Religion...kinda

Being in Europe has left me with a lot of free time to think, and my recent topic is organized religion. A month ago, the Pope came to Barcelona to consecrate La Sagrada Familia and a lot of news surrounded religion in Spain. Some 70-80% of Spaniards were raised or consider themselves Catholic, but less that 10% attend Mass. More astonishingly, I learned that about 99% of Danes (people from Denmark) don't believe in a religion.

Most of you know that I was raised Muslim, but I consider my belief more by chance than by choice. I say that because I was raised to believe in this religion by my parents, just as they were raised to believe Islam because of their parents. This isn't a bad thing...most people believe what they are taught. Of course we learn religions for ourself, but very few take time to learn the detail behind other religions and convert to something else (I'm getting to a point, I promise...).

This past weekend, I visited Rome and we made a trip to Vatican City to check it out. I will say I was in awe by the sheer grandiousness of it all. To get to the Sistine Chapel, you have to navigate through 4km of art and exhibits from around the world. You have entire rooms that were paitned by Raphael during the Renaissance. And then finally, you get to Michaelangelo's Sistine Chapel, which honestly, looked about the same as all the other art you find inside basilicas across Europe.

This made me think more of my religion. The only art you see is mainly caligraphy of scriptures from the Quran. While my Arabic is rusty, I like that I can make out words and read sentences when I see the writings on books, walls, or carvings. These pieces of art are valuable, but they in no way match in comparison to what the Vatican has.

It is estimated that the Vatican is worth over 2 billion euros...no one actually knows the true number. Regardless, this money, if donated, would be enough to virtually end world hunger. I know what you're thinking, and I think it too...if we donated the money we spend on war to charity, we, too, could end world hunger. That's not my point.

I find it hard not to criticize the Vatican for it's emphasis on money. I may be slightly bitter after spending 20euro in entrance fees, but I just don't get it (the hajj, or pilgrimage for Muslims does not have an entrance fee...). With an organization as strong and powerful as the Vatican, I find it irresponsible not to leverage your influence and help better the world we live in.

My friend Sam and I got to talking and he comes from a long line of Catholics, but he doesn't associate himself with the church. A few qualms he mentioned...one being the ambivalence of using the holdings of money to feed the world, and two, the Catholic church's view on the use of contraception. Recently, the Pope alluded it's kinda sorta okay to use it to prevent the spread of diseases such as HIV/AIDS. What about the unnecessary abortions that could be avoided if Catholocism endorsed realist responsibility? What are the lesser of the two evils? Just something to think about...

I hope this doesn't offend anyone and I assure you that it was not my intent. Here's my kvetch for the year...you know where to send your thoughts.

On a related note, my parents are in the process of booking their pilgrimage trip and offered to take me with them in April. Out of all the places I am planning to go to, this has immediately become the one I'm most anticipating. Happy holidays all...talk soon.

Home Away from Home

While holidays are ample in Spain, 5 day weekends are not. This weekend is important because the following Monday and Wednesday are both Spanish holidays, making Tuesday the puente. Add that together and you get a 5 day weekend (except for me, who will be working most of this week..)

On the eve of the busiest travel weekend in Spain, all Air Traffic Controllers decided to strike, thus grounding all flights in all airports. Christina and Jose had plans for the past two months to fly to London and visit Jose's brother who just moved there. Both their mothers also came to Barcelona as they were also going to London, but unfortunately they are all stuck in town.

Because I was staying in town, two of my friends from Valencia came in to visit and explore BCN. I also organized a Mexican Fiesta at my place, where I made chicken fajitas, black beans (not out of a can…), fresh pico, and others brought the guac, rice, and bebidas. The night started out well until Rosemarie had severe eye irritations and began losing her vision due to her contacts. This happened to my brother last year and it was pretty serious. I called my hospital and asked if we had an optometrist available and my colleague, Dr. Miro, assured me we did. Worried that Rosemarie would get lost on the subway, Jose and his mother offered to drive her to the Hospital and wait with her. I haven't been in Spain long, but I've never seen anyone here go that far out of their way to take care of someone they just met. Sure people will offer advice or direct you places, but hardly ever will they treat you as their own. This reminded me a lot of home, and especially of my parents who go out of their way to help people they just met or people they don't even know.

Unfortunately, when the got to my hospital, the optometrist decided to peace out for the holiday and they were sent to an eye clinic on the other side of town. Again Jose and his mom accompanied Rosemarie and Nora, got them settled at the clinic, and helped explain things to the doctor. Champs. Plain champs.

They made it back in time for the end of the fiesta. We learned Rosemarie has the equivalent of small cuts on her cornea. She has to wear eye patches. Like a pirate. But, everything will be okay.

Next weekend, Zaragoza. The following, Rome. Talk soon.

Thanksgiving

I think I celebrated Thanksgiving 4 times last week, but I do have a lot to be thankful for. My brother and I used to joke that everytime we come home to our parents house, we automatically gain 5 pounds. My mom will cook anything and everything we want, and we, of course, stuff our faces with it. Not because we don't eat well on a regular basis...there's just something about home cooking...

I arrived to beautiful NC just in time for my dad's birthday. The surprise visit managed to stay a surprise until the end. My parents were happy and sad to see me at the same time. I kinda understood this, I guess. They got used to life without me for the past 3 months, and now, they would have to start all over again. Precious.

I was able to see most of my friends throughout the week and into the weekend. Mrs. Lockwood moved our traditional pre-Christman meatball night to Thanksgiving weekend because I was in town...yeah, that's love. I got to enjoy a little peace of fall...a tailgate, football saturday, and a bar-b-que.

My parents also decided on their trip to Europe. They're planning to take about 2 months and go just about everywhere. They are taking me along to Sevilla, Cordoba, Grenada, Morrocco, Egypt, and Saudia Arabia with them. While awesome, that adds a little fuel to me getting all my research done in time so I may enjoy all the gallavanting.

Sadly, one thing I have taken for granted was heat. While my roommates are awesome and I love living in Gotico, my apartment has no heat. My feet are perpetually cold, and I contend that it is the worst feeling ever.

Talk soon

No Shave November?

Buenas all...it's been some time since my last post and I know you all are a little curious as to what I've been doing with myself for the past few weeks. Well the answer is...lots! I'm currently laying flat on my back on my first class seat back to NC for Thanksgiving. The trip is a surprise for my parents, and hopefully I'll get in just in time for my dad's birthday dinner.

After my trip to Figueres/Cadaques/Girona, I knew it was time to buckle down. I spent about 4-5 hours in the library studying for my GMAT each day...couple that with my research at the hospital and you'll understand if I've been slow to respond to emails or return phone calls. I took the GMAT this past Friday and while I always feel I can do better, I'm pretty happy with my score and it places me in a competitive standing for the schools I'm applying to. Now on to finishing essays...

Research has been going unexpectedly well. I've been working on a Toxicology Study surrounding an overdose patient which ended up costing over 175,000 Euros and requiring 3 months of treatment in the hospital. Initially, our goal was to sum the costs associated with just emergency care, as we wanted to show alternative methods of treatment. From here, I decided to look at opportunity costs, a very “American” concept of economics as I was told. Essentially, I wanted to show the board what the hospital could have done had they not had this treatment. This includes looking at financial numbers for the average cost of patient's with the same DRG code and their average length of stay (LOS). I want to show two alternatives...the losses the hospital could have avoided in treatment (they were not reimbursed for the full cost of this patient, thus losing money...) and the number of other patients that they could have treated. I presented initial results to the Director of Toxicology at the hospital, who happens to be the top Toxicologist in Spain, and he loved the idea of opportunity cost. I'm surprised why it's not used more, especially with Socialized medicine. There is a limited amount of resources (money) and someone has to choose who is treated and when. This particular patient, who was on their third suicide attempt, cost a lot. The patient also received a liver transplant in 2 days, whereas most patients wait months on the list (sidenote, in Spain, everyone defaults to an organ donor unless they specify otherwise, even tourists..). I would hate to be the person that is in the position to prioritize care amongst the population, but I can't help to question whether the resources were best spent. How many hip surgeries could we have performed for grandmas across Spain? How many breast cancer treatments could we have provided to women? I don't know exactly where my research will go, but I hope it makes people think about alternatives. That said, I will be presenting my work in January at the National Conference on Toxicology, and soon thereafter be published in Spain's Journal of Medicine. Pretty exciting stuff (nerd alert)

I feel like I'm also settling in pretty well to life in Barça. My pace has slowed down a bit and I take more time to breathe in the experiences. More and more I feel like a local. Many people will approach me and ask me directions in Spanish, and when I reply I don't sound completely retarded! I'm keeping up with my rock climbing and soccer-ing as well. Jose just spent 500euro on new gear and we have an excursion planned when I get back from the states.

And finally, after my exam last Friday, I sat down and made a list of places I must visit/see before I leave Spain. I will measure the success of my year abroad with the number of stamps I add to my passport. Here goes:

Zaragoza, Spain – December 10-12

Rome – December 16-19

Andorra – mid-January

London/Brighton/Oxford – late January

Sevilla, Cordoba, and Granada – early February

Lisbon, Portugal, Madrid, and Marrakesh, Morocco – late February/early March

Canary Islands – mid-March

Geneva, and the Swiss Alps – late March

Mallorca/Ibiza - April/May

Prague, Czech Republic - April/May

Berlin, Germany - April/May

Cagliari, Sardegna - May

Athens, Greece

Amsterdam - May/June

Dublin, Ireland

Istanbul, Turkey – June

Nairobi, Kenya – June

Armenia/Georgia – July

Seoul, South Korea – July

Auckland, New Zealand – July

HOME - July

If any of you readers are interested in joining, let me know. Pretty pumped for the rest of my time here! Talk sooooon(er)

Ps, I haven't shaved since April...

I'm on the Pursuit of Fall

A quick play on words from Kid Cudi's song "Pursuit of Happyness" (link)...but lately, I have been on the pursuit of fall. Fall is easily my favorite season. The crisp air, the crunch of leaves beneath your feet, gameday/tailgating at UNC with friends, Indian/Pakistani Thanksgiving with my family, the first frost, cool morning runs...I could go on and on...

Unfortunately, Barcelona does not celebrate fall. The temparate climate, lack of trees, humidity, and late mornings are all new experiences which are enjoyable, but form a routine that gets tiring. The past two weekends, the rest of Team USA and I ventured outward....here are our stories:

Montserrat

Over the Dia de los Santos Puente, we took off for a daytrip to Montserrat, the Catholic Monestary outside of BCN. The train ride was long and pretty industrial, but as we turned the final corner, you could see the base of the mountains, and at the very top, Montserrat. It's a common saying that you don't pass into Catalan adulthood until you climb Montserrat to see the sunrise or the sunset. To confirm our transformation, we made our way up the 1200 stairs and twisting trails. The weather changed 20 degrees from base to peak, but for the first time in a long time, I saw greenery, trees, and the colors of the leaves. It reminded me a little of the mountains in NC...

We enjoyed a nice little picnic at the top, and proceeded to climb a few easy rock faces. After completing our circle, we spent a little time sightseeing and began our trip back home. All in all, a great break from the usual.

Girona-Cadaques-Figueres

Team USA needed out of BCN, and after some great recommendations from friends and colleagues, we rented a little VW and hit the road. Getting out of the city was a bit tricky, especially with the Pope making his way to town for the opening of La Sagrada Familia. First stop: Figueres

Figueres was Salvador Dali's hometown and the site of his museum. We arrived in Figueres, had an amazing (buffet) lunch, and walked to the museum. Unfortunately, they closed for a few hours for "unknown maintenance" so we hit the road for Cadaques.

Dali's house is right outside Cadaques, and it's where he lived til his death. He invited many famous artists to stay with him, including Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, and Antoni Pitxot...it was a brotherhood of sorts. Cadaques is a small town on Costa Brava, known for it's rocky coast. We explored that for a solid couple hours, making our way over the caves and down to the sea. The amazing rocks are formed by the tramontane, the strong winds from the north which come for days at a time, making walking outdoors impossible.

After a coffee break, we made our way to the hotel. Our town was deserted as it's offseason in the Brava, but we were accompanied with two buses filled with retired Spaniards. After a quick bite, we passed out...exhausted from the day. Sunday morning we were on a mission to see the Dali Museum in Figueres. We got there early and spent at least 2 hours walking around. It was the definition of sensory overload, but I enjoyed learning about the strange artist from Catalonia...

Our last stop was Girona, a town 120km outside of BCN. They were wrapping up their city festival so we stopped by the tents and mercados to check out the scene. Fall in Catalonia means new tastes and smells...chestnuts, breads, and new sweets to try. Our friend Azareen showed us a little of the town, including a great Catalonian/Moraccan lunch spot, and a trendy Jack Johnsony coffee shop. Izzy spent most of her time picking up leaves to take back to BCN...I told you we missed fall...

Another week down...I've registered for my GMAT...d-day is on the horizon friends! Well wishes and positive thinking are always welcome.

10-year old gives birth???

There's a new story that's blowing up across Spain (click here to read) about a 10-year old girl from Romania who just gave birth in the town of Jerez, in the Andalucian province of Spain. I try not to be political. I try to make my blog something interesting to distract you friends for a minute, maybe make you smile at some of my misfortunes. But this is not okay.

The fact that their is debate to let the 10-year old keep the child is not okay. The fact that the parents of this child see nothing wrong with their daughter giving birth at 10 is not okay. I know time's are a changin', but sometimes I worry about the world our kids will grow up in.

Talk soon.

Carolina Connections

When I tell people I'm from "carolina del norte," I never expect them to know where that is. Everyone knows the big cities...NYC, LA, DC. But North Carolina?? Wrongggg.

My stolen sillyband...looks a lot like NC, no?

From day 1 in Spain, I've met plenty of people who have some attachment to the state. I've made a list of what I can remember...I guess it just shows I miss home a little:

1. My old roommate Amar was seeing a girl who grew up in NC, went to ECU, and just moved back to attend grad school at NC State. Turns out I don't know her, but we have some friends in common!
2. At orientation in Madrid, there are Fulbrighters from Davidson, UNCG, UNC, Wake Forest, and Duke.
3. My current roommate Chrstina lived in Greeneville for 1 year when she was a kid
4. Dr. Miro will be going to UNC in 2012 to research the Emergency Department Residency Program
5. Dr. Hernandez is heading to UnC in May to attend a conference on rheumatology
6. I met a girl wearing an old school Larry "GrandMaMa" Johnson Charlotte Hornets jersey. This doesn't belong here, but it was hilarious

Santander

Santander lies on the northern coast of Spain, on the Atlantic Ocean. It's known for it's beautiful sandy beachs, rocky costline, cliffs, and, at times, dreary weather. The plan this weekend was to be outdoorsy, and we were able to do just that.

We explored most of the coast, up to a sweet lighthouse hanging on one of the cliffs. The waves crash harder there...makes me miss the Atlantic just a little. There's also a large castle on an opposite cliff which was built for an English King in the 1800s...this helped spark tourism to the city.

We went climbing Thursday evening at a local bridge. We met up with 4 other Spaniards who were also scaling the 50ft bridge side. Other than a top-rope, we were clinging to small mortar holes and rock overhangs on the side of this bridge. I haven't climbed like that in years. My roommate Jose also climbs, so the next free weekend we'll make our way around Barcelona to do so. After climbing, we met up with Roger's ultimate frisbee team for some night sessions. I've never played ultimate frisbee, nor was I ever a huge fan, but I had a lot of fun, and met some cool people. About 2/3 of the folks were Spaniards, with the remainder being American Auxiliares (similar to the Fulbright English Teachers, Auxiliares are from all over the world and teach language to schoolkids in Spain).

Friday we set out on an excursion to a pueblo outside the city. There's a 150ft freestanding rock formation in the ocean that we want to work our way up to climb. It's pretty sick, but I don't think I can complete it in one piece. After exploring a small cave by the water, we made our way back to meet up with some of our friends from Madrid who made their way up. Friday night turned out to be awesome. I ran into 10 people I met at orientation and spent the night out with them. A light night led to an early morning plane back to Barcelona...

Alicante

I decided to take the train to Alicante, mainly because there aren't really any cheap flights there. Alicante lies on the eastern coast of Spain, about halfway between Barcelona and Sevilla. Many people recommended the city, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there.

Alicante doesn't have much to see...it's like the rest of Spain on the Mediterranean...beautiful beaches, mountains inland, and perfect weather. What enticed me was this city in no way felt like a tourist town. My friend who I stayed with lives in the barrio which is filled with nightlife and great resturants. I like to think of the city as Spain's college town...most of the inhabitants were Spaniards or ERASMUS (European Exchange Students) and the city catered mainly to them. It's one of those cities where if you lived in for more than 2 weeks, everyone would know your name. I like that about the south...people are nicer and approachable.

The main attraction in Alicante is the palace on the top of the mountain, overlooking the beach. The view was beautiful, and highly worth the climb. Other than that, I was able to see most of the city during a moderate run.

We also ventured to two other nearby cities...Bennidorm and Altea. Bennidorm is where Europe "summers." The city is relatively new with highrise apartment buildings very unlike Spain. As summer is now over, so too are the tourists. Altea is home to the largest Norewegian population outside of Norway. It's quite a city with tiny white homes all over the place.

Shopping...kinda

I'm not a big shopper. Most of the clothes I have were purchased by my mom or sister…I accredit them for my taste. But in an effort to fit in a bit more, I started making what I call "European" additions to my wardrobe. A few problems with this:

1. Clothes in Spain are fairly cheap. And cheap price is, unfortunately, synonymous with cheap quality. Sure they are trendy, and they are designed to do just that. Last as a trend, fall apart after 4 washes, requiring you to buy new stuff next season. That's fine, but I'm used to buying things that last. My favorite shirt is probably 10 years old. Nothing bought in Spain will last that long.

2. Sizes. I hate trying on clothes. Sizing here varies tremendously from store to store. They have different size socks, and a medium is more like a small. And if you pick up the wrong size, go home and try it on, and come back to exchange it, you're outta luck. Returns/exchanges aren't very common, so make sure you like what you are buying…you're getting exactly (and only) what you paid for…

3. I will never, til the day I die, understand why there are 3 H&Ms, 3 Zaras, 2 Cort de Ingles, and 3 Mango department stores all within 100 yards of each other. Seriously, I can walk out of Zara and see the competing Zara across the street, five stores down. It makes no sense, but what do I know…

4. We all know Europeans dress fashionably (read: differently). That's great, except I have a personal problem shopping in a store where I can't tell where the men's section ends and the women's begins. It's especially difficult with pants. Skinny jeans are in for men, as are baggy-ish jeans for women. When you put them right next to each other, the poor American will get confused…

The Art of the Puente

I'm not sure if "puente" has any real meaning, but next to actual holidays, it is Spain's favorite day. Well, that's because puentes are actually the day next to the holiday.

For instance, Tuesday, Oct 12th was a holiday here in Spain. I'm not completely sure if it was to commemorate Columbus Day or a festival in Zaragoza, but it automatically made Monday, Oct 11th the puente. And on puentes, people don't work. Many shops are closed, business take off, and people enjoy the long weekend.

Apparently if a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, the puente will automatically be the Monday or Friday. The Monday puente is ideal when you couple it with the customary Friday half-day. If you plan it right, you're looking at a 4.5 day weekend.

I asked my roommates what happens if the holiday is on Wednesday. They laughed and said "que piensas?!" (what do you think?!?)

Down to Business

It's been a little over a month and things are finally starting to sink in/settle down. There are still plenty of distractions (fiestas), but I'm getting into a little "routine," especially at work. My goal for the first 2 months while I'm studying/completing applications is to get about 20 hours of work in at the hospital, and scale up to a full-time schedule eventually.

I'm working directly with Maria Asenjo, the Cap'de Econoadministritiva in the Emergency Department, roughly the same position as an Administrative Director. She's very smart (MBA from ESADE), very well connected (husband is the CEO of another hospital outside BCN), and extremely nice. Unfortunately, she is also very busy, especially with all of the changes that are going on in the department.

Since my unofficial title at the hospital is "Interno de Econoadministritiva," I've been asked to help conduct a few analyses for a few of the physicians in the department. One, which has been quite interesting, is the economic cost of psychiatric overdose patients. I'm working specifically on one case, organizing direct and indirect costs, and analyzing the outcomes of procedures. It's interesting because the patient has tried to committ suicide 3 times, with her latest try destroying her liver. Because she was young, she was put on the top of the liver transplant list and had an operation within 2 days, while others on the list wait months. Because of the reimbursment structure, the hospital lost a lot of money on this specific patient, who will likely (statistically speaking) try suicide again. Moreover, this patient used resources which could have been spent on others. Public healthcare draws lines, and while I'm not drawing it, the research I'm doing will help to quantify the resources spent to keep these types of patients alive.

Another study I'm involved in is on the cost of Acute Heart Failure descompensation in Spain. I'll be crunching numbers again, but it looks like I have the opportunity to be published in 3 articles while here on my Fulbright (the 2 mentioned above and one of my own). I guess that's pretty exciting, even though I never saw myself as an actual researcher.

What's funny is I'm realizing that help isn't free, even in Spain. I'm apart of a barter system and where I give a little, I get a little. For helping Maria, she has offered me use of her cabin in the mountains for a ski trip this winter. My roommates were stoked to here this, especially as we began planning a few trips together. Dr. Miro has baited me with all of his connections and the opportunity to visit other hospitals, including one in the Canary Islands, San Sebastian, Cordoba, and Alicante. I can't say no to that...

This weekend has been fairly chill. I've been cooking a lot more and got back on my running regiment. I'm signing up for a lot of upcoming races across Spain as it will be a great opportunity to supplement my travel. Talk soon

Casual Sunday

The past few days have been a whirlwind. I feel like so much has happened, but nothing at all. A few quick stories:

On Tuesday, I arrived at the police station to apply for my NIE (Residency Card). This was my second attempt, and although I got there at 7:30am (1.5 hours before they opened), I found myself somewhere around number 150 in line. Great. I humored myself, got in the second line, and crossed my fingers I would be seen before my 11am meeting at the hospital. Unknowingly, I sat next to a fellow American student who was studying Spanish at the University. She was number 1 in our line. I was number 77. Great. We talked a little about our experiences in the city thus far and what exactly brought us here. This was her second go-round in BCN and she was accustomed to the pace. Unfortunately, she was missing an important form (the Empadronamiento mentioned earlier) that was required for the NIE. I knew my meeting at the hospital was much more important that obtaining my residency (I've been waiting 2 weeks to meet with Maria, the Economist/Administrative Head of the ED), but I was so close. My American friend saw my unrest and out of nowhere, traded numbers with me. Not two minutes later, they called my (her) number and I was off. I thanked her immensely but never got her name. Phantom American friend...if we ever meet again, I owe you a cafe amb llet! When the lady in the office looked through my papers, she gave me a little trouble for not having any documentation from the hospital. I actually have this, just forgot to print it out (oops). I pleaded with her, showed my dimple/half smile, and 10 minutes later, received my NIE (errr certificate...I have to go pick the actual card up in 30 days at some office on the other side of town).

That day at the hospital, I had a very fruitful meeting with Maria. It was more of a job interview. We talked through my resume and my experiences in healthcare. I had 0 question time, but she asked me to give the Medical Director of the ED a presentation on some of the work I have done. In English. Sweet...time to prove my worth. Later, I was invited to a meeting with the Chairman and CEO of the hospital. They both looked at me funny, but acknowledged my presence as we talked about flu vaccines.

I stayed with my friends Ted and Isabella for one last night as a couch surfer. As I cooked dinner for all my previous hosts, I decided to grill up a feast for the three of us. Grilled chicken, asparagus, bell peppers, and onions, along with real mashed potatoes, chocolate cake and ice cream. Not very Spanish of me, but it made us all nostalgic for home and the glories for fall football and tailgates.

I (finally, after 15 long days of surfing around) moved into my flat with Jose, Christina, and Elena. They are great roommates and I'll post pics soon. I'm living in the very center of town which has its pluses and minuses. Pluses: I can always find food, there's always something to do, I live a short 15 minute walk from everywhere. Minuses: I can always find food, it stays pretty loud until late, and the shops and their metal shutters open early. Also, I'm right next to the cathedral, with a bell that chimes every 15 minutes. Haven't decided if that's a plus or a minus...

I went to a Spanish rendition of Khalil Gibran's "The Prophet" with a friend from the hospital. I'm trying to take advantage of every opportunity I can to improve my comprehension, including watching Spanish TV. The play was very well done, and I understood about 75% of what was going on. I'm adding the poem on my list of books to read...

The other night a group of us got together to attend the Festival de Les Corts, one of the barrios in Barcelona. Ted and Isabella's friends from San Francisco were performing swing music with the Barcelona Big Blues Band. Barcelonians, both young and old, have an immense love for music. All types of music. My roommates play everything from Jack Johnson to Eagle Eye Cherry (not just "Save Tonight") to Frank Sinatra in the house. I'm starting to think I picked the right city..

Today was Sunday Funday. As part of our tradition, we went out in search for Paella. Izzy worked her bargaining magic (somos estudiantes pobres) and got us bread, salad, paella, drinks, dessert, and cafe all for 10Euros. The sign on the door said 17Euros...
 

2010 Barcelona Air Show

After our lunch, we made our way to the beach for the annual air show. I've never seen so many amazing flyovers in my life. There had to be over 100 planes, jets and 747s included, flying over the Mediterranean. We joined another group of immigrant students in an epic game of beach volleyball, and watched the sun begin to set on our weekend.

This week's goal is to try and form some sort of routine. This will prove difficult, as the next 3 weeks are anything but routine.

Talk soon

La Mercé

 "Many are the visitors who come to Barcelona and quite a few, on a repeat visit, have even succeeded in discovering the most hidden corners of the city. However, only those who have been here during La Mercè can claim to know the city inside-out. This is when the soul of the city is shown in the clearest way. The festival mixes the latest street events, music and dance with deeprooted traditions, including gunpowder and Mediterranean fireworks. Do you really want to get to know Barcelona? We are waiting for you at La Mercè."

That's what the brochure says. I feel lucky to have experienced two of these festivals but feel nowhere near competent enough to guide myself through the city without my iPhone. Here are a few things I learned about the people of Barcelona:

Fireworks off of the Capitol Building...with 100,000+ people below

Fire Walk

1. Barcelonians love fire(works)
The city spent millions of euros on pyrotechnics. There were fireworks on the beach every night, with a grand 1 hour finale at Plaza Espanya in conjunction with a laser, water, and music show which over 300,000 people attended.

One of the traditions of the festival is the "fire walk." This took place at dusk on Saturday on calle de La Laietana. The significance is to show the doors of hell opening and the demons and fire which lie inside. So, demons "escape" from the float and come out into the street with massive sparklers, fireworks, dragon creatures, and flames, making their way to the crowd. I have a burnt t-shirt to prove it.

My man Daby Tourè rocked the stage (clip here)

2. Barcelonians love live music
Every night the festival had live music running on 4-5 stages set up across the city. Music and performances started early in the afternoon and would run non-stop until 3-4am. The guest city at this year's Merce was Dakkar, Senegal, so I was lucky to hear some of their music. Also present was a salsa band, an 80s-90s American Rock cover band, famous Spanish rock groups, a Catalan group, and some Reggaeton. This was the best free concert that didn't cost $10 I have ever been to (funny how I can still laugh at that).

Competicion de Castellers

Homegirl was in the zone. And praying. Bravery knows no age.

3. Barcelonians love to be different
This festival is not national. It's specific to Catalonia, the province/autonomous state where Barcelona lies. One key event is the "castellers," or human towers. I was "lucky" enough to be used as part of the base support for the Castellers de Vilafranca, the defending Catalonian champions. Being part of the base means you have people climb/walk on your shoulders, and should the tower collapse, you help support the fall. I don't think I've ever been as nervous in my life. No training, nothing. A single sneeze could ruin it and cause a poor 4 year old child to come tumbling 9 stories to the ground (which happened to the team before us, but the show went on). Regardless, it was an amazing experience and I was lucky to have participated

There's so much more the festival. I hope you all can experience it one day. A little secret...after Merce last fall, I decided to choose Barcelona as the city to base my research out of. Talk soon.

I live in Barcelona!

Wait, you already know that. But now, I'm almost official. For all new residents in Spain, within the first 30 days, they must register (or empadronar) at "city hall" with their living address. The form/process is called obtaining your empadronamiento and requires quite a bit of paperwork.

My process took two trips and a lot of waiting in line. The first trip was to obtain the form, which I gave to Christina (roommate) to fill out and attach her resident card. The second trip was taking this filled out form, my Visa and Passport, and getting my empadronamiento. A few of my friends had a little trouble with this, and I was getting nervous because I needed this form to apply for my NIE, which must be done before Sept30. I waited in line and finally a grey-haired man called my number. When he saw I was a "researcher," he asked what I was doing. After I explained my project, his eyes grew wide with interest. He pulled me close to him and said, "I'm in healthcare too!" Now I'm thinking this guy is on crack. Why, if you are in healthcare, are you working at the town hall office? Turns out the guy is an auditory therapist and he can help heal people by producing certain sounds close to their body. He kept saying "the medicine of the future!!!"

I humored him as long as I could (for about 45 minutes). He pulled out a CD and asked me to listen to it twice and email him my thoughts (yes, hippies have email). From what I gathered by the cover, the CD is of dolphin squeals at 432 Hz...I'll let you know if it changes my life. Finally, we get to my paperwork. He looks at my passport, filled with stamps from all over the world, and was enamored. He's only left Spain once to travel to none other than New Orleans, the place I lived long ago. He types a few lines in his computer, prints out my certificates, shakes my hand, and wishes me good luck with my work. I'm finiding Spain's pace refreshing. Lesson learned...take interest in people's lives, you never know how they will influence yours.

Talk soon

Raval

I've made my way back to the neighborhood of Raval. So far, I've spent nights in Raval, L'Eixample, and Barceloneta, but will be eventually settling in Barrio Gotico, the old city with winding streets and awesome architecture.

Back in the day (and until about 25 years ago), Raval was a tough neighborhood. It was filled with immigrants, the working class, drugs, and prostitution. All those things can still be found here, but it's a neighborhook I really like with tons of culture. The food in this area is amazing. You can get great Indian, Pakistani (they are different), Chinese, and Turksih food. Bakeries are everywhere, as are trendy shops for the average person. It's still close to many tourist attractions (I can walk to Las Ramblas in about 2 minutes), but you feel a world away. The only time you see tourists here are when they are lost, because there isn't much in the "guidebooks" to see.

Tomorrow starts the grand festival of Merce. Talk soon.

Paella

Paella is a traditional Spanish/Mediterranean dish made of rice, veggies, tons of olive oil, and fresh seafood. Fresh as in it was moving once you ordered it. A few friends and I have begun a search for the best Paella in town. We meet every Sunday and try out a new restuarant...Ted has been ever so kind to keep track of our experiences.

There are 2 main types of Paella in Spain...pre-made and fresh. There are companies that make the Paella, flash freeze it, and sell it to all the touristy restuarants on Las Ramblas for unsuspecting travellers. We do not fall into this category.

The best Paella is found in Barceloneta (the seafront area of Barcelona), in small mom & pop restuarants that keep serving you food until you pass out. Also, many of the best places only make the dish once a week, on Sundays. And if the place is really good, all the locals know about it and the dish is gone by 3pm.

The place we went to last week had a sign charging 15.50 euros/person. That, even for Spain, is a little ridiculous. We went inside and once the realized we weren´t tourists, the price automatically went down to 8 euros...awesome. After waiting about 1.5 hours and munching on crab croquettes, fish, and "surprise pimientos" (the surprise is 1 out of every 10 pimientos are extra spicy, sorry, I ruined it...), we finally received our Paella. It was glorious. Easily the best meal I have had in Spain. Words can not describe it, but I can´t wait for next Sunday.

To top off the weekend, we went to the beach for the next 3-4 hours. The weather has been pretty rainy/dreary lately so it was nice to work on my tan (haha...tan). Monday morning means back to the grind. I have a few meetings set up at work and Dr. Miró and Maria have asked my assistance in a few of their projects. They are changing the department from a service-based (Medical ED on one floor, Surgical ED on another, Psych ED somewhere far far away) to acuity-based model (Resuscitation here, Urgent/Non-Urgent there). I also get to provide my two cents for the new ED they are building which is scheduled to open in 2014. Sounds cool, but I also have a lot of research I need to jump on in the next month. Hopefully I can keep my air of competence awhile longer.

Talk soon

Progress!

The past 24 hours have probably been the best so far in terms of progress. The past week I’ve been focused solely on finding an apartment, which turned out to be insanely difficult. 2 reasons:

1.       September is typically the time when many university students and visiting scholars come to Barcelona. The flux in demand somehow turns into a seller’s market. One place I called was listed for rent at 10am and by the time I called at 1pm it had already been leased for the year.

2.       I’m picky, and rightfully so. I’m not in college so I have no reason to live in a dump, especially for the next 9 months. I also wanted to live with native Spaniards, which turned out to be pretty difficult. And finally, I wanted my own double bed in a room larger than a closet with a window. Not too much to ask, right?

After viewing at least 20 flats, I found the one. Tuesday night at 10:15 I go to see the flat and end up being interviewed by the 3 roommates. They didn’t care if I liked the place; they only cared if they liked me. Great. I was grilled with questions for nearly 30 minutes and they finally showed me around. The room was large, with a terrace, a double bed, huge bathroom (shared), nice living room, in the center of the Born/Gotico District (old town Barcelona). Furthermore, the roommates were perfect. All 3 were between 28-31 and native Spaniards. Elena is a ballet instructor from the South of Spain; they guy (nombre?) is an architect from Madrid, and I forgot what Christina does.

I charmed the hell out of them. I was smart, funny, and just plain awesome. It helped that Christina lived in NC for a year growing up. Maturity is a different age in Spain. Since it typically takes Spaniards longer to finish school, someone who is 24-25 isn’t considered an adult, they are usually a fresh graduate who goes crazy and parties. I, on the other hand, am and old soul. Most people think I’m 30-ish anyways so it’s only fitting. I leave the apartment about 45 minutes later like the most awkward end to a first date ever. I’m not sure if they like me, if they’ll call me, will there be a second date? I don’t know…I just didn’t know. I get home and my phone rings. It’s Christina. She says “Hi Kam, wanted to let you know so you can sleep easy tonight…the place is yours! We would love for you to join our family!” VICTORY! I found the perfect piso!!!

That wasn’t the only good that has happened in the past 24 hours. Derek, TJ, Alex, and Will booked their tickets to come to Spain in Feb-March. We’re hopefully going to make a trip to Lisbon and Marrakesh. Danny will likely join as well. LH and her sister are also planning a little visit around early January. I love hearing these good things from you all is it makes me feel less distant from home. Think of the Atlantic as a large puddle…all you have to do is jump it!

I went to the bank today to retrieve my ATM card which I ordered last week. I spoke with my man/banker Arnau for a quick minute, asked him how is vacation was, etc. etc. I’ve learned that you have to take a legitimate interest in people’s lives here. Afterwards, I asked him about some of the fees on my account. The bank charged me 10Euros to give them money, ridiculous, I know. He felt guilty, and gave me a refund! Without asking, I got the hook up!

Best part of today was my first day at work. I’ve been pretty antsy to get started and settle down into some sort of “normal” routine. I had my first meeting with Dr. Miro today and we sat and talked about my research plans and goals over the year. We began discussing Spanish healthcare in general, and I realized I have a lot to learn. The system is so different here. I’m doing my research at the top research hospital in Spain with the largest ED (over 70 beds, 120,000 patient visits per year). The staff were very excited that I chose them and were honored to help out a Fulbrighter.

Dr. Miro introduced me to 3 other individuals who I will work closely with. Dr. Joan Salmeron was the Medical Director of the ED and he approved my research last year. He has now been promoted to the Assistant Medical Director at the Hospital Clinic. Dr. Miguel Sanchez is the new Medical Director of the ED. He’s a guy I emailed last year when I thought of this proposal but never heard back from. Small world! And finally, Maria Asenjo, the Administrator of the ED who will be my top contact.

Aside from meeting all of these very accomplished individuals, Dr. Miro made a few calls and opened up possibilities for me to extend my research. He is the Editor in Chief of Spain’s National Journal on Emergency Medicine so all the top researchers submit articles for publication to him. He made calls to colleagues in the Canary Islands (off the coast of Africa), Andorra (small Principality between Spain and France), Cordoba (Southern Spain), Valencia (South of Barca), and Basque Country (between Spain and France). All have invited me to visit their facilities for 1-2 weeks to see the differences in departments between regions. This is awesome because I wanted to travel to all of these regions and I have fellow Fulbrighters living in many of the cities so there is a lot of potential. I already wrote to the Commission for extra funds…hopefully it all works out.

I also had my first menu del dia today. The menu is typically a fixed 1^st and 2^nd course with a dessert served during lunch (from 2p-4p). It’s typically very filling as lunch is the most important meal of the day in Spain. Afterwards, I completely understand why Spain has siestas. I couldn’t keep my eyes open. No studying today…I made too much progress and headed home to my couch.

Tonight will be a little sad. I’m moving out of my flat with Paula and Amar. I’ve gotten to know them very well and I know they will continue to remain close friends of mine. Maria has been nice enough to put me up until my flat is available…she lives on the beach so I don’t expect the next few weeks to be extremely productive. My friend Esther from Stockamp is in town so I’m meeting her for dinner. What a day…talk soon friends.

Catalan Pride

For those of you who aren't too familiar with Barcelona, it lies in the region of Catalonia, the Northeaster part of Spain. They are a very proud bunch and do not consider themselves "Spanish." They speak a different language, Catalan, which is a mix of normal Castellano Spanish, French, and Italian. Needless to say, there is a lot of hand gestures and close talking to accompany said language.

Yesterday was the Festival de Libertad in Barcelona, while the rest of Spain celebrated Dia del Blanco. The festival here in BCN is to signify the cultural independence from Spain, something the natives, both young and old, are for. A few fellow Fulbrighters and I joined the festivities by spending a solid portion of the day at the beach, attending the concert/festival at Parque de la Ciudatella, and going out for Tapas...fun night in all.

For many expats, it's very difficult to make friends with the natives here. For one, friendship here is not thrown around as loosely as it is in the US. We will often introduce acquaintences or classmates as our friends when in a group. That doesn't happen here. For a Spanish person to open up to you, it's a pretty big deal. And the reasoning makes sense.

Barcelona is what they call a "cosmopolitano" or cosmopolitan city. There are people from everywhere. And there is no shortage of short term (less than one year) visitors who come for "intercambios" or cultural excahanges. Thus, many people do not waste their time with these outsiders who will leave their lives in a matter of months. It's too much effort with not much to gain. I don't agree with it, but I see their point.

So, how do you make friends? How do you experience the culture? It's tough for sure. I met an American here the other day who spent 1.5 years teaching here and has met only a handful of people, mainly other expats. My flatmate Amar took me out to meet some of his friends...2 Mexican PhD candidates, 1 American, and 4 native Catalonians. They were all friendly and open, but there was some apprehension to letting another American into the group. I would not, however, let them speak to me in English. Part of my goal here is to perfect my Spanish and hopefully leave being able to understand Catalan (signing up for beginner courses shortly). Even though I was stumbling through words and screwing up my verb tenses (there are over 50 different verb tenses depending on the article you use...) they were impressed at my effort. In 5 short days, I spoke more Spanish than the other American girl. The guys invited me to tryout for their soccer team this coming Thursday. I'm pretty excited, but they are a very competitive bunch. Amar played semi-professionally in Germany for the 3rd division...I haven't touched a soccer ball in months. Here goes nothing...

Orientation and Madrid

I flew to Madrid this past Saturday for our program orientation. I took a flight out of Girona (about 90km outside BCN) as it's a RyanAir hub, and thus very cheap flights. They go all over Europe for next to nothing...I'm glad I found out about this little secret as I'm sure it will be very useful this year.

I had my first experience in a hostel and it was quite surprising. The staff were very helpful and the rooms/bathrooms were spotless. My location was also perfect...about 5mins from Pl de Sol, one of the main hubs of Madrid (which btw only has 4 skyscrapers). I walked around the gardens, through the Museo de Prado, and enjoyed a delicious cheeseburger for dinner (I say delicious very loosely). Later that night some people I met accompanied me to Sol and afterwards we checked out a Hookah bar close by with awesome late night kebabs.

I spent the better part of the weekend and most of the week prior getting nervous about orientation, the people I would meet, and whether or not I would fit in. It took me awhile to accept this grant partly because I wasn't sure if I could hack it and moreso because I didn't think I "belonged" to the group. Two things about me most people don't know...I have a hard time saying no to people and at times I need affirmation/approval from others to alleviate some of my own doubts; show I'm on the right track; acknowledge that I've got things under control. On Sunday, I found myself immediately relieved of an immense amount of pressure...

On Sunday, I took the metro to the College where we were having our orientation. I think every Fulbrighter I met this past week in some way felt the same as I did. It was like the first day of kindergarten, except we had no mom's to wipe away our tears. We were all eager to meet one another and clear our doubts, share our stories, our aspirations, explain our research proposals, our travel plans, and mainly, our excitement.

The same day we began moving in, the College began Freshman Orientation. Oh how I remember those days...eager young kids awaiting all the freedoms of dorm life. One main difference, freshman hazing is considerably worse here, and borderline ridiculous. At night, the Freshmen aren't allowed back in until after 4am. They often have to walk around the Ciudad Universidad in a single file line dancing, clapping, and singing. At clubs, they have to get on stage, guys remove their shirts, and get humiliated. During meals at the cafeteria, they must stand on tables and do whatever upperclassmen ask them, even if it's serenade young American Fulbrighters or spontaneously break out in dance. College...yay.

Monday began our official welcoming to the Fulbright Comission. There are 2 main groups: 65 English Teach Assistants spread across Spain and 25 Pre/Post-Doctoral researchers. We compiled the largest class of Spanish Fulbrighters ever.

Since I'm a researcher, my sessions were geared towards how to get started, how not to get discouraged, and other helpful hints and tricks. Some of the research proposals were awesome...to this day I still wonder how I received funding. My friend Chris will be in Madrid finalizing a micro combustion engine that fits in the palm of your hand and can run off of a variety of fuels, including diesel, ethanol, gas, and vodka (yes, vodka) without losing any power; Alice is working in Mardrid to build a probe to explore life on Mars; Ted will be in Barcelona and is researching the long-term effects of river water ecosystems; Maria will also be in Barcelona and is doing something crazy with protiens and mRNA (sorry Dr. DeSaix if you read this, I apologize for not knowing the details); Christina is studying renewable energy grids; Milly will be studying/practicing violin in Madrid; another guy is studying exiled Latino writers in Madrid; and Ivo is studying the post-Franco intermediary government here in Barcelona. All very interesting topics...

On our last night, we were invited to attend a reception downtown at the Institute of International Education. Attendees included diplomats, former Fulbrighters, Ambassadors, members of the US State Department, Members of the Spanish Minsitry of the Interior (Cultural Affairs Office), and other head businessmen/donors/sponsors who have contributed to the program. On a sidenote, 80% of our program/grant is funded by Spain, yet the US Government has so kindly decided to tax me on 100% of it...sweet.

After the reception, we all went out for tapas and explored the city. For many of us, it would be our last night in Madrid as we were off to our bases the next day, some beginning work as early as Friday.

Wednesday morning was full of goodbyes and emotions. In a short 3 days, I met some very amazing people who I know will one day change the world. Some of these people will easily turn into lifelong friends. I invited the Fulbright crew to come to Barcelona 23-26Sept for Fiesta de la Merce...it's the largest festival in Spain and is categorized with Catalan music, dancing, food, art, and fun. I was in Barcelona last year for this and it was awesome...i'm pretty excited for round two. They have a 10k next weekend to kick it off which I will be running in.

I've begun my search for a piso (flat)...easier said than done. Wish me luck. Bye for now...

PS, as many of you know I've been fasting for Ramadan this past month. That ends today, with Eid being tomrorow. Eid Kareem to all my friends and family...I'll be surely missing you all tomorrow.

Aquí no hay extraños, sólo amigos que aún no conocemos.

I saw that sign outside a shop today. It's rough translation is "Here, there are no such things as strangers, only friends you have not yet met."

So far, I'm finding this to be true. The move to my flat went fairly well considering all of the luggage I was travelling with. For the next two weeks, I'm staying in the heart of the tourist district, about 2 blocks from Las Ramblas. A block the other way will lead you to la Universitat de Barcelone with plenty of young hipsters eager to start up a conversation once they hear your American accent. My other flatmates are also very interesting...Paula is a 30 year old expat from Portugal. She's lived in 4 other countries and finally "settled" here. She speaks about 6 languages and works 2 jobs and is trying to start her own business. Amar is a 27 year old German who works as a buyer for Puma. He comes home at ridiculous hours so we haven't chatted too much, but he is an interesting guy with a connection to Raleigh (he was dating a girl who got a job there and just moved) So far it's been easy to find honest, hard-working people (yet none of them are natives...i'm just saying).

So, about the flat. It's small. I've seen walk-in closets bigger than my room. While the location is highly sought, there are plenty of negatives. Barcelona tops the list in Europe for the prevalence of petty crimes/theft. Las Ramblas is the center of the tourism district. Last year while travelling in Barcelona, my friend Matt was pickpocketed on a sidestreet off Las Ramblas. You see where I'm going?? I read an article before I left which said everyone in Barcelona will be robbed eventually, tourists and natives alike. Great.

Today, after trying for 5 hours, I was finally able to open up a bank account here. While that sounds simple, don't underestimate the inefficiency of Spain. There are essentially 3 things I must do here: open a bank account (check), obtain my NIE Residency card, and get cell phone service. Most banks won't open accounts to foreigners without their NIE card; you can't get an NIE card without a bank account; you can't get a cell phone contract without both an NIE card and a bank account. Yikes..After I return from Madrid next week, I'll have to find permanent housing and get started on the NIE piece.
The first day I moved in, I rummaged through my luggage, found my running shoes and took off towards the beach. The Mediterranean is absolutely beautiful. It was just before sunset and there were plenty of people scattered about. Although Barcelona is a city on the waterfront, it is also one of the busiest ports in Europe. Besides that, there are throusands of yachts lined up in the bay. I've heard it's pretty difficult to find a quiet spot to lay, but that's what the coastline south of Barcelona is famous for. I'll add it to my list of travels and report back..

Grocery shopping here is painless. Every street has local markets with fresh produce, butchers, and bakeries. Supermercados (Supermarkets) are becoming more popular one-stop shops. It is surprisingly cheap as well. Not something I was expecting when moving to a city which spends the most money in Europe on food.

Headed to Madrid tomorrow where I'll have my first true hostal experience. I owe you guys some pictures

Talk soon

Peace Up A-Town Down

Today's the day...in a mere 5 hours I will be in my new home in Barcelona. The excitement has set in and I can not wait to set foot on Spanish soil. I did, however, check three bags at the airport totaling a whopping 65kgs (yeah, I've gone Euro metric)...awesome.

The past few days has flown by. I feel like I've accomplished too much to count:
1. (Finally) finished all educational requirements for my Broker's license...yup, it's official...200 classroom hours, 4 years of precious time, and over $5000 in fees/books/expenses and I can sell you a house.
2. Started studying for my GMAT...yes, I brought books to Spain
3. Booked my trip back to the US...Barcelona >> Istanbul >>Nairobi >> Moscow >> Kota Kinabu >> Sydney >> Raleigh on July 15 2011. If anyone wishes to join, let me know and I will send you my dates.
4. Made a short list of places to travel while in Barcelona
5. Saw the majority of my friends one last time in Chapel Hill

Anyhow, the next few days will likely be busy settling in and completing logistical items such as opening a bank account, obtaining cell phone service, finding permanent housing, and gaining access to the hospital I will be working at.

My program orientation is this upcoming weekend in Madrid. I'm pretty excited to meet the other Americans who will be in BCN so I can begin planning a few trips with them and hear about their research proposals. Also, Fiesta de la Merce is at the end of the month. I was in BCN last year for this and it was an amazing time. Merce is the patron-saint of the city and to celebrate, Barcelonians take off 3-4 days and throw a huge festival. We're talking live music 24 hours a day for 3 days straight. Hopefully nobody gets pick-pocketed this time...

Also, I've switched to v-necks..

Talk soon

T-10

It's starting to sink in...10 days from now my life will be very different. I'm not moving to a third world country by any means, but I'm leaving all things familiar to me...

Most of you may be wondering if this decision came out of nowhere. Yes and no...I decided in college I was going to live abroad, but I had no idea it would be this soon. I know there is so much more out there for me to discover; to experience; to share...

End goal...add more stamps to my passport...

So, what will I do when I return from said quarter-life crisis? I'm hopeful I will figure that out; figure out what's important to me and the type of person I wish to become; figure out what makes me truly happy.

Thank you all for your kind words of encouragement and support as my days in the US are numbered. Danny, if you call me Ethiopian one more time I will come to Armenia and kill you.

Hola!

If you're reading this letter, you already know...Old School references aside, i'm moving to Barcelona on September 1st to begin a research study through a Fulbright Grant. The decision to transition away from a good/steady job, a loving family, and great friends was very difficult. If you know anything about me, you knew the past 3 months I've been meddling over this decision and trying to figure out what made sense...

So here I am, packing my bags, tying up loose ends, and finding a way to say goodbye to many of you. I created this blog with the intention of updating it on a semi-regular basis and informing you all of my travels and goings-ons. Most of this will likely be social commentary on new experiences (read "what not to do while in Europe...") that I plan on sharing.

Please join me through my quarter-life crisis. And when I say join me, that means come visit!

Until next time...