Asturias

This past weekend we headed up north to BEAUTIFUL Asturias to surf. To be honest, not a lot of surfing actually happened due to the huge waves, strong under toe, and rough waters, not to mention the rain and sleet. We did some, but did a lot more just hanging out, exploring the rocky cliffs by the beach, climbing a little, running into the cold water while it sleeted, eating good hearty food, and just being together. It was great! There were 15 of us and I think we all got some good exercise, but were just refreshed by getting out of the city, getting to take some risks & adventures in the water and rocks, just hanging out and being, and by the incredible views. I'm again reminded that I think I need to do this more often; just take off and go somewhere fun and beautiful and to get out of the city now and then.

Florida Roadkill & Fauna

As I drove cross-country to and from Florida, I noticed that the common roadkill changed drastically upon arriving to Florida. Instead of the everyday pets and possum of the midwest and honestly not that much in the roadkill department, in Florida (at least in Kissimmee on the roads I was traveling with frequency) I saw several new armadillos a day and on ocassion the tortoise or alligator. Fortunately I wasn't responsible for the death of any of them, in fact I saved at least one armadillo by stopping for him to cross and stopping traffic in the process (although I was just in a parking lot). No other state was quite like Florida.

The roadkill does reflect upon the fauna of Florida and unfortunately also attracted the frightening turkey vultures to feed upon the dead carcases. Gross and a bit disturbing. In addition to these animals there are quite a few long legged birds, like heron and sand crane. In addition, there were a plethora of frogs, many both in number and in type, and lizards, both of which I am a huge fan. And while not an animal, there are an abundance of water lilies (and many growing in the sometimes not so pretty swamps).

The Joy of Hybrids

Those of you who were with me in Orlando, now know all the joys of the Toyota Prius and probably more than you wanted to know. And for those of you who weren't you can now read all about the AMAZING and ECONOMIC Toyota Prius.

My dad offered his car for me to drive to Florida (from St.Louis) and back, along with my other driving needs during my time in the US. It has been a HUGE blessing, just to have wheels, but also INCREDIBLE that it is a hybrid, due to crazy high gas prices.

So, first of all, my dad's hybrid, which was the first Toyota Prius Hybrid they made is not quite as fancy as my mom's new updated one. His doesn't have cruise control nor anything more than a radio & cassette player and there are a few little details they have ironed out since this first model. BUT, all that said, despite it not being a manual car, it is a FABULOUS car.

1 - You get great gas mileage. I've averaged about 40 MPG, but I think gotten up to 42 or 45 MPG from time to time. (My mom's newer prius gets about 50 MPG.) In comparison to a normally fuel efficient non-hybrid, this is incredible. This is probably the coolest thing.

2 - There is a fun little screen in the car that keeps track of your mileage at any given time, both present and it tracks it with a bar graph in 5 mile increments. Secondly, there is a fun little graphic you can look at that shows where energy is coming from and going to.

3 - My mom's new and improved prius has some added features. It is MAGICAL! You just have to have the keys on you to open the door. But you don't have to actually take them out. You just touch the door handle and magically it opens! And you touch it again for all the doors to open. You can do the same with the trunk, just touch it and MAGIC it opens (if you have the keys on your person). Then you sit down and put the power button and turns on. Again no key. Easy and AMAZING!

And this little car safely took me across the country and back. So there you go. My dad and his little hybrid are amazing!

Driving to Orlando, FL

So, I did have a little road trip, but it was quite different from what I previously had thought it would be. The night before I left, if finally hit me that gas prices are crazy expensive and that it would be better to see a few people I hadn't planned on the way instead of trying to pack it all in on the way back, knowing I also had to be in Kansas soon after.

So, I didn't go to Louisiana nor to Mississippi, but went straight east to Atlanta, which by the way took about three hours longer than mapquest had said. (And the only time I stopped was to fill up for gas, once for coffee, and maybe once to go to the bathroom.) I stayed in an amazingly cool apartment on the 29th floor of a skyscraper in the downtown Atlanta with an amazing view of the city and surrounding areas and with a very nice porch and a million windows. I saw Macy and her husband Rick.

The next day I took off for Panama City, where I stayed with Angélica, from Madrid, her husband Dan, and their cute son Noah. I didn't actually see the beach, but did see the port and got to speak some nice Spain spanish. Also we watched Invincible, which by the way is a great movie! (It's about a guy who tried out for the Philadelphia Eagles at open tryouts and got on the team. Pretty great story!)

Then I took off for Kissimmee, close to Orlando, FL, where I am now and will be for the next month.

Road Trip

So... I am headed off on a little road trip. The truth is that it really is more about getting from Missouri to Florida, but I figured that I might as well add in some fun stops that include places I've never been to, specifically New Orleans. It helps also that I have friends and family along the way.

So, here is the plan thus far.

I'll take off from St.Peters, MO, early Tuesday morning (june 3) and head south to Louisiana. I'll hang out there and hopefully get to see my friend Danielle and crash on her couch. Then I'll take off the next morning to go along the southern coast and stop in Tallahassee to see my friend Angelica (who is actually Spanish and from Madrid, I met her here, but now she her husband and little boy reside in Florida) and her family and spend the night there. Then I'll take off leisurely the next morning to finish the trip to Orlando.

I'll be in Orlando for about a month as one of the coach for CCC's cross-cultural training for staff heading overseas long-term.

Then early on July 11 I'll get back in the car, head up to Atlanta, to maybe grab a meal with Macy and her husband. I'll head over to Huntsville, Alabama, to see some cousins on my mom's side and possibly spend the night there. I'll, either that night or the next morning, head up to Louisville, KY, to hang out with my good friend Kristie who recently came to visit me in Madrid (and do tons of research for her PhD). I'll get to see her baby and family and then make the trek back to St.Louis.

I'm excited... particularly about the New Orleans part and seeing some friends I haven't seen in quite awhile. :-)

las fallas

so, one of my roommates, anna, just went to valencia (eastern coast of spain). it is a gorgeous town and once a year (which happened to coincide with semana santa - holy week this year, which, by the way, is not normal).

she just got back and was showing me her pictures (some of which are here) and it made me think back to eight years ago, scary i know, when michael, jonathan and i took a little road trip from sevilla to valencia to meet up with jonanthan's brother to see the fallas.


we left on a friday night, and drove all night (lucky for me the guys wanted to drive, so i got to sleep the whole time, or as well as you sleep in a moving car curled up in a ball in the backseat). we arrived in valencia by about 10 am or so, ate breakfast (churros, of course), crashed on the grass in a park, met up with nate (j's brother), and ate lunch (paella, which is best known from valencia). we then walked around to see the huge, ornate, political satyric floats which spend tons of money constructing and spend basically all year making. then the night came. after some yummy sorbet and another little nap, we headed out to stake our place close to one of the top prize winning floats/statues.

now picture the scene. there is this huge satyric statue the size of a building wedged in a little plaza between 4 or so apartment buildings. there is a fire truck or two close by with firemen and fire hoses. the streets are packed. yes, there is a little barricade on all sides a little back from the firemen, hoses and statue/float, but we're pretty close.

so, the fireworks start to go off around this whole scene. and then fireworks start to shoot out of the statue/float. some shoot out and some are just sparks within. basically there is a huge building-size fire going on, controlled by the fire hose, but wedged between buildings that are really not that far away. they are closer than i am and my skin feels like it is being singed. crazy and amazingly cool. massive amounts of fire, smoke, heat, flames, and madness.

so, that's the fallas. definitely a sight to see and definitely worth the drive.

michael, jonathan, and i then took off after the night was over (i'm guessing based on spain, around 4 or 5am) and headed back to sevilla. i again got to sleep and they got to drive. fun times. and one of the many fun road trips the three of us took in '00-'01.