Flying Solo

So before I start to write this blog (which, bear with me, will be a long..yet comical... story) I want to warn my mother, father, grandmother and company that I AM FINE AND HOME SAFE AND SOUND. Now, onto the good stuff :) 

This weekend was my first weekend trip to Palma de Mallorca, which you should know because if you are reading this --you are one of maybe 5 people -- I had mentioned going there with a friend. WELLL turns out that didn't happen. You see, the airline failed to let her know that she didn't pay for it correctly and long story short, she did not have a ticket. I found this out less than 24 hrs before my flight was to depart. Well.. I never second guessed going. I had a few friends try to buy tix last minute, but due to stupid internet connections and the fact that prices skyrocketed, I embarked on an adventure that (as cliche as it sounds) was life changing. Mom, Dad, Grandma, remember, no worries...

So the trip started off with a bang from the start. I knew I had to get a bus from Sevilla to airport, and knew I was in the general vicinity of busses. Turns out, I had visited all stops, but the bus stop for the airport bus was around the corner. Guess I should've noticed all the people with suitcases coming from that direction...but needless to say I got my bus and got to the airport in plenty of time. I figured I should but a book (I love my little sister Laura, she gave me High School Musical, the book, to bring since it was in English...but I had a long, relaxing weekend ahead of me, or so I thought...) so I bought a book. The only title I could read in English was "The Horse Dancer"...I was hesitant at first, btu then I read a sentence below the title. It sounded perfect actually. The quote on the front was "You have to be lost before you can be found." Sounded appropriate seeing as I was lost in the airport and about to get 10X more lost...

So, Ryanair huh, well that alone is a story. Waiting in line to have your bag "measured" just about had me sweating. People all had the same size bags and knew what they were doing -- yeah me, not so much. I was mentally adding 30 euros to every flight I had booked thinking there was no way my bag was going to fit into this little box to meet requirements. Fortunately, I was fine. Then getting on the plane, another adventure. We had to wait in a smothering hot staircase, then led outside and had to walk to plane, to find we don't have seating arrangements. Well, a guy smiled at me, so I was like okay, this will do. Sat by mi nuevo amigo Alvaro. He spoke lots of Spanish to me, but slowly, and was very nice. He commended me for my bravery on flying solo, but I think he (like most of my friends here) thought I was a tad bit loca. Also flying with us is a soccer team from a nearby city, Granada, and one guy was afraid of flying, so they were all calling him pollo (chicken) and he even had a hat. When we landed he stood up and bowed while we all clapped. Then I thought, well, here goes nothing...

I knew I had to find a bus #21 to find my hostel, Hostal Atlanta, but heck if I knew anything else. Finally after 30 minutes a bus pulls up, so I get on. After being on that bad boy for about 30 min (mind you, it's like 11:45pm) I figure I should probably ask if this is where I want to be ... all I understood from the bus driver was no, you want bus #15, get off here. HA well okay senor, so I jumped off and got waited another 10 min for this bus to come get me from the middle of downtown Mallorca, so I thought...

I get on the #15 and start talking to a lady. She advises me of where I should go on the island (I took her advice!!!) and told me about the island and how it is about 80km long. I asked her if she knew what stop I needed, she didn't, so I figured I was sleeping on the bus that night. Then (as I always say, everything happens for a reason)..I heard English. I saw two girls talking, I asked them where they were staying, I grinned ear to ear when I heard them say Atlanta. They said follow us, I did, and thank god because let me tell ya I NEVER would have found this place. We get to the hostel, like 12:45am now, and it is closed, but there is a number to call. I call the guy and try explaining I had a reservation, he said nothing he can do I was late and he was an hr away, but no te preocupes (don't worry!) I could sleep on the sofa. Um... I knew mama bear would not be fond of that. These two girls, or should I say martyrs, kindly said they had another bed, not to worry, sleep with them. God love em for it. The hostel was great!! Even had a porch...see below for my first hostel stay (taken on our porch)

The girls, Taylor and Dina, were wanting to travel together, so that was great for me (god knows I can't go a full weekend without talking anyways!) Taylor is a jr. in HS back at home and Dina is from Germany... we talked to guy at the Hostel and he recommended same trip as bus lady to Soller, and to get there you take an old train. We thought "GReat" but train was to leave in 20 min...and it was only one of day. We asked what bus to take, he said run to taxi. We did, and said "tenemos prensa", we are in a hurry, and man oh man they take that phrase seriously around here. Meanwhile, it was my first glimpse of the island in daylight, and the mountains and beach combo was unreall... somewhat like Costa Rica but just gorgeous. We made it to train station, bought our tickets, and decided to take a picture. NOPE, bell tooted and we literally had to jump on the slightly moving train ... close call to say the least. We had about a 50min journey through mountains... see below

A bunch of orange trees and cute little houses on way up the mountains

Unreal, right? We are about 5 min from city at this point. See the church in the middle? That is where train station is

We had time to take a quick picture here, and this was our train! 

Once we were there, we got to relax a little bit. We had a great brunch at a cafe and then we had some gelato... to die for!!! 

This is right by that church you can see in the above picture.. right by where we ate

After that, we wanted to explore the city a little bit. We asked a guy at a hotel where we should go, he said oh just follow the train tracks and you will see a great view. Well, we decided what the heck?

 Literally we walked on the tracks and there was nowhere to stray from .. Pretty unreal, right? Well, yes, until the train comes, then you just run.... Again, no worries, am alive and well!

You know, just hopping over the tracks to take a quick picture on the bridge... in retrospect probably wasn't the smartest thing because if a train would have come.. well I would have been swimming !

 Taylor and I by a bridge... all of these pictures were so great I had to post them!

Just a prospect of where I could live... figure start searching early!

After this and other touring we took the train back into town, shopped a little big (the first time I DIDN'T buy anything..) and grabbed some dinner. We went back to hostal and met some people, hung out, and went to bed... and woke up and it was already our last day! We decided to rent bikes for, get this, 4 euros!!! We just walked up and down the beautiful coast all day and biked and grabbed lunch. I left the girls then to do some exploring on my own...

 They don't call it Palma Mallorca for nothing...

Oh just being a tourist..and loving it! 

Honestly, going to the beach yesterday was the best thing I have decided to do in a while. Laying in the sun, listening to Kenny Chesney, reading and thinking, it was awesome. I couldn't help but think, I have to be one of the luckiest girls on this planet. Not many get the chance to study abroad. Of those that do, who has the courage to go off to an unknown island by themselves? I take pride in the fact that I finnessed my way around town. You really know how much Spanish you can speak in times like those... and I loved it. I always knew I was a very independent girl, but I proved to myself this weekend that life can be as great as you make it... I do have my wonderful parents to thank for this opportunity (and I am not just saying this so they don't kill me after reading this...  being oceans apart does have its perks I suppose ;) ) It has been 3 weeks and this is one of my better choices I have made. I probably laid on the beach reading, but mostly thinking, for about 2.5 hrs. I thought a lot about Spain, what I want to make of my journey here, work, school, friends, (boys....naturally), and just about the adventure I took upon myself. And about the adventures yet to come... Bring it on. 

So as my trip wound down, went back to the hostel to get my things, and made my way back to the airport. While waiting for bus, there was a band like STOMP playing on the beach...playing on garbage cans and all sorts of things, as the sun was setting. It was surreal -- I watched the sun set before my eyes in literally about 7 minutes and the sun was gone beyond the horizon. I just read, waved on the first bus that came, and the next one came about 40min later. Since my plane wasn't until 10:30 pm I was in no rush, so got to the airport, had some dinner, and thought I could finally start my book on the plane and relax.... WRONG AGAIN :) 

I sat next to a really nice guy, Jimmy, from Connecticut and he is here in Seville to play American football here with some Spanish guys. They had just played and were heading home to watch the superbowl. Well, I met a bunch of the teammates and they were all so great. The head coach, from Chicago, said I should go to the bar with them they're good guys (and to tell him otherwise ... ) My friend Nacho (no that is not a joke..I clarified) and his dad and Jimmy and I drove to the bar that was open only for them since they are family friends. It was great -- we watched the entire game. I made some other friends that drove me home at 5am (yes, was struggling to keep eyes open at this point). Clearly I could care less the Packers won... not even going there.. but was so much fun and met a lot of great friends!!!

In the bar with some of the guys at like 4 am... 

All in all, very successful and fun weekend. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, regular classes have already started up today, so I guess I have to get into that state of mind ... somehow!!! 

Until my next adventure ( most likely not solo)

Peace, Amor, Espana

Ana