where are you going exactly??

When I tell people I’m studying abroad in Spain for the semester they are like, “Oh, in Madrid? Or Barcelona??” Not exactly. Then, I explain how TCU has a program in Sevilla and it’s located in southern Spain. I chose to study abroad in Sevilla because of TCU’s program but also, I am told that it has a very culturally different feel from Barcelona and Madrid. Sevilla’s population is around 700,000+ so it’s still a large city but it has a lot of Moorish historical and cultural influence. It also has less of a cosmopolitan feel than some other Spanish and European cites. Studying abroad and living with a host family while I am in Sevilla is an excellent opportunity for me to perfect my Spanish and immerse myself in the culture. This will definitely help me academically and with future goals as well, because Spanish is my minor and I’m really interested in pursuing bilingual speech-therapy someday. You can read more about Sevilla if you click on my links on the right side of my blog home page, with the aboutsevilla, discoversevilla, or tcuinseville links.

I am actually so excited to live and travel in Spain while I’m abroad because on my last European excursion (in the summer of 2006), Jenna and I were unable to hit Spain as one of our destinations. So I’ve never been to Spain before, how crazy is that?! And where exactly is Sevilla? It’s hard to explain when you’re not familiar with western Europe so I’ve put a couple maps up to show you where exactly in the world I will be in 5 days!

chats with kaysabeth.

So I’ve had skype for a while but I rarely ever use it because I don’t necessarily always have my microphone or webcam in. And sometimes I feel like it’s so much more convenient to pick up my cell phone & text or speed dial whoever I want to talk to; it’s just preference I guess. But this week I started packing for Spain (ah! I leave in eleven days!) and I pulled out my headset and videocam to chat with K bc she already went back to San Luis Obispo this week for school. It was tons of fun, even Dad and Matt joined in too!

Anyways, I live on my cell phone. But while I’m abroad I don’t really have the luxury of picking up the phone and texting or calling someone up whenever I want without being charged an arm & a leg. I’ll definitely get a phone in Europe for contacts over there, but for keeping in touch with friends and family from home, skype makes my life so much easier! When I am half way across the world, I will get to hear your voice & see you all at the same time, how wonderful is that? Download Skype at http://www.skype.com/download/skype/windows/, it’s free & easy (I’m even going to do it for Tori too)! You don’t have to have a webcam to use it but it’s better if you do. Skype me @ vallew2413… Love much!

101 things to do in 1001 days.

I come across Elizabeth’s blog site (www.deafvillage.com) every now and then and I was reading this on one of the blog posts.

Make a list of 101 things to do in 1001 days. I thought this was an excellent idea because I'm constantly making lists (on postit notes and random pieces of paper) to keep my life in order! I’m not big on new year’s resolutions but apparently this is going to be my ‘golden year’ and since this is also the semester I am going abroad, I decided that this would be a great way to start off my blog and it would be something interesting to do as well. And plus, Tori and I are constantly having adventures and we make lists of places we want to go, things we want to do, and see in the coming months so I figure that this is a good place to write those things down.

-work on my 101 things to do list
-go on walks more often, drive less
-wake up early to watch the sunrise
-organize all my letters & correspondence
-go to the flower fields in Carlsbad
-eat breakfast daily
-finish my red rag goals
-spend an entire day at the library, just reading
-go on a mission trip
-start scrapbooking

-go camping
-donate old clothes to the Salvation Army
-make amends
-wash my face in the morning
-visit the Fairshters more often
-balloon fiesta in NM
-print my digital pictures that are just sitting on my hard-drive
-go to sleep with my cellphone off
-spend a year reading the entire bible
-take the surfliner from San Diego to San Luis Obispo

-get a pet, preferably a potty trained bunny
-macy’s thanksgiving day parade
-buy a new backpack for the first day of grad school
-learn how to play a new sport
-clean my room
-go to the lacma
-drink less coffee & mountain dew
-send out a Christmas card
-take my mom on a vacation
-climb a mountain & watch the sunset

-go fruit picking somewhere in central California
-start blogging about my trip to Spain
-join CI circle bc Elizabeth is always telling me about it
-climb more trees
-champagne brunch @ the langham
-take an art class
-cut my hair on a regular basis
-get dad tickets to a USC football game
-walk away for the right reasons
-go to Disneyland at Christmas time

-go to bed 15 minutes earlier every night
-organize the shoeboxes
-buy a humidifier
-get a facial
-help matt figure out what he wants to do with his life
-plant flowers in my front yard
-donate my hair to locks.of.love
-buy more organic food
-scan all my Polaroid pictures
-travel Eastern Europe

-see deathcab in concert with Kelsey
-try something new
-watch the swallows migrate to San Juan Capistrano
-repaint my bedroom walls
-go to the Kentucky Derby with Tori
-have lunch with someone I’ve been estranged from
-go iceskating in Rockefeller center
-be fluent in Spanish
-get something from the bakery at Breadwinners with Christine
-learn how to sew

-exercise on a regular basis
-go to Alaska for solstice
-fall in love with the Trevi Fountain all over again
-finish everything on my to-do list by the end of the day
-write a book of therapy ideas
-find a new favorite food
-do something that scares me
-write thank you notes
-burn Tori a CD
-throw away things that are garbage

-boycott fast food for a month
-wear sunblock in the summertime
-date someone totally right for me
-expand my musical likings
-learn to wake up naturally
-have more picnics in the park
-spend an afternoon modgepodging
-take good care of my teeth
-make a book of pressed flowers
-pray regularly

-think of something creative to do with all the yarn left over from my gold award project
-enjoy San Francisco & explore Northern California
-bring reusable bags to the market when I go grocery shopping
-find an excellent face moisturizer
-be brave
-buy fresh flowers
-stop going to sleep with my hair wet
-paint my fingernails to match my mood
-learn to love Mondays (TGIM)
-work on making decisions
-do a favor for someone, even when I don’t want to

-dance in the rain more often
-own all my favorite movies
-go somewhere just to see the leaves change colors in the fall
-wear clean socks to bed
-help a parent learn to be an advocate for their child
-watch Manny hit a grand slam at dodger stadium
-buy myself an easel
-start using rechargeable batteries in flashlights
-make cookies from scratch
-read all the Harry Potter books over again

I really had fun making this list and thinking of hopeful aspirations over the past few days. Some of my ambitions are fun, easy, and inexpensive… and there are others that will require a little more time and effort, but that’s what makes them hopeful right?