The albergue lyfe

A part of the pilgrim experience is staying in hostels called albergues. These are specifically designed for pilgrims in that they are inexpensive and designed for community and conversation. That being said, these can often vary in quality and cleanliness. We have been fortunate enough to stay in very cute and clean places, although quirky in their own ways. For example, the one we stayed at last night had this large above-ground, concrete pool. They also had mattresses out on the patio that people could sleep on (we had a room thankfully). I woke up a couple of times and heard people playing games on their phones and/or snoring (looking at you dad 😝). 

Today we found the CUTEST albergue where the owners make a communal dinner for all the pilgrims and we are in the sweetest town. We also were handed clean sheets when we walked in to get a room THANK GOD. You never realize how much you appreciate those until you have to sleep on a bed that has already been made and it's unclear if the sheets have been washed.  While albergues might be quirky, I'm so thankful for the community that they have helped us build. 

Last night, we spent time with a family of 4 from Barcelona and they were great. 3 kids with their mom doing their fourth leg of the Camino. We walked with them this morning and sang a lot. The kids and I talked in Spanglish a lot, my favorite language, while the mom and my dad and a South African walked behind and talked. I love spending time with dad, but having other people to walk and talk with made time go a lot faster too. We stopped for lunch in a town that has a 13th century bridge that was gorgeous. We lost the family for the time being but the cool thing about the Camino is that you end up finding the same people day after day. 

I felt a lot better today mentally and physically. The cafe con leche I had at breakfast started me off chatty and then it just continued. We passed through so many beautiful towns and pueblos  and have had so much good food. I have missed Spanish food so much. I just feel so thankful to be here. 

All who wander are not lost... Unless you actually are lost.

Today we completed our first 22 km of the Camino and we are now in a little pueblo somewhere in the province of Castillo y Leon. Today we definitely were getting our pilgrim legs underneath us. We got lost probably within 15 minutes of starting our trip, but we figured it out quickly. We got out of Leon and into the country which was gorgeous. We stopped at a cafe and has some bocadillos, which dad loved. He's all about the cured meats. There were several adorable old Spanish men in the bar and I just love hearing them banter back and forth. We kept trekking and ran into some beautiful farm land on a dirt path and it was one of the most gorgeous days I've ever seen. Thankfully the wind was blowing enough to make it not obvious how hot it actually was today. 

At one point we thought we were in a different town than we were, so that took us a while to figure out. We eventually got to our final destination and it is great. Our hostel has a pool (wut) and everyone is super friendly. We actually got a ride to the grocery store from our hostel because the owner was at the bar in our hostel. She was hysterical and we got some delicious meat that is typical of Leon but I can't remember the name. Dad also ventured it on his own to save us a spot at dinner and had a total Spanglish moment. I can't wait to see the the restaurant owner later and hear what she has to say. 

There are quite a few characters on the Camino, including one who is loudly talking about how his gay friends make passes at him all the time. 

This has been hard so far, however I can already tell it will be well worth it. I watched Wild on the plane over here for inspiration and every time my backpack started hurting me, I would tell myself if Reese Witherspoon can carry her backpack, I can carry mine. We will see how long that mentality lasts. 

3 countries and 24 hours later

We made it!!!! Not gonna lie, the trip got off to a bit of a bumpy start. We got so delayed on our first flight that we missed our direct flight to Madrid. Sooooooo we got rerouted through Paris then to Madrid. We also had a super tight connection both times, so on multiple occasions we were pretty sweaty (especially since the Paris airport was crazy massive and didn't appear to have functioning A/C lawlz). As I write this, we are sitting on a train headed to Leon, where we will begin our journey tomorrow. 

A few observations- if you have never flown on AirFrance, I highly recommend it. A lot of food and booze 😍. They know what's up. 

Old Spanish men are so adorable and all Spanish women are gorgeous. I had forgotten that since my last trip here, but quickly remembered when I wanted to hug every old man I saw and stand as far away from the women. 

Translating while traveling is STRESSFUL. Sorry dad, you're a trooper for just following my lead because half the time I just get the information we need and then book it to our next place. My badddddd.

I can't believe we are finally starting our journey tomorrow! This has been a dream for so long and I cannot wait to see what adventures await us when we're on the way!

Brianna and Brad on The Way

Today is the day! For those of you who don't know, dad and I are about to embark on a three week journey taking us throughout the north of Spain. We will be walking part of what is called El Camino de Santiago. We are starting our trip in Leon and will be walking until we make it to the end of the Camino in Santiago de Compostela. 

This is a pilgrimage that is thousands of years old and people do it for a whole host of reasons. At this point, I'm not quite sure if I have any bigger reasons for going, other than an adventure with my dad. I will be updating this blog with our progress and ridiculous stories, as I am sure there will be many between the two of us. Stay tuned!!! 

Tranquila

This past week has been phenomenal. We finished out the week at Balboa and I couldn't have asked for a better first week. All of the students were friendly and excited to see a new face and all of the teachers were welcoming and attentive and have truly made Mo and I feel a part of the school.

On Friday, Mo and I went with some new found friends down to the Old Quarter, or Casco Viejo of Panama City to see the sites and the nightlife. Casco was packed, in part because of an art festival down there and part because it was a Friday night. But it was so fun. Everywhere around us there were people dancing and talking and laughing and every place we went was so full of life. My favorite part of all of it was that every bar or club we went into was open air, so you could look up and see the stars and the moon. (Don't worry mom, I was safe. There were cops everywhere.)

On Saturday, Silvio took us to the most massive mall I have ever been in. Seriously, I was exhausted from walking around it all day and we didn't even get to part of it. I loved being able to see all of the people there and Silvio says people come from all over South America just to go shopping in this mall. Mo and I tried to resist temptation, but at the end we both gave in and bought dresses. I'm a sucker for maxi dresses...

This week I feel as though Mo and I have become even more a part of the school. On Monday, one of the ninth grades we both have in class brought us ice cream to class... WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE, STUDENT?! No but really it was so awesome and sweet that I couldn't stop laughing because I was in shock. Later he asked me why I was laughing and I had to assure him that I wasn't laughing at him and that I was incredibly grateful for his sweetness. Today I went on a field trip to the Teatro Nacional de Panama with almost all of the seniors in the school to see a dance performance and it was so cool. The dance was incredible and I got to spend time with a bunch of fascinating students who come from all over. Then Mo and I went and judged one of the rounds of auditions for "Balboa's Got Talent." The kids that auditioned ranged from little babies in elementary to some of my senior students. It was so cool to see all of them performing and I can't wait to see the actual show in about 2 weeks!

As well as feeling a part of the school family, I am definitely feeling a part of my host family now too. Silvio and Erinn have been so incredibly gracious and have treated me like an old friend (they actually introduce me as that outside of school, instead of host student or random person we don't know staying with us.) They take me everywhere from the grocery to the hardware store to school, etc. Anywhere they go, I get to go too. And they have introduced me to many of their friends, with many more to come too. They have truly made this experience that much better thus far and I am so thankful I have them as guides.

Panama has many quirks and cosas distintas that make it very endearing but at times frustrating. For example, the infrastructure here is not sufficient for the amount of cars people own and so there are huge traffic jams, or tranques, all of the time for no apparent reason. There is also a concept here called juega vivo, which basically means to do things that could be potentially dangerous to others in order to gain something for yourself. In the tranques, people will drive on medians, buses will play chicken with cars until the cars move, and there is a general disregard for traffic laws in order to get what is best for the individual. However, I don't mind the tranques or the juegas vivos because it gives me more time in the car to take in the beautiful country side and talk to Silvio. The garbage trucks also come at night here and the honk their horns and since I am a grandmother and already in bed when they come, they wake me up quite often. That does get annoying, but what can you do? At least they take the trash with them.

And so, here I am, tranquila on the patio and writing. I can plan my lessons out here in the hammock and not have to worry about anything. Or simply just read and rest out here too. At this point, it is pretty safe to say that I am adjusted to the Panamanian lifestyle and fully embracing it.

Los primeros días

      After not having anything of particular consequence to write about for the past two years, I am finally back on the blogging wagon as I have embarked on my latest adventure- student teaching in Panama City, Panama. Melissa and I arrived here on Saturday, and thus far, it has been fantastic.

     The trip down here went incredibly smoothly, gracias a Dios, and we arrived in Panama around 10:30 Saturday night. Silvio and Erinn (my collaborating teacher and his wife, who is also the principal) met us at the airport and took us to their home where we snacked and chatted until all of us could barely keep our eyes open. On Sunday, Erinn and Silvio were kind enough to take us on a full tour of Panama City. We went to the Old Quarter, the beach, the causeway, the Canal, and our school. We saw so many incredible things, including sloths. I had no idea this is where they lived, but it was so cool. After we dropped Melissa off, Silvio, Erinn and I relaxed at the house and ate pizza. And went to bed veryyyyyyyy early.

     Today was great. I met my students and the majority of the teachers at school. Everyone has been very welcoming and excited that we are here and the students, as always, have had tons of questions for me. Everything from how old I am to what sorority I am in to if I have a boyfriend (you're already famous, Shelby), to why I want to be a teacher. The school has a great environment with a fascinating student population. So far, students have told me they are from Texas, Brazil, England, Peru, and Canada, as well as Panama. I am so excited to learn more about this school and all of my students.

    So far, Panama has proved to be very interesting in itself. There is a pretty significant American influence here due to the Canal, however Panamanians have infused that into their own culture. For example, they use American dollars here, but all prices have to be posted in Balboas, the Panamanian equivalent of the dollar. The construction of the Canal has shaped this area so greatly and yet there is an incredibly high sense of patriotism and pride in being Panamanian. Every Monday, the school performs a Panamanian flag ceremony because the Ministry of Education requires every school to perform an act of patriotism once a week. I really enjoyed watching it this morning and I can't wait to learn more of the intricacies of this place.

All Who Wander...

Look who's back... long time, no see, eh? While I should be doing my lesson planning for the rest of my life, I mean summer, I decided to start the good ole blog back up as a form of relaxation... Lately my life has been slightly chaotic and stressful and I feel like it can be best explained through my sense of direction.

So for those of you who do not know, I just recently moved to Cincinnati to work for the summer. I like to consider myself a fairly intelligent person (please do not tell me if you disagree), but for some reason I just cannot figure this darn city out. Seriously, I've found myself having to leave an extra ten minutes earlier than I already do because I get myself so turned around. I've been late for work, meeting people, lost in not-so-great parts of town, and to a grocery store that I still could not tell you how I got there. It is absolutely absurd and one of the most frustrating experiences of my life.

And I realize that this lack of direction is not just a literal lack of direction anymore. Ever since returning from my adventures abroad, I  have just been kind of wandering. My job hasn't really gotten in to full swing yet and I really have no idea what to expect from that. I'm not really sure what the future holds for me in my personal life anymore either. Things that I thought I had figured out are now completely mixed up and things just keep coming out of left field. I feel like I am constantly on my toes, which is, quite frankly, exhausting.

However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I can now successfully get to northern Kentucky from where I live and work without the direction of any other person. And I am hoping that is what I will get out of this summer. A little more direction, even though I have an idea that it will not be nearly the direction I was thinking it would be.

What's the moral of this story? Stay tuned. I am actually going to keep this up over the summer, for those of you who care, to share my stories and hopefully find my way in life. I pray to God more successfully than I have found my way around Cincinnati.