Author: barcelonababbler

It’s very interesting to me, and not coincidental at all, that my 25th birthday is ushering in a year of preparation and change. I’ve reached a quarter of a century. For the past 25 years, I’ve been a child. Even in college, or the 2 years working post-graduation, I’ve still viewed myself as young and inexperienced– looking into the future as untapped adult “life” that will come eventually.

But now, I feel like I’ve reached a tipping point in my life.

I’m 25– officially past the line of “college student” or “newly graduated”. I’m not in my studying stage, or “finding myself” period. I know where God has called me. I’ve known since I was 13 years old. Yet, it has always been a dream– a far-off, almost unreachable calling.

But it’s actually happening. As my friend Carina said,

“It’s like you’ve been waiting for the proposal for 11 years, and now you finally have the ring! The next year is wedding preparation.”

So here’s to my 25th year. The year of preparation and new-found adulthood. I look forward to the moment I’m celebrating my 26th birthday in a place He called me to 12 years previously. I suspect it will be a very fulfilling day. Maybe I’ll blow the candles out on wedding cake.

I’m moving to Spain.

For those of you who don’t know me well, I’ve known since I was 13 years old that God called me to live, work, and share His love with others in a Spanish speaking country. The question has never been IF I’m going, but when and where. Since I first heard His voice so clearly in Mexico, I always assumed it would be Mexico! Or any other Latin American country…

But then I studied in Barcelona. And I met John and Brandi Carrano. And I became involved with the International Church of Barcelona. And God completely took over from there.

The funny part is, I studied in Barcelona to travel Europe since I “knew” I would be living in Latin America for the rest of my life. Because, when would I possibly get the chance again to travel Europe?

I can’t help but wonder sometimes… what if my Dad wasn’t stationed in Texas? What if my mom was never sick– keeping us in Texas for her proper healthcare? What if I hadn’t gone on that mission trip to Mexico? What if I went to UT? What if I hadn’t worked at Sweet Eugene’s, inevitably meeting Amber who first introduced me to the International Studies Degree? What if I actually ended up studying in Argentina like I had originally planned? What if I studied in a different city in Spain? WHAT IF SHE NEVER ENDS THIS PARAGRAPH OF QUESTIONS?

But in all seriousness, when I look back on how God so intricately wove the details of my life leading me to this place, and I’m only 25 years old, I’m overwhelmed with the thought of how much more He has planned for me. I remember hearing a pastor saying once, “God cares more about your destiny and calling than you ever could.” As much as that goes against my self-deprecating nature, I’m beginning to accept it. And it’s pretty fantastic, y’all.

So here’s to the start of a new season. Here’s to the next year of preparation. And I truly mean it when I say, thank you for being a part of it.

I know what you’re thinking. No, I don’t have the “movie-high” induced after seeing a great movie for the first time. There are just some incredible lessons to be learned that aren’t addressed in previous Disney movies.

1.)  You CAN’T fall in love in one day

I couldn’t be HAPPIER that Disney made fun of the fact that Anna fell in love with Hans in one day. If the cheesy “Love is an Open door” song wasn’t enough to hammer in their point, Kristoff repeatedly proclaimed his shock when finding out that Anna got engaged to a man she just met. “Loving” someone after knowing them for less than a month is nothing more than infatuation. It’s about time, Disney. It’s about time.

2.) “True Love” is manifested through a sister relationship

Wow! You mean a Disney movie doesn’t have to revolve around the peril of 2 lovers being torn apart by an evil villain? I know, there are movies like Mulan and Tangled with lead female roles trying to “find/prove themselves”, and the romance is just a sub-plot. But this is the first movie that HIGHLIGHTS a relationship between sisters and the love that connects them.

3.) Don’t bury or run away from your hurt and pain

Burying or running away from your hurt and pain not only doesn’t help you, it will also affect everyone around you. The overflow of Elsa’s fear cursed an entire town. No amount of stuffing will ever keep the bitterness, fear, shame, ect. from seeping out and affecting everyone in proximity. You can’t hate yourself and love others.

4.) Your gifts and strengths can be used for good AND evil

There is a pattern in Disney movies: there is good and evil– no in between. The good people are good, and the bad people are bad. But that’s not how the world works. All of us are responsible for our own gifts and strengths. We have to be good stewards of our own characters. Elsa was using her gift in a poor way. I understand she wasn’t intentionally doing this, but in the end, she allowed fear to control her instead of walking in confidence and taking control of the situation in a healthy way.

5.) Ordinary men can be manipulative and evil

You don’t have to be a sorcerer to be evil. Past Disney villains were OBVIOUSLY evil and creepy with names like Scar or being an all-out sorcerer like Jafar. They aren’t humanized, they’re just evil. You don’t feel empathy for them. You can’t relate to them. They’re the “bad guys”, and of course, you’re on the good guys’ side. But Hans was JUST a man who chose to act poorly to work his way to the top. After getting past the ridiculously corny love song in the beginning, you actually grew to like him and root for him. I sure didn’t want him to fall to his doom at the ice castle! In fact, you probably know a Hans. You don’t particularly like him, but he’s still human.

 

That’s all.

I HATE the feeling of not being able to communicate. Or pulling the “American card”. Which I have done these past 3 days… I’m trying my best to pick up phrases, but I’m so visual that everything Amber teaches me goes in one ear and out the other. Oh well.

So I left Barcelona early Friday morning. Completely devastated, no doubt. The taxi picked me up at 5am, and I had no phone (aka no alarm) at the time, so I had to stay up all night (which wasn’t a big deal since I hung out with my friends till 3am, crying about leaving). God truly saved me from missing my flight, though, at the airport. I sat down, had 30 minutes till I boarded, suddenly woke up in a panic half and hour later. I ran to the line in a COMPLETE daze, basically half-asleep, which meant OF COURSE that the Spanish dude in front of me had to start flirting/talking to me. I try my best to respond without looking like a moron, which was inevitable since I was a zombie, though. Once I got on the plane I just passed out for the next 2 hours.

After landing and getting my luggage, and then riding on a bus for and hour to get to Amber, we finally meet up!! Epic reunion. The rest of the day, I am toast. Like, dysfunctional from the amount of sleep I got. I guess I changed my A&M email password, and now need to go to the main office when I return to get it changed again (since I have absolutely NO CLUE what it is…)

Saturday: After eventually getting a full night’s rest, Shelby, Kate and I went to the catacombs. For those of you who don’t know, there are about 6 million people buried under Paris in these tunnels. It was sufficiently creepy for a normal person, but for some reason (perhaps because I’m emotionally cut-off), I was totally fine with it. I felt like I was in a haunted house… “kids these days. So desensitized by movies and television…”


Afterwards we met Amber up (HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY) at the Eiffel Tower, with the full intention of having a wine/cracker and cheese picnic under it, but it had rained so we moved it to our lame apartment. Stupid weather.

Today we went to Versailles. BEAUTIFUL. If you know me, (which you do, because you’re only reading this if you’re close to me), I LOVE significant historical monuments. Versailles was amazing because it made me feel like I was THERE. Like somehow, Louis the 16th had literally just walked through his bedroom/hall of mirrors right before I did. And the artwork and architecture was gorgeous. The gardens were my favorite part though. I could definitely walk through those every day and never get bored. It’s just so prestigious and grand.


Well tomorrow (Monday), we’re going to the Louvre and the Christmas markets. Stoked.

Moral of the weekend: be careful what (movie plot) you wish for (to follow your life).

Ever since seeing Leap Year, I’ve had this weird obsession with going to Ireland and somehow experiencing everything that the main character, Anna, did. Well, I basically got my wish this weekend. The good, the bad, and the demented high schooler who hit on me.

If you haven’t seen the movie, Anna’s boyfriend hasn’t proposed to her yet, so she decides to go meet him in Dublin to propose to him on Feb. 29th (it’s an Irish tradition for the woman to propose to the man on Leap day). So basically because I have run out of ideas on how to keep you interested,  I will be mirroring Anna’s experience with ours.

 

Amber and I both flew into Dublin, but my flight arrived 4 hours earlier than hers, so I decided to tour Dublin before meeting up with her. It has been a running joke with my friends that I will marry an Irish man. My first 5 minutes in Dublin, walking down a street, I joking “ask” (in my head) all the Irish men out there, “so who is lucky enough to put a ring on this finger?” Literally 30 seconds after I proposed this question, I watch as this chubby highschooler walks by, full on giving me the up-down. As soon as we make eye contact (my faced in a twisted, repulsed manner), he smiles and says “eey booful”. {Finding an Irish man like Anna? Check.}

Next I link up with Amber, and we take our 3 hour bus ride to Limerick, which felt like 20 minutes because we had so much catching up to do. In Limerick, we checked into our adorable bed and breakfast {like in Leap Year…}, then headed out the a restaurant to grab a bite. The whole time, this table of Irish women beside us were hysterical, cracking up and obviously having a grand ol time together. {Traditional with meal boisterous natives like Anna, check.}

The next day, we sleep in and eat a beautiful, heavy Irish breakfast downstairs. When we finally arrive at the bus station, ready to head to the Cliffs of Moher, which was basically THE REASON WHY we went to Ireland, we found out that it was off season and the only bus left 2 hours earlier… {important dreams crushed by transportation issues like Anna, check}
So we decided to go to this cute little town called Adare.

As I cracked jokes about “adaring” to go to Adare, we got to see a gorgeous green country with sheep galore from our bus window. We went to a pub where wedding guests were all hanging out. {like when Anna crashed that Irish wedding…} and eventually made our way to where we THOUGHT was the bus stop. Suddenly, our bus rushes by us, and we sprint down the street in hopes to catch it. After a block, I look back at a defeated Amber walking… and look back to see the bus pull out of the bus stop. Obviously, we decided to eat in Adare that night. We ate at a restaurant where once Bill Clinton had eaten.

Around 6:33pm, Amber asks me what time it is, and we realize that we only have 7 minutes to get to the bus stop. Right when we jump up, we see a bus pass by our window.
Amber: “Omg, that’s our bus.”
Audrey: “Nope, no no, that’s not our bus. It’s not. It can’t be.”
*Awkward silence where we both fully understand that it was our bus*
Which mean that it was time to sit back down and order dessert.
{Missing the “train”(bus) just like Anna…}

FINALLY we make it back, and end up watching “I’m a Celebrity, get me out of here: Australia” for the rest of the night. It was actually very entertaining. The Irish are much more hilarious than we are.

The next day we had yet another wonderful breakfast, and some young guy from the kitchen dropped a bunch of plates.

 

 

 

 

 

 
We checked out and walked to King John’s Castle. {…just like Anna and Declan saw a castle…}

aaand Amber slipped and fell in this slimy mud/algae crud. {Anna? Yes?  Slipping and falling down that muddy hill?}

Finally, we headed to the bus where we started our adventures home. 3 hours to the airport and then waiting in the terminal together, eating Burger King. Yes, Burger King.

Tomorrow I see Amber once again, this time in Venice. And I will be spending the next 9 days in Venice, Florence, and Rome with various friends. I cannot believe this is real life.

Dear Service Workers of Barcelona,

Please, just speak to me in Spanish. I assure you that I will be able to understand you. At least, it’ll better than trying to decipher your “English”. I just don’t understand how, when I respond to you in (almost) perfect Spanish, you still assume I’m an ignorant tourist. Thank you.

Audrey

Don’t judge me. Don’t you dare judge me.

In the words of Sweeney Todd, there is no place like London. Even the air is prestigious. There was something so enchanting about seeing all of these famous landmarks such as Buckingham Palace and Big Ben. And, I will be the first to admit that the British accent can send me fluttering.

I also found an odd comfort in seeing houses again. And of course, having everything be in your native tongue was freeing. I got in kind of late Friday night, so I mainly just walked around the area where my friends live. Saturday though, Genevieve, Hannah and I hit it hard. We basically saw everything you “should see” in London. First off, we met up in Hyde Park:
and continued onto Trafalgar Square, where the National Gallery is:
and, of course, Aslan himself:

Then Buckingham Palace:

I snuck a picture of St. Paul’s Cathedral (where, like, omg, Prince William and Kate were like, MARRIED)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, and there was an “Occupy London” protest going on outside of it.

We then walked around the Thames River and got to see Tower Bridge (which consequently is mistaken for “London Bridge” a lot… London Bridge is really lame.)

We then ate a traditional British meal at a cute little pub:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yum. Then we finally finished off the “London” experience by seeing Big Ben, Parliament, The London Eye, and Westminster Abbey.
 

I honestly just don’t feel like writing more. Sorry. I’m tired.

As I’m in my room, packing for London tomorrow, I’m thinking about 3 things.

1. What is the relentless bell ringing in the corridor below?
2. Of course, I would leave my shampoo and towel in Prague. Why wouldn’t I have.
3. I wonder if I could pull off a British accent this weekend.

By the way, I know you all have been dying to hear about that photo contest in Girona… and well… we won!! Neda, Julia, and I get to pick a local show (under 10 euros) to go to! Points for creativity.

So Prague. Prague. I mean, PRAGUE. I cannot explain how much I adored Prague. I still have London, Ireland, Venice, Florence, Rome, and Paris to get to, and I am absolutely convinced that they won’t match up to Prague. The city is simply enchanting. It is ridden with stunning architecture that dates back to 1100 AD. If given the opportunity, I would jump at going back.

On Friday, Whitney and I went to Old Towns Square, which was by far my favorite area.

It happened to be St. Martin’s Day as well, so Old Town Square was filled with a market. We ate delicious crepes and drank traditional Czech honey wine. It could not have been a more perfect atmosphere.
For lunch we crossed the Charles Bridge seen here:

And ate goulash and potato pancakes at a cozy little restaurant. We attempted to go out with Whitney’s friends that night, but both were feeling a little sick, so we decided to stay in.

The next morning, we went to the Jewish quarters, only to realize that many areas, such as the Jewish cemetery, were closed down because of the Sabbath. We still got to see some extremely old synagogues, and I ended up buying a painting of Old Town Square…. which inevitably is where we found ourselves once again, soaking in the charm of the market. We ate a traditional St. Martin’s meal, which is a pancake potato with beets and goose! And then sipped on Gluehwein while strolling the plaza.

After lunch, we headed across Charles Bridge again to go visit Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral, which is in the castle.

For dinner, we went to a beer brewery where you can eat and drink freshly brewed beer. We split beer cheese and bread and Wiener Schnitzel, and ended up sharing our table with some Brits. It was pretty neat getting to talk to them.
Whitney and I headed to see Charles Bridge at night, since supposedly it looks beautiful when it’s lit up.

Here are some other lovely shots of Prague:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again, I absolutely adored Prague. I truly hope that I can make it back some day.

Just 3 short days after coming back from Morocco/Sevilla, ISA took a few of us on a trip to Girona and Figueres!

We had a photo contest in Girona, which has a pretty extensive “old city”, but unfortunately it was raining so we didn’t get to find all of the hotspots. We were supposed to be as creative as we could. This is what we came up with:

I know you’re probably getting sick of seeing cathedral pics at this point, but this one was actually pretty cool since there were a massive amount of steps that lead up to it. We were already half way, so this doesn’t really show it well:
Other creative pictures (or so I thought…)

We took as many pics as we thought possible, then went to a quaint coffee shop overlooking the river and enjoyed expresso, quiche, and some divine “hot chocolate” that was basically just melted chocolate.

 Afterwards, we went to Figueres where the Dali museum resides. It was definitely a nice change from all of the classical art I had been seeing. Dali’s modern art ranged from paintings of 18th century women holding their elastic noses to strange sculptures of deformed beings. My favorite though was probably the blonde muse. He made a face large objects, and you can only get the full view by climbing up some stairs:
 I just found it so interesting, because you couldn’t really capture the whole face without the right perspective. Some may not even understand that it was art from the side view:
Loved that day. Friday, I leave for Prague.