Thursday, July 14, 2005

barcelona, london calling

As referred to earlier, I'm going on vacation. Like, a REAL vacation. Not a conference, not a fellowship, not a family-reuniony-visit... a true, honest to god vacation. I'm going, specifically, next week.

Holy hell!

(I was out restauranting and one of the servers was someone I went to college with. She introduced herself by screaming at me from afar, "Holy hell!" and I've been using this phrase repeatedly since. Just thought I'd 'splain.)

Where was I? Right.

Holy hell!

So, the buildup to this trip was my continuing dismay about how little I've travelled. World-wise, at least. The first, and only, time I've been out of the country was a whirlwind high school trip to Spain (Madrid, Sevilla, a day in Morocco, and points in between.) I remember thinking back then how I planned on backpacking through Europe after college, and possibly studying overseas... but by the end of college, I still hadn't gone anywhere outside of the U.S. Then I started grad school. Still, no international travel.

In about 2001ish, my friend B gave me one of the coolest gifts I've ever received -- a hard copy of all of our emails to one another over the course of the summer after my freshman year. In one email I talked about moving to Spain. So, again, it hit me: What happened?

Time passes, and I've had several friends move overseas and return... yet still, my big ass has stayed stateside. Bo - ring.

Jerry is the most recent expatriate friend to planning his return to the US. And that did it. I realized I needed to go visit. Now.

So at the end of June, after contacting a government office or five, I got a copy of my birth certificate and then passport in a little over a week. Yes, less than two weeks. Yes, it cost more.

And then I got some plane tickets. And then my friend G. did the same. So the scoop is this:

18 July: BNA to EWR to LGW. Meet G., go directly to BCN. Spend a week with JWP.

26 July: BCN to LGW with G. Hang out there for a few days. (It's on the way, so why not.)

29 July: I come back here (G's staying longer...)

I am, of course, totally unprepared for travel/vacation other than documents and plane tickets and asking people questions on what to do, or how to do basic stuff. Like change money. (told ya it's been a while...) I have read up on hardly anything, and hope to remedy this in the next few days.

Probably won't write in here for a while. Cross-reference to Jerry, in my absence. And while I'm at it, props to my favorite Anglophile who has been an awesome resource as she's done this exact trip already and has been to London, like, 4 times in the past two years or something. (And same to the rest of you who I've been bugging about advice here and there.)

Adeu!

4 Comments:

Blogger aimee said...

Have a wonderful (and safe) trip!

Friday, July 15, 2005 8:32:00 AM  
Blogger trixievw said...

hooray! take a photo from the top of the eye for me.

i love you and have a safe trip!

love,
your favorite anglophile

Friday, July 15, 2005 6:23:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

please bring me a hot, young Spaniard. I'm sure he'll fit in the suitcase. :)
Have tons of fun (and be safe...we all sound like your mother!)

Sunday, July 17, 2005 2:03:00 PM  
Blogger Michael Hickerson said...

Hope you have a great trip!

Thursday, July 28, 2005 3:48:00 PM  

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