The Amazing Race to Valencia!

If there was ever a time in my life that I thought I could be a contestant on a TV show, it would be this past weekend. Friday, I started out my weekend with a trip to Madrid! We spent the morning touring the King's castle and let me say, I was extremely inspired by the interior decorating. I saw some of the most beautiful patterns and paintings that I've ever seen in my life. So basically my new goal in life is to become the Queen of Spain because who wouldn't want to live in this castle?!

My future home :)

After viewing the castle and eating at El Museo del Jamon myself and 16 other classmates began our journey to Valencia. Our bus was scheduled to leave Madrid at 5:00 and since it was 2:30 we figured we had plenty of time to walk to the bus station. Well, little did we know, two hours later we were in a residential area with no idea about where we were. By the way, we were being led by three men (hint: men truly are HORRIBLE with directions). So, 15 minutes before our bus is scheduled to depart, we decided to get a taxi (which we should have in the first place) and we luckily made it to the bus about 4 minutes before 5:00. Probably the most exhilarating and stressful situation I've been in thus far in Spain! At this point, I had been running (literally) around Madrid for just over 2 hours and now all 17 of us American students were stinking up this bus to Valencia! Four hours later, we arrive in Valencia and ask the police outside of the bus station where our hostel is and where we can find taxis (because at this point we have learned our lesson not to wonder around areas we aren't familiar with). We successfully get to our hostel and I was so pleased to find out that the hostel was AMAZING! My bed there was better than the bed I have in Toledo, we had delicious paella and sangoria on the rooftop Saturday night, and the people working there were so incredibly friendly! 

The entrance of our hostel...

My time in Valencia was basically spent on the beach since I am kind of obsessed with the sun. I for some reason didn't realize that the beach in Valencia would be a nude beach so to my surprise I saw lots of tatas Saturday! I think this was when it really truly hit me that I'm not in America anymore because I spend my days with Americans and this was a custom I was just not prepared for! 

Playing in the waves in the Mediterranean!!

On Sunday, we went to the cathedral in Valencia and it was absolutely breath taking. I also climbed the tower of the cathedral and was able to see a beautiful view of Valencia! 

The cathedral!

View of the plaza from the tower!

The alter at the cathedral.

After this relaxing weekend, there obviously has to be a little more drama, right? Right. We got to the bus station 2 hours early on Sunday to make sure we'd get on our bus in time, which we did, but once we got to Madrid we had to catch the Metro to take us to our bus from Madrid to Toledo. Needless to say, we found ourselves running through the Metro and yet again through another bus station because we were cutting it close with our time again. We made it to our bus literally right in time and luckily right before the seats had filled up. This weekend really got me exciting for all of the traveling that I plan on doing during my stay in Europe but I really hope that there are no more "Amazing Race" stories because I don't know when my luck will run short! So many adventures to be had in such short time!

I think this just about explains our bus expeiences!

Living Like A Spaniard!

Hola! I have officially been in Toledo for one week and let me tell you, it has been possibly the easiest adjustment I've ever made in my life. The Spanish lifestyle has been very easy for me to accommodate to because it is so relaxed and simple. I have gotten into the habit of taking naps (which will not be any easy habit to break when I get back to MN) and my days feel much longer because meal times are spread out more than I am used to. There's also tranquility in Toledo that I have never experienced anywhere else. I am able to sit in my bedroom with my window open and not hear any cars or chaos. I only occasionally hear dogs, children, or bells. And walking through the streets of Toledo is astonishing to me because I am constantly seeing new things because there are so many little stores squeezed into the buildings.

I also began classes this week and they all seem pretty interesting! I am taking Spanish culture, grammar, art, and linguistics classes along with an internship at a local organization. All of my professors are extremely nice and they're willing to talk to slow for us! (Since Americans tend to talk a little slower!)

I did some roaming around Toledo before classes began and I was able to go to two museums last week. We went to El Museo del Greco first and the paintings looked amazing but unfortunately I'm not too much of an art fanatic.

We also went to La Exhibicion De Instrumentos de Tortura and this was extremely fascinating to me! I think it's obvious was the top picture's intended use was but the bottom picture is of a mask that was used for public humiliation and people were also not able to eat or drink while they were wearing this mask. Let me just say, I am extremely happy that I was not alive when these instruments were used.

There's not a whole lot else to talk about since, like I said, it's pretty laid back here and our days are filled with a lot of hanging out and getting to know people. But...I did book 4 flights to Ireland, Italy, France, and London! So watch out Europe, here I come!

Adios

A New Adventure

Hola todos! Estoy en Espana! I arrived at la fundacion around noon and met my roommate! I must say, we have an amazing view of Toledo.

My roommate and I went roaming around Toledo after our naps and it was quite the adventure. There are no such things as straight or parallel streets in this city! I couldn't tell if I was walking in a street or sidewalk because the streets are so narrow. Toledo has such a great atmosphere that I'm falling in love with already though. All of the restaurants have outdoor seating on plazas and there are so many people walking everywhere. The city has so many beautiful sounds! Lots of church bells and bands playing in the streets but these sounds are just background noise to all of the beautiful architecture I saw today. The Catedral Primada was the first building I stumbled upon and the size and detail of the architecture took my breath away. 

I can't wait to explore the city some more and find more hidden treasures, even though this one wasn't so hidden! Well jet lag is getting the best of me! Good night!

Now What?

My first day back in Minnesota was not what I had expected, but if I've learned anything these past few weeks it's that I shouldn't constantly be setting expectations. I was greeted at the airport by my mom and we were both ecstatic when we saw each other. She was the only person I had consistent contact with while I was in South Africa and I couldn’t wait to see her! We then met my dad, brother, cousin, and cousin’s 3 year old daughter for dinner at my favorite restaurant. I was asked how my trip was but I didn’t feel like this was the time or place to completely indulge them with everything that happened. I was extremely grateful to be with my family and even more grateful that everyone in my family is very healthy. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go home with them because my summer class began the next day so I made my way back to Minneapolis to see my friends.

As I drove back to Minneapolis, I began noticing and appreciating a lot more than I typically do. I had a much more relaxed and grateful feeling about me than I normally did but I also felt very sad and empty. I couldn’t help but wonder who I would be speaking to or what I would be seeing if I were in South Africa. It just simply didn’t feel right to be home. Although I was surrounded by people the moment I walked off the airplane, I felt this immense feeling of loneliness. A sense of disappointment also came over me because I didn’t share the things with my family that I had really wanted to. I didn’t want them to hear about the touristy things that we did. I wanted them to know about the things that significantly impacted me. Why did I feel that a restaurant wasn’t an appropriate place for this? Was I merely trying to provide myself with an excuse in order to protect myself from being vulnerable?  If I couldn’t share these stories and feelings with my family would I be able to share them with anyone else or even my friends?

Friends. These were the people I was most nervous about seeing because I didn’t know how to communicate my new life passions or the distress that I’ve encountered with myself and in others. I was worried that they would mistake my experiences and concerns for arrogance. I was also worried that I would fall back into my same routine with my friends. After being in South Africa, I began to truly appreciate the importance of learning and seeing new things every day. How would I incorporate this into my life when I surround myself with people that may not appreciate the same things? Before going to Guguletu, Aaron warned us not to use our community as a comfort blanket. I’m struggling with how I’m going to do this with my friends. How can they help me understand the things I saw and heard without hindering or protecting me from the emotions that I’m still struggling with?

Today was my first full day back in Minneapolis and my first day of my summer course, counseling psychology. I woke feeling exhausted even though I had slept for 10 hours and I still had a feeling of complete emptiness. I just didn’t know how to make my day useful. Then, I went to my three hour long class and I felt a slight sense of fulfillment. I remembered my desire and love for psychology! After three exhausting and emotionally testing weeks, I needed to be reminded that I can help people with psychology. I don’t need to give everyone money, food, medical assistance, homes, etc. I need to give people my ears (which is ironic because that’s what was emphasized the entire time we were in South Africa) and share the knowledge that I have in order to give people the tools to have a healthier life. The only thing I’m having a difficult time with right now is figuring out what I can do in the meantime. I’m obviously not a licensed psychologist, so I want to narrow down my focus of interest in psychology and become more involved in that. I want to start helping now because I honestly feel like a waste of a person right now since I’m not contributing to society in any major way. And this is where my challenge currently lays…now what?

Thanks for blogging,

Brittany

Good Bye South Africa, For Now

What should I think on my last day in South Africa? I’m very excited to see family and friends but I honestly feel that after my first week home I’m going to want to get on a plane back to Cape Town. I don’t really understand how I’ve become so attached to South Africa in the three short weeks that I’ve lived here. For the last few days I’ve been coming up with excuses to come back here for an even longer amount of time. Maybe grad school, internship, job, travel? I truly fee like Cape Town is home to me now. I don’t know how I made this connection in such a short period of time, especially since we acted like tourists for over a week. I highly encourage everyone to come to South Africa at least once! And don’t just explore the tourist areas but reach a little into the townships and learn about how people really live.

I have a much greater appreciation for life after this trip and I hope that my knowledge of South Africa doesn’t end after this week. My passion of advocating for those who are unable to has been greatly heightened through this experience as well. I’ve met many people that may not even be aware of the impact they’ve had on my life and I will never forget them for that reason. I feel like there are people that I need to say good bye to but I don’t want to. I don’t want this to be the last time I see or speak to the people I’ve met here.

Alan, the supervisor of Arcadia programs in South Africa, and Jane, the project manager, have had a tremendous impact on my experience here. They were the people emailing us before our arrival in South Africa and I assumed we would meet them once or twice but I was wrong. We saw them almost daily while we were in Observatory and they made everything possible for us while we were here. They made sure we were happy and comfortable. The thing that made me the happiest was their ability to be so personal with us. I know many things about them that I would have never imagined having the privilege of knowing. I can’t thank them enough for everything they did and I hope they know they will forever be appreciated.

Although this is my last day in South Africa, I know I will be processing and reflecting on the things I’ve experienced here for a very long time. I don’t know when everything will start making sense or when I’ll understand how to incorporate these things into my life. I’ve slowly been making sense of things for the past week or two and I’m sure I will continue to do so for the next few months at least!

Thanks for blogging,

Brittany

Day of Clarity!

Two things stood out to me during lecture today: presence and unique experiences. Presence was a large part of our lecture today and I was dreading it because I am HORRIBLE at it. I can’t manage to get my thoughts focused. I sat on a balcony this morning in a very peaceful and beautiful area of campus but still my mind wondered. I couldn’t just focus on the simple things in front of me. In our larger group we talked a lot more about this. I noticed that there are so many things in Minneapolis or in my every day that I miss because I don’t take the time to step out of my routines or my tunneled thoughts.

This was also the time that someone brought up that they wish they would have been more present many times last week. I completely agree. Someone then suggested that we may have become less present as a defense mechanism to decrease the harshness of reality. I completely agree with this as well. I should have been more present last week in order to get the maximum potential from this experience, but as Aaron would say, “Are you shoulding all over yourself?” Initially, while wishing I was more present, I felt really guilty and horrible for the people that shared their stories with us. This was the only thing they wanted from us. They didn’t ask for material things or food. They simply wanted our ears and minds. After thinking about it for a little bit, I went back to Aaron’s statement and realized that I need to let it go because what I was able to give at that time was the best I could do. I’m going to make a conscious effort to stop “shoulding all over myself” because that represents regrets to me and I definitely don’t want to hold any regrets in my life.

The next thing that we talked about in lecture that spiked my interest was the differences in experiences that people have. It’s obvious from reading all of our blogs that we each have had very different thoughts and experiences throughout the three weeks that we’ve been in South Africa even though we’ve all shared the same exposure to people and things. What was really interesting to me though was that there was also a missionary group working with the JL Zwane Center while we were there. We ate lunch with them one day but unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I was having a very emotional day and I was NOT feeling the idea of speaking with high schoolers about their experience in South Africa. Turns out they are staying in a condo-like place near a beach, which is most definitely not in Guguletu, and they made sure they left Gugs by 4:00 pm every day because apparently danger comes out in the dark?? Guess what kids, I survived 5 nights in Gugs and one night I even walked a block in the dark. Sorry for the hostility and sarcasm but this really upsets me. These people are going to go back to America and reinforce the thought that townships, or South Africa, are a dangerous place. As long as you’re not dumb they are safe places. Clearly the experience that we had is much different from the experience they had. (PS I’m not saying that either is experience is more meaningful, but I’d rather have my experience!)

On a side note, we went back to Gugs today for lunch an Mzoli’s! Watch out Famous Dave’s, Mzoli’s definitely has you beat! At first I was nervous to go back because I kind of just wanted to leave the experience where I left it but once we pulled into the township a wonderful feeling came over me. I actually looked at people without having pity or sadness for them. I was able to look at kids without feeling bad for them because I began to notice their smiles and laughter rather than my guilt. I felt like I had a better understanding of the culture and the people and I needed to be removed from it for a few days to appreciate that. Things are finally looking up and starting to make sense! I was looking forward to coming home but now South Africa has a piece of my heart. Hopefully it will be in my future!

Thanks for blogging,

Brittany

An apple a day may or may not keep the doctor away...

I’ve been struggling with topics for a blog so far this week because last week is still weighing on my mind. Yesterday, we went to Robben Island (did you know robben means seal in Dutch?) and I thought I’d have a lot to blog about that but that’s not the case. Don’t get me wrong, it was very interesting to see Nelson Mandela’s prison cell and to learn about the prison directly from an ex-prisoner. I’m just not much of a history buff and I find the issues that are currently happening in the townships are a little more interesting.

I spent 19 of the last 24 hours in bed feeling sick and numerous times I had images of the hospice patients pop into my head. Jane, our mom away from home, checked on me this morning and brought me medicine, food, and water. She reassured me that she would get me to a doctor if I wasn’t feeling better by tonight. I couldn’t help but think about the people we met last week after Jane provided me with such care. I had been sick for 12 hours and was being cared for immediately but there are people within a few miles of me that aren’t receiving care for much more serious illnesses and diseases.

I was also reminded of the problems facing South Africans when the Tutu Tester (a mobile HIV testing center) was set up near our lodge today. These tests are free and in most of the townships people are also given vouchers worth about 10 rand. It is sad to me that people need to have another incentive besides FREE tests in order to find out if they have HIV or not.  I understand that a lot of people don’t want to know because they fear how much it will cost them or they believe they are completely healthy.

I’m obviously still pondering the things I witnessed last week and trying to figure out how to make it effect my life in the most positive way possible. I know I wasn’t brought to South Africa to dwell on the sad things that occur here but I’m having a hard time moving past those sad things. I guess I have a new mission for my summer!

Thanks for blogging,

Brittany