What to Choose?

I don't exactly know what's come over me in the last months of my life, but I've become quite a plan-ahead-type of traveler. It's kind of freaking me out, but also makes me really excited, because it means I know I have a lot of adventures coming up. Before, I was the kind of person who would show up in a country without having done any research, and likely leave it without having done or seen a number of the main sights. It's still a given that I will wander around snapping pictures of things because they look cool, but having no idea what they are if there isn't a sign posted or couchsurfing host to tell me, but I've also started adding an element of pre-trip research to my life. Here's a couple prime examples for you of my typical travel style...

My friend and I were in London back in 2009, walking around, taking pictures, enjoying the sights, but hadn't looked in a single guidebook or at any info online. So we're wandering, and we come upon this massive clock tower. Now, we knew Big Ben was in London, that much at least was in our brains, but we didn't know what it looked like or where in the city it was. So we're standing there, across the street from what we assume has to be Big Ben, because, "It's gotta be, I can't imagine there being another clock tower bigger than that one," but entirely unsure. But we decide we'd better get a picture with it in the background to be safe, and ask a passing person to snap one for us. To which they respond, "Oh, you mean you want a picture with Big Ben?" To which we responded, after a glance and ha-ha smile at the other, "Yes, yes. Exactly. We'd like a picture with Big Ben." (Insert sly grins here.)

Another more recent example, was when I was moving to Mallorca for two months two summers back to be an au pair. I didn't bother to look up any information, because I figured, yeah, I'll get there, see it, and sort it out when I'm there. After all, I'll have two months and be living with a family. I had only set one requirement for the location of the family I was to au pair for: that they live near the beach. So naturally, when I was contacted by a family in Mallorca, and looked it up to discover that it was an island, I thought, "Hmm...I had just been thinking of skipping down to Cadiz (Southern Spain), but Mallorca...an island... that's got beaches, that could work. Ok, let's go!" And you can imagine my surprise when I was coming in on the plane, seeing mountains out on one side and water on the other! Big time score, but also information I could have easily come by simply by Googleing the place.

Yep, I'm more of a "show up and see what happens, who we meet, where we go" type of traveler. But ever since this summer, when my German friend kinda forced me into planning a trip to Norway in advance (by about three weeks, which was well in advance for me, and very, very short notice for her, being that she's German and all;), I've been booking so far ahead! I've been buying flights months in advance, and actually looking up images of the country or city beforehand, developing some Trip Goals. This can be beneficial, but it does concern me a little to eliminate entirely the "how I'll feel in the moment" factor.

I am not so keen on making plans ahead of time, and especially not of buying future flights when I'm going to be on a somewhat open-ended trip. This is simply because, I can be completely amped for most things the moment I hear about them, but then when the time comes, who knows where I'll be or what I'll want to do instead! New options are constantly coming, especially on adventures, so how can one decide ahead of time what to do, when they haven't all come in yet?  

However, with my summer travel plans, I'm thinking a little differently...

I have officially entered into my last four months living/working in Spain, and in July, will be moving back home till after the New Year. So, I've got just 5 1/2 months left to travel this part of the globe, before I kiss it good-bye for a while. I know I'm going to spend the first 16 days of June in Israel and Istanbul with my grandma, mom, and sister, but then they will leave, and I'll have about a month left to travel before I head back to Cali.

Originally, I was planning on spending the time doing some thorough backpacking in Croatia and Italy, but then, I looked at a map, and saw that a massive hitchhiking trip from Istanbul to Madrid might just be the right way to end my time over here. My route would take me through Northern Turkey and into Bulgaria, then onto Serbia, back down to Montenegro, through Bosnia and Herzegovina, along the Croatian coast to Slovenia and on through Northern Italy, involve an elongated stop in Milan to visit friends and go to the World Expo, and finish with some final stops along France's eastern coast before entering Spain in the Catalunya region, at which point I'd cut west to Madrid and make it in time for my flight home on the 15th! Phew! But then again, some other new, shiny idea came into my processing realms...

The Be-In Gathering in Idanha-a-Nova, Portugal, where BOOM Festival is held, and much of my life changed last summer. It's a one weekend healing and organic trance festival/gathering, and my entire body got wiggly when I read about it. I actually almost just bought a ticket to it to make sure I had no choice but to go, before thinking twice, and closing out all windows showing my bank account, ticket buying links, and flight prices. The only thing is, I would have to leave Istanbul on the 16th or 17th, fly to Madrid, and catch a lift to Portugal that day or the next in order to make it to the Boom Land by the 18th. From there, I would hitch to Madrid or Lisbon after the gathering, take a cheap flight to Rome, and spend three weeks exploring Italy before flying back to Madrid to get my "final flight" "home".

I cannot express how blessed I feel to even have these options laid before me.

I Am Gratitude. 

I Am Amazed. 

I Am Praising God for All Blessings. 

But I am also thinking, 

"Oh my gosh. How am I supposed to decide on these options? They're both so sweet!" 

The first option of only Croatia and Italy got tossed out as soon as I looked at a map and saw the sweet possibility of hitching all the way back to Spain. Especially considering most of the countries I would be hitting are very easy to catch lifts in, the option becomes even more appealing. But the moment I saw the Be-In Gathering information, my energy ignited, and I almost lost my mind. But honestly, just through the process of writing this post and looking at that tramp route, I think I've decided to nix Be-In, and go for thumbing way my around some countries.

Festivals have always been a huge part of my life, and will continue to be well past the time that I can actually dance (I pray that day never comes), but to finish out my [by then] two and a half years time abroad with a One Month Hitch Trip through 10 countries... I mean... I think few things could call an adventurer's name more than that!

And so it appears, that once more, writing has proven to be my therapy, and I just worked out my own hang up through the process of laying it down on a blank page. Happy you could all come along for this sorting process. I think Harry and the Hat would be proud. :)

So, that means, the next bit of business is: collecting up some human treasures to help make it the Final Trip of The Chapter of a lifetime! See you on the road beauties!

Thanks for coming along on this mental ride of mine, I hope you're as excited about life as I am! And if not, I recommend doing something about it. We've only got one of these great things we call life, ya might as well enjoy yours!

Extensive Blessings, Love & Light

From Above & Into You

<3

That's A Wrap

Well, I am officially no longer on summer holiday, which means I am "able" to check back into the blog world! Ok, I guess I kind of am still technically on summer break, but I've stopped traveling, have work meetings and classes to plan, papers to sign and things to figure out, and am now in my new town, Ecija, looking for an apartment. So to me, that says, "Sorry girl, but your summer is up. But hey, look on the bright side, paychecks will be coming your way soon-ish!" Another bright side: a totally new year, full of new experiences, in a new place!

Where I am living/working this year is an hour from Sevilla, 45 mintues from Cordoba, and nicknamed "La Sarten" (the frying pan), because it's the hottest place in all of Spain. Get excited for me now or later, either way is really fine. I'm going to be living here for nine months, and after the amazing three months of travel I've just had, I'm finding it so hard to accept that I will be "stationary" here for "so long". Even harder to accept that I am actually staying in Spain another year, giving it so much more time in my young years/life, and continuing to do the same thing I've been doing for the last year and a half. Don't get me wrong, I've nothing against it, just. . . the idea of staying in the same country for nearly three years, is a bit anxiety-provoking for me, considering all the ideas I have, places I want to go/live in, and things I want to do, all before I'm 30.

Teaching has been such a rewarding and fruitful experience for me, and I love Spain so much, but I was really unsure about making the easy choice to take my new placement and stay another school year. I felt like maybe I was copping out by choosing to stay, chasing paper instead of passion. It was clearly the easiest choice I could have made. I didn't have to move too far, I didn't have to look too hard for a second job, and I didn't have to go to another new, foreign place to start completely fresh, with no job security. On one hand, I wanted to just show up somewhere, trusting that God would lead me into the right job or opportunity. Go to a farm and volunteer or do a work trade somewhere. Go to Asia and find a practiced healer and ask to study with them. I knew it would all turn out, and be so rewarding, but I also knew that staying in Spain was a really good way to make money, save money, and then embark on my Big Trip. So I opted to stay, hoping that moving to a new town would satisfy my "I've surpassed nine months here, and am ready for the next place/thing" feelings. (I tend to, after nine months anywhere, be satisfied with my time, and ready to get on to the next place.)

Ecija has 40,000 residents, and is considered a big village by many, though the town itself isn't very large. It's got a really rich history, and is a really charming and welcoming town. But it is definitely a town, and I will definitely be seeing my students all over it whenever I'm out and about, as well as their parents. For some, this would be an issue, but I don't particularly like alcohol, so there's no "oh crap, my student's parents will see me drunk in the streets" going on, thankfully. But there isn't going to be as much separation between my work life and outside-the-classroom life as I'd like there to be. Which is also, strangely, part of the draw to living in a small town (assuming you like your students). Also thankfully, this summer has left me feeling so incredibly optimistic and aligned, that I'm sure this year is going to be full to the brim with goodness and further growth!

This school year, I am planning on learning to play my banjo, studying Italian, becoming a Reiki master, taking an Integrated Kinesiology class in Sevilla, learning to juggle, exercising regularly and getting back into my semi-obsessive healthy habits, reading as many books and articles as possible, and working on furthering my connection to all that surrounds me through the Holy Spirit/allowing God to take me into my next dimension. Because it's a small town, I'm going to have to get really creative and be really active if I want to avoid becoming bored and stagnant, so that's also really good -- forced motivation. And with it being so close to Sevilla and Cordoba, I can easily get to a bigger city any weekend that I want. Other really good things that I've already encountered in this place include:

• Everyone is so flipping nice here! In Sevilla, people were friendly, but here, they're actually really open! I've had at least three older ladies initiate contact/conversation with me since I arrived less than 24 hours ago, and nearly everyone I've come across on the street has exchanged a greeting with me! That is amazing, and a really special trait!
• I already have some friend connections. I know it seems crazy, since I've spent less than 24 hours here, but I came to visit the town back in June, and wrote to a couchsurfer to see if he could host me a couple days. He never got back to me, until about a month ago, which worked out perfectly, and I am actually writing this from he and his future wife's apartment (future as in, they're getting married on Saturday, and still are hosting a stranger). The moment I met up with them yesterday, I knew I had found some people with a vibe that could match mine. And that, when you just arrive to where you're going to be living, is hugely helpful! As well, one of the people who showed me a flat yesterday has horseback riding lessons a few times a week, and I decided I'm definitely going with him sometime. Horses have always been my sweet spot, and this kid's got a great mentality, so I'm happy to spend time in the light of his energy.
• Apparently, there's some really cool organizations and groups that are active in this town. There's a cultural group here that organizes different activities, and is made up of a lot of foreigners and alternatively-minded folks. So I'm going to join this group of people, and who knows what activities I'll end up doing! Maybe I'll end up in some sort of Spanish theater while I'm here! One of my possible options for this year was to move to New York and do theater for fun while working as a waitress, I could always substitute NY with a small town in Andalucia, right? It's life after all, and the options are endless!
• Rent and life are pretty cheap. I've only been paying 230 euros/month + bills in Sevilla, but here, my rent will be well under 200. Which is good, because that kinesiology course isn't cheap! But Asia sure can be, and that's where I plan to be by November of next year. :)

So really, despite my concern of "how the heck am I going to manage to live here for nine months," I am really excited for this year, and know it's going to involve MAJOR continuation of the growth and centering that this summer started! I am taking up a lot of new things, going to meet a lot of new people, and will definitely continue feeding my habit of travel. After all, it is my last year living in Spain! (...for now...) I am, as usual, highly optimistic about the situation, and really looking forward to all that is to come. In the end, life is what we make it, and I'm planning on making it as full as learning, growth, love & light as I possibly can! Woo!

I hope that you all had an amazingly fulfilling summer, and are embarking on whatever it is you're doing with a fresh perspective and a healthy, positive attitude! Life is such a lovely thing, and it has so much to offer us when we're optimistic. Give thanks for all, and know that in each moment, there's a blessing hidden and a lesson learned! I love you, dear brothers and sisters of mine, with every ounce I've got!

Sending you endless Blessings, Love & Light!