Life is full of surprises. It's kind of like eating a Mexican Burrito... It may seem all fine and dandy one minute... but you always end up crapping your pants in the end.
Okay, on a more serious note, being abroad REALLY makes you think about life and the people that help give it meaning. It seems that being away so long makes you realize those who are REALLY there for you and those who are just fillers during random spurts (or according to my first reference, squirts) of boredom. I think that I am fortunate enough to have a beautiful circle of people in which there's such an high level of mutual love and respect that it makes me so happy to wake up every morning just so that I can be there for them!
You make what you can out of life. And I only want to be around those who elevate me and make me grow! People bounce in and out of your life.. but the important ones will always be there! I've learned so much on this journey Sometimes you have to let people go but in replace of that person someone even more special will unexpectedly come along! It makes life taste even sweeter! :-D.
That's the beauty of traveling to different places, you come in contact with all different kinds of people. Old. Young. Funny. Serious. Reserved. Daring. Sweet. Different backgrounds. Different Cultures. Different languages. It really is a beautiful thing. I've come in contact with people who I will NEVER forget from this trip and will have the fondest memories of and utmost respect for.
Life should never be filled with regrets and we never realize how blessed we are until the time has come in which it's no longer there. It's like what this woman once told me, when she was relecting back on her life.."I was happy and I didn't even realize it" A prime example of such a wise woman, whose profound words from a one time encounter on a train to barcelona continue to move me!
Gotta grow, gotta learn, gotta mature. And thanks to this journey a bit of this is happening everyday!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
GRANADA
Imagine this...I board the train with solely an IPOD, a backpack, and a book in Spanish that wouldn't be complete without it's favorite companion--a spanish-english dictionary. I'm missing something right? So my book has a companion, but where is my travel partner in Crime? Oh wait... I don't have one.
So I decide to go on a 7 hour train ride to Granada by myself, and veerrry last minute.I'm nervous and I don't know what to expect. Will I be bored? and what the HELL am I going to do on a 3 day trip solo????? I guess this weekend was the time to find out. The train ride was a breeze, I slept like a baby in a rocking cradle.
I finally get into Granada and successfully make it on the bus and to the Hostel without a problem. I start talking to the hottie that works at the front desk and hit up my room. What is going on?! It doesn't seem like that torture movie where all of the hostel guests get chopped up in pieces... seems alright... for now....(in a dark ominous voice)
Like a nerd without friends, I hit up the bar and sit by myself an grab a glass of wine. Somehow I end up talking to the bartender named Paolo (which I might have to ditch the family for and marry). The bar in the hostel is small so I put my social skills to the test and met basically all of the people in the room. Somehow I end up hitting it off with this Austrian girl named Lisi and some australians (New Zealanders.. w/e same difference). Afterwards I run upstair to get my face on (beauty for me requires no effort) and hit up a Granada's biggest discoteca, Granada 10. I now know why the 10 is in the title, because I had to pay 10 euros to get in :-(. I will say that my first night was definitely a success.
The second day, I wake up super early to see Alhambra. What a sight! Truly beautiful. After a 4 hour walk around, I go to a little moroccan shop and buy an 8 euro hookah. Who knew this would end in an hour and half conversation in spanish with the man that owns the store along with free hookah (holla!). Afterwards, there's a free graffiti walking tour by one of the people that works at the hostel. I've always heard of the debate.. is graffiti art or trash? Well granada is a standing example of how Graffiti can be art. There is Graffiti EVERYWHERE but it's an AMAZING sight! Afterwards, I head to a bar with my favorite little austrian girl and 2 spanish boys (gotta get the practice in even if I am on vacation, you know?!)
My last day in Granada is a sad day. I go on another walking tour with the hostel and learn some extraordinary facts about the city and its history. GRANADA is everything that I would ever hope to see. The town has an inexplicable charm that warms the heart. With breathtaking landscapes and darling narrow little streets that holds a stereotypical of a Spanish town in the minds of its visitors. Cobble stone, spanish tile, White paved houses, and flamenco guitars make Granada an incredible town that every person should experience. INCREDIBLE.
Last but not least, Granada is known for their tapas. You can buy any drink and get a free tapa. My night ended with a tapa hopping (kinda like Bar hoppin in 6th street! ha) I have to admit though, wearing heels on 6th street and in granada is VERY DIFFERNET. It's a bad idea for one word and one word only...cobblestone@ But my weekend was a success and I met some amazing people. Both from the hostel and from the city. I definitely would love to live there!
I've learned a lot about this weekend. The people you are with can make or break a trip! And surprisingly, being by yourself on a trip is quite amazing. No crazies and no friendships that suffer irreparable damage because of travel misfortunes. It's sad but let's just say, there's no return policy from my last trip. Not even lay-away :-/. Hope my next travel adventure will be just as fun and adventurous as this one!
So I decide to go on a 7 hour train ride to Granada by myself, and veerrry last minute.I'm nervous and I don't know what to expect. Will I be bored? and what the HELL am I going to do on a 3 day trip solo????? I guess this weekend was the time to find out. The train ride was a breeze, I slept like a baby in a rocking cradle.
I finally get into Granada and successfully make it on the bus and to the Hostel without a problem. I start talking to the hottie that works at the front desk and hit up my room. What is going on?! It doesn't seem like that torture movie where all of the hostel guests get chopped up in pieces... seems alright... for now....(in a dark ominous voice)
Like a nerd without friends, I hit up the bar and sit by myself an grab a glass of wine. Somehow I end up talking to the bartender named Paolo (which I might have to ditch the family for and marry). The bar in the hostel is small so I put my social skills to the test and met basically all of the people in the room. Somehow I end up hitting it off with this Austrian girl named Lisi and some australians (New Zealanders.. w/e same difference). Afterwards I run upstair to get my face on (beauty for me requires no effort) and hit up a Granada's biggest discoteca, Granada 10. I now know why the 10 is in the title, because I had to pay 10 euros to get in :-(. I will say that my first night was definitely a success.
The second day, I wake up super early to see Alhambra. What a sight! Truly beautiful. After a 4 hour walk around, I go to a little moroccan shop and buy an 8 euro hookah. Who knew this would end in an hour and half conversation in spanish with the man that owns the store along with free hookah (holla!). Afterwards, there's a free graffiti walking tour by one of the people that works at the hostel. I've always heard of the debate.. is graffiti art or trash? Well granada is a standing example of how Graffiti can be art. There is Graffiti EVERYWHERE but it's an AMAZING sight! Afterwards, I head to a bar with my favorite little austrian girl and 2 spanish boys (gotta get the practice in even if I am on vacation, you know?!)
My last day in Granada is a sad day. I go on another walking tour with the hostel and learn some extraordinary facts about the city and its history. GRANADA is everything that I would ever hope to see. The town has an inexplicable charm that warms the heart. With breathtaking landscapes and darling narrow little streets that holds a stereotypical of a Spanish town in the minds of its visitors. Cobble stone, spanish tile, White paved houses, and flamenco guitars make Granada an incredible town that every person should experience. INCREDIBLE.
Last but not least, Granada is known for their tapas. You can buy any drink and get a free tapa. My night ended with a tapa hopping (kinda like Bar hoppin in 6th street! ha) I have to admit though, wearing heels on 6th street and in granada is VERY DIFFERNET. It's a bad idea for one word and one word only...cobblestone@ But my weekend was a success and I met some amazing people. Both from the hostel and from the city. I definitely would love to live there!
I've learned a lot about this weekend. The people you are with can make or break a trip! And surprisingly, being by yourself on a trip is quite amazing. No crazies and no friendships that suffer irreparable damage because of travel misfortunes. It's sad but let's just say, there's no return policy from my last trip. Not even lay-away :-/. Hope my next travel adventure will be just as fun and adventurous as this one!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)