Day 4: El Escorial and SHOPPIN'

the prince's garden outside his house

largest monastery in the world!

Inside the Basilica

Library with the 7 disciplines on the ceiling

Monastery garden

Location: Rafael's house

Hours of Travel: 22

Cleanliness scale (out of ten): 5

Comments:

- HOLY COW! I cannot believe I've never heard of the Monastery in El Escorial until my own research for the trip. It was amazing! Just as cool as the sistine chapel to me. Honestly I felt like it was a very spiritual experience watching so many others show such devotion to their faith. Trent and I lit a candle in the basilica to show our personal dedication to God.

- We got to El Escorial by bus where Trent had the pleasure to sit by an adorable Spanish lady. They chatted the whole time and I...sketched some pictures haha

-Had a chocolate drink that was more like pudding. But I'm not complaining ;)

- After our time in El Escorial, we went back to downtown Madrid. Unfortunately, it was raining so we HAD to go inside a shop where I just HAPPENED to find a new pair of shoes...

sheer joy

What we're thinking: We are visiting Segovia tomorrow. Go check it out online! This will be our first time going on the trains; will we make through it without losing our luggage (We probably shouldn't jinx ourselves again...)?

Chao!

Day 2 & 3: More Airplanes, Karma, and Downtown Madrid

Location: Julio Montero Street 13, Madrid 28034

Approx. Hours of Travel: 18 1/2

Cleanliness: 10 :)

Comments:

• We arrived in London at 2pm their time. EVERYONE wanted to know if we were going to the wedding. I felt like I was missing out. But then again...I'm American, not English.
miniature Fanta; typical in London


• Our last length of the trip to Madrid was smooth and just as planned...it was too good to be true. And it ended up being too good to be true.
• Remember when I said I was worried about losing our baggage? Well look what was missing on our ride to Rafael's place on the subway...
• You guessed it. It's one thing to lose luggage when I in America...but I don't speak spanish. Plus, we planned on meeting Rafael at his subway at 10 and we were already late. PLUS I was super tired and even more hungry (which everyone knows it catastrophic for a girl like me). So what did I do? Took an anxiety pill and repeat to myself "the bags will come the bags will come, the bags will come"
• Fortunately we still were able to meet up with our friend. Rafael is fantastic. He loves celtic and bluegrass music and contact improv dancing so we had an immediate connection. Aside from this, he fed us a very authentic meal consisting of a Spanish torilla (like a thick omelet with potatoes and onion) and choriso (delicious dried sausage).
  tasty
  
  
  He also let us borrow towels and clothes to sleep in. We slept on his foldout futon that actually is the same as my sister, Kristen's.
• The next morning we walked to Rafael's supermarket and bought food for the day. He made another extremely tasty meal (can't remember name!) with pureed tomato, olive oil, salt, and garlic spread over fresh baguettes. It REALLY hit the spot!
  outside Rafael's Apartment

what I bought myself at the Market
• I took a nap.
• They FOUND OUR LUGGAGE
• Trent and I went to downtown Madrid it was absolutely fabulous and enjoyed architecture, churches, and the live music!
  Trent checking out the bikes of course
  
  
  
  Pig leg anyone?
  
  
  
  
  
  One of the many churches
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Favorite part of our long walk


• We found a great little tapas place (which we now know is the most expensive in madrid...) and ate gelato and olive oil potato chips
  tapas bar
  
  
• We came home to ripped-up luggage (yes, i did just say ripped. Iberia said they'd pay for our torn luggage but I have a feeling it will be as easy as finding 451 decimal of pi), made a delicious spaghetti carbonara for Rafael, and took showers (hence the 10 on cleanliness...it was a 3 just an hour ago)

Things we're thinking: Will El Escorial, the largest monastery in the world, and Segovia, an ancient city, be everything people tell us it will be? Will I have more crazy dreams tonight about soccer, craigslist, and job hunting? Will our bowels be able to handle the water and new interesting diet? How many pictures will I actually take? Should we watch bullfighters?

Chao!

Day 1: Traveling

Location: LAX airport

Hours of Travel: 5

Cleanliness scale (out of ten): 8

Taken from SLC airport

Comments:

• Considering I've been anticipating this trip since I was in middle school, I feel extremely relaxed. Maybe its because I'm still in America. Maybe it's because my days lately have been just as busy for the passed week. Or maybe it's because I just flew on a tiny airplane that I couldn't even stand up straight in. Nothing's out of the ordinary....yet.

• I listened to my band's recent recordings on the flight to LA; I already miss them :(

• Everyone keeps asking us if we're going to "the royal wedding." Trent's tempted to say he was a cousin but I told him that would make him royal and royal people don't wear backpacks.

• Trent and I are a little nervous since we forgot to put our names on our bags and they're going all the way to Madrid. Oh well...as my dad would say "it is what it is."

Things we're thinking: What movies will be on our flight to Heathrow? If I'm hungry when I'm full, what will it feel like when I'm hungry and empty? Should we sleep now, later, or not at all (I just drank a ton of Coke...)? Who are these people sitting next to us (says Trent scowling at the men flirting and laughing with the airport workers)? Will we find Rafael, our friend who we are staying with in Madrid, and his house?

Chao!

March, End of the Semester, and Preparation for the SUMMER :)!

Time to catch up. NOTE: this post is incredibly random so bare with me. It's been a busy semester between family visits, The Lucky Crickets, finals, events, graduation, parties with great friends, and planning for our trip! So here we go.

I know I showed a picture of Trent and I snowboarding but I though I could show some more including Trent's first time skiing!

Like Trent's one-zy? Hehe.

Goofy

Sister love (go to her site)

After such a great time spent in Park City, Trent and I got into the March Madness as the BYU team made it into the top 16 with the infamous Jimmer Fredette.

Watching the game with our friends Matt and Mari (on the right of us)

On one of the weekends in March I was able to help host a bachelorette party for my dear friend Kelsey. She and I have been close since middle school and have known each other for even longer. I'm so incredibly happy she has found her soulmate! Though I wasn't able to go to her wedding, I was happy and honored to join in the festivities somehow!

Silly Kelsey...

A development in Provo, The Riverwoods, has just been remodeled. In celebration, they hosted a music concert right before finals with special guests Sugar Ray. It was so fun to see a band from my childhood.

At the concert with bandmate and best friend Brandon

with my BESTEST best friend

such a cutie

We finally finished buying all our essentials for our Europe trip. Thanks so much for everyone's comments and e-mails with recommendations on what to buy, where to go, etc! We truly appreciate your help.

On one Saturday morning, Trent and I drove to the Salt Lake City REI for their seasonal garage sale. We feasted in the springtime deal finding barely used gear for our trip and saved hundreds of dollars doing so! When we came back home, Trent HAD TO play with all our new gadgets. Here he is figuring our our fleece sleeping liner that we'll use as sheets to avoid the dirty ones at any Bed and Breakfast we stay at.

silly Twent

Finals were particularly easy for Trent and I this semester as we both had lots of papers, projects, and presentations instead of exams. We were extremely grateful for this because at the beginning of finals my dad got double-knee-replacement surgery. Trent and I were able to be there in his hospital room the moment he woke up from surgery. I'm please to say he is doing exceptionally well; so well that the nurses in his rehab hospital nurses nicknamed him "Houdini."

his first walk less than a day after surgery!

he's now walking with only one crutch (that he throws up in the air sometime). My dad's a superman! I look up to him so much!

Two days ago Trent graduated. This is the first of many graduations to come for him and me. He's continuing on to grad school in manufacture engineering in the fall. We should both graduate at the same time in 2012 :) Then who knows were we go next...

Trent's parents, Sandy and Richard, treated us and my mom to La Jolla Grove (also at the Riverwoods). It was so delicious. Thanks a bunch for a fantastic day!

Of course, since this summer we will travel Europe and work in Tulsa, we have to say our goodbyes to our friends. We'll miss them but always look forward to making new ones along the way.

Saying goodbye to Nara, Trent's Korean roommate for 2 years, and Brett

Having fun and saying goodbye to Andy and his beard.

HAHA!

Please keep my blog in your bookmarks for the next five weeks. Trent and I will TRY to update it as much as possible while traveling through eight countries. Until then, ciao!