Here is a quick rundown of my game plan:
Before I start, here is a relatively current picture of me just in case my face gets mangled by some Spanish wildlife:
Well, I leave for NY tomorrow, so I can still speak English for a little longer. I'll be visiting my Aunty Susie, Uncle Dennis, and Cousin Ian; and also a quick three day tour of NYC. Next stop (Sept. 7th), will be Munich, Germany for two days where I will meet up with my good old pal and girlfriend, Alyssa. Then we will travel by train to Verona, Italy for two days and Venice for three. And then, we will test the safety of the ridiculously cheap airlines of Europe and fly to Barcelona for three days. And finally on Sept. 18th, will come the tragic deportation of Alyssa from Madrid to San Luis Obispo, CA so that she can start school.
Then for the next six days, I will be very alone until my program starts on the 24th in Madrid where we will tour the capital of Spain for seven days. Around the first week of October, I will settle into my home for three months in Valladolid, Spain; where I will be living with affectionate 55 year old couple, Carmen and Pepe Rodriguez, and attending school at La Universidad de Valladolid.
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| La Universidad de Valladolid (Founded in 1346) |
But during this intermediate time (Sept.18th to the 24th), I am considering going to Portugal and celebrating my birthday on the 22nd (very alone). I can picture myself having a great time with fresh new Portuguese faces, but I can also picture myself being cold and out-casted into the old, narrow streets of Lisbon. Only one way to find out...
Am I the first to comment on your blog? I'm honored! Hey, if you're going to Portugal, very alone, for your birthday, consider heading as far as the Azores-islands off the coast of Portugal. Our people come from there. See how many Pacheco peeps you can find and see if we're related!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds incredible! My old neighbor Eduarda is from the Azores, so maybe I could pay a visit to her family. I'll look into how to get there from Lisbon. See you tomorrow Aunty Susie! And congratulations on being the first commenter. That's big time!
ReplyDeleteMy old mother is from the Azores!
ReplyDeletehope you have a blast buddy!
Hi, Nick! Glad to see you're planning on blogging your Euro adventures; I'll be reading! We've just returned from our own: a month in Dalmatia, visiting my wife's parents. We swam, we ate, we slept; not much more. But I wrote and read a lot. Some of it essentially a travel blog (it's amazing how much one can say about doing "nothing" in an exotically foreign place!)
ReplyDeleteSo--good luck! Enjoy! This will change your life, for the better.
~ Paul Miklowitz
Wowee! First time I've ever been blogged! So far, I LIKE it! The photo of the Universidad is incredible. I'll be watching you ~ Grandboobly
ReplyDeleteHey son hope your having the time of your life you deserve it. I love you very much. Im extremley proud of you. You have worked very hard.
ReplyDeleteAlways remember....
you got my 5 bucks??
Thanks Dad! And I always keep a five in my pocket just in case I see you and you hit you up for it.
ReplyDelete