on what pick-pocket-proof bag to choose, my grandma and Aunt Debbie were always there for me to talk to, my mom lectured me (I mean calmly spoke) about the horrors of bed bugs and of course my dad made sure I knew never ever to talk to anyone foreign. Never. (it's not like he is nervous and paranoid or anything...I guess it comes with the fathering package).
I can't wait for my adventures to begin. It will just be me, my red and white polk-a-dot suitcase, a shiny new passport and a whole new continent to discover. Well, just Italy, France and Spain, but it works for me!!!
Until tomorrow,
XXX Jess
Sunday, May 22, 2011
So excited about Europe!
I am so excited about going to Europe this summer! I leave Raleigh on June 26th and that is when this blog truly begins! My friends and family have been really interested in the trip I am taking, so I figured that blogging would be a good way to keep people updated on my adventures abroad. On the right side of this webpage you can sign up to "follow" my blog- that would be greatly appreciated! You can follow using gmail, twitter, yahoo, etc. Just click "follow" and the directions are very simple. It would also be awesome if you could comment on my posts. I am traveling with 30 teenagers whom I have never met, so I am sure that even a short comment from a friend in the US will put a smile on my face when I am a trillion miles away (OK, maybe not quite a trillion miles, but France, Italy and Spain sure seem like they are worlds away!).
So, thank you again for checking out my blog. I hope that you stop by again when my adventures begin!
xoxo
Jess
So, thank you again for checking out my blog. I hope that you stop by again when my adventures begin!
xoxo
Jess
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