Back from Europe

 ethereal light illuminates La Sagrada Familia cathedral

I had a 10 day journey that took me from Paris, to Stiges, then Barcelona, and finally Madrid. It was amazing! As my jet lag wears off, I have these reflections on my trip:

• It was affirmed to me that as humans, we are more alike than we are different. Our "culture" just flavors the way our common human nature is manifested. 
• I felt an ancestral connection to Spain. These streets were traveled by my ancestors, These beautiful cities were build by my ancestors. I don't care if it sounds sentimental. I could live there tomorrow and fine a sense of home. 
• The gene pool is thick! I kept seeing the faces that resembled my family and friends while walking the streets of Spain. 
• On several occasions while my buddy and tour guide extraordinaire Rey slept in a little longer, I got dressed and headed out into the unknown streets of Paris by myslef, using the sun as my compass. Good to know the adventurer in me is still alive. 

I am grateful for being able to have this experience. God willing my passport will acquire many more stamps!

Went to the tippity-top and took in the city of lights.

Holly re-envisioned by a Parisian artist!

I let out a sincere wow at La Sagrada Familia.

Enjoying la cena within the Plaza Mayor.

Parisians loves them some graffiti. It is everywhere. 

Plaza Mayor from another angle. 

Simple yet exceptional.

Stiges showing love to Orlando, FL.

Gaudi is genious

Two queens gossiping.

Along the winding streets of Paris.

Gaudi's helmeted warriors watch over the streets of Barcelona from atop of Casa Milà aka La Pedrera 

A heart filled with gratitude. 

This Crazy Monkey Done Did It!

Back in Aug. 31, 2013, I posted about being accepted into a TESOL Master program at SCSU. Well, good people, today I just handed in my final paper and have completed the program! A bitch is done! Let's hear it for this crazy monkey!

It was an intense ride. The work was deep. I have learned so much. I had the best cohort. We called ourselves the Last Call Cohort, because we were the last cohort under the grant. I got this masters degree absolutely free! I will also have a second teaching license in ESL if I decide to change from being a special education teacher. Wow! A lot has happened.

I remain eternally grateful to Marcos. It was Marcos that convinced me to go back to school, move to CT, and make the changes I wanted in life. I feel his presence often and always whisper a sincere thank you into the air whenever he is around.

What got me through this experience is not wanting to let him or my family down. I also became very invested in supporting members of my cohort, which was very motivating. I kept telling these yungins, that were always on the verge of a breakdown, to "push through". And, push through is what we did!

Now, I am off to Paris tomorrow, then Barcelona, and the cherry on the sundae will be Stiges in Madrid. I will post from abroad whenever I can.

 As I walk out of this library in gratitude, with a big smile on my face, I say "Peace good people. Go grab yourself some life."

In Need of a Dramamine Due to The Donald

Here is the range of emotions I have gone through over the last couple weeks, as I watch the Donald unleash his special brand of cray-cray on the human populace:

Then after all is said and done, I just

because I just can't anymore with him.