Living here has its beautiful perks. I wake up to the sound of birds chirping. It’s a Thursday, my day off. After indulging in over one hour of reading my favorite book, WILD by Cheryl Strayed, I hop out of … Continue reading This is home, for now.
I am fond of the color green. I am fond of the way it pops up in various shades and hues around the world, never disappointing to inspire me. I have spent quite some time on the mountains recently, surrounding … Continue reading Green.
The migration office has its own place in hell. Open that bottle of red now to kickstart this conversation. Because nobody I know enjoys migration errands. Getting a work visa can truly discourage a person in their journey to live … Continue reading WORK IN MEXICO! But first…Migration.
It’s been a month since I crossed the pond from Europe to America. Now that I am sitting in a comfortable air-conditioned kitchen, and eating ice-cream made with cashew milk, I can write what I remember. It was Friday, June 9th. I left home at 7:00 am and met Sarah at the Madrid airport for our flight to Milan. When the plane landed and they opened the doors, I heard a musical “Buon Giorno!” that immediately put me back in touch with my love for Italian. I was shy to try what little I could remember from the college classes … Continue reading Cinque Terre: 16 long hours and a fleeting day.
She didn’t know where we were going. I did not tell her until we got on the train. But when I said we were on our way to San Sebastian in the Basque Country, I knew she still had no clue. So I showed her a map and the Google pictures I had saved for this moment. Taking my mom on a vacation was something I had dreamt of since moving to Spain two years prior. Not only did I want her to cross the pond so she could visit one of her top dream destinations, but I also … Continue reading There’s almost too much oxygen in the Basque Country.
I am so near the finish line. I have completed my second school year as an Auxiliar de Conversación and private English teacher in Madrid, Spain. Tomorrow I will fly back to Florida, United States. Madrid filled me with aliveness for two years, and it will always hold a place in my heart. I have written about Madrid before, and have recommended all my go-to places (from that time). Check out my older entry: My Madrid’s Can’t-Get-Enough-Of 🙂 Time and again that list gets edited. By May 2017, when my good friend Ariena visited me while on … Continue reading Madrid Guide: from expat to traveler
Prague was a poem. That’s exactly what it was. It was arriving during sunrise on a smelly bus from Kraków, Poland. It was a scary ride on the metro, where you can only get tickets with coins. No cash, no cards, but good ol’ fashioned coins. We learned that Czech Republic was occupied by the Germans for 300 years, then the Nazis during WWII, followed by the communists, and is currently flooding with tourists. So the least you can do, as a guest, is say hello in their language: ahoj! (pronounced like “chips ahoy!” My favorite cookies!) We stayed at … Continue reading Prague was The Boy with a Golden Penis in the largest castle complex in the world.
It has been challenging to write about this vacation because it was not a typical European getaway with a beer in one hand and a selfie stick in the other. Okay, fine, I had four beers, and we used a selfie stick once – on our last day at a fabulous airbnb. I dove deeply into Poland’s history before arriving there. I found it necessary to do my best to get a feel for the country’s past in order to value it during my visit because Poland was never really high on my list. That is, until I found out it was the cheapest … Continue reading The Strength of a Smile
It is not as chilly this morning. I closed all the windows last night. I never thought I would come to Mexico City but here I am, spending the holidays and eager to move here next year. Correction, this year. I begin 2017 with thyme tea. Mexico was never high on my list. Yet here I am, being surprised again. Its beauty, I believe, has been highly overshadowed by negative media. 2016 was empowering. I rang in the new year on a solo trip to Barcelona, went on several hikes, started getting into fitness and yoga, and got published on 4 platforms other than my own. This … Continue reading 2016 Where I have Been (and Where I am Going)
The sun is out. It has not been bright in Madrid for weeks. This is really unusual, Madrid. Last year, I hardly ever heard the sound of rain here. But now I hear it a lot. I have always felt European rain is pretty – a romantic touch. I am grateful for the wide bed I get to write this post from, with a big window, in a blue painted room. I am drinking this eucalyptus, mint, malva, thyme tea that’s supposed to boost my immune system. I got the flu last week. November was a strange month. I encountered all … Continue reading Hope
