Getting Lost in Paradise

People say the best things are always found when you don't look for them.....

today started right after our plane got out....we hopped in a taxi, met at our hotel, dropped off our bags, and immediately hit to the streets of Madrid.....

We took to the streets a ways and then headed back just getting a bearings for the city...then we broke off into groups...booked a flamenco show for tomorrow at 11pm and walked to a few plazas checking out the local scenery...we happened to stumble upon the Catedral de la Almudena and it looked stunning...tall white cinder blocks and dome spirals right in the middle of this buzzing city....we crossed a bridge and just dodged in and out of cubby areas looking for a restaurant that was recommended by someone Ivy had previously met....

.....right when we thought we were lost we found it...plopped down on our butts and order our meal...Sangria, Potato salad, Squid with rice (YUM!!!), and coffee for dessert (someone has to keep me awake from this jet lag long enough to bounce me into Spain time)....it was such a great time just sitting there with the slight breeze blowing and seeing people walk back and forth and hear the birds chirping in the trees....it was fantastic to see so many dogs walking by (off the leash) and see everyone just greet them with a smile it made me miss my noodle brain and fatty patty back home :D

After some food to digest we took to a hill and laid in the grass chatting and relaxing....it was so peaceful in this little nook we found...after a bit we headed back up the roads we came and stopped at a market to grab some supplies for later....Ivy got wine; Reina got water; I got cherries.....Now we put our feet up, get on our computers for some quick updates (who can live without facebook anymore), and chill for a bit while everyone catches up on the day....we still have another 4 hours of fun ahead...dinner and tapas with drinks await us

  

We concluded our experiences today by trying Hookah...we went to a Hookah bar ordered the apple flavor and gave it a go...it was pretty interesting to say the least...it was an experience that I got in Spain, but I don't think I'll be trying it again anytime soon...I'm not the best one to attempt it, but another check can be crossed off my list....As my mother says, "When in Spain, do as the Spaniards do."


Thus concludes the activities of my first day in Spain...now squeaky clean from my shower and laying in bed about to pass out from a day full of go-go-go


….the wind was blowing slightly today in a nice guiding breeze…crashing into my pillow now and resting my swollen phalanges and piggies J

Up...Up...and Away!

If the sun ain’t up…..should no one be up….that’s my motto as I wake up at 4 am to shower and head to the airport for my 8 am departure…

6am-arrive at the airport

6:01-tell my dad goodbye and convince him I’ll be fine on my own checking-in

6:02-wave goodbye and head toward the check-in counter

6:03-realize what a mistake I made by saying I’d be okay…I walk into a massive bulge of people going in every direction

6:04-my heart stops beating, my palms start sweating, my face drains of all the color…but hey I’m on my own now that my dad has left and I have no phone….Great!

6:10- realize I’m in the wrong line and walk to the right one….ask a lady for help that was standing in line and bless her soul she helps me :D

6:11- check-in and wait to hand off my luggage….my life for the next month so they better not lose it

6:15- blaze through security because that’s the one thing I’m a PRO at and of course I’m sweet and innocent so no need to stop me now :P

6:30 sit down at my gate with my breakfast…a special K bar because that’s the only thing my stomach will hold without me running to the bathroom to puke it all up and a bag of nuts for later when I’m starving because lord knows the cheep planes never give out FREE snacks….and my lucky trash magazine to keep me somewhat sain….

6:40- they announce a gate change since Dallas the plane before us is having weather issues and will be in late

6:55- I sit down at my new gate and realize this is the start of my life for the next month….one adventure at a time….one memory to be made….a grand old time next to the beach…..my heart slows for now….as I complete the first leg of my future adventure

….got to watch “The Vow” (don’t watch it…it isn’t worth your time not romantic but somewhat depressing

PHASE 1- COMPLETE

3:15pm-arrive in Miami

3:20-grab lunch with everyone and exchange some extra cash to Euros….for a hefty price of 7.50 for exchanging it :P

5-board the plane and then realize within 5 seconds of sitting down that I left my camera in the waiting area…..YIKES….luckily I could go back and grab it and keep my heart from stopping

6-finally leave the gate after having seating issues (as we were told) and begin the 9 hour journey across the sea

PHASE 2- COMPLETE

Every hour on the hour toss and turn hoping to stop the neck cramps and finally fall asleep…attempt failed but got a solid hour before waking up numb from my curled ball and a stiff neck from the angle…..ate the dinner from the plane (next time choose the pasta because my stomach did not agree with the meat :P) and watched part of “We bought a Zoo” then listened to the country station (only one really worth while) on the plane….landed and hopped in a taxi to our hotel and now relaxing before a grand adventure out in the city…..the wind is deff blowing in our favor :D

PLANE ADVENTURE-COMPLETE

...Oh and for the record....my computer is in Spanish and I figure out how to post this....now were getting somewhere :D

My Life in a Suitcase

A couple of hours picking clothes from hangers...folding, folding, folding.....and stuffing them all into a suitcase followed by a long time of taping shut lids and double bagging shampoos and conditioners and my life has been put into two suitcases, a book bag, and a purse.....This is my life for the next month

A 10 minute walk to the sandy beach; a 35 minute walk to the university; classes from 9am-2pm Monday through Thursday; A trip to Barcelona; A trip to Granada; a weekend in Madrid; an apartment with 3 of my fellow girl classmates, a trip of a lifetime, and countless memories....these are the moments we will remember, share with others, and cherish for a lifetime....
.......the only thing standing between me and paradise is a 5 hour flight to Miami and a 9 hour flight to Madrid.....

......I'll be waking up bright and early tomorrow morning (4am) to be on my way...suitcases and all....to depart on a 8am flight to Miami....no cellphone!!!!....the only contact I'll have is this blog once a week along with a few e-mail updates and some facebook time via the internet cafe.....we're going full swing into another world...another culture.... immersing myself into the world of SPAIN!!!! I am so excited, although the nerves have yet to hit me :/

Suitcase: check....passport: check....moo-lah to spend: double check :)...now off to bed and waking up bright and early to head on to my new adventure and life for the next month.....where the wind blows I'll let you know....cheers to memories in the making :)

2012 Ironman Texas!

The morning has finally come....we get dressed early pack up and head out to watch it all begin
...........................the beginning.........or.................the end...................................


IRONMAN TEXAS 2012!!!!
We stop along the bridge to watch the action take place.....thousands among thousands of people are waiting down below to start their amazing journey.....thousands more stand along the riverside and bridge to cheer their loved ones on....kayaks and paddle boards start to head out onto the water and we get anxious because that means the race is about to begin....my heart is pounding so I can just imagine Jp and Dan's as they start to head into the water.....
First the pros enter then everyone else....one at a time we look through the bobbling heads....somehow Madre spots Jp....she can see her when she is one of 2,900 people but not when she is 10 feet from us....oh the eyes of an old woman ;)

BANG!!! They're off and you can see the quiet, calm, lighter water turn into a dark, waving menace as the 2,266 people begin to paddle the 2.4 miles to the next stop....Bikes

.....we watch for a little bit until we see only speckles in the distance and then immediatly make a break for the bike transition....we have 2 hours and 15 minutes of pure panic as we wait for Jp to come grab her bike and head to the next part of the race.....with 5 minutes left to spare in the swimming Padre comes running up the side with his hands held high and Madre and I cheer in relief as we see a dark black body and white cap come racing up the isle with a huge smile across her face....she has completed the swimming and is now off to bike....

A few miles of riding in the car and we wait at the next stop to see her speed past us on the bike....we time it just right to see Dan come racing by and a few half hours later see JP....we know shes making good time if Padre calculates right....the next stop....bike to run transition

....In the heat of the day we await to see Jp drop off her bike and head directly into the 26.2 mile run.....after a day of swimming and biking and in the hottest time of the day this is the last step into having the title Ironman and inner happiness that she kicked BUTT!!!!
We see Dan and cheer loudly as he crosses into get his bag and start his portion of running...a few hours later we see Jp come racing down the isle....you can see she is tired but nothing is going to stop her now....

Padre, Madre, Elaine, John, and I split up among the mile markers to make sure she has people to keep the steam rolling and finish on time...we catch her a few times and you can see the annoyance on her face as we yell "Come on JP! Run, Run, Run!!! Pick it up! You can do it!"....you know in her head she's thinking "ya you come run after biking and swimming" :P
....But after see her run around the miles a few laps we head to the finish line just in time to hear that Dan has made it across the finish line....we cheer along with the crowd and find a spot to sit and again wait for the moment when Jp will cross the line.....
....at a little under 16 hours Jp comes around the corner....smile on face and the extra boost of the crowd she finishes strong and becomes THE TEXAS 2012 IRON(WO)MAN!!!!!!!! YAY JP!!!!....


15 hours later.....140.6 miles longer....and a whole lot of waiting and anxiety she has crossed the finish line.....she stuffs pizza in her mouth and takes a shower before we all head to bed on a power high....

Madre said she would rather go through childbirth than having to wait in insanity to see her cross each stage before the time was up.....but congrats to Dan and JP....to me they are the heroes of the day and the best Ironmen ever!!!!! XOXO

......bed is call my name....night....next time the wind blows for Jp will be the Ironman Grand Rapids Michigan <3

New Friends

Good Morning.....Bright and sunny day started with a run all by my lonesome but it was nice and quiet...and HOT!!!!!....and lots of bikers and runners that passed me and my slow butt :P
....Jp, Dan, and Padre headed over to the lake to get in some practice swim in....Madre and I awaited some friends John and Elaine to visit.....












....We headed to the shopping area to grab a bite to eat...Sushi YUMMMMM (we decided on the crabacado and the Bahama breeze and of course since sushi places have the BEST green tea I got one to sip on which then warmed my whole body....not like I needed it on a day in the humidity)

Later Jp and Dan met up with us along with John and Elaine and we headed over to Lulu Lemon for a picture with Jp and Dan's name on the Ironman list and pizza since that I guess is Jp's day-before-race-food-to-go-to....apparently you can find it anywhere opposed to any other foods so it won....

....After pizza for lunch we took a dessert trip over to the nearby cupcake place as tradition for everyday we've been here and decided to chow down on some yummy snacks and enjoy the company of new friends John and Elaine.....They are super sweet!! John is such a class clown and Elaine is such a sweetheart that the two of them are polar opposites but they made the 3+ hours speed by because before we knew it it was time for dinner....

...Conversations continued at The Cheesecake Factory where we all ate and shouted across the table as Prom, Ironman people, and the normal crowd all tried to converse with one another....it was like a school cafeteria....and of course we got Cheesecake for dessert....SHHHH the scale will be wrong when I get home right?! I mean after all these treats I'll just run an extra mile AHAHAHA!!!.....but we called it an early night and headed back for a little bit of chit chat in the room and then hit the sack since our early morning was going to be there before we knew it....in less than a couple hours well be sitting court-side cheering for our fellow Iron(wo)men and man.....
....GO JP AND DR DAN!!!!!

..........and off to bed and an early morning...hoping the wind blows in our favor tomorrow :D

Welcome to the Iron(WO)man

Today we started with the workout of running and biking and a yummy breakfast....with the traditional stealing of extra lotion from the housekeeping cart....IT'S FREE!!!! :D

Then we headed to downtown Woodlands which was super surprising....Jp and Dan signed into their spots at the Ironman....Jp is number 144 and Dan is 840....then....we made them signs to cheer them on through the next few hours of hell as they conquer this massive race....and altho I wasn't allowed to add rainbows or unicorns to Dan's poster because they wouldn't allow me :P they will hopefully provide that extra UMPH to get them across that line 17 hours later....

....We then ate at a pub downtown and Jp ordered a garden burger....the waitress had to ask what that was and the chefs didnt even know although its on the menu...WELCOME TO TEXAS!!! AHAHAHAH!!!....lets say her brain wasn't all the way there but she was a cutie...
.............we continued our day by walking around and taking a short nap at the hotel since today was much warmer than yesterday....later tonight we went back downtown since the soon-to-be-finishers had a mandatory meeting and the rest of us slackers went shopping :D....its like a mini Easton (if you've been or lived in Ohio you'll know what I'm talking about)

We finished our night by eating at Stir Crazy a yummy little Gengis Grill and Mongolian Barbaque mixed into one but better since they offer Ahi Tuna and Salmon.....YUM! and a late night snack of frozen yogurt....although Dan couldn't named off every fruit besides the flavor he actually got....I of course got the raspberry pomegranite with mango, raspberry, and blueberries....DOUBLE YUM! :)

Now we're calling it a night since I am totally beat and only one more day until the Ironman is here and we cheer on our future victors....
Goodnight World.....

......so off to the calling of tomorrow and wherever the wind will blow

Welcome to Humidity

Humidity....86%.....
.....my hair....a ball of frizz :P
Nothing too exciting as we step out into Houston today...the two hour time difference ahead makes me feel like a bum when I wake up at 9am which is actually my usual 7am wake up call...grab a light breakfast and then hit the pavement with padre as we run a little over 4 miles to start our morning off right....

The sun beating down on your face is a reminder that next time I'll wear sunscreen and the sweat dripping off in buckets is a continuous reminder that the humidity is gonna kick me in the butt...but the 45 mins that passed by make you feel better after an ice cold shower...
On the agenda for today, wait for Jp and Dan to come back from their bike/run workout and then hit the town for some Houston experiences (aka Jp found a wine places and Lulu Lemon is calling our name)

So off to the sun and humidity laughing at Madre as she sits next to the heater wrapped in a blanket (shh I didn't say this) and on to an enjoyable day of relaxation....

....The day is done and I am beat....today was a full load of laughs which makes my sides hurt :D
We spent the morning working out, the afternoon shopping, and the night watching duck dynesty. The shopping of Lulu Lemon, Anthropologie, Apple store, and other places around downtown Houston...my life was made!....Madre's life was made when we stopped at Sprinkles a cupcake shop with delicious homemade cupcakes and not worthy pride from appearing on CupCake Wars (it was like watching a kid at disney land for the first time)

The make of the night was dinner...a delicious start of truffle popcorn and hummus followed by a fresh salad made of goat cheese, watermelon, basalmic vinergette, and shrimp....and wait for it....the glass of wine a waitress set next to me when Jp ordered a bottle for the table....I guess I can pass for 21...HECK YEAH!!!!!!!! Ergo....My night was made :D
....Now were sitting down and watching an enjoyable show....Duck Dynesty....don't judge unless you have seen it....and make sure you wear depends because it's one hilarious show that you shouldn't miss....

Oh and note to self....the humidty and heat were not totally unbearable....today :D
....off to wherever the wind/humidity takes us today :D

Airport Bound

...And so the countdown begins...15 days until I'm nervously walking through the airport waving goodbye America and hello Spain! :D...singing in my head "I'm a big kid now!"

Pulse racing, armpits sweating, and my face is redder than a tomato...airport security is going to think I'm a mad women (well maybe I am).

But first we're taking a side bar and heading to Texas as Jp, my sister, takes on the Iron(WO)man...whoot whoot....huge crowd wave now :P

Packing the bags....

....and off we go to wherever the wind blows