semana santa with my dad: barcelona, lisbon, paris, & madrid

Never in my life have I been told more that I look so much like my dad. When he visited, both my friends here and my teachers from school, were just awed that I look so much like him. I guess it's because a lot of people here haven't seen me next to my mom in person, but I think I look like her too. A little more like dad though, especially when we are next to each other. I don't mind though, because he is one of my favorite people in the world, so being more like him isn't a bad thing.

So for dad's trip, I just have to say it was SO GOOD to see my dad and have him here. It's nice when the people you love want to know about your life and experience and see it, and know that you are happy and why. So it was just really nice to share this world him. It was nice to share not only Madrid with him, but the wanderlust travel side of my life that a lot of people don't really understand until they see it or experience it with me. AND understanding that traveling and adventuring is fun, but living out of a dirty suitcase, and running to make metros or trains, or missing flights, or eating super cheap food because you're on a budget, is not always as glamorous as it seems to be.

Anyways, so we started in Barcelona and got to see all my favorite things there. Barcelona was a good hub for us to travel out of and it's a great Spanish city to see, so we began our trip there. Dad flew into BCN from LAX and flew in that same morning from Madrid. I've been to Barcelona before (on 2 different occasions, once w mom and once with Joyce & Harold) but it's so incredible with all the Gaudi art and the beach, I didn't mind going again to show dad around. We did all my favorite things, we went to La Boqueria (awesome open air market with fresh food, some tapas restaurants, fresh juices, but also spanish fresh meat/fish/veggie market), La Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, the Picasso Museum, the Olympic stadium, Casa Mila, and the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc. Dad had his share of tapas, and on our last day there we also ate at Moaz Veg which is this awesome falafel place that I love, but they are super scarce in the world.

Unfortunately, it wasn't super hot while we were there to enjoy the beach. BUT my dad HATES the beach anyways so it's a moot point. I don't really understand how you can be a Los Angeles native and Californian for life and hate the beach but, he does.

Next, we flew to Lisbon, Portugal. Everyone told me that I would love Lisbon and that it's beautiful and super small and cultural, and I love cities like that (like Prague, and like Sevilla). And I was super excited to go because I had never been there before!! Lisbon was small, and super hilly. It reminded me of a really old San Francisco, I think that Tito (MK) would like it because she loves San Francisco and will never come home. Anyways, so Lisbon. The first day we were there we kind of just walked around and explored. I made my dad walk down to the ocean with me (which was like a 10 min walk from where we were staying) even though he hates the beach. But there wasn't really a beach, it was more port ish, kind of like parts of the port of Long Beach.

Dad hating the beach

Teresa & I

Us in the GoCar

Dad driving the GoCar

If you visit me, I'll make you do stupid things like pose as a fish...

Dad & a penguin

The city was really old, not as kept up as I thought it would be. Our first night there, we met up with Teresa (my roommate from the fall in Madrid). Teresa was on Erasmus (our version of study abroad type thing but in Europe) in Madrid and she went back to school in Lisbon at the end of January. I was really excited to see her and we almost missed each other because she was going back to Braga (her hometown from northern portugal) for Easter vacation, the next day. I didn't realize how much I missed her until we were having dinner. It was soooo good to catch up with her and just talk about life, because she knows what my life is like here so it was really fun for me because she gets it. I'm so glad I got to see her, and I'm sure that I'll be back sometime to see her or we even talked about meeting up somewhere this summer.

That night, we researched what we wanted to see/plans for the next day. At the tourist office, we got a flyer for GoCar, which is actually a scooter but in the shape of a mini baby car. So the GoCar has a GPS that leads you on a guided tour, but you drive it all around. And Lisbon isn't that easily walkable because it has so many steep hills, so dad and I (but mostly dad) thought this would be a great idea to go sightseeing around Lisbon and to Belem. It was definitely an adventure, it was super fun, but we got lost a lot and there were a lot of one way or small streets that we couldn't turn on. I would only ever do something like that with my dad so I'm glad we had that experience. It let us see Lisbon in a different way which was really cool. We also got to see the Oceanario, which was huge and amazing. And it had jellies (i love jelly fish). We got to see penguins, sea otters, tons of fish, sharks, etc. It's almost as cool as the Long Beach Aquarium.

The next day, we took a day trip to Sintra to see the Palácio Nacional da Pena and the Moorish Castle. Both the Moorish Castle and Palácio Nacional da Pena are in the Sintra mountains and Sintra-Cascais Nature Park. The National Park is a World Heritage Site classified by UNESCO in 1995. I mainly wanted to see the Palacio de Pena, which is this great big princess palace!! Seriously, from fairy tales. It was gorgeous, and medieval, and painted pink, purple, and yellow. It was really fun to go there and see the palace because I had heard so much about it from friends of mine. It was definitely worth the trip to Lisbon and the train to Sintra. Dad also wanted to see the Morrish Castle while we were there, so we hiked along this castle/defense wall up to the top of these strategic look out points. In reality, the Moorish Castle wasn't really a castle but a series of defense walls, so that was a little disappointing, but it had really cool views of the whole National Park and the Sintra mountains.

All that being said, I didn't love Lisbon as much as I thought I would, maybe because I had really high expectations, and it turned out to be an older city, not as kept up, and not as walkable, and the beach didn't really exist. Even so, it was really fun to explore somewhere new with my dad and to see Teresa.

The next city we went to was Paris. I always have mixed experiences in Paris. The first time I went, I was 18 and it was time in Europe, so it's super nostalgic and with mixed memories of high school friends and Jenna/I's crazy backpacking trip. The last I went, it was with Joyce and Harold and it was super awesome because it was our first city in our month Europe trip, and I hadn't been back since I had lived in Sevilla. So I've had really interesting experiences in Paris, the first not so great and I didn't like it and the second time, I loved the city. So this time, was nice because I still have good feelings about Paris and I wasn't rushed to see everything. Dad and I did all the things we wanted to see because we did one of those big red bus hop-on-hop-off tours. We went to the Eiffel Tower, the Lourve, the Moulin Rouge, Sacre de Coeur, the Arc de Tromphe, Champs-Elysees, Notre Dame, etc. One thing that I've also always wanted to do was take a day trip to Giverny. In Giverny, in the Normandy province of France, is Claude Monet's old country house and gardens that inspired his famous "Water Lily Pond" painting from 1899. It is a dream garden. And I had always dreamed of going, so it was definitely something I got to cross off my bucklist. Dad said the water lilies (Japanese garden) was idyllic. It was super serene and peaceful. Such a great place in a painter's heart. I loved the flower garden though. The mix of colors and different flowers was awesome, it was just gorgeous. It's one of those places you describe really, and pictures don't do it justice. It's a being there thing.

At the top of the Arc de Triomphe

 On the hop-on, hop-off bus

Dad in front of the Lourve

Eiffel Tower by night! I swear, he had more fun than this... he just didn't know I was taking a picture

Giverny!!!

After Barcelona, Lisbon, and Paris, we came back to Madrid. I love traveling, but it was really nice to finally be home. That's one of the things I love most about living abroad and getting to travel on weekends, is that you have a home base and it's nice to be grounded every once in a while. I had to go back to school on Tuesday so we had a super short time in Madrid. We went and did a few touristy things in Madrid like Mercado de San Miguel, the Crystal Palace, etc. Dad had his share of Spanish jamón (ham) and tapas including spanish tortilla de patata, paella, and other favorites. It was nice because he got to see my life and meet my teachers/friends too. It was sad to see him go but we had such a good trip!! I'm so glad that he came.

Last weekend, I was in Marbella/Gibraltar and this coming weekend I will be in Sevilla for Feria (that reminds me, I need to tell my Manoli that I'm coming). Life has been so busy so I will update you later on my beach weekend in Marbella and my undying love for Andalucía. I literally haven't fully unpacked bags for almost a month now, since I have been traveling so much -- and I am finishing this blog post as I repack my bag for Feria in Sevilla tomorrow. I can't wait to be home and see my Manoli.

Things to look forward to: LESS THAN 2 MONTHS UNTIL SHARLA COMES (!!!!). and I will be home August 1st. I can't wait for Dodger games, and my family, and the beach, and the California sun, and hiking, sister concerts, and Lemonade, and my friends.

travel articles: adventurers who left normal life

I read this on one of those instagram picture quote things from a random person (and yes, i know they are cheesy and super girly) but I liked this one a lot, so I wrote it down.

"Sometimes the people around you won't understand your journey. They don't need to, it's not for them."

Someone close to me, who knows me well, and who knew me at a time when my heart and my soul was just so sevilla happy, said something really important to me this past week. He said, "I'm so happy you are doing your thing." I can't begin to tell you how nice and reassuring it is when people affirm that they are on your side and that they support you and love you and believe in what you're doing.

I love travel articles, and this is a mix between a travel article and a piece on bloggers/adventurers who left normal to follow their hearts. I believe that everyone has their path, and right now, I like the one that I'm on, I like this one that's less traveled.

Here's the link to the original article from Buzzfeed.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/laraparker/inspiring-stories-of-people-who-left-normal-life-and-emba

11 Inspiring Stories Of People Who Left Normal Life And Embarked On An Adventure

So, are we quitting our desk jobs now or later?posted on February 11, 2014 at 12:23pm EST

Lara ParkerBuzzFeed Staff

1. Jodi Ettenberg, Ex-Corporate Lawyer Now Traveling Food Blogger

Jodi Etternberg

Jodi Etternberg

Jodi Etternberg

After five-plus years of working as a corporate lawyer in New York, Montrealer Jodi Ettenberg decided to pack it up and eat her way around the world for a year. Next thing she knew, one year turned into another and another, and she’s now nearing six years of travel to faraway places. While she jokes that she “eats soup for a living”, she’s not too far off: Her site, Legal Nomads (which she started to keep her mother updated about her travels) houses photos of foods from around the world. Though Legal Nomads is unmonetized (she has turned down sponsored links or ads), Jodi supports herself with freelance writing, consulting work in social media, and, more recently, feeding her hungry eaters when they visit Saigon.

When asked if she plans to return to “real life” Ettenberg told BuzzFeed that she takes things one day at a time. “I am thankful for the ability to have built a business around the foods and places I love, and never quit my job to ‘be’ a travel writer. If this doesn’t work out, going back to being a lawyer isn’t the worst thing I can think of. But it’s far less fun than what I am doing now!” Feed your wanderlust by following Jodi’s adventures on her blog.

2. Liz Carlson, English Teacher Turned Travel Writer

Liz Carlson

Liz Carlson

Liz Carlson

After graduating and teaching English in Spain for a few years, Liz fell in love with travel. However, she ended up moving home to Washington, D.C., and working in a dead-end office job trying to follow the path that she felt as if she were supposed to be following. It didn’t take long for her to realize that button-ups and quarterly meeting weren’t for her. The nine-to-five scene was becoming suffocating and she could feel herself growing increasingly unhappy.

She knew she had to do something about it, so she did. After deciding to pursue writing, she saved up and quit her job to travel and has been on the road ever since From camping with the Bedouins in the desert in Jordan to paragliding in New Zealand, she’s fully embraced having both a life filled with travel, while also encouraging others who might want the same that it is possible. Carlson told BuzzFeed, “Anyone can do it.” Learn more about Liz and her ongoing adventure by visiting her website.

3. Ying Tey, Felt a Sense of Urgency to Start Living After Mother’s Death

Ying Tey

Ying Tey

Ying Tey

When Ying was just 18 years old, her mother died. “Death,” she said, “is a great teacher. It reminds you, almost mockingly, that everyone is stamped with an expiration date.” She was left with grief, but a sense of urgency accompanied that grief. The sense of urgency to start living.

With this urgency in the back of her mind, it didn’t take her long to realize that her time spent in the corporate world would be short-lived. After just three months, she packed up for good. During this time, travel blogs were rare and Malaysian backpackers even more so. Sixty-six countries and two passports later, she’s holding down a copywriting stint at an advertising agency in Singapore but told BuzzFeed that the flames of wanderlust have yet to die down. “It lies dormant as I embrace stability for the next few months. As soon as my bank account starts getting healthy again, I will heed the call of the open road again. After all, I’m just an average girl from Malaysia yet I was able to wander. If I can, so can you.” Feed the flames of your wanderlust by visiting Ying’s blog.

4. Yasmine Mustafa, After 22 Years in the U.S., She Became a Citizen and Left on Her Own Terms

myasmine / Instagram

myasmine / Instagram

myasmine / Instagram

Yasmine Mustafa immigrated from Kuwait with her family during Operation Desert Storm when she was 8. She became entangled in the immigration system, worked numerous under the table jobs, started a tech company, and when she finally became a U.S. citizen at 31, she booked a six-month trip around South America to experience the freedom of traveling and to find out who she was without her laptop.

She traveled solo from May to November 2013 where she visited Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, and Peru. Yasmine told BuzzFeed that her life’s path has long been restrictive due to circumstances beyond her control and for the first time in her life, she had the opportunity to steer away and do exactly what she wanted to do: travel.This is only just the beginning. You can learn more about Yasmine and her adventures by visiting her personal blog.

5. Robert Schrader, Once a Victim of the American Economic Apocalypse, Now Makes a Living Traveling the World

Robert Schrader

Robert Schrader

Robert Schrader

A few years ago, Robert faced a dilemma. “I wanted to travel the world,” he told BuzzFeed. “But I didn’t have the means to do so, financially or confidence-wise.” Robert Schrader’s journey began in 2009, when he fled the American economic apocalypse for China. Five years and more than 50 countries later, he makes his living via Leave Your Daily Hell, a travel blog he uses to inspire, inform, entertain, and empower other would-be escape artists. After leaving his real-life job over three years ago, he has made it his goal to inspire others to do the same.

No matter how many friends of family members expressed skepticism toward his grand plan — and nearly all of them did — he remained steadfast in my determination. Robert believes that the surest way to make more of your life is to become more aware of what’s out there- and to expand your definition of what’s possible. The surest way to do that? Travel.

Let Robert help you travel by visiting his website.

6. Katie Aune, Left Chicago to Travel All 15 Former Soviet Republics

Katie Aune

Katie Aune

Katie Aune

Dissatisfied with her job and feeling restless after a decade in Chicago, Katie Aune told BuzzFeed that she decided to quit her job to travel in 2011. She spent 13 months traveling solo through all 15 former Soviet republics, a journey that included running a marathon in Estonia, traveling the length of the Trans-Siberian Railway, desert camping in Turkmenistan, and volunteering in Russia, Armenia and Tajikistan.

After enduring challenging border crossings, dozens of squat toilets, long overnight train rides, and occasional bouts of loneliness, she returned home a stronger, more confident woman with a new perspective and an appreciation for the little things in life. Now back in Chicago working full time again, Katie writes about travel on the side as she dreams of her next great adventure. Follow along with Katie’s future adventures here.

7. Megan Smith, Started Traveling Post-Breakup

Megan Smith / Flickr / xolowercaseyou

Megan Smith / Flickr / xolowercaseyou

Megan Smith / Flickr / xolowercaseyou

For several years, Megan felt stuck in a career path and a life that she desperately wanted to be free of. After a breakup, she decided to hatch a plan. She would work hard and save money for the next year and then take off on a journey by herself. So, in August 2013, she did just that.

She packed her life into storage and took off on a journey that took her across the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and soon Central America. She told BuzzFeed, “It’s been an incredible experience so far — teaching me so much about myself, other cultures, the world, and how I fit into it.” Learn more about Megan and her incredible journey on her blog.

8. Kim Dinan, Sold All Of Her Possessions And Traveled The World With Her Husband

Kim Dinan

Kim Dinan

Kim Dinan

In 2009 Kim Dinan lived in a great city, owned a home, and had a good job. Life was nice. But she knew, deep down, that something was missing. She’d always dreamed of traveling the world. At one point, back in college, she’d wanted to write for a living. But somewhere along the way her dreams had ended up on the back burner. So she hatched a plan.

For the next three years Kim and her husband saved every penny and sold all of their stuff. In May 2012 they set out to travel the world with all of their remaining possessions strapped to their backs. “There was definitely a point where I wondered what we were doing, if we hadn’t both completely lost our minds,” said Kim. “My mom kept begging me to use the money we saved to buy a bigger house! But of course that wasn’t what we wanted.”

Today, Kim and her husband travel the world full time and Kim has turned her love of writing into a career. Since bucking the cubicle for a life of travel, they’ve trekked the tallest mountains in Nepal and descended into the world’s deepest canyon in Peru. Kim has walked solo across Spain and driven a rickshaw 3,000 kilometers through India. Today, she lives the life she used to only dream about. “Life is an adventure now,” she said. “I’ve truly come to believe that if we can find the courage to do the things that make us feel most alive, we do not only ourselves a favor but the world a favor too.”

Follow her story here.

9. Matt Kepnes, Normal Guy Turned Serial Traveler

Matt Kepnes

Matt Kepnes

Matt Kepnes

In 2005, Matt Kepnes went to Thailand with a friend and, while in the city of Chiang Mai, he met five backpackers on a bus. Listening to them talk about extended travel inspired Matt to leave his job and travel more. As they all spoke about how insane only getting two weeks a year was, Matt began to think about making a change. Kepnes tells BuzzFeed that he realized they were living his dream and he thought to himself, Why not me too? When he came home, he quit his job.

In July 2006, he set off on a yearlong trip around the world. That was seven and a half years ago. He’s never looked back. Travel is what makes him happy and he finds a way to make this lifestyle work. He has now been to over 70 countries, worked various jobs to be able to fund this, and now he is able to help others learn that traveling isn’t as hard or expensive as they think. “I remember being scared and worried when I was planning my trip,” he said. “Every fear went through my head but being on the road taught me that the hardest part is getting the courage to walk out the door. The rest is a cakewalk. Everything on the road works itself out.” Learn more about Matt and his story by visiting his website.

10. Jill Inman, Made Her Dreams A Reality

Jill Inman

Jill Inman

Jill Inman

A ship is safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships are built for. This very statement serves as inspiration at the heading of Jill Inman’s blog. She wanted to embark on an around-the-world trip because she had long dreamt of seeing the world in a way that many people only daydream about. So one day, she decided to make her dream a reality. She left, and never looked back.

She has since visited 64 countries. Inman told BuzzFeed, “While my passport stamps and screensavers from the 64 countries I’ve visited are the recognizable signs of my adventures; the lasting lessons learned from the challenging times and unforgettable memories from the amazing times are the real reasons I continue to travel.” She wants to encourage others to do the same. She believes that seeing the world allows her to be more adaptable to life’s curve balls. “I view the world with so much more curiosity,” she said. Read more about her adventures on her personal blog.

11. Kate Hall, Needed a Life Change

Kate Hall

Kate Hall

Kate Hall

One moment Kate Hall was on the phone to her boyfriend telling him they had no money for dinner that evening and the next moment she found herself telling him that they had to leave the UK because her heart was telling her to do so. She thought to herself, Life shouldn’t be this hard.

Fast-forward two years and Kate has cured a 5-year-old depression, started her journey into self-employment, and has traveled the world. She roamed the Red Light District in Amsterdam, spent six months in Greece, partied under the Eiffel Tower, and will soon be getting married in Frankfurt, Germany.

When asked about her travels, Kate told BuzzFeed, “Sometimes, you need to take that leap of faith and follow your heart.” Follow Kate’s ongoing journey by visiting her blog.