Our Last Night at Home

Well. It's my last night in San Diego. Tomorrow I am heading up to San Clemente, where I will meet up with Lanolin (Laila). Then we will be traveling up to LA to stay at my former resident, and now travel companion, Ben’s house so that we are able to beat the traffic to get to the airport early Thursday morning.

My personal feelings on the trip are somewhat mixed. On one hand, I am incredibly excited. This is all very new to me. I have traveled to places like Canada and Cozumel, Mexico, but I have yet to leave the wonderful continent of North America. I’m not sure what exactly to expect. I will have my first experiences with jet lag, and likely my first experience with culture shock. Laila and I are traveling to Paris, as well as Italy on some of the weekends, and both excursions should be very exciting.

On the other hand… I can’t believe I’m going to be on a plane for so long! If you know me, then you know that I have trouble sitting in one place for five minutes, let alone five hours (and that’s just the trip to Detroit!). I feel bad for Lanolin. When I am bored and looking for someone to occupy my attention, she has to sit right next to me! Poor girl. I always get nervous traveling, especially with flying. Oh well. I will get over it. I will just have to keep in mind that after all the flights we will have arrived in an amazing country, ready to experience all that Europe has to offer.

I am ready to start our trip. It is one that we will both remember for the rest of our lives, and I for one think that it will be an incredible growing experience.

Besos,
Matt

It’s the night before Matt and I leave for Ben’s house and I still haven’t packed. Typical. Instead I’m up at midnight doing pointless things like scanning, photocopying, and printing and re-printing a million itineraries for my overly-paranoid mom to assure her that her “precious daughter” will be safe while in Europe for 7 weeks. All night I have been answering, “Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes…” to questions like “Did you pack your hand sanitizer?” and “Did you make me photocopies of your credit cards?” Although it bothers me, I know that it will make me a safer traveler and I hate to admit it, but I am becoming more and more like mom everyday (I love you, mama). So although I’ll only get 4 hours of sleep tonight, it has been my personal theory that staying up all night before travelling is actually a good thing; it pressures you to get a lot done and enables you to sleep for most of the flight (always good).

After 17 hours of travel, it will be so rewarding to see the look on Matt’s face when we arrive in Madrid. It’s like taking a child to Disneyland for the first time. I get to be with him when he experiences a whole new culture. It’ll make my experience that much more enjoyable.

I’ve been staying up till 3AM the past few nights frantically organizing weekend excursions from Spain so that Matt can see as much of Europe as he can while he’s there. I booked one weekend in Paris, France and one weekend in Venice, Naples, Sorrento, and Capri, Italy. I’ve been to Paris a few times before and to Rome and Florence in Italy, but this will be my first time on the Italian coast and I am so glad that I will be able to live this dream with Matt.

Although the opportunity to go to Madrid came at the last minute, it has turned out to be such a blessing! This is going to be a great chance to immerse myself in Spanish culture, practice my Spanish, Italian and Dutch, and most of all spend the summer before my senior year of college travelling with Matt.

Hasta la próxima vez – Until next time,
Laila