Status update: I’m at the Madrid airport, waiting to board my flight. First I will fly to Frankfurt, then after a couple hours laying-over, I will board my final flight, and make my way to Athens, Greece!
I am so excited for this trip, for so many reasons, but
really there are two main ones. The first one being that I’ve never been to
Greece, and it’s been on my list forever! When I was studying abroad, I
couldn’t afford to come, so I spent nine months in Europe, without ever making
it further east than the east coast of Spain (and Finland, but I’m referring
mostly to the Mediterranean area). Well, not this time! Now I’ve got two jobs,
and I can afford to go further! Woo!
I think that Greece is probably on everyone’s Travel Hit
List. It’s a country that we associate with beautiful beaches, white and blue,
and a good time. It’s loaded with history, we know and adore the Greek gods,
and… islands. Lots, and lots of islands. Really, the end.
Another main reason I am so excited about this trip, is that
it is a one-week break from teaching! I have gotten to the point with teaching
(working two jobs of teaching) that we call “burned out.” I’ve been working a
lot, and teaching is really draining when the students couldn’t care less about
much other than the latest trends, One Direction, and Demi Lovato. (Except for
some of my 5th graders, who care more about Skrillex..which I find
great, but also a bit strange. Has dubstep really become so big, that 10-year
olds are jamming out to it??) So this vacation is much needed, to say the
least.
I’m hoping that in this time, I will get some clarity on
what I’m supposed to do this coming year – stay in Sevilla and teach, go where
the program puts me if it’s not Sevilla, go to Germany and volunteer/work/learn
German, go travel – and also find some new “ganas”, meaning many things, but
here, “motivation and desire”, to crank out the last two months of work like
the best teacher to hit the town!
So far in the last 28 hours, I’ve slept about 4-5. I woke up
yesterday morning (Thursday) at 6:45 to get ready for work, and was out the
door by 7:45. I planned on taking a nap between jobs, but that rarely happens,
and I spent my time cooking and eating instead. J
Then last night at 12:15am, I took the bus from Sevilla to Madrid. It was the
most uncomfortable 6 hours I’ve had on a bus in a very long time. I was
restless, couldn’t get comfortable, wasn’t by the window, and was in the very
front row. I think in all, I might have caught two or three broken hours of
sleep, and 3.5 hours of “my eyes are closed and I’m on the brink, but just
can’t pass into it.” I couldn’t have been happier to get off.
One of my best friends, who happens to be from Madrid, is a
total gem, and came and picked me up from the bus station and took me to his place.
We hung out for a little, he told me some stories, and then we took a 1-hour
nap. I’m not sure if it’s because that was the most solid hour of sleep I’d had
in over 24 hours, but my gosh, I woke from it feeling like a superstar! The
energy that filled me was incredible!
We hit the fruit shop, and then it was to the airport. I got
here 2 ½ hours before my departure time (Really, really rare for me. I’m
usually more the “nah, half hour before is fine” type of person..), but my gosh
was it good, because it took nearly an hour and a half to check in, check my
backpack, and get through security. The obvious first stop (after the bathroom)
was a coffee, and now here I sit, writing this. Not as tired as one might
expect, and full to the brim with ganas to get there! I’ve brought my tablet
with me (first time it’s making a trip with me, woo!), and am hoping to throw
down some posts while I’m traveling. I’m going without a plan, really, so it’ll
be a real ADD Adventure for you! ;)
Update: I made it safe and sound to Greece! I had one flight to Frankfurt, and then another over to Athens. I didn't arrive at my final destination (my friend's place in Piraeus) until nearly 12:45am, for a grand total of about 25 hours of travel from the time I left my place in Sevilla on Thursday night. Equal to when I go home to California. But man, to wake up here in Greece, take a trip to the flea market, stock up on good, local, and inexpensive produce, then sit by the sea and eat a massive, delicious sausage on a stick with friends... amazing, so beyond worth it.
I think that a friend and I are going to head to Santorini on Monday, and then from there, we'll see what happens and where we/I go! We'll be back in Athens/Piraeus for the weekend, and go with our friend to celebrate Easter with him and his family! And he mentioned something about scooter rentals on Santorini and one-day cruises to see volcanoes and hot springs, soooo this seems to be shaping up to a real, real vacation! Going & Flowing!
Happy travels little darlings!
Blessings, Love & Light to all! <3
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