I’m sitting at the little kitchen table perfect for four, a glass dawned with Real Madrid icons holds my milk being used for cereal. I am offered a glass of orange juice and quickly after some coffee as well. I’m asked how was my night, whether I am tired, and how I am feeling. However these communications aren’t entirely verbal, instead they are much more body language and pointing, but slowly I am catching up on the quickly paced Spanish of the people of Laredo, Spain. Here I have a true chance of piecing together the language and actually learn it but that hasn’t been the case for the entire week. I’ve only arrived here last night to visit Jesus, the exchange student my family hosted this last semester in California. Never in the time span that stretches a little over a week have I needed to attempt to speak as many languages as I have. Dutch, German, English, French, and Spanish. Two I speak perfectly fine, I can read German, French is new, and Spanish is not at all the same as to what I am used to back in California (although even then I haven’t mastered the language). This is also an effect that comes with traveling alone, having no one to converse one of my main languages with forces me to best overcome the language barriers placed in front of me when I need to achieve a goal. Whether that be shopping for food, or a touristy attraction, I want to do my best to communicate with the home language of the country. My brain is a little strained, but that means I am having an adventure done right.
Light painting with Mark before I leave Berlin Hanging out by the Eiffel Tower
Last week when I left you last I was still in Berlin, now two flights later I’ve spent four nights in Paris and will be spending four nights in Laredo. On my last night in Berlin seeing a friend from back in Oakland for a drink and keeping it calm otherwise, I made it to the airport without problems for my 07:00 flight. It didn’t take long for me to get out and about after I checked in my luggage to the hostel. First stop, long time friend Madison, who has been studying in Paris for the last two years at the American University Paris. The two of us go back to our middle school days back in the states, and we picked up the friendship as if those two years didn’t exist at all. The lovely thing about Paris is that there is no chance that one will run out of things to do. Together with Madison and her roommate Sam, we visited Notre Dame, ate some Kebab on the Seine, drank with other expats on the countdown to my birthday by the Louvre, and hung out at the Eiffel Tower. I spent a day each visiting the Basilque de Sacre-Coer and the Catacombs. My last night I met up with other Berkeley Students with whom we shared mutual friends. Finally I spent the last day in Paris before my flight visiting the Arc de Triomphe and walking from there to Le Defense before making my way to the airport.
Sacre Coer Lots of bones at the Catcombs Smallest tomb ever (Napoleon)
After almost missing my flight due to security customs running slowly (I waited a whole two hours in line, when I finally made it to the screening area I took a look at the two working the luggage screens, and noticed they periodically stopped the belt, to show each other memes on their phones and make it seem they were working. Complaint certainly logged for Paris Beauvais.) I made it to my plane, and was sat in first row of RyanAir for my troubles. A surprise I will say.
The doors slid open again, and this time it would be my turn to face the crowd at the arrival gate. Their stood Jesus with his parents. We quickly made it their home, while I was consulted on my levels of tiredness. Admitting that I was a little sleepy was a mistake which I needed to talk myself out of after being told I happened to come during the busiest festival weekend of the Summer in Laredo. Although I didn’t understand the premise of the festival at all, besides the fact that the theme was either 60s/70s, or “Hippy”. I have never in my life participated in something where not a single person wasn’t dressed up at least someway. Every person serving either the restaurants or the bars, locals and tourists walking in the street, they all dawned Afros, peace signs, blow-up plastic guitars or something else. I wish I could have taken photos, but was told that’s not okay. In any case, a long night, that was very fun, and I was truly forced to practice my Spanish. I am here in Laredo until Thursday and then back to the Netherlands to see family before that trip to India! Only 12 more nights in Europe! Buenos!
