I have MOVED!!

Hi Everyone!

 I know I haven't been posting in a long time but I'd like to announce that I have moved to my new website! Thanks to everyone who's been following me for the past few years. It's been amazing. Alas, I am continuing my journey and would love for you to join me!!

Thanks for some GREAT years and hope to see you at my new blog at

 The Personal Geographic

Much love and sincerely,
Justina

Until Next Time

Even though I didn't want to leave, saying goodbye was a lot easier this time around. I cried only a couple times; once because Alex's mom came to take me to the airport. When I walked out the building and saw his mom waiting, I couldn't stop myself from tearing up. I absolutely adore that woman and was glad I could see her once more before I left. From a conversation I had with an American girl I met here, we concluded that Spanish mum's are the sweetest; when they like you, they really, really like you.

I know I'm getting better at saying good bye but that bitter sweet aftertaste never truly goes away. Saying goodbye to Carlos in the morning was different than the last. The first time we ever had to say goodbye was in December in Florida, and I remember crying like I had just watched the Titanic. This time, he made me promise that I wouldn't cry, and I kept it. I realized that saying good bye is so much easier on the heart when you know that you will see each other again.

Into the Spanish North

When I booked my trip to Spain, I originally intended to spend all 3 months in Madrid. It seemed like a good idea to save money by staying put, so I decided that a trip up north would run that idea to the ground. I figured since I was here to learn Spanish, it didn't matter where I went so long as I remained in the country. That mindset remained and didn't budge until a friend told me that missing Barcelona would be a big mistake; it didn't take long for my FOMO (fear of missing out) syndrome to kick in.

Coincidently, my friend Paulina from uni (who I rendezvoused with in Ibiza,) had plans to go to Barcelona, San Sebastián, and Bilbao. After one conversation through skype, I decided to jump on board with her. Within a few days, we booked all the tickets for the hostels and buses to see the beautiful Catalonia and Basque Country regions, and it was absolutely the right decision.

I guess I'm just glad I caught the train before the last call!

Catalonia (Barcelona)

Barcelona was absolutely wonderful. It was a vibrant city with vibrant architecture. Even better, I got to explore the city with incredible people we met through the hostel! For those who plan to visit Barcelona in the future, I highly recommend Hostel One Sants! In all honesty, the idea of hostels used to scare me, but now I wouldn't have it any other way. Maybe I just got lucky with the hostels and the incredible people I've met through them, but so far my experiences have been 10/10.

The Setting Sun in Ibiza

Ibiza truly is a magical island. Even though it's been a few weeks since I've been there, I still remember it all vividly in my memories. Unfortunately, traveling lends little time to sit down and blog, but the stories are still waiting to be told. On our second day in Ibiza, we decided to rent a boat and explore the island by sea. We got a great deal for it and is one of the best things I've had the pleasure of experiencing.

What happens in Brussels, STAYS in Brussels!

(Photo credit: Nomadic Pursuits)

That's what we told ourselves last night while Solene (my frenchie) and I shared drinks and laughs at the famous bar Little Delirium.

Yesterday was like a wild goose chase between me and Solene. She arrived by train and I arrive by plane and we were to meet at Little Delirium, but couldn't find each other. Neither of us had a working phone so it was near impossible. Turns out there were 3 Little Deliriums and we were just at different ones. Good thing we agreed to meet at 3pm at the hostel if we couldn't find each other.

Last night however, was a top notch night, and we knew it from the moment we were invited to a home-cooked meal. I mean, how often can you enjoy a dinner cooked in the kitchen of a hostel, with a Malaysian, Singaporean, British, and Australian? (Don't say 'often'.)

By night, we went to the club with some cool French guys we met on the street. And after some dancing we ended up chatting with one of the guys who is a young father to two little girls. He ended up sharing his thoughts about becoming strong women, and giving us insight, and it was absolutely phenomenal, not because of what was said, but because he did. And aside from burning myself with a cigerette butt, it was a a crazy, awesome night!

C'est MAGNIFIQUE.

 

What Did You Say?!

The first day I arrived at Pedro's house, I met a few of his friends. When they asked me about what food we had in Canada, I was a little stumped. I mean, how the heck do you say maple syrup and poutine in Spanish? When they asked what we ate for breakfast, I confidently said eggs. Actually, it was the only thing I said. They didn't hear about the glorious pancakes with maple syrup, french toast, fresh fruit, oatmeal, and hash browns since I didn't know those words either. But hey, at least they knew we ate something right?

But then they asked me what we ate for lunch....and at that point I had ran out of words, so again I said eggs.....Pedro, looking either confused or concerned, replied with "more eggs?"

Yes Pedro...more eggs...eggs for days!

They must have caught on though because they didn't ask about dinner. Needless to say, having a language barrier can get a little frustrating, but more often than not it just cracks me up. I was texting a friend the other night, telling her I'd be ready to meet her after a shower. But instead of saying "I am going to shower", I ended up saying "I am going to fight." Because contrary to popular belief, there is a difference between "duchar" and "luchar"....which honestly sounds identical to me when spoken, am I right?!