Eekkk it’s been quite some time since you’ve heard from me and for that I am very sorry. I can report, however, that my absence has been put to good use, primarily traveling, having great experiences and making memories! Cliche, I know, but all true.
I don’t have tons of time for an extensive update so we’re going to go with a top 10 list of what I’ve been up to. Here we go….
1. Visited Madrid, met up with a friend from Denison who is somehow in my DG family, went to a 7-story club, my friend’s phone got stolen and she almost got robbed (on separate occasions), barely made it to our train on time.
2. Did the Camino de Santiago (casual, I know), which included walking 110 km over the course of 5 days, which then led to drinking good wine, eating tasty food, sleeping really hard (including taking a nap in a field with some cows), and bonding with new friends. Final result = a life changing experience (I’m already planning on doing it again).
3. Went to Africa (again, casual, I know), learned a few words in arabic, rode a camel, visited a blue city, got a henna tattoo, drank actual Moroccan Mint tea and slept more than 9 hours every night of the trip.
4. Ran a 5K, PR’d (technically this is my first recorded 5K time, so it was bound to be a PR anyway…), and got 7th in my age division, 20th overall!
5. Visited my host aunt and uncle in Altea (a smaller oceanside town about 45 minutes from Alicante) and felt excruciating uncomfortably full after comida (first time for that so it was really fun). Enjoyed Altea nonetheless.
6. Started playing tennis here! I hit 1-2 times a week in San Juan with this chill pro named Fran. I usually play on the court next to the a 14-year-old Russian boy who is the 5th best 14-year-old in the world and I’ve also seen Feliciano Lopez playing there, who is currently ranked 20th in the world. So yeah, that’s cool.
7. Celebrated Halloween here, which was nothing like American Halloween, except for the presence of candy. Compared to my Morton Salt girl costume last year, I give myself a B- for this year (I was a common bumblebee). But I already have ideas for next year so all is well.
8. I’ve been elected to a new position in DG. I’m my chapter’s new VP: Membership, so queen of all things recruitment. I’m already buzzing with ideas for skits, themes, outfits, decorations, etc.
9. Went to Sevilla, saw a modern flamenco show, ate some good tapas (Sevilla is the capital of tapas), shamelessly took some selfies on the longest tour ever.
10. Visited the European gem that is Munich and loved it. Lacked proper warm clothes, met some interesting fellow travelers, saw the glockenspiel (recently voted 2nd of the biggest letdowns of European attractions), visited Dachau, which was so sobering, powerful and moving (Never Forget), drank beer at Hofbrauhaus, ate pretzels and Currywurst (delicious) and enjoyed authentic Bavarian nuts. Easily one of my favorite trips.
So that’s where we’re at! It’s been a whirlwind and I can’t believe it’s almost Thanksgiving. But I’m so excited to see my family and travel with them (especially considering I’m the epitome of “champagne taste on a beer budget”). This weekend I’m venturing to Paris, which, considering we’ve already had some mishaps with Eiffel Tower tickets, should be interesting, and it’s supposed to snow (to which I will respond with my fall jacket, 7 layers of clothes and the presence of a warm beverage in my hand at all times). Who knows if this tactic is going to work, but, as the Spanish say, vamos a ver! Hasta luego!
the fine print. 