Inspirational Quote #1

As I have said before, I have always found comfort and peace of mind in writing. Keeping a diary has always been very necessary and therapeutic for me (hence this blog). Reading, a more common relaxation tool, is also something that has helped me to open my mind and expand my knowledge. Currently I am reading and loving the novel An American Tragedy by Theodore Dresier. I am never reading just one work at a time. Autobiographies, short stories, newspaper articles and even blogs are on my daily reading list.

Although normally not longer than a sentence or two, reading certain quotations can be extremely thought provoking and inspirational. Many times when I am really feeling the distance from home and jaded from travel I turn to specific quotes and phrases for encouragement and motivation. Yes sometimes quotes are super cheesy, lame and downright pathetic, especially from the girl who posts, "I cried today... not because I miss you...or even wanted you...but because I realized I'm gonna be ok without you..." on her facebook wall obviously leading on to the fact that she was dumped by her boyfriend, but isn't ashamed (since she is publicly announcing it on facebook) and is indeed getting over him...but other times a short phrase just really hits the spot. Due to this, I have decided to share a travel inspired "inspirational quote" every week. Hopefully they do not fall into the "cheesy, lame and downright pathetic" category.

#1: "The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page" - St. Augustine

Miracle Drug

Us folk here in Spain have stumbled upon a miracle drug and it goes by the name of: Algiasdin. Why is it a miracle drug you ask? While the main ingredient seems to simply be ibuprofen, we have found it to be an instant cure for any type of ache, pain, swelling or hangover- yes even the really bad ones. For just €3.12 one can purchase 30 capsules of this magic. It can be taken in the morning or at night right before bed and it is sure to do the trick! Unfortunately it is currently not sold in the USA, but I am happy to start taking orders for when I return this summer.

REBAJAS

The word "rebaja" can be translated into English as "reduction" or "discount," but right now in Spain the word "rebajas" does not refer to just any old sale. The "rebajas" refer to the unbelievable New Year sales in practically every store in Spain the whole month of January. Discounts range from 30% to 70% at some stores. People pretty much go crazy, wiping out the shelves of clothing, makeup, and appliance shops in a frantic attempt to get the best deal. Think of it like "Black Friday" except for a month long...Question though...how is it that Spaniards have so much extra spending money after Christmas? You'd think, especially in this economy, they would be completely wiped out in January. There are just some things about Spain that do not logically make sense...I have yet to dabble in the "rebajas," but will definitely give it a go this weekend and hope not to be trampled by a pack of feisty señoritas.

The rain in Spain

I have seen all different kinds of rain before: fat rain, horizontal rain, monsoon rain, sheets of rain, drizzly rain, and misty rain... but the rain in Spain, or the rain in Málaga I should say, is unlike any other rain I have seen. Today it was very cloudy all day and looked like it was about to pour any second. It did in fact rain later in the day when I was conveniently walking 40 minutes to my client's house. The reason why the rain is so unique to me is that it is very...subtle. When it was raining I could barely see the drops and when I put up my umbrella I couldn't even hear it hitting the umbrella. And even though it didn't seem to be raining hard enough to create puddles there were in fact small ponds all over the streets. I assumed my body wouldn't get that wet because the rain was so light and unobtrusive and seemed to only be coming down in a vertical fashion... but when I got home I realized my whole body was moist. So I'm not too sure about the famous lyric from My Fair Lady, "the rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain..." all I know is this rain is a big PAIN!

And then there was heat

After hanging out in my living room today and witnessing my Italian roomie repeatedly blow hot air into his hands and then rub them together I decided today HAD to be the day. I went to Corte Ingles and FINALLY bought a space heater. It not only provides heat, but also functions as a fan which will be perfect for when it starts to actually feel like I live on the Costa del Sol. Although I will be using it for personal use in my bedroom I currently have it placed in our living room and everyone is extremely thankful.

Aaaaand we're back!

The past few days I was able to exercise several skills of mine, primarily: patience, tolerance, independence and taking initiative. I have learned quite a lot about the inefficient airline systems, the restaurant and shop selections in the Madrid Barajas Airport as well as how immature and spoiled many adults are. However, after this grueling travel experience, one so scarring that it makes me nauseus even thinking about planning a trip in the months of December or January again, I am finally back in Málaga. While I envisioned my arrival back in Spain to be challenging after such a relaxing, convenient three week stay in New York, it feels like home here and I am looking forward to getting back to my routine. My New Years resolutions are relatively similar to the goals that I set for myself when I first arrived in Spain, but here are some more specific goals for 2010:

• Work out 4x/wk
• Study French using Rosetta Stone 3x/wk
• Make at least €200/month from tutoring English (while in Spain)
• Study some Spanish every day
• Read at least one book every month
• Find a job in New York for when I get home this summer

BA=BS

I was scheduled to make my journey across the pond tonight with British Airways (BA). This morning they texted me saying that the flight was cancelled due to weather conditions and re-scheduled to depart Monday night...I looked outside and saw a few snowflakes, but not enough to postpone my trip by three days. Within one hour they texted me AGAIN saying that this new flight was ALSO cancelled... So by now I am thinking that England must be experiencing its worst snow storm ever and that I will never be able to make it back to Europe again. I asked a friend in London what the weather was like and she said it was gloomy and cold, but nothing out of the ordinary. After being put on hold for 78minutes I learned I could not transfer the flight to another airline for this weekend, but could fly out this coming Tuesday night with BA... Instead of following up with this extremely reasonable offer, I got a full refund for the flight and booked a new trip with Iberia for Sunday. BA I don't know what's going on with you, but it smells like BS to me!