Spain and I love visitors! Thanks Mom.

Starbucks White Cranberry Mocha

Finally someone I know from the states seized this  opportunity to jump in a plane and fly across the big pond of the Atlantic Ocean. I'm so proud of my mom for doing so. I know that with all the years I have, it was a little frightening not knowing what to expect with arriving to a new country far from everything I've ever known or seen. My family is not a big traveling family and we stopped our yearly road trips when I was about 10 or so. I can only imagine the excitement and nervousness my mom was experiencing, having never left the USA. I can't discount our summer cruise a couple years to Mexico, but a guided tour of the Mayan ruins doesn't really seem to measure up to maneuvering all this without a guide.

It was nice to return to Madrid and pick up a Starbucks or two along with greeting my mom. Right after I moved here, the mother of one of my best friends passed away suddenly. When I saw my mom a rush of gratitude and thankfulness rushed over me. The fact that she was so willing to come and visit me and the fact that I could still throw my arms around her and tell her how much I loved her. I hate that it takes a death of a close loved one to make us realize that we should seize every moment to live out our lives and be thankful for the things we have instead of taking for granted future moments that are not promised to us.

Madrid City Tour w/the Spain flag!

I had a busy, busy itinerary planned for us. Everyday was planned to the T: Madrid City Bus tour, Rasta Market on Sunday morning, Half-day tour to Toledo, train rides and day trips from Santiago. The event planner in me was completely satisfied. Then I ran across the poster for Jason Mraz in Madrid!!! I snapped a picture of the posted and sent it to my mom as she boarded the plane in PHL. We decided Jason's concert was the most important thing for us to accomplish in Madrid!!

Great little tapas place in Madrid

The Madrid City Bus Tour was perfect with its "Hop-on, hop-off" routes. When the rain started to pour we just coasted around the city listening to the history of the buildings and interesting facts and as the rain subsided we would walk around and see a few attractions.

I was starting to panic though because I couldn't buy the tickets for the concert online anymore considering the concert was that night. We trekked from one side of town to the other trying to find a ticketmaster office that apparently closed 4 years ago?!?!?!?!?! We finally decided to go ask the venue if they knew where we could buy tickets and luckily we did, as it was a music festival it was first come, first serve for floor space and seats, we bought our tickets, popped into El Corte Ingles to buy a soda and some snacks and then waited in long line to get it. The folks around us got very excited that the Saxifonista, Jason Sosa walked past us. As he walked back the girls around me asked for a picture and as I snapped it for them, Jason realized I was American! How great was it for me to talk to another person from the states besides my mom for just a few minutes? AMAZING! Oh yeah and he's a ridiculous saxophone player! The concert was all incredible and great time for my mom and I to be together. I also so the oldie-but-goodie group: Los Secretos and one of my newest favorite artists: Georgina.

Jason Mraz's concert was A-Mazing!

Toledo, a small city right outside of Madrid was absolutley amazing and the tour guide was so knowledgeable. It would have been nice to sit and have a coffee or enjoy the scenery but the tour was definitly focused for travelers who are trying to see lots of places in a short time!

Arriving to Santiago was easy, nice and easy train ride and on the first day, of course it was a rainy day, we walked around and saw the highlights of the Old Town.

The highlight of my trip was our day trip to A Coruna. We went with my flatmate and I was shocked at all the spanish I was able to speak. Considering I arrived here with very little knowledge of how to speak Spanish, I could communicate with my flatmate and the people around us and then UNDERSTAND them as well! A Coruna was beautiful. We walked along both sides of the peninsula, visited the Tower of Hercules (the oldest Roman lighthouse that is still in use today), talked of life and futures and experienced Spanish tapas! It was a great day/night!

As the week quickly came to an end we had been from Madrid and Toledo then all around Santiago and Brion (where I work) and had a great Thanksgiving meal with my friends and of course a shopping day at As Cancelas!! Friday evening my mom and I shared a pulpo and some wine and really talked about life and love and everything in between. It was a sad moment as I was left standing on the platform at the train station in Santiago waving adios to my mom as the over-night train whisked her away to Madrid for the return trip home.