The End of the Earth

Fisterra, or Finisterre, was once thought to be the End of the Earth. Of Latin Origin, the name Fisterra stems from the words finis, end, and terrae, land. Before the America's were discovered, it was thought to be the furthest point west in the world.

Last week, I went to the End of the Earth.

First, we stopped in Muxia. It was m a g i c a l. Stopping for a photo-op, we hopped out of the car and started leaping across rocks, getting as close to the ocean as possible. One minute we were admiring the sunset, enjoying the slight mist of the waves, and within seconds, were drenched. Slight mist turned into a torrential downpour. As we ran for cover, I couldn't help but laugh. Laughter consumed me, and it felt great.


Our next stop was Finisterra. I learned that it is a popular final destination for the pilgrims of the Camino de Santiago. They often come to this point, sit and reminisce for hours, and reflect. Some might burn the clothes or shoes they wore on the camino. For many, it's a really emotional thing. Understandably so. They may have spent the previous month just walking and thinking. At Finisterra, there's nothing left. Just a free mind, free of thoughts. I really hope to do the Camino someday.

 

A Week in the Life of Me

So quickly I have adjusted to life here in Spain. I've been in Lugo for a month now and time really has flown by. This Friday, HALLOWEEN!!, will conclude my first month of teaching. I've developed a routine so quickly, I thought I might share that here with you :)

So normally, I'll wake up around 730am-9am, depending on what time I have my first class. First thing first, I open the window shade that causes my room to be completely blacked out, blocking every last speck of light. For this, it's so hard to wake up in the morning.

I quickly get ready and then make my way to the "colegio" where I teach. It's about a 15 minute walk, and with all the fog in the morning, my hair is nice and poofy by the time I arrive. Reminds me of the high school days, walking to school with freshly straightened hair, only for it to be frizzy by the time I arrive. Yuck.

My work week pans out like this: I have two full days, Mondays and Fridays, Wednesdays off, and two two-hour days Tuesdays and Thursdays. When I say "full day", for me, it's 4 hours of work; considering I only have a 12 hour work week, it's 1/3rd of my hours. ¡Qué pena! no? ;) (What a pity, right?)

School's out at 2pm. Normally, I head home for, yes, a siesta. Now I swear, I hardly see Spanish people sleeping. They run on very little sleep and I have no idea how they do it. But me, I take FULL advantage of nap time. They range anywhere from 3 hours to 3 hours. Yeah, always 3 hours.

Monday nights are dance class. I'll have a quick bite to eat and then head on over to "Cook", a local bar, where we take dance classes on the floor below the bar. So far I've learned the Merengue, Bachata, and Salsa. At first, it was so intimidating, but it has become extremely fun. I'm still trampling on partners' toes every so often, but my instructor, Julio says "poco a poco"(little by little), I will improve. Dancing has been one of the things I've done most out of my comfort zone. While my ability to speak Spanish is still struggling, on top of that, I've had to try and communicate with Spanish men in a way to understand how to work as partners in a dance. With my continuous "perdon"(sorry!), and their continuous "no pasa nada, tranquila"(it's nothing, relax!) , I think we've finally formed an understanding of one another.

Bachata is my favorite dance so far. In this video, I don't know these people, they're extremelyyyy good and I could never dance nearly as beautiful as they do, but this is my favorite song to dance Bachata to. Give it a look :)
Bachata-Romeo Santos

Tuesdays are even harder to wake up than Mondays because dance class doesn't let out until close to midnight. Me and my struggle walk to school and have a traditional "cafe con leche". My first week in Lugo, I was drinking about 3 a day, but that became a problem when I couldn't sleep all night. Now, I've narrowed it down to one coffee to get me going for the day, then switch to fresh OJ :)

Recently, I started giving private English lessons. I absolutely love them. On Tuesdays, I work with Nicolas. He's a 12 year old boy from here, Lugo, and has a great personality. There is not an ounce of shyness in this boy. To kick off our first lesson, he picks up his dog Tango and tells me to smell him. Apparently, Tango had just gone to the groomer and smelled like fresh flowers. We continued the lesson going over his English homework, with intermittent discussions about the kind of Halloween costume he was going to make for Tango. He's rad.

 Tuesday nights are like my mid-week weekend. To kick it off, I might head to a language exchange. I've been twice now an really enjoyed it. It's a weekly meet up of youths who bring all different languages to the table. English, Spanish, Galician, Portuguese, French, and I think even some German. It's a great way to practice languages. Other Tuesdays, I've headed out for a mid-week trip to neighboring cities.

Wednesdays, I might spend in another town, perusing the shops in Lugo, or I might even be lazy and watch t.v. all day. Who knows. Being here I have a sense of freedom, I can do what I want, when I want. And I like it.

Thursdays. I teach, nap, then head over to give an English lesson to a brother and sister. They're adorable. Vera is 4 years old and Mateo is 7. We've spent the past two lessons singing songs, talking about our favorite animals, and learning about Halloween. I mostly do the talking, they tend to just stare at me, blank-faced and wide-eyed. They don't really understand too much of what I'm saying, but I speak to them in English anyways. Their mom tells me they really like their time with me, so I guess I'm doing something right. Maybe it's in the big smile? :D

Fridays are another "full day" of classes. I LOVE Fridays because I basically am teaching "Art in English" all day. We get to talk about colors, art materials, and fun things. The past two weeks we've been working on Halloween crafts and they absolutely love it.

Weekends are spent traveling, going out, eating, and lounging. There's a surplus of activities at my disposal. Far too often, I spend the weekends sleeping because I was out so late the night before.

Last night, for instance, I was in a bar, not realizing it was the night the clocks changed. Around 1:30am, my friend tells me that the clocks were going to change. So, at 3am, my phone turns back to 2am. I stayed in the bar until 4am, which really felt more like 5am. For Spain, heading home at 4am, even 5am, is still considered early. Yeah, still adjusting to that bit.

Today, my roommates and I headed over to a friends for a big lunch. I enjoyed it so much. Living in Lugo, it feels like real Spain. On Sundays, majority of the shops are closed. All grocery stores, clothing stores, etc. are closed the entire day. We had a nice big lunch, then went for a walk by the river. Today was such a beautiful day, so warm and bright.

Other fun facts about my new life here:
1. I eat, a lot. Meat and cheese and bread. EVERY dang day. It's toooo flippin delicious.

2. My Spanish is improving, yet still a struggle.

3. I LOVE my roommates. They really are great.

4. I have not missed "home" once. Granted, there are people I'd love to see and talk to, but I don't feel any homesickness. There's not even a food I've craved that I can't get here.

5. For the first time in forever, they'll be music they'll be lights, oh wait, ummmmmm this isn't frozen. BUT, for reals, for the first time, I feel completely FREE in life. It's quite an unexplainable feeling. I'm excited and happy, through and through. Virtually stress free, I haven't felt this, ever.

6. I drink more wine than I ever have before. I don't hate it.

7. I feel like sometimes, because there's so much pressure on the part of my brain where languages reside, I can't even speak English properly anymore.

There's lots more that has changed in life but I'm too tired to think of anymore so yeah.

Alrighty. So, here I am now, sitting on my couch, looking forward to the short work week ahead. Thursday night, I'm headed back to another favorite place. Stay tuned. Adventure on, rockstars.

Besitos y Abrazos
XOXO
Natalia
#selfiesunday :P

Playing Catch Up

THIS POST IS SO UNACCEPTABLE, YET SO NECESSARY. THIS IS ME YELLING AT MYSELF.

For the past three weeks I have been telling myself, "you need to post, you need to post, you need to post." It's not that I haven't been writing, because quite surprisingly, I have been keeping a journal and have many "drafted posts", but none of them have made it through the final cut.

The past few weeks have flown by. I sat down tonight to write in my journal and my jaw literally dropped when I realized that it is already October 15th. Holy moly! Where did October go, and moreso, where did 2014 go!? For this reason, I set down the journal and picked up the laptop and decided to fill you in on all of the glorious details.

I left New York City on September 21st. Here's a rundown of what followed.

1. 24 hour travel from NYC-> Stockholm. Slept in the Stockholm airport due to a 10 hour layover. Stockholm->Madrid

2. Stayed in Madrid for 3 nights and 4 days in Los Amigos Backpackers Hostel, quite possibly my favorite hostel. The man and woman that ran the place were the friendliest, ever.

3. Had a blast in Madrid. Went to the Prado Museum (so happy I could appreciate it this time around), visited Parque de El Retiro, drank wine and ate tapas, and enjoyed the nighttime hustle and bustle that Madrid has to offer.

 

4. After a crazy night out that fell into early morning, took a 7 hour bus ride from Madrid->Lugo.

5. Arrived in Lugo at the Roots and Boots hostel. Again, super friendly couple running the place.
Located above a bar, right on the Rio Miño, it's a popular stop for those doing the Camino de Santiago.

6. Spent 5 days apartment hunting/ sort of wandering not really knowing what to do. My now roommate contacted me via facebook asking if I wanted to share an apartment with him and another girl. Perfect. Susannah is from England, here in Lugo teaching English as well. Xavi is a Spaniard from Lugo, finishing his last year in university. "University" is a thing here, not "college". College here is the equivalent to our elementary school, still getting used to that bit.

7. September 30th, moved in. Woo!

8. October 1st, went to my first day of "teaching". To my surprise, it was my day off, so I got sent home.

9. October 2nd, went to my first "meeting". Talked with two teachers for 45 minutes about my schedule and the classes I'll be working with. English and Art, 3rd-6th grade! I'm actually so excited to be working in a bilingual art class. Holiday crafts galore :)

10. October 3rd, my first real day in the classroom.
Do you have a boyfriend? Real or Barça? Messi or Ronaldo? Do you know Pau Gasol? Do you know famous people?
Ha. I see where their priorities lie. The 3rd and 4th graders are my favorite. Still little sweethearts.

11. Went to Salamanca for a weekend. It felt so nice to be back in the Golden City; it brought back so many memories of the past and the time I spent studying there. I did, however, come to some realizations.
I'm old. I'm not 19/20 anymore, and that's okay.

 

12. Came back to Lugo and went to a dance class! I ended up signing up for the month and am so excited about it.

13. October 7th, went to a language exchange where we practiced Spanish, English, Portuguese, etc.

14. October 7th-14th, worked with the kids and enjoyed the San Froilan festivities. San Froilan is a festival, solely celebrated in Lugo. It attracts a crowd from the surrounding pueblos; they come to eat, drink, and participate in all sorts of carnival-like activities.

15. October 14th, went to Santiago de Compostela. What a beautiful, historical city it is! It was raining just about the whole time, but we went to see the Cathedral and explore the small city. There were so many "pilgrims" out and about, exploring their final destination. The Cathedral is the final stop of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. If you haven't heard of it, it's a trek that starts in southern France and ends in Western Spain. Many people will complete either the whole thing or small snippets of it. You should definitely read about it if you haven't already. I'm contemplating completing in at some point in life ;)

 


So now, present day, October 15th, I'm sitting on my bed, somewhat freezing because it's so stinking cold in my apartment. Too tired to proof read, sorry about it. I'm hoping now that I'm all caught up my posts will return back to their thorough selves. Stay tuned for my next adventure!




Abrazos y Besos
 xoxo
Natalia

I Dare You To Move

I am the biggest advocate for change, honestly. Routine is monotony and monotony is death. Life without change, experience, or challenge, is a life I'd never want to live. I am a change-encourager. I will encourage anyone and everyone to get up, get out, and experience the world. I say "doooo it!" to almost everything.

There are a lot of popular articles floating around nowadays on reasons why young 20-somethings should travel. Most of the time they're titled something like: '10 Reasons Why You Should Quit Your Job and Buy a Plane Ticket' or '8 Life Lessons You Will Learn As A Young Traveler'. To be honest, I'm a sucker for these articles. Not just because they're talking about travel, all the benefits of it, and the surplus of amazing aspects to it, but also the fact that these articles are written by 20-something year olds who have actually gone out and done it. It's people of youth encouraging people of youth. They have passion and drive and want to share that with our generation.


Realizing how much I enjoy those articles, I thought I might make one of my own. Granted, I haven't been to nearly enough places to consider myself a travel expert, but I want to share with you what I have learned in my few travels and what drives me to keep traveling. Here are my top reasons why

"I Dare You To Move"

1. You'll Experience, You'll Respond, You'll Gain Perspective

 | Experience: An event or occurrence that leaves an impression on someone. |

When you travel, you're not just seeing a place, you're experiencing it. You're living it. Whether it be a good experience or a bad one, it leaves an impression, it makes a mark.

| Response: Act or behave in reaction to someone or something. |
With every situation, you'll have to respond in a certain manner. An experience might trigger a happy response, a nervous one, a scared one, a sad one, etc.

| Perspective: A particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view. |
With each experience and response, you'll gain a way of viewing it. Even a bad experience can give you a new perspective, and that's a good thing.

Back in 2012, while studying in Spain,  I went on a guided tour to Morocco. One stop on the tour was a Moroccan magic carpet shop. A group of Moroccan men casually circled 100 foreign exchange students around a rug man who tried to sell us on the black market  us Moroccan carpets. While this man spread nearly 200 rugs on the floor in a salesman representation, we were encouraged to say "yes" and "no" in the arabic language. As fellow students in my tour shouted their praises "Lah" or "Waja", the men would pile these carpets at their sides. I kept silent; I was uncomfortable. At the end of the presentation, the students with rugs were taken by a salesman into separate cubicles and told, in broken english, to "make an offer". This whole process did not end well. Many of my friends felt pressured into making purchases. I saw buyer's remorse the very second after cards were swiped. One girl tried to instantly return her 300 euro rug, with no avail. She left the rug behind and told them she was going to dispute the charge to her credit card company. Come a couple hours later, the rug showed up at our hotel, with a notice that they reduced the charge to 150 euro. She couldn't escape the purchase she had made. After this stop, we stopped at many more open markets and shops along the way. With each place we went we were asked to "make an offer".

This experience is one that I will never forget. My response to it was discomfort. It was the first time I ever dealt with a barter/bargain like market. This was the first time I ever experienced real culture shock. I gained a new perspective. I realized that many markets work in this manner and it just wasn't something I was used to, or comfortable with. Looking back, I don't hate Morocco or my experience there because I learned a great deal from it.

2. You'll Learn A Lot About Other People

As a person who got a degree in European Studies, you could say I value culture, a lot. I find it to be the most vital aspect in understanding others. When you travel, you get to see firsthand how other people live. Those raised with different customs, values, languages, and traditions. Our social norms are extremely different than most places in the world. Going to a bar everyday in the US means you're an alcoholic. In Spain, it means you're social.

3. You'll Learn Even More About Yourself
"Find yourself." Cliche, I know. But any less true? Not one bit. I personally believe that life is not meant to be lived in one place. There is a big world out there for a reason. Explore it.

4. You'll Be Challenged
You might be forced to communicate in another language, figure out a public transit route, eat a type of food you never thought you would, live on a budget, etc. Challenges make you learn and make you grow. If you're not in fear of something, and facing it, you're not growing. Do what scares you.

5. You'll Make Mistakes..Again...and Again & They'll Make a Great Story
On multiple occasions, I was extremely close to sleeping on the street, in the bus stations, and in the  subway stations. Once in Madrid, Once in Barcelona, Once in Paris. Well, in Madrid, it wasn't close, it happened. Sort of. Many of these occurrences could have been avoided, but time and time again, they continued happening. Mistakes are okay, and often times repeated. What do you do with a mistake? Make it a story & laugh about it.

6. You'll Realize You Don't Just Fall in Love with People, but with Places
Near and dear to my heart. Salamanca was my first love. Then Barcelona. Then London. Love isn't just for people, it's for places. They, like people, make you feel something. Sometimes sad, sometimes happy, excited, you name it. They're emotive and can tug at the heart strings. When you're separated, you feel a longing and feel detached from something that once made you feel comfort. Traveling makes you fall in love all over the world.

7. You'll Learn Bicycles are the BEST Method of Transportation
They just are. Honestly. Some of my best memories while traveling through Europe are the days I rode bicycles. Buzzed bike riding in Valencia for "Las Fallas". Pedaling up the Champs-Élysées, past the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre, with a final swing under the Eiffel Tower at 2am. Rushing past traffic while biking on "the wrong side of the road" in London, in hopes to make it in time for the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. My most recent bicycle ride, around Central Park, included passing by street artists, performers, and horse drawn carriages.

 

8. When If You Come Back, You'll Never Be the Same
Traveling changes you. Not the resort style "I laid back and sat at a pool" type traveling, but the kind I explained above. You bring all of the experiences, the challenges, the lessons, the mistakes, the feelings, and the discoveries back with you. Going back to where you once started is not the same as never leaving.

I'm so excited, I have 17 days left and I will be back in Europe! Can't wait to have new experiences to contribute to why I travel, and why you should too. 

Safe travels ;) xoxo