Esto es CARNVAL!

Carnaval. How do you even try to explain it?

It's like Halloween on steorids. Or better yet, let's pretend that Mardi Gras and Halloween were people. They fall madly in love, get married, and decide to have a baby. Now this baby, as all babies do of their biological parents, inherits many of the traits of Mardi Gras and Halloween. This little one likes to dress in crazy costumes (like Daddy Halloween), it likes to host excessive groups of people in the streets for insane night-long partying and singing and drinking (like Mama Mardi Gras), and this baby seems to basically be an excuse for unbelievable party-making (Daddy and Mama traits, alike). And this baby speaks Spanish (very bright for his age). They call him Carnaval.


Our trip to Cadiz to celebrate Carnaval began with confusion - we had a group of five Americans (including myself) taking the three hour bus ride to Cadiz: Amanda, Katelyn, Joanna (dressed as three 80s prom queens), Ashley (a pretty pirate), and me (a hippie -- which, to my surprise was greatly recognized here in Spain!). Since we all signed up for the Cadiz Carnaval trip together, and told WeLoveSpain that we were traveling together, we assumed that the organization would put all of us on the same bus.

We were wrong.

Somehow after spending a solid thirty minutes waiting outside of the buses being told that they would work it out, and we still ended up divided. Ashley went on bus one with some of her Spanish friends and the rest of us went on bus two.

Climbing onto the bus, we weren't surprised to find that there were no grouped seats together. Joanna sat in an aisle seat near the middle of the bus. And I, I sat in the only other open seat. Walking towards the very very back of the bus, I was greeted by a large group of blonde Polish boys.

This ought to be interesting.

Squished between a 7 foot tall, 300 pound Polish giant and a smaller and seemingly kind boy, Magic, I rode for three hours. Thankfully Magic kept me company. Sounds of Spanish, Polish, and English filled my ears on the bus ride. Texts between Joanna and I kept us both sane and connected during the trip. Arriving in Cadiz, we pledged to be sure to be some of the first ones back on the bus to ensure seats together.

Brightly colored lights spelling out Carnaval greeted us along the walls of Cadiz. Pulling up into the plaza, Kamal (the group leader) reminded us to be back on the bus at 5:30am. Stepping onto the cobblestone pavement, the madness began.


Crowded is a vast understatement of how it felt at Carnaval. It wasn't so bad in the plazas but once we made our way deep into the city, near the cathedral, it was almost unbearable. Shoulder to shoulder, leg to leg, body on body, breath on breath. Stepping on the cobble stone you find broken glass, trashed cups with reminents of vodka and rum. Speaking wasn't how we communicated with each other -- it was more of a shouting match. Near the cathedral there was a huge stage with live performers. The stage hosted several performances throughout the night, performances which are supposedly really witty and clever, if you can understand the Spanish well enough. :) We stayed for a few minutes, attempting to understand the Spanairds dancing on the stage dressed as something similar to vikings, but then the uncomfortableness of the situation trimumphed. We headed back to the plaza for some breathing room.

The plaza was much more fun. Although there were groups of people, it was more spaced out. Grown men dressed as babies, women donned in Lady Gaga clothing, and Pharohs surrounded us. Walking through the streets, we found a stand that you would think to find at an actual Carnaval - it was stuffed full of ridliciously sugary treats and sweets. Joanna and I decided that 2 euros would well be worth the investment in a 2 foot long red and white striped stick of sugar - and it certainly was. :)

Chomping on the sugar, we found our way back towards the entrance to Cadiz. It was starting to get cold. Cadiz is located right on the coast of Spain, so the ocean breeze and the lack of sun at 3am made for a frigid combination. Thankfully, we found a tent-like discoteca. The cover charge was 10 euros, which is expensive here in Spain, but we decided that it would be well worth it for not only keeping warm but also for having some fun.

"Toma! Gratis!" a woman shouted as we walked towards the discoteca. She was holding a bright red fedora-like hat in an outstretched arm. "Take it! Free!" she said. Sure? Why not? They will add to our costumes, we thought.



Sugar stick consumed, red hats donned, we were ready to dance! Inside the tent we found a bar and a surprisingly large crowd of people. Priests, punk rockers, and chefs surrounded us, although we ended up spending the night with a group of zombies and one man dressed as Michael Jackson (RIP, MJ). Needless to say, we had a good time. :) We spent the night dancing away, sipping drinks, posing for pictures, and getting insanely excited about American songs like the YMCA (as seen in the picture). Before I knew it, Joanna was glancing at her watch and telling me that it was 5am -- time to head to the bus.

The bus was deadly silent the entire ride home - everyone slept. I still wonder if everyone made it back to the bus or if anyone got stuck in Cadiz...? I certainly hope (and think) that everyone did make it back to Huelva.


So. Moral of the story. Carnaval is an experience, for sure. Is it one that I would want to participate in again? Of course! Would I want to travel all the way to Cadiz to celebrate Carnaval? I'm not so sure. We had a good time, met some interesting people, and saw Carnaval at its fullest. And that is one of the main joys of life, right? Seeing and experiencing things at their fullest? I certainly think it is. :)

Thank you for reading and sharing in my journies! I'm praying great blessings, peace, and lots and lots of joy for you. :) I love you!

And remember, as a rubia Spanish hippie would say...
Peace, love, espana. :)

Spring Adventures

Spring is coming. And as we all know, spring is not only a time for the renewal of the roses and daisies and trees, but it also seems to be the renewal of an active life for most of us. The spring always seems to bring adventure and busyness. And this fact about spring seems to transfer into my Spanish life as well: it looks like the next few months are going to be full of adventure and travel -- which I am unbelievably excited about! I thought I would share with you a schedule for some of my upcoming adventures.

Upcoming Excursions:

-February 13th-14th: Carnaval Celebration in Cadiz, Espana and Valentine's Day!




Carnaval: To the best of my understanding, Carnaval (Carnival in English) is the third largest party in the world, and Cadiz hosts the heart of this celebration in Spain. Spaniards have told me that people from all across Spain make the journey to the south to celebrate in Cadiz. Carnaval is a HUGE celebration and a two week long festival. Singing, dancing, night-long partying in the streets, and costume-donning are just some of the traits that characterize this party. My girlfriends and I will be taking a bus with other Huelva college students and CIEE teachers to Cadiz (which I think is approximately a two hour long ride away).

Valentine's Day: We all know what this is. But I have to say, I am really excited about Valentine's Day this year. As Oti explains it in class, Valentine's Day is not just for couples - it is for all of us to celebrate. It is a time to tell your family, your friends, your teachers - everyone - how much you care for them. And with this in mind, I feel so thankful for all of the love and amazing people that God has put in my life....and I'm very excited to be able to celebrate the love that I have. :)


-February 26th-28th: Three day trip to northern Morocco (Africa) with Discover Sevilla!




YES! Julie and I are going to AFRICA! I am so incredibly excited about this trip! We are going with the travel group Discover Sevilla - we paid a flat rate that includes our hotel, meals, guided tours (in English!), and bus and ferry rides to the north of Morocco. More details to come about this soon. :) (But I will tell you one thing: I think I might get to ride a camel while I'm there!)

-March 6-8th: My 23rd birthday celebration in Cordoba, Espana with some of my best girls!




23 + Cordoba = Amazing: March 7th I will be celebrating my 23rd birthday here in lovely Espana! Some of my wonderful friends will be able to celebrate with me, and we decided this would be a good time to make the much-desired pilgrimage to Cordoba: land of the hot men (according to every Spanish woman in Andalucia). Cordoba supposedly has THE MOST guapo (handsome) men in all of Spain. It is also supposed to be a beautiful place to visit. What better combination could a girl ask for to celebrate her birthday? Amazing friends, a beautiful city, and gorgeous men? I'm game. :)


-March 12-14th: A continuation birthday celebration with Alicia! (Location and events remain TBA)




My sweet sweet friend Alicia will not be able to join in on the Cordoba birthday trip (she already had another trip booked), so we have planned to celebrate my birthday this weekend! We are still uncertain about what/where we will be for this weekend. We may be having a relaxing beach weekend here in Antilla (weather willing) or I may go to the hilly pueblo of Bullollus to visit Alicia and have a night out. Either way, we are planning on cooking some of her delicious, spicy gucamola, zucchini bread, and other treats and enjoying time together. :)


-March 26th: European adventure with my Madre begins!!!!




Wonderful Mama is making the long trip here to visit for Semana Santa (it's like our spring break here in Spain)! I CANNOT WAIT to see her and travel through Europe together! More details about that trip to come soon. :)

I'm so excited about and thankful for all of the upcoming adventures! I cannot wait to share my new experiences and lessons learned with you. :) Please keep these travels in your prayers - and not just for safety, but for these to be the experiences that God desires for them to be for us. Thank you so very much for reading and being a part of my time abroad! I love you and think of you constantly! :)

F. Buechner

I like to read books by Christian authors. And a couple of the books by Christian authors that I've read of late have contained quotes by Frederick Buechner. The Buechner quotes are both beautifully written and incredibly wise.

So I googled this man.

And this is what God gave me:

"You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you." - Frederick Buechner

I hope this quotes brings you as much peace and joy as it did me. :) I love you!

An Honest Entry

Today was beautiful but also a little sad.

It was a combination of the best and the worst.

Sunny - so sunny. So thankful for the sun, especially after a seemingly endless season of rain and gray and freezing unheated rooms. And the sky was blue - like a powerful, bright, almost unreal kind of blue. The blue that just captures your attention and steals your day and forces you to stay outside - deadlines, chores, work - they all seem to fade into the background because this blue sky has cast a binding and captivating spell on you.

It smells like salt. Fresh, slightly bitter. Although it's sunny, it's still cold. The strong wind whips my face - turning my hair in every direction. Pulling the cool brass zipper on my jacket up a little more, I try to stay warm as I gather my hair to one side.

My hands now rest inside my jacket pockets with my fingers curled tight into my palms. The lining is warm, not very soft though - the wool is functional but not the most "comfortable" in that sense. But warmth definitely overrides comfort now. I occasionally feel the slight weight of Ana as she locks her arm around mine as we walk.

Children. One of my favorite sounds in the world. Abrupt bursts of laughter, playful screams. The constant rolling of r's - a skill which I still haven't mastered.

Red and blue and white catch my eye as the children run through the sand - teasing the water and testing to see how close they can go. A futbol rolls by. A knotted jump rope - made of a used piece of yellowed twine - swings. Up, down, up, down as the eight year olds practice their skills. The usual flock of Antillian seagulls grazes near the water a few hundred meters away. They always stick together, those seagulls. Perhaps even animals are built for community.

And it is beautiful. Peaceful. Joyful. Absolutely gorgeous here. At times I still can't believe that this is my life - this is where I live, this is what I do. Is this real? Yes, it is very real. Is it everything I imagined it would be? In many ways, yes.

But if I'm honest with myself, my joy is met with a slight bit of sadness. At times, even when I am surrounded by groups of people, I feel alone. Loneliness is not something that is found only by being physically isolated - loneliness, true loneliness, is met by feeling alone - the number of people you are surrounded by is irrelevant. Although it was a joy to be there today and although I felt a sense of community by being around the children and my coworkers, I also felt isolated. I can't contribute to conversations as I normally would in the United States. It's difficult to make small talk. It's difficult to communicate when my limited question asking skills are quickly answered by a one word response.

At times I feel isolated by this language barrier.

But you have to keep trying, I tell myself. I have gotten better - I understand more than I did before. And if I keep trying, even when it's difficult and I don't feel like it, it will get easier. At times I feel defeated - why even try to learn Spanish? I will never master this language. And maybe I will never be quite like a native speaker, but I am learning. And something should be said for that. Not everyone is willing to take that risk and meet that struggle and challenge head-on. Being the only American in my town: a challenge. Not fluently speaking the language: a challenge. But adversity breeds strength if we allow for it to. And the things that I am learning here - what it feels like to be alone, what is feels like to be an outsider, what it feels like to stand out in a culture, what it feels like to be a minority - are lessons of invaluable worth. Lessons that I really couldn't learn any way except through being in this situation.

So maybe my aloneness and slight discomfort are truly blessings. For it is teaching me things that I wouldn't be able to learn any other way, and it is creating a more flexible, more resilient, and more optimistic spirit in me. And maybe, hopefully, some day, I will be able to understand a child more when he feels like the odd one out.