Okay, I totally suck. I stopped posting, mostly because for me Morocco was the last actual travel I did on this trip - I stopped counting anything in the UK as travel long ago. Is that weird? Anyway, I do plan on keeping this blog as a travel-update-type-thing, but I'm going to mostly be doing TFA stuff from here on out, which is going to be entirely separate from any adventurey cool stuff I might be doing. So I signed up for a TFA blog on the amazing site TeachFor.Us, which is a compendium of lots of Teach For America blogs. Anyone who is interested in TFA, I would highly recommend checking it out. My TFA blog is up HERE.
In other news, it's Mother's Day. Apparently The Sound Of Music was on TV today? Mom used to sing one of the songs from that movie to me whenever we were about to do anything travel-related, and it's pretty appropriate for how I've been feeling lately about things:
I always long for adventure
to do the things I never dared
now here I am facing adventure
then why am I so scared?
11 May 2009
14 March 2009
YNWA
Wow, I haven't updated in a while! Strange because at the moment things are only of the good - my soccer team, Liverpool FC, just beat the evil Manchester United 1-4 at Old Trafford, handing Man U their largest defeat at home since 1992. ROCK. After beating Real Madrid 4-0 to go through to the next stage of the Champion's League, I thought there was no way this week could get better. Clearly I was wrong!
Not only that, but I've made an impulsive last minute decision, mostly due to the fact that London is expensive and I can't sponge off my friend's hospitality for another week - I'm going to Morocco on Monday for ten days. I'm gonna be in Marrakech for four days, Essaouira for four days, and Marrakech again for another two. I can do it for under GBP 300 - flight, room, and food - and it's someplace I've never been, so I thought why not? Plus it's really, really, really cold here in London. It should be less so in Morocco.
I guess that's it, really? I mean, I've seen some friends and it's been fantastic. I forgot how much I missed Pinks and Cara and Isaiah, and I hopefully should see other people soon, after Morocco - Han and Becky and Cookie, at the very least...
Not only that, but I've made an impulsive last minute decision, mostly due to the fact that London is expensive and I can't sponge off my friend's hospitality for another week - I'm going to Morocco on Monday for ten days. I'm gonna be in Marrakech for four days, Essaouira for four days, and Marrakech again for another two. I can do it for under GBP 300 - flight, room, and food - and it's someplace I've never been, so I thought why not? Plus it's really, really, really cold here in London. It should be less so in Morocco.
I guess that's it, really? I mean, I've seen some friends and it's been fantastic. I forgot how much I missed Pinks and Cara and Isaiah, and I hopefully should see other people soon, after Morocco - Han and Becky and Cookie, at the very least...
20 February 2009
Nas Praias da Armação
Tomorrow Carnaval starts! With that in mind, I am taking it (relatively) easy tonight. But I should warn y'all not to expect much out of me, either by blog or email, for the next four or five days. I plan on making the most out of this experience, even if it's not gonna be a Rio Carnaval for me.
I still love it here, by the way. Like, a lot. Spent three hours on the beach this morning! It was lovely. Hope it's not too cold back in North America...
I still love it here, by the way. Like, a lot. Spent three hours on the beach this morning! It was lovely. Hope it's not too cold back in North America...
17 February 2009
Voltei De Novo...
Yeah, okay, so I'm back in Florianopolis and I'm probably just gonna sit on my ass on the beach here until it's time for me to leave. I had all these things I was gonna do, but what's making me happiest right now is doing very little while next to a gorgeous, gorgeous beach. And drinking fruity fruity drinks. And sleeping a lot.
I am not going to be getting to do a lot of this when I'm doing TFA, so I figure I better make the most of doing absolutely nothing while I can.
Carnaval is next week, and for a few days I was thinking of trying to get up to Rio, but I can't find a place to stay without paying a lot of money, and it all just seems like way too much effort. And honestly, I think it'll be great here. Certainly less touristy. As far as I can tell, everyone in Rio who can leave for Carnaval, does.
I have two weeks left before I'm back in the States. I'm pretty happy with the way I'm currently planning on spending those two weeks. YAY.
(This also includes not thinking about what happens when I get back to the States and have to get my life sorted out. Ahahahaha.)
I am not going to be getting to do a lot of this when I'm doing TFA, so I figure I better make the most of doing absolutely nothing while I can.
Carnaval is next week, and for a few days I was thinking of trying to get up to Rio, but I can't find a place to stay without paying a lot of money, and it all just seems like way too much effort. And honestly, I think it'll be great here. Certainly less touristy. As far as I can tell, everyone in Rio who can leave for Carnaval, does.
I have two weeks left before I'm back in the States. I'm pretty happy with the way I'm currently planning on spending those two weeks. YAY.
(This also includes not thinking about what happens when I get back to the States and have to get my life sorted out. Ahahahaha.)
06 February 2009
Just A Little Bit Of Star Quality
Yes, that was my obligatory Evita quote. I am in Buenos Aires, and it is amazing. There are cities in the world that I have been to expecting to love and adore them and ended up loving and adoring, like Madrid. There are cities in the world that I have been to expecting to love them and ended up not caring about one way or the other, like Barcelona. But some places surprise me. Vienna was one. Buenos Aires is another.
The hostel here is fantastic, with a gorgeous rooftop terrace from which you can see the Argentinean version of the US Capitol. If you walk to the other end of the Avenida de Mayo, there's the Casa Rosada, which is the Argentinean version of the White House. It's the Pink House, however, which is a lot less awesome (sorry, Argentineans). San Telmo is a short walk away, full of antique stores and cafes and tango music wafting around every corner. The city center is closest, with awesome clubs full of pounding music and seas of people.
This places is fantastic. It's definitely in my top 3 cities in South America, and it's someplace I could see myself living happily.
Plus the people are really, really friendly. Rock on, Argentina, for surprising me with your awesome. I feel like a bad Brazilphile for it, but whatever. :P
This does, however, make figuring out where to go next a little more complicated. Right now I'm scheduled to check out on Tuesday, but I'm not sure what to do... I guess I'll figure it out eventually?
The hostel here is fantastic, with a gorgeous rooftop terrace from which you can see the Argentinean version of the US Capitol. If you walk to the other end of the Avenida de Mayo, there's the Casa Rosada, which is the Argentinean version of the White House. It's the Pink House, however, which is a lot less awesome (sorry, Argentineans). San Telmo is a short walk away, full of antique stores and cafes and tango music wafting around every corner. The city center is closest, with awesome clubs full of pounding music and seas of people.
This places is fantastic. It's definitely in my top 3 cities in South America, and it's someplace I could see myself living happily.
Plus the people are really, really friendly. Rock on, Argentina, for surprising me with your awesome. I feel like a bad Brazilphile for it, but whatever. :P
This does, however, make figuring out where to go next a little more complicated. Right now I'm scheduled to check out on Tuesday, but I'm not sure what to do... I guess I'll figure it out eventually?
31 January 2009
Let's Brush Up On Internet Acronyms
Okay so I have recently discovered that I use "IDEK" quite a bit and that a lot of people don't immediately put together that it means "I don't even know" - and honestly, I'm not quite sure how it became one of those things I use all the time, except that there are quite a few things I really, really don't know here in South America, so it's quite useful.
For instance: SPANISH. Oh my god, I really don't speak Spanish. I joke that when I try it always comes out either at about four words a minute or in Portuguese, but y'all. It's true. I hope people think it's cute rather than offensive.
Oh, and that reminds me - I'm in Uruguay! Montevideo, to be exact, and it's very, uh... generic South American medium sized city? It reminds me of a smaller Rio de Janeiro, or a less depressing Lima, and I'm sure once I get to Buenos Aires it will remind me of that as well. I dunno, I like it, and I'm having a great time, it's just very generic. But the hostel is great, except for the mosquitos that seem to be everywhere in the city (maybe it's the rain they've been having?) and I've gotten myself back to relaxed after the hellish bus ride I had to take to get here, so.
I'm really looking forward to Buenos Aires. I take a ferry across the Rio de la Plata on Monday, should get me into BA at about 5. More from me then.
For instance: SPANISH. Oh my god, I really don't speak Spanish. I joke that when I try it always comes out either at about four words a minute or in Portuguese, but y'all. It's true. I hope people think it's cute rather than offensive.
Oh, and that reminds me - I'm in Uruguay! Montevideo, to be exact, and it's very, uh... generic South American medium sized city? It reminds me of a smaller Rio de Janeiro, or a less depressing Lima, and I'm sure once I get to Buenos Aires it will remind me of that as well. I dunno, I like it, and I'm having a great time, it's just very generic. But the hostel is great, except for the mosquitos that seem to be everywhere in the city (maybe it's the rain they've been having?) and I've gotten myself back to relaxed after the hellish bus ride I had to take to get here, so.
I'm really looking forward to Buenos Aires. I take a ferry across the Rio de la Plata on Monday, should get me into BA at about 5. More from me then.
22 January 2009
Hostel Life
So weirdly enough, I really missed staying in a hostel. I love Paulinha's family, I loved staying with her, and it was delightfully cheap (i.e. free), but staying in a hostel you meet so many more people, to the point where you don't tend to get sick of people. Except possibly one of the girls sharing my room right now, who is kind of a... yes. Unpleasant human being.
In any case - I have been back in Florianopolis for almost a week now and I could happily stay for the duration of my trip. Life here is exactly what I wanted out of my trip - laziness in a beautiful setting with plenty of people to hang out with when I want to and places to avoid them (the hammock on the roof) when I don't. I'm wanting to see Foz de Iguacu and Buenos Aires and other places, yeah, but at the moment... all I want to do is sit on my ass on the beach with my book possibly forever.
I could live here. I really could.
In any case - I have been back in Florianopolis for almost a week now and I could happily stay for the duration of my trip. Life here is exactly what I wanted out of my trip - laziness in a beautiful setting with plenty of people to hang out with when I want to and places to avoid them (the hammock on the roof) when I don't. I'm wanting to see Foz de Iguacu and Buenos Aires and other places, yeah, but at the moment... all I want to do is sit on my ass on the beach with my book possibly forever.
I could live here. I really could.
15 January 2009
Firm And Sexy Plans
Okay, mostly just firm. Actually, not all that firm, except for the plane ticket. But! I have plans: let me tell you them!
Tomorrow's my last day in Recife - I'm flying out at like 2 AM on the morning of the 16th, getting into Florianopolis midmorning. Hopefully my friend that I'm timing the visit so I actually get to see before he leaves will come get me from the airport, but I'm not holding my breath. I'm still not sure whether I'm staying with him or not, but he's promised to find me a hostel if it turns out I can't stay with him. So I guess that's good. There's a huge music festival going on this weekend, so a bunch of us will be hitting that up - other than that, I plan on sticking around Floripa, working on my surfing, and trying to not kill my hair with all the salt and sun. Seriously, I had to do like three hair masks after my week and a half in Porto de Galinhas. Surfer girl hair may look awesome, but it feel terrible.
Um. Anyway.
I'm looking forward to being back down south, where people speak with an accent a little closer to mine and with slang I actually have heard before - Nordestino is a lot different than the Portuguese I'm used to, and I've actually had people ask me if I was a gaucho (a person from Rio Grande do Sul). I'm definitely not carioca (from Rio de Janeiro) but my accent is kind of a southern hodgepodge of all the Brazilian bands I listen to. And American, of course. What it's really not, though, is Northeastern. I'm also looking forward to being back somewhat on my own. I love Paulinha's family a ridiculous amount, but I've been here the longest of any place I've stayed on my trip by FAR. I'm probably gonna come back for Carnaval as well. So it's time, you know?
As well as Brazil type plans I'm trying to figure out post-Brazil stuff. Like for instance: I'm probably going to need to go back to Indiana for a couple days between March 2nd and March 8th, when I fly back out to Europe. But most of all I'm trying to figure out when to come back to the States after Europe, when and how to move to Louisiana. Which is stressful as hell, actually, because I've never done this big a move for this long.
Life is creeping up on me...
Tomorrow's my last day in Recife - I'm flying out at like 2 AM on the morning of the 16th, getting into Florianopolis midmorning. Hopefully my friend that I'm timing the visit so I actually get to see before he leaves will come get me from the airport, but I'm not holding my breath. I'm still not sure whether I'm staying with him or not, but he's promised to find me a hostel if it turns out I can't stay with him. So I guess that's good. There's a huge music festival going on this weekend, so a bunch of us will be hitting that up - other than that, I plan on sticking around Floripa, working on my surfing, and trying to not kill my hair with all the salt and sun. Seriously, I had to do like three hair masks after my week and a half in Porto de Galinhas. Surfer girl hair may look awesome, but it feel terrible.
Um. Anyway.
I'm looking forward to being back down south, where people speak with an accent a little closer to mine and with slang I actually have heard before - Nordestino is a lot different than the Portuguese I'm used to, and I've actually had people ask me if I was a gaucho (a person from Rio Grande do Sul). I'm definitely not carioca (from Rio de Janeiro) but my accent is kind of a southern hodgepodge of all the Brazilian bands I listen to. And American, of course. What it's really not, though, is Northeastern. I'm also looking forward to being back somewhat on my own. I love Paulinha's family a ridiculous amount, but I've been here the longest of any place I've stayed on my trip by FAR. I'm probably gonna come back for Carnaval as well. So it's time, you know?
As well as Brazil type plans I'm trying to figure out post-Brazil stuff. Like for instance: I'm probably going to need to go back to Indiana for a couple days between March 2nd and March 8th, when I fly back out to Europe. But most of all I'm trying to figure out when to come back to the States after Europe, when and how to move to Louisiana. Which is stressful as hell, actually, because I've never done this big a move for this long.
Life is creeping up on me...
09 January 2009
homg brazil
I have been offline for the past week. I am far too much of an internet addict to do this very often. But! Porto de Galinhas is gorgeous, I am tanner than I've possibly ever been, and Paulinha's family continues to be wonderful. I'm thinking of leaving to go back to the south of Brazil on the 16th. I'll do my best to keep y'all posted!
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