Well, I thought I'd give a quick update on what's been happening. I've been under the weather lately and I found out last week that it's because I have Mononucleosis. Awesome. Really I've felt a lot better in the past few days, but it's still an illness that stinks to have because of the fatigue and required rest. I've been trying to stay as active as possible, but my body get worn down so much faster lately. So I've just been trying to get lots of sleep and drink plenty of water, the doctor said there's not much else I can do.
On a brighter note, we leave for California in a week and a half! I'm so excited to go to the ocean and finally have the last step for Spain done. Plus, my best friend, Angela, is in L.A. for the summer and I will get to spend sometime with her while we're on the west coast. It should be a really great trip and I'm looking forward to a change of pace. It's been a slow moving summer, which has it's ups and downs. I'm ready to be on the next step of my journey and go to España, but only 86 days until I board the plane!
Hasta luego!
28 June 2010
17 May 2010
Spain is real
Well, yesterday I officially bought my plane ticket to Spain!! September 14th is when I will embark on my long journey. I leave around 10:50 am Colorado time and don't arrive in Madrid until 9:55 am their time! Really the entire travel time is around 11 hours without the time change, but it's still gonna be a long day.
I'm getting pretty anxious to leave the country, all of my plans are finally becoming real and this long limbo period is hard already... and I've only been home for a week! I still have a lot of things to get figured out before I go, so this time is much needed even if not much wanted. Before I go, I still need to apply and recieve my visa to study in Spain which requires a trip to L.A., California for me. The visa process for Spain is more complicated than other countries and I have to apply in person at the Consulate General, to verify that I'm a worthy citizen or something. So, besides the trip kinda being a money waster...just because I'd like to have as much saved as possible for Spanish adventures!...it will be fun to get out of Colorado, even if it's just for a few days. My friend Hannah and I might road trip to Califas or my mom and I might fly out there; plans are still undecided. I technically have to still make an appointment with the Consulate and then I will be able to make plans for certain.
Other than that, summer is just going and it sure hasn't felt like summer yet with the strange, cold, rainy weather. Everything is getting put into place though, since I moved back home, literally and figuratively. I'm back working at the "farm" for Ann and also at Steve's office, both part time - which doesn't always transfer to full time. I have more free space in my days than I would like right now, but it leaves time for good bike rides and workouts as well as play time with friends.
Chao for now!
I'm getting pretty anxious to leave the country, all of my plans are finally becoming real and this long limbo period is hard already... and I've only been home for a week! I still have a lot of things to get figured out before I go, so this time is much needed even if not much wanted. Before I go, I still need to apply and recieve my visa to study in Spain which requires a trip to L.A., California for me. The visa process for Spain is more complicated than other countries and I have to apply in person at the Consulate General, to verify that I'm a worthy citizen or something. So, besides the trip kinda being a money waster...just because I'd like to have as much saved as possible for Spanish adventures!...it will be fun to get out of Colorado, even if it's just for a few days. My friend Hannah and I might road trip to Califas or my mom and I might fly out there; plans are still undecided. I technically have to still make an appointment with the Consulate and then I will be able to make plans for certain.
Other than that, summer is just going and it sure hasn't felt like summer yet with the strange, cold, rainy weather. Everything is getting put into place though, since I moved back home, literally and figuratively. I'm back working at the "farm" for Ann and also at Steve's office, both part time - which doesn't always transfer to full time. I have more free space in my days than I would like right now, but it leaves time for good bike rides and workouts as well as play time with friends.
Chao for now!
09 May 2010
A temporary, long-time goodbye
Right now, the Animas is starting to run high with muddy water. The sun is fading behind the western hills of Durango and everything has a red-golden hue glistening on top of it. The trees are budding and starting to become green again; some have flowers, getting ready to bear ripe fruit. The streets are busy with people on bikes and scooters or on foot, heading downtown to enjoy a beer at one of the bars. Everyone seems happy and friendly, the sun brings smiles to past frozen faces.
This is the scene I will miss so much.
I left Durango today for almost 15 months and it has been difficult already.
This past semester was by far the hardest I have faced so far in school and I didn't do quite as well as I had hoped, but now I'm done...and it feels good. I decided to stay an extra week in Durango so I could relax for a few days and have more time to get things done before returning to the real world. Holy crap, what a good choice! Not having any responsibilities felt amazing! Staying out late, sleeping in, having time to myself, riding my bike, seeing friends. It was great to be able to spend time with people that I won't get to see again for a really long time and in some cases never again...just thinking about that breaks my heart.
I'm really gonna miss being able to ride my bike on the streets and not be constantly worried of getting run over, the river trail, my camera...whoever took it from Pongas, shame on you!... having my own apartment, the friendly community, but most of all, my friends who have become like a second family to me.
So I want to give a farewell to the city and people of Durango...you know who you are. You've made this past year and especially this past semester SO enjoyable. All of the jokes and laughs and crazy things we did together, I owe all those memories to you. You mean the world to me and just know that I will always remember the good times, no matter how long we are apart. You've made Durango the wonderful, enchanting town it is to me. I'm blessed to have every one of you in my life and even if our paths never cross again, it was a good run while it lasted.
I love you all. Saying goodbye was really hard for me, it always is when I'm saying goodbye to people I love and care about, people who mean the world to me.
So thank you all!
This is the scene I will miss so much.
I left Durango today for almost 15 months and it has been difficult already.
This past semester was by far the hardest I have faced so far in school and I didn't do quite as well as I had hoped, but now I'm done...and it feels good. I decided to stay an extra week in Durango so I could relax for a few days and have more time to get things done before returning to the real world. Holy crap, what a good choice! Not having any responsibilities felt amazing! Staying out late, sleeping in, having time to myself, riding my bike, seeing friends. It was great to be able to spend time with people that I won't get to see again for a really long time and in some cases never again...just thinking about that breaks my heart.
I'm really gonna miss being able to ride my bike on the streets and not be constantly worried of getting run over, the river trail, my camera...whoever took it from Pongas, shame on you!... having my own apartment, the friendly community, but most of all, my friends who have become like a second family to me.
So I want to give a farewell to the city and people of Durango...you know who you are. You've made this past year and especially this past semester SO enjoyable. All of the jokes and laughs and crazy things we did together, I owe all those memories to you. You mean the world to me and just know that I will always remember the good times, no matter how long we are apart. You've made Durango the wonderful, enchanting town it is to me. I'm blessed to have every one of you in my life and even if our paths never cross again, it was a good run while it lasted.
I love you all. Saying goodbye was really hard for me, it always is when I'm saying goodbye to people I love and care about, people who mean the world to me.
So thank you all!
15 April 2010
Based on a true story.
Today in my Islam and the West class we watched the movie, The Stoning of Soraya M., it is literally the saddest movie I've ever seen! I was bawling in class for probably the last thirty minutes of the movie, I was just appalled and so distraught by the cruelty of people in the world.
Movie spoiler: Soraya M. gets stoned to death...ok so maybe a bit obvious from the title, but there are parts of the movie when the audience has hope for her salvation. A fast preview of the movie: it takes place in a small, rural village in Iran where a woman, Soraya M., is accused by her husband to be an adulteress for the sole reason that he wants to take a new wife and Soraya won't get a divorce. The law in this village states that a women convicted of adultery is to be stoned to death. So the husband gets another man to give false testimony against Soraya and she is sentenced to death by stoning. Then you watch the stoning happen. You watch her father, her husband, even her own sons, as well as the entire town, throw stones at her face and body until she bleeds to death in the dirt.
I started crying just at the thought of her own family throwing stones at her and then her husband throws the first stone that hits her and blood starts pouring from her forehead. The town mullah (Islamic priest) throws the next one and then her two young sons, not more than 10 and 12 years old, throw stones at their own mother. Needless to say, I was convulsing in my sobbing at this point.
It's kind of embarrassing to be crying my eyes out in a class at school, but I don't think I could have reacted any less forcefully. It was just so terrible to see these people brutally murder a woman who did nothing wrong. The movie in general made me angry from the beginning, just by how the women were treated by the men, as if they were property and the men had 100% control over them. I'm not one to be a feminist, but injustice and corruption really bother me, no matter what the case is! The whole thing happened because of a selfish desire from one man and he got his way because he knew how to black mail people.
I got out of class and I was still in tears. I sat down and I just thanked God over and over again for the privileged life that I have. I am so lucky to be able to get an education, live in a beautiful place, be surrounded by caring people, be protected by my government and to have rights. Today I was happy for the most trivial and cliche things, but it's those things that we take advantage of and don't realize how much they matter in our lives, that we would hate the most to lose. Life is beautiful and if you live in a place where you feel safe and loved, you are lucky. Not everyone has that luxury.
So, make the next movie you watch The Stoning of Soraya M., be prepared to cry and feel a little drained afterward, but it's worth it and I think it's something everyone should know about.
P.S.- It's based on a true story.
Movie spoiler: Soraya M. gets stoned to death...ok so maybe a bit obvious from the title, but there are parts of the movie when the audience has hope for her salvation. A fast preview of the movie: it takes place in a small, rural village in Iran where a woman, Soraya M., is accused by her husband to be an adulteress for the sole reason that he wants to take a new wife and Soraya won't get a divorce. The law in this village states that a women convicted of adultery is to be stoned to death. So the husband gets another man to give false testimony against Soraya and she is sentenced to death by stoning. Then you watch the stoning happen. You watch her father, her husband, even her own sons, as well as the entire town, throw stones at her face and body until she bleeds to death in the dirt.
I started crying just at the thought of her own family throwing stones at her and then her husband throws the first stone that hits her and blood starts pouring from her forehead. The town mullah (Islamic priest) throws the next one and then her two young sons, not more than 10 and 12 years old, throw stones at their own mother. Needless to say, I was convulsing in my sobbing at this point.
It's kind of embarrassing to be crying my eyes out in a class at school, but I don't think I could have reacted any less forcefully. It was just so terrible to see these people brutally murder a woman who did nothing wrong. The movie in general made me angry from the beginning, just by how the women were treated by the men, as if they were property and the men had 100% control over them. I'm not one to be a feminist, but injustice and corruption really bother me, no matter what the case is! The whole thing happened because of a selfish desire from one man and he got his way because he knew how to black mail people.
I got out of class and I was still in tears. I sat down and I just thanked God over and over again for the privileged life that I have. I am so lucky to be able to get an education, live in a beautiful place, be surrounded by caring people, be protected by my government and to have rights. Today I was happy for the most trivial and cliche things, but it's those things that we take advantage of and don't realize how much they matter in our lives, that we would hate the most to lose. Life is beautiful and if you live in a place where you feel safe and loved, you are lucky. Not everyone has that luxury.
So, make the next movie you watch The Stoning of Soraya M., be prepared to cry and feel a little drained afterward, but it's worth it and I think it's something everyone should know about.
P.S.- It's based on a true story.
07 April 2010
Califas-Longmont-Durango
Even though I should be finishing my reading for class later today, I feel that a blog is past due and plus it's far more interesting. The past week has been eventful and fun, my two best friends came to visit in the same week! Talk about hectic, but more than worth it.
So Angela came to Durango for her first time last Wednesday through Saturday. The weather wasn't the best while she was here, kinda cold and very windy, so we didn't really do many outdoor activities. We had a fun night at Megan's house for a craft night and made pictures for a school presentation, played pool with some bros, relaxed, did some homework and played cards...just to name a short list. I know it was a great time for me to have her here to meet all of my friends and see the place I live in the majority of the year. It's so great that I was able to visit her in Califas and then she was able to come and visit me so soon afterward!
Then Hannah was here from Sunday night until yesterday afternoon, a very short trip, but I know it was worth it for me to have her here! Since she's visited here before (you can find out about the trip at her blog here: http://talesfromatimeout.blogspot.com/2010/03/adventures-of-hannah-world-traveler.html) we went to restaurants she remembered and just had chill girly time, always a necessity.
These weeks have been pretty hectic with school and all, but it's so worth putting homework on the back burner for a few days to enjoy the company of people you love. I mean if they are gonna make the effort and take the time to come and visit me all the way down here in the mountains, I certainly want them to have a good time and feel the trip was meaningful.
So thanks girls for making my week so great! I love you and I miss you both already! Nos veremos en el verano.
So Angela came to Durango for her first time last Wednesday through Saturday. The weather wasn't the best while she was here, kinda cold and very windy, so we didn't really do many outdoor activities. We had a fun night at Megan's house for a craft night and made pictures for a school presentation, played pool with some bros, relaxed, did some homework and played cards...just to name a short list. I know it was a great time for me to have her here to meet all of my friends and see the place I live in the majority of the year. It's so great that I was able to visit her in Califas and then she was able to come and visit me so soon afterward!
Then Hannah was here from Sunday night until yesterday afternoon, a very short trip, but I know it was worth it for me to have her here! Since she's visited here before (you can find out about the trip at her blog here: http://talesfromatimeout.blogspot.com/2010/03/adventures-of-hannah-world-traveler.html) we went to restaurants she remembered and just had chill girly time, always a necessity.
These weeks have been pretty hectic with school and all, but it's so worth putting homework on the back burner for a few days to enjoy the company of people you love. I mean if they are gonna make the effort and take the time to come and visit me all the way down here in the mountains, I certainly want them to have a good time and feel the trip was meaningful.
So thanks girls for making my week so great! I love you and I miss you both already! Nos veremos en el verano.
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