thoughts...

I remember five months ago when people asked me what exactly I’d be doing in Spain, or where I’d be living, or what I’d be studying- the answer was always the same: “I don’t really know…”. And now I do know, I know so well. As I reminiscently walk around Oviedo in the last four days here, I am reminded of the way I perceived it when I arrived and the way I perceive it now. My mindset has completely shifted. Things that once would have terrified me no longer hold that power: first meetings with people that used to make my stomach do butterflies don’t even phase me, discussing and paying the rent are normal duties, and carrying on a conversation in Spanish for hours is part of everyday life.

I have learned valuable lessons along the way; some of which I hope to never repeat, and others which still make me laugh. 

1)      1) Always, ALWAYS, have the first night planned when you arrive in a strange city

2)      2) Never walk out of the airport to board the plane and then get confused and accidentally walk into the baggage claim

3)      3) When entering a new country it’s a good idea to figure out beforehand whether they have a different currency

4)      4) When traveling always figure out how to at least say “I don’t speak ____” in the national language

5)       5) Never leave your wallet in the open pocket of your coat, but if you do then sometimes trust an intoxicated 60 year-old man to help you find the police station…up until the point he asks you to go get drinks with him. 

6)      6) Sarcasm in a language other than your mother tongue is essentially a lost cause

Obviously my time here in Spain has been extremely valuable in learning life lessons… But in all honesty it has. I’m not the same person I was when I first arrived, nor do I want to be. It’s been an adventure, a crazy rollercoaster of an adventure, but life is also an adventure.  As I close the door on my time here in Spain, I am not closing the door on my adventures. They will continue, and I have one who is faithful to walk through them with me. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in [me] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:6 NIV). I am not at the point that I long to be at, but I know that He has promised to stick with me til the end. To Him be the glory forever and ever.

Alemanniiiaaa

Ok, so I am way behind on posting this. I meant to do it right away, but life happened. So here it is now. Hopefully I’ll be posting another one up soon about Oviedo. It’s ironic how this is called the “view from Oviedo”, but then I only write about my travels to other countries. 

There aren’t many things better than spending a week touring across Germany with your college roommate. So many laughs, memories, long talks, perfect weather, and beautiful sights. Instead of a day by day description, I decided that a few of my favorite memories from the week would be more entertaining.

The layout of Heidelberg is one of the most breathtaking sights I have seen. It is a small city nestled between two bright green hills with a river flowing in through the middle and an old ruined castle tucked away on a hill. After touring the castle, we lazed around in the palace gardens amid the bright flowers and green grass. We walked back to our hostel at night along the river with the lights reflecting off the water and the castle illuminated behind us. The beauty of this city is indescribable. 

After forgetting to confirm our hostel for Freiburg, we ended up booking a last minute camping caravan for two in the Black Forest. We were both very hesitant about what we would find upon arriving. Images kept popping up in my mind of us huddled together in a small tent listening to the sounds of rowdy bikers and backpackers all around. Upon arriving at the camping sight, we were overjoyed to see families with adorable little German children running around. The camper we stayed in was like a little house made into a 10x15 foot space, and it was right on the edge of the Black Forest. We woke up the next morning after a glorious night of sleep, and headed for the woods. Hiking through dense forests, yellow fields of flowers, and ancient German forts was like walking through a fairy tale. Even though cathedrals, castles, and historical monuments are incredible, nothing compares to the beauty of God’s creation. He is so present in the small flowers, the rolling hills, and the sun shining through the green of the leaves. 

The train ride from Freiburg to Konstanz was another wonderful memory. Winding through hills and mountains, along rivers and through tunnels, the train went straight through the heart of the Black Forest. Almost as soon as we got on, it began to pour outside (the only rain we had the whole trip!), but we were cozy and warm in the comfort of the train. 

Probably the highlight of the whole trip for me, we decided to rent bikes and go along Lake Bodensee. We biked along the edge of the lake with water on one side and orchards, wild flowers, and cute little towns on the other. Before we knew it we had crossed over the border into Switzerland. We went to a little grocery store to buy some chocolate, cheese, and fruit for a very Swiss lunch, but at the checkout counter we were very surprised to discover that Switzerland has a different currency than the Euro. Haha thankfully we were still able to pay, but we sure didn’t look like the brightest girls. We had our picnic down by the lake, and we talked for hours in the sunshine. 

Germany was incredible. All the people that we met were so helpful and patient, the food was delicious, the nature was stunning, and seeing it all with my roomie made it even better. 

Heidelberg

Hiking in the Black Forest

Crossing the Germany/Switzerland border

Lake Bodensee

Italia!

I think I could possibly live in Italy. After spending a week and a half eating loads of pizza, pasta, and gelato I have found that I am a huge fan of this beautiful country. It was a trip that couldn’t have been better: the perfect combination of friends, family, and food all made for a time to remember. 

I arrived in Bologna after spending approximately 14 hours on en route, and I was met at the train station by Ally, Steph, and Max. We immediately went to a restaurant and talked and laughed over my first bowl of pasta in Italia. It was surreal to see all of them in Italy; it was exactly what we had always planned on doing but I was secretly surprised that it had actually worked out. We spent three days together in Bologna; two of the days we traveled to the surrounding cities of Venice and Mantua. Venice has such a different atmosphere than anywhere I have ever been; beautiful canals that reflect the lights of the cities, quaint little gondolas, and stunning buildings all make it one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Although Mantua offered many beautiful sights, the highlight was sitting on the edge of a picturesque lake with a weeping willow hanging over the water eating a delicious picnic of fruit, chocolate, and cheese.  We parted our ways at five in the morning as I dazedly found my way onto a train to Rome. 

My parents met me outside the McDonalds at the train station, and it was so great to see them all again. We spent two days touring Rome and visiting the Coliseum, Pantheon, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. For lunch we ate bread, cheese, and fruits which were always complimented with gelatos for desert. At night we went out to homey Italian restaurants, ordered different plates of pasta and all shared so that we could try as many as possible. Every single dish was delicious. 

We took off from Rome and headed toward the Cinque Terre, five little towns on the northern coast of Italy. We spent the two nights in a clean little hostel in one of the little towns and a full day of hiking in between the small villages. The scenery was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before; steep cliffs dropped straight off into the ocean, small brightly-colored houses populated the coast, and the Mediterranean Ocean stretched out as far as the eye could see. It was stunning. Although I am not a huge fan of seafood, this place knew how to do it right.

On our way back to Rome the next day we stopped in Florence, but the Punte Viejo (Old Bridge) and Duomo (Dome) failed to reach our expectations. Perhaps if we had spent more time here, we would have appreciated the sights more….also, the names were terribly uncreative. We spent our last night together in a little hostel close to the airport, laughing about the adventures of the last week and looking forward to meeting again in Kenya.

Venice!

Venice in twilight

Reunited with the family in the coliseum

One of the Cinque Terre towns

Journey to the South: Sevilla!

The landscape slowly changes as I lazily stare out the window in a surprisingly comfortable bus. Having just awoken from a long nap and probably about to take another as soon as I finish writing this, I have that wonderful contented sleepy feeling that comes only when you feel no pressure to be doing anything constructive.

I am returning to Oviedo after having spent the last four days visiting my friends in Sevilla. A beautiful city with a river running right through it, Sevilla is the “typical” Spain; it boasts flamenco shows, bull-fighting rinks, Arabic architecture, palm trees, and lots and lots of tourists. The city is a sight to see, but it would have been worth the trip just to be with my friends from UNC- Steph and Delaney. It was so special to see them in Spain; almost like the collision of two worlds, but such a happy collision at that. The first night I was there we savored the different Spanish food at the cheap and delicious Montaditos, the sweets at the pastelaria, and the banana milkshakes at an Arabic tetería. I woke up early the next morning to do some exploring on my own; my tourist self was made painfully obvious as I clutched my camera taking pictures of everything. I met Steph and Delaney at Starbucks (yes, there is Starbucks in Sevilla! Proof that it is much more Americanized than Oviedo). We walked around together, exploring different tourist shops selling all kinds of Sevilla paraphernalia. Steph and Delaney then introduced me to Rayas, their favorite gelato place; I will admit that Sevilla does have better gelato than Oviedo, and I sampled as much as possible while I was there. That night we went to a flamenco show; the dancer was overflowing with attitude and hissed at the audience every time we were too loud. 

The next morning we woke up early to go to a Spanish church; the church had so many people it was overflowing. Most of the songs were popular American songs translated into Spanish; sometimes Spanish has such a better command of the language than English. After church we headed over to Steph and Delaney’s apartment for a delicious meal of paella, croquetas, tomatos, and strawberry tart prepared by their Spanish host mother. As soon as we were finished eating we headed back to the hostel to welcome Paige and Liz who were flying in from UNC to spend their spring break. We stayed up for two hours that night talking about everything that we’d missed out on in each other’s lives for the past 3 months. They brought peanut butter, chocolate chips, brownie mix, and gum for each of us! Such a happy day. 

The next day was bright and sunny, and we packed it full of the most touristy stops. We went the Alcazar, a Spanish palace complete with elaborate stonework, marble columns, and beautiful gardens. When hunger overcame us, we headed over the enormous Parque Maria Luisa and enjoyed a picnic in the sun. We then took a horse-drawn carriage through the city. The setting sun bathed everything in a soft orange glow, and we talked and laughed the whole way. A delicious tapa restaurant and another pastelaria finished off the day in high style.

My last morning I woke up early enough to eat breakfast with Steph and Delaney before they went to school, and then I ate a second breakfast of strawberries and chocolate with Paige and Liz before I headed over to the bus station. So here I am on the bus, reminiscing about the past four days; I enjoyed every minute of my time and I am so glad that I went, but I’m also excited to be going home. I want to get into my apartment, sleep in my own bed, see all of my friends, go running, cook for myself, etc. It’s always nice to come home, and I feel like Oviedo is my home now. I love it there- the people, the buildings, the familiar paths and shops, my apartment. Well, after writing all of this I’m no longer tired. Maybe I’ll listen to music or just sit here and think as the countryside rolls by.

Steph, Delaney, Mary, Me at the Plaza de Espana

Toro del Oro beside the river

Part of the Alcazar

Sunset from the carriage ride

February 20

I don’t want this blog to just be about my travels. It’s not that I don’t want to describe my travels, but there is so much more to my time here than just explaining what I’ve been doing. It would be wrong not to write about. Naked. I hate that word. I hate what the vulnerability that is associated with it, and yet that is how we are called to come to God. To strip away all the images we cling to that make us feel good; because at the core of each one is something so hideous that there is a reason we try so hard to cover it up. Tenth Avenue North says “I need your strength to feel this weak”, and in that beautiful paradox is something so profound. Only His strength can make us realize how powerless we are. This is where I have been this week. I am so tired of looking good, trying hard enough, and having everything figured out. The truth is that I am so weak, I can’t ever be good enough, and I certainly don’t have it all figured out. God has been showing me this over and over in Oviedo.

With that said, let me fill you in on a little bit of what I have been up to for the past two weeks. My class schedule is finally fixed. After talking to professors here, e-mailing advisors in the U.S., and figuring out which classes I can understand the most Spanish, I now have a schedule that leaves all of my afternoons free with classes that will count for credit at Chapel Hill. I have also found a place to run that takes me up above the city and gives a beautiful view. Sometimes it is hard to keep running because I just want to gaze at the view, and I satisfy that wish more often than not. I have also met many more international and Spanish students, and it has been great getting to know them. This last weekend on Saturday night each person brought a dish to Johanne’s apartment; the end result was delicious. On Sunday we took a day trip to a nearby pueblo called Llanes on the coast. It is beautiful. A grassy walkway along the cliffs above the ocean, quaint little streets filled with tourist shops, and small cafeterias selling té y café were part of the relaxing day. We went where we wanted to go, stopped where we wanted to stop, and ate when we wanted to eat. 

The biggest change is that now I feel at home. No longer do I walk along the streets clutching my map, no longer do I sit alone because I don’t know anyone, and no longer do I feel overwhelmed all the time. Oviedo has become my temporary home. I love the people, I love the buildings, and I love that I have the opportunity to study here. I am so excited to see what all this semester brings; I am excited about the trips I will take, the things I will do, the people I will meet, and the places I will see. Most of all, I am excited to see what God does here; I know that He has a plan for this place, this time. In all things, para Dios ser la gloria. 

Left to right: me, Julianne, Johanne, Magnus

One of the beaches in Llanes