Mom, 18 months doesn't count!

Me in Indonesia....I have no idea why this picture is turned this way, because it looks proper in the file on my computer.

I’m finding as my date of departure draws nearer that my nervousness is becoming stronger as the reality of this venture begins to strike me. In fact, at times when my thoughts run a little bit wild, I would have to say that my feeling borders on terror. Why in the world do I think that I’m ready to fly across the pond by myself and spend nearly a year in a country where they don’t even speak my mother tongue? I’ve never been to Europe!

(Here my mother would interject that I have, in fact, been to Europe. This argument, however, is quickly countered with “Eighteen months old doesn’t count!” By her logic, One might say that I have also been to China. Excuse me, but I was still some form of developing cells at that time. Not sure that counts, either. But, if we must insist on remembering baby Emily circumnavigating the globe before she was in possession of even two years, then I will allow for this: I have ‘been’ to Europe. Before I had memory. Back when my verbs were all in Indonesian. Which leads to funny stories of me insulting all the Americans by using baby-mispronounced Indonesian words which sounded vaguely like profanities in English…. But the point is this: I have never been to Europe, and, therefore, the unknowns of this trip are rather….unknown? Indeed.)

The university has found me an apartment. I don’t know the address, but I was looking at a map, and the street is really close to the university, as well as to a couple of parks. I guess that, and the fact that I leave in a little over three weeks, has made me really realize how soon I’ll be over there. Like, a month from now, I’ll be in Spain. And I have no idea what it will be like. No clue whatsoever. And I know that all the things that worry me won’t be problems for very long, and within a few weeks I’ll be doing great, and I really believe that. But it’s not the after a few weeks I’m thinking about. It’s the getting from one part of the Madrid airport to another thing. The getting from the airport in Pamplona to my apartment, learning to navigate the Spanish way of street names while dragging nine months worth of luggage. Speaking of luggage, that’s another thing. What do I take? What do I leave? What will I be able to buy, for not too much, and which things do I think I need? And is it really that important? I feel like a dumb girl spending so much brain power on something like clothes.

Eh. I guess I’ll get to see how all of these things go soon enough. No use in worrying.

On a good note, my cousin Margaret Hoelzer won some medals in the Olympics. And by cousin I mean like third cousin twice removed or something like that. But it’s still cool.

Well, that’s about it. Not much purpose to this blog. But I guess it’ll give me something to look back on in a few weeks and be able to count my progress. Bueno.

Cheers

El Verano and the Anticipation

This has been one of the best summers of my life. The one after I graduated high school was great, full of Art Nights and chilling out before I started University. Last summer I got good work experience (such as getting up at 5:30 am and learning professional things such as not putting hands in pockets) and learned a lot about teeth. This summer was full of a variety of different activities.

It started with the trip to Mexico with dad, for two weeks. Soon after I got back I got a job at a local little restaurant, Wysacky Trading Post. Working there is one of the best things ever. The owners, Wayne and Cynthia, are a really awesome couple, and it’s been fun getting to know them, the other employees, and the customers, many of whom come in regularly. If you live in the south-of-Charlotte region, go eat there. During that, my family went to the beach for a week. Then I moved back to Raleigh for a couple of summer class, which has proved to be not too hard at all. It has been fun to be here and not have the full responsibility of the semester, nor the pull for attention from all of the people who are normally here. Now I’m about to go home, see Miriam after her long semester abroad, help with Creative Arts Camp, hopefully work some more, and get ready to leave for Spain mid-September.

So I just thought I’d write a little update, since I never really finished after Mexico, and haven’t put anything down in a while. For now, I’ll put a few more pictures from Mexico, including some from the end of the trip when Dad and I went to the beach. Maybe there will be some comments between some of the pictures....

amigos!!

how I want to be when I get old.....young at heart, and still traveling the mundo

Headed to La Bendicion (which I will soon be saying "bendithion")

What a little bonita

Pekin

amigos!! This is the group with which I spent most of those two weeks, though not usually everyone at once.

Dad, at the beach.

Vendor

Another vendor...we chilled in front of our hotel the day and afternoon we were there, and she was out there both days, as well as the lady in a few pictures who has the wheelbarrow of coconuts. Basically, you go and pay for a stick of fish or shrimp (about 20 pesos....beach prices are expensive, back to being on par with US costs) and she pumps up the grill, sauces your food, and warms it up. There are skewers (and some times fish bones) scattered all over the beach.

But, momma.....

This guy touched my toe. I spent several minutes waiting for him (or her....how does one tell with that crabface of his?) to come out of his hole. I got a couple of shots like this, and he eventually went back in the hole, and then pushed sand back up to block it. It was pretty sneaky. Too bad I was watching the wHole time.

Get it? HOLE time? hahahahahah! aha...hah...hah. never mind.

Here's the coconut lady. We think she was related to the fish lady.

I wish this were a bit brighter....guess I could fix it a bit, but at least you can see how it got cloudy as the day wore on. Anyways, thought this was cute.


As for the latter portion of the title of the blog, the anticipation towards Spain is growing in my mind. Like, a ridiculous amount. It's weird watching my friends move into their houses/the dorm. I keep thinking about the memories from this past year, and knowing that this year at State would be great, and that I'm going to miss my friends, and I have no idea what my year is going to be like. It's a little bit disconcerting, and I've been having a little trouble the past few days reconciling myself to the strange feelings. I guess I'm both extremely excited to head to Spain, as well as rather intimidated. But things are coming together, such as plane tickets, and an apartment that ISEP will have ready for me, so....now all I have to do is get through the next month and a half without going crazy. (: And maybe start practicing my lisps, para que puedo de dethir cosas como si fuera de espanya. Y no parether grathiosa cuando llego en el pais. (i.e., so I can say things like a Spaniard, and not seem funny when I get to the country. but written with a lisp.)

adios.