Chasing the Wind A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. ~ Lao Tzu

En Espana

SPAIN | Friday, 16 January 2009 | Views [600] | Comments [4]

I am doing laundry. I've almost forgotten what clean laundry smelled/felt/looked like. The dirty backpacker truth is (sorry, mom) that I haven't done laundry since five countries ago.

My aunt and uncle from San Francisco are vacationing in Paris, and when I met up with them, they graciously brought me my thermal pants for under my jeans (before I was sporting the sexy two-pants look, as well as five layers of shirts/sweater/jacket, scarf, hat, two pairs of socks, and gloves), as well as my big fluffly boots. Also, they took some things off my hands so I can make room in my bag (among them some shirts I haven't even bothered adding to my rotation of every-day wear) =) Ah, how nice to see family! Especially when they left me with packs of chocolate and cookies (relatives always come prepared). It was nice to go out on the town with them, and funny that our two meals together In Paris were Japanese and Chinese--hey, Filipinos need their rice, and I was happy to take part =P

I left Paris this morning on a very early 7:05AM flight (after a long, cold, lonely night at Charles de Gaulle airport). I'm staying at my friend, Swayni's, apartment in Madrid. We met in the Dominican Republic a year and a half ago as leaders for ISV, and she is completing her masters here in Directing and Post-Production (...I'll hopefully get to come on board with some projects! It'll be nice to play with film equipment again.)

I'm so excited, ecstatic even, to stay here for a bit (or a while...we'll see how it goes). Madrid is quite central, and close to a lot of good cities worthy of a day-trip like Toledo and Segovia. We are also planning to make a weekend of Barcelona.

It's nice to finally be in a country where I can understand the signs!!! This morning when I arrived, I kept intermixing some kind of made-up language of broken French-Spanish-English, having a bit of trouble turning my Oui's to Si's, and Merci to Gracias. But I am excited to practice my Spanish--as long as I don't run into too many that have the Barcelona accent (for some reason, I have trouble getting hold of it!). I even changed my iPod settings to Espanol. Aw, yeah, Spain. Estoy lista para ti.

Mmm...I am...just loving life. God is good. All the time.

"...And what is it to be young in years and suddenly wakened to the anguish, the urgency of life?" - Susan Sontag

Comments

1

So did Rica head home then? Or are you two just on separate paths for a while?

I'm happy you got to see family, exchange some clothes, and get to Spain finally!

and All the Time, God is Good.

(by the way, it seems that comments were disabled on your last entry... or they just weren't working now...)

"Sister" Jan 17, 2009 5:21 AM

2

Enjoy Spain! Soak it all up. I am SO glad to hear that you are having such a good time. And that you were able to see family. Everything sounds so great.

Yes - God is good! I will continue to remember you in my prayers. Take care of yourself.

Mere and I were just emailing each other about how much we miss you. She said she misses her Ate! =)

Love you Lar!

Gina Montecastro Jan 17, 2009 10:07 AM

3

Its amazing how He set up all these connections. He is just blessing your dirty socks off lol. Here are some verses that remind me of you right now.
Phillipians 4:11-13, "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me."

Phillipians 4:19, "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Chris McCann Jan 17, 2009 6:17 PM