Update!

OK, I keep getting asked what I'm up to these days. I used to do Weeks In Review, which were fun, but honestly, my weeks currently are not as packed with excitement as they used to be. So...how about a like a month in review? With pictures!

Let me set this up by saying the sabbatical continues. Viva la pre-tirement! Yes, yes, I will find myself a 9-5 eventually, but for now I'm doing odd things here and there and continuing to live it up a bit.

So here we go: besides getting possible brain leaks (and the subsequent 2 weeks of migraines), I have been...

Travel cooking:

Falafel!

Patacones/tostones! 

Fried platanos! (mmm)

Syrian-style eggpant casserole!

Flan! x17...I will dominate flan making!

 (And thankfully I've pretty much talked the young adult small group that meets at my house on Sundays into testing out all my flans. Because even though I love it...a girl can only eat so much flan!)

Dusting off my inner artista: 

I finally got around to printing and putting up a photo project I'd been planning for a while

(and don't worry, they ended up much straighter than that!)

My mom bought a groupon for us to go to one of those painting night things. I'm not gonna lie...it was kind of stressful! But also a lot of fun. I know we didn't make Van Gogh jealous or anything, but I think we did decently! I hung mine (on the left) on a random nail in my kitchen to dry and ended up leaving it there. 

Ha, and another day, out of nowhere, I was in the mood to water-paint. So I wrote and painted my niece a book. There's no pictures of the end product, so I'll just let you imagine how that worked out : )

And taking some pictures around Fort Worth for a project with my mom. So many good looking buildings!

Reading!

I've been stowing away in libraries...

Having time to read was a large part of the "loafing" (Razor's Edge anyone?) I planned for on my sabbatical. While traveling I did conquer some giants (like all 900+ pages of Of Human Bondage) and lots of other good stuff, but with all the adventures and talking with strangers and naps, I didn't get as much reading in as I figured I would. 

I'm making up for lost time. 

Writing!

Postcards! What? Did you think I was gonna say a novel or something? ; )

Send me your addresses! 

And finally...Traveling!

(Of course! But just a little bit...) 

I made a weekend trip out to Albuquerque to have a little mini-reunion with some of the girls I lived in Spain with. Last year we met up in Austin for the weekend, and this year was even more fun! And look--we timed it so that we made it to the (world's largest) hot air balloon festival!

Then I took Greyhound bus (oh yes! I had been wanting to do that for a while now!) up to Denver, where again timing was perfect and David took me to see the Aspens changing colors. So beautiful! 

OK, and one more thing, aka, the real reason I am blogging (...procrastination!): 

Studying for the GRE!

Yep. I know. Strangely everyone around me is much less surprised than I am that I am thinking about applying to PhD programs. It was all getting overwhelming, so I took advice from soon to be Dr. Meredith and just decided I'd take the GRE, see how that goes and start from there. 

PSA: If a book's introduction feels the need to tell you that you shouldn't start hyperventilating...that's not a good sign. 

OK, so that's what I've been up to!

Week In Review Sabbatical Style: T-10 days!

10 days left! Can you believe it? I'm starting to get my head around it as I make my last stop in the Balkans--Thessaloniki, Greece. From here I basically start the long stretch of flights home (and by long I mean 7 legs of flights long). Thankfully I'll stop to see some friends along the way in Milan and in Sevilla. I had some things set aside for the week in review last week but then didn't have wifi for a long stretch. As I'm getting towards the ends of things I thought I would see I would try to give a little overview.

So, here you go! It's the week(s?) in review:

• I decided to pop over to Corfu for a few days when I was in Saranda, Albania. It's just a short ferry ride away and was absolutely beautiful. The number of tourists walking around was a bit shocking after spending a couple of weeks in Albania. 
• The "easy" bus connection I needed from the port to the otherside of the island turned out to be a little less easy than I was told. I got a little lost finding the bus stop and arrived just as the buses were leaving. No problem. I was told they were really frequent. Except, when I asked (at 1:30) I was told the next one wasn't until 4. Boo. So I walked around in the heat, with my bag and killed the time. 
• 2.5 hours later I showed up to confirm where the bus would stop at 4:00. The guy told me, no--the next bus is at 6. It's already 5 o'clock. Yep. I forgot about the 1 hour time change. Time to wait...again
• Part of the way I ended up killing the time was sitting around with 5 crazy, old Greek taxi drivers. I shared my cookies with them and they tipped me off about the new road to Thessaloniki. They said it was ridiculous to go back to Albania to make my way to Thessaloniki (which would take a whopping 16 hours), that I could take a direct bus from Corfu to Thessaloniki in about 5 hours.  
• I chose that one. Sorry, Gjirokaster and Korca--maybe next time. The Greek bus was only half full, had AC and passed through lots of lovely countryside (and on new roads to boot!). 
• Only downfall? On the only half full bus, the super curious toddler ended up sitting right behind me. Along with almost constant screeching, every once in a while I would feel little fingers squeezing my arms from behind or poking my freckles. Telling myself there was something wrong with him made me more patient. 
• Throwing out my 5 phrases in Albanian got one of two reactions consistently: proud amazement OR deep belly laugh. Every time I said good evening to my hotel owner in Himare he laughed in a way that I am sure if he had any liquid in his mouth he would have spit it all over the place. 
• In Corfu I decided to do a little sea cave exploration. I'm not a very good swimmer (I realized that, along with riding a bike, I have basically forgotten how to swim), but I didn't let that hold me back. In the end I explored some of the caves not by boat or by canoe, but by tiny inflatable square. 
• The owner of my hotel in Paleo, Corfu gave me a list of native dishes to try while I was on the island. The sofrito was especially delicious!
• I finally fulfilled an item on my Albanian to-do list: swimming on a beach with bunkers. (The former ultra-communist leader had them built all over the country after he effectively isolated the country from absolutely everyone.) 
• I sat in the shade near the Roman agora here in Thessaloniki and had a read through the latter part of Acts and Paul's two letters to the Thessalonians. Seems there is a legacy of friendliness/loveliness in the people here. 
• Because I didn't go back to Albania as planned I have one major problem. I have $200 worth of Albanian currency on my hands. And NO ONE wants to exchange it. I checked into it before buying my bus ticket, but the bank teller incorrectly told me I would have no problem exchanging it at the main bank in town. I went to five banks, seven travel agencies, stopped 2 groups of people on the street and asked one security guide. No luck. (If you have ideas, send them my way!)
• In Corfu town I went into the church there and got to see the mummified town saint (...kinda creepy) but then was introduced to a super friendly priest (monk?) who had spent time in Canada. Along the same lines, I have noticed a lot of really young priests/monks both in Corfu and here in Thessaloniki, which surprised me. 
• And finally, the story of walking home so full of free-ness yesterday (see last post): I walked past the bus station and saw a guy who suddenly and visibly had something dawn on him. He threw his hands up in the air and started mumbling to himself frustratedly. He asked me something in Greek, and when I said I didn't speak Greek he told me in English that he got nervous about a situation with his girlfriend here in town and came to see her (he lived in a village outside of town). He came to try to change her mind, but she broke up with him anyway. Now, he told me, he didn't even have money for the bus ride home, was hungry and, was sad. "You know how is love." Poor guy. 
• He asked if I might have 2 euros to get him home on the bus. The smallest bill I had was a 5, but I just gave it to him, told him to get something to eat with the change and asked if he needed a hug. I gave the guy a hug, told him everything would be ok and was on my way. 
• Today I went to see the town's white tower. And who did I see walking around? The sad guy! Long story short, he is a heroin addict. 
• Poor guy.
• (I didn't really care about the 5 euros--I mostly just felt stupid for giving the guy a hug!) 

The end! A few pictures below. See you soon!

What's a few months? Right?

Beach bunkers near Ksamil

Beautiful west coast of Corfu 

The "Blue Eye" cave (the water was so blue that it almost seemed ridiculous)

My mighty, cave exploring, inflatable square!

Corfu Town, Corfu

The Rotunda (former Roman mausoleum turned church--really striking)

Roman Agora

Enjoying the sunset on the Thessaloniki port

Lake Ohrid

In the Week In Review I mentioned that I wasn't a huge fan of Skopje, Macedonia. Ohrid, though? Different story.

Lake Ohrid is going onto my list of happy places. I was just going to stay a couple of nights then settled on 3. Then I added two more. I've now been here a week. Honestly, I could stay longer, too.

There are tons of churches to visit and fortresses to climb, but the real draw of Ohrid for me was just drinking coffee while taking in the views and lounging in the water.

One of the beautiful frescoed churches (of which there were at one time 365). The frescos were interesting both artistically and theologically--including the Trinity portrayed as a three headed woman and a vegetarian last supper scene. 

I just so happened to be there during the regional folk dance festival. Attempts to take photos largely failed, but it was so much fun to watch!

This picture was taken from a cafe perched right on the edge of the water. Not a bad view for the price of a $1 latte.  

Ancient theatre

These flowers seem impossible. I saw some on the Camino and they seemed just as incredible this time around. 

View from the fortress

This tiny chapel was tucked right into the cliff. The caretaker inside insisted that I dip myself some of the holy water from the little cave in the back. 

The choices she gave me were to either drink it or to wash my face with it. I chose to dab it on my face (and gave the rest of it to the hydrangeas...which must be really holy)

Sveti Sofja--supposedly modeled ater Haggia Sofia in Istanbul although I couldn't see the correlation. It had some great frescos nonetheless. 

There was an old fashioned paper making shop in town. We stopped in and they let us make our own paper (I always loved this kind of stuff) and then showed us their printing press--its an exact replica of the original Gutenberg press (of which there are apparently only 2 of in all of Europe). I ended up buying my very first souvenir of my entire trip here. 

The view from my room in Ohrid at dusk

The view a ways up in the village of Elshani where I am currently residing. It's almost 3,000 feet above sea level and has a million dollar view of the lake (yeah, my pictures can't do it justice!). 

Lovely all around. Tomorrow I'm headed away from the lake and making my way to Albania. I'm excited about being there, but something tells me the getting there (even though I am almost at the border right now) is going to be a very interesting ordeal. We will see!

Camino Update

Hola a todos! This update is coming from the inside of the Burgos bus station. I have a couple hours to kill and its in the thirties outside (and its also 8:00 in Spain meaning nothing is open), so here I sit in the station bar with a cafe con leche in hand. I realize updates from me have been scarse lately so I thought I would undertake the tedious task of typing up a blog on my kindle while I wait.

So what am I doing in a bus station anyway? Well I am taking a small break from my denouncement of all means of transportation outside of walking to go visit friends in Cantabria where I lived for a year. Burgos is almost directly under Santandr so it makes for a good time to pop up there.

I will tell you though that I had a hard time deciding to stop walking for the weekend. After almost 250km walking you would think taking a breather would be a nobrainer, but surprisingly it wasnt. One of the biggest hang ups was that I will basically lose all of the people I have been walking with or spending my evenings with. Each day I meet new people but I have been with some people since the beginning. I was surprised how hard it was to say goodbye last night to the retired Sevillian couple I have been with for the last week.

It is easy to get close to people on the Camino de Santiago. On the Camino we are all already somehow connected. It is not everywhere where you can begin a conversation with a stranger over the meaning of life. I also find it strange how what I thought was going to be largely an exercise in solitude has been instead one of the most beautiful expressions of community.

Anyway along the way I had already had a discussion with a Basque woman I met about how the camino is like life in that people come in and out of your path. I call it the catch and release principle. Its a valuable thing to learn, even if on Monday when I put the feet back on the trails I deeply miss some people.

OK but dont get the wrong impression. The Camino is not all meditation on the the deep meanings of life. I've laughed everyday. Ive seen some of the most impressive Cathedrals and monasteries. Ive eaten homeade Sevillian, French Canadian, and (two!) Italian dinners. Ive had coffee with people from five continents at the same time. We have proved that sin vino no hay camino (its good for the muscles!).

Im quite positive its been one of the most beautiful things Ive ever done.

Now to answer some questions (feel free to send me an email or leave a comment and ill try to answer them next time I update):

I try to walk between twenty and twenty five km a day. Some day a little less to rest, some days more because of where the towns fall.

The pilgrim hostels so far have been well above acceptable, some have been excellent. The most expensive one has been ten euros. Five is average and many are donations only. They sleep anywhere from twelve to over a hundred. Only one cold shower so far. No bed bugs yet. Ear plugs and a sleeping mask (thanks Fylenia!) have been invaluable.

I joined the blister club two days ago. I also might have performed impromptu roadside blister surgery Thursday with a saftey pin. Yep. The Camino is not glamerous.

The ankles are shredded. Ive been wearing my brace, got some psydo-icyhot and have started taking some anti-inflamatories. The pain was bad the last two days but I had enough tricks up my sleeve to get myself through...even if I did contemplate sitting in the road and crying at on point. (It also cemented my plan to take a mini break.)

Weather has been varied. The first week was HOT. In the 90s with no shade. Then it rained for two days. And its almost freezing here in Burgos.

My pack weighs about eight and a half kilos with water and food. I barely feel it anymore.

OK, so there is a semi and varied update to tide you all over till next time. Hasta pronto!

I'm Off!

I got all my errands run today--which is a small miracle in itself. All that is left is to go back to the post office and mail away all of my non-essentials (including, yes, my laptop). Today I picked up a sleeping bag, a rain coat and a whistle (better safe than sorry I figured). I've got water and snacks for tomorrow. I got some maps at the tourist information office. I think I'm ready!

Part of me feels like I am still not prepared. I don't have the stages or days all mapped out with which cities I want to stay in. A little part of me feels like I am going to make it outside Pamplona's city limits and realize I have no idea what I am doing. 

But maybe that is part of the journey. The plan for the next month and a half or so is just to wake up and walk west. Nothing more, nothing less. 

I still don't exactly know what I plan to get out of the Camino, or have a good articulate reason why I decided to walk over 700 kilometers of it. Part of it is to celebrate my 25th birthday in a special way (the goal is to make it to Santiago by May 16th). I also know that it will be some good time by myself, some good time to think. The mountains will no doubt hold some beautiful views and the plains the space to figure a few things out. I know I will meet some amazing people along the way. And while I am sure it will include both some highs and some lows, if I know myself, it will hold some good adventures. Finally, in ways that I'm sure I can't now imagine, I am certain I am going to encounter the divine along the way. 

So this is it--I'm headed west starting tomorrow morning. I'm sure I'll have plenty of stories to tell when I get back. 

Ready, Set...

I made it to Pamplona. It was another one of those taxi/bus/plane/train/bus/bus/walk-for-2-hours kind of trips to make it here, but here I am. And as you can see from the picture, I've walked my first bit of the Camino! OK...so maybe it was just from the bus station to the hostel, but it was a good feeling.

The plan was to get to Pamplona, spend today running errands and then start walking tomorrow. But, yet again, I hadn't calculated what day of the week it was. Trying to run errands on Sunday in Spain is pointless. Everything is closed. So I'll just start a day later.

In what was probably a better idea anyway, I spent the day resting. I had forgotten about one of my very favorite things about Spain--what I call "black-out blinds."They clamp out every smidge of light so that you feel like you are sleeping in a cave. I finally got a good nights rest and still woke up in time to walk to church--I found the sister church of my church in Santander. I met all kinds of great people and just generally had a wonderful morning. It seemed like a proper send off for my pilgrimage.

Throw in some sightseeing (I never knew what a beautiful city Pamplona is!) and some chocolate y churros (oh yeah!) and that about wraps up my day. I'm planning and packing and just generally getting excited (I forgot just how much I love Spain).

I'm also whittling down what few possessions I have with me. On my two hour trek through town trying to find my hostel with my luggage I affirmed my desire to take as little as possible with me on the Camino. And actually, that is part of why I want to do the Camino--to prove to myself that I don't need all of these things. (Although...I am sure I will still take more than I need...) Anyway, tomorrow I am marching myself to the post office and sending my stuff to Santiago to wait for me. How exciting!

OK, wish me luck in getting things done tomorrow and then Tuesday--I'm off!

Sounio, Corinth and Other Greek Leftovers

A catch up blog! These are from Greece a couple of weeks ago:

We took the opportunity to get out of the city a couple of times during our stay in Athens. The city is huge, and even in the off season there are lots of people packed into a small space. We took day trips out to Sounio on the public buses and then hired a guide and driver to go out to Corinth. Pictures and stories below:

Temple to Poseidon (built around 440 BC)

Lord Byron visited Sounio (even scratching his name into one of the columns) and wrote this of it: 

Place me on Sunium's marbled steep, 

Where nothing, save the waves and I, 

May hear our mutual murmurs sweep

The view!

I took a picnic lunch, dangled my feet off the edge and stared into the sea. (It was all fun and games until I saw a snake a little while later!)

These huge wildflowers were all over the area and are here in Cyprus too. 

A shot at the temple of Zeus back in Athens. It's soooo big.  

The Corinthian Canal (It's no Panama Canal...but it will do!)

Part of the old Corinthian road! They used to drag ships over the isthmus along this road. If you have ever read background material on 1st or 2nd Corinthians--you have probably read about this!

Inscription found at ancient Corinth which says that Erastus, a city officer, payed for this pavement. Likely this is the Erastus mentioned in the New Testament.

Lots of headless statues--to save time statue makers would have a bunch of statue bodies ready made. They would then carve up a head that looked like you and stick it down into the neck socket. 

Some mosaics

The Bema/judgement seat--or the place where they would hear cases/trials. It's one of the few places they know for sure that Paul was in.

Ancient starting blocks (you know you want to do it too!)

Roman toilets...or as I like to call them: Paul's Potties! (Because he probably would have used them while he was here.)

We drove and then hiked all the way up to Acrocorinth (the high old-old part of the city where the temple once stood). 

It was breathtaking (both the view and the climb!)

A look back over the plains 

It was very much what I think of when I think "castle." 

Finally we stopped at Cenchreae on the coast. This is the ancient port city from which Paul would have sailed east from. (Also this is where, according to Acts 18:18, he shaved his head!). Phoebe was mentioned to be from here as well. The old port and church are all under water now, but you can climb out on it and have a look at it through the clear water. 

Some of the group hopped across some rocks that were sticking out of the water to have a look at the ruins. Some of the rest of us talked Bobby into moving those rocks. I thought it was hilarious. 

The end! Next up a couple more Cyprus blogs, and maybe even some more Nicaragua...We will see!