Dropping the Ball, Jza. Dropping the Ball....

So I gotta take advice from Trey and "get my head in the game." To give you the long, boring blablabla in one word: busy.

But.

On to the beauty! Where did we leave off? Right before Jo arrived? Great. This is pinnacle moment. Jozanne arrived and my head and heart were in the sky. My being away from lovely, frustrating Cataluyna so much has made it difficult for me to feel rooted here. In fact, there is so much I dislike about the city, which I don't mean to say it's not beautiful, but I don't like it. So in part, my lack of preparation, my exhaustion and frazzledness translate to immediately strained affairs between Jo and I. There was definitely a feeling of rubbing two opposing materials together, because Jo and I -- different birds, same nest. So similar enough to want the closeness and strange enough to be set back. You know? But after I took my head from my own rear end, we were able to make progress and actually got a kick out of jesting about the things that make me uncomfortable here: my inability to enjoy the infamous nightlife that is one of Barca's main draws, the overpriced, yucky food, famous Catalan coldness and tempers, and many other little things. In the end, we ended up in Paris, gray and glistening and think went through a painful, transition that ended up with us on the threshold of a new stage of our relationship. Exciting, no?


Versaille was singular and breathtaking, and Koons exhibit there was alternately obnoxious and coy, but all in all, I was breathlessly impressed and giggling at the Erotic museum and touring around the chilly city, watching fog nestling the Seine with my lovely sis was a memory I never will forget. One for the lifetime awards.



When I got back, I caught up with SARAH SMITH! Yea! Sarah Smith is proof that time and distance don't affect love if you want it badly enough. And man, we both want it, I love that girl like it's my job, but we have the grace of a relationship that ebbs and flows with such beauty that it is as natural as breathing. Right from Paris, I was greeted by her lovely blue, bright eyes, and I proceeded to try once again to show the lovely sides of Barcelona.



It was awesome and relaxing and I love love love how Sarah accepts me with the calm and cool that is absolute trademark Sa. Smith. Once again, I felt distracted and emotionally off kilter, so I wanted to kick myself for not giving her the joyous Janelle...but I think she didn't resent me for it.

This time was pretty tough for me emotionally, having trouble fitting in the dormitory because of the time I spend away from it, language issues, missing home and friend troubles. Realising that change taking place thousands of miles away still hurt as if they are right in your face. But once again, I found that I was forgetting the root of it all, and with some help from my friend (hey! I get by with a little help from my friends!) and a heckalot of prayer, I feel relieved.

This weekend was a trip to Amdam. All in all, the trip wasn't something I'd repeat but wonderful. The train situation was hellish, and I am broke beyond belief now because of mistakes the train made. The trains we needed to connect back to Barca were running late, and the man decided not to even TELL us this fact, so after bustling around, losing our minds, we ended up having to book a last minute flight. Genius. And the city was hailing and f-f-freezing. I mean, terribly so. And Kapy and I got trapped outside, huddled and brain muddled just wanting to be warm and curled up with some stroopwaffles.


But onto the good stuff: it was gorgeous. If you've heard about the drug scene in Amdam you've only heard part of the story. It's all canals and old, beautiful buildings. Remarakably clean and unique. It was my first Scandinavianish country, and it was a delight. The people were sweet as pie and twice as useful and helpful. It just was a wonder. Plus our adorable Texan hostess told us about how she feel in love with Amdam, moved there after college and works as an au pair: they pay for her housing, travel and visa fees -- she lives in Amdam and loves life and plays with children all day.


In other news, we got home and I hunched over the computer to get work done. I want my mind to be clear and my spirites to be high when JT arrives. I can not wait. He will be here ... tomorrow.



No words.

But all is well, if ever-changing and confusing and new and exciting.

I am currently in the works of trying to figure out a few things that the bible says I shouldn't discuss, but always can use prayers for guidance and for, hopefully, being able to have the proper base for what I do.

But that is me as of now.
In a condensed shortened super secret bloggy way.

Yours,

Janelle

And...All Around the Place!

So!

It all began with me getting the best gift ever: a Eurail pass. And then came the planning that took weeks and revisions and all that goodness. Kapy being the peach she is trusted me enough (Lord knows why) to go all in and buy a Eurail too in full faith of my super sneaky secret planning abilities.

This trip was a PAIN because I will tell you a secret: it is HARD to get to Greece from Barca. But with a week and some patience and a lot of God it got all together in an affordable, plausible, enjoyable way.

We started off with NO tickets. Not a single one. Because after they set that pike on the West Coast and rang the bell progress with trains literally came to a screeching halt on the tracks of progress. Most tickets, especially with a Eurail, you have to book in person in the country you are traveling too. En serio. So basically, we had a ticket from Montpellier - Barca and vice-versa.

Fun.

But I decided to give that lily thing a try and coincidentally we made every train, ferry and transfer we needed until the last day. Unbelievable right? Especially when I start telling you how all over we were.

First night to Geneva which is a city all unto itself. I mean, Switzerland blows my mind. It is the image of progress, puncuality, beauty and democracy. Did you know that they vote on any ammendant that gets a petition supported by 5,000 people? Isn't that B.A.? On the train over, we encountered an amazing man from Dubai who bought us a drink because we both only had standing room on the train and were just chilling. He told us about home, we traded stories and just had a swell time. He was so genuinely kind and awesome. I got a real kick whilst he was describing arranged marriages because I knew how much my family and mother would love to arrange my marriage. All in all, it was not only fun and enjoyable but enriching. I didn't realise how little I knew about Dubai!

When we got into Switzerland it was chilly but lovely, all lights and water and huge, clean buildings. Our hostess, Nadia, was a doll! She was 24, took us out, had the cutest kitten (Ginger who I almost shoved in my backpack but it was too stuffed) and informed us all about Switzerland and Geneva while we ate genuinely delicious fondue and drank wine. It was friggin awesome, but as eyes drooped we regretted not having more time to chill in the city that has giant chessboards. Oh dear lord so cool.



We got up bright and early and were off to Venice, from Venice, right onto a ferry which might sound sketchy but I will tell you that going from Venice to Patras Greece is possibly for 15 euros with a eurrail pass and when they say ferry they really mean cruise: arcade, casino, pool, restaurants, stores. We once again encountered really legit people by chance who walked by. Claire (who I didn't know was Claire at the time) had a rogue hat on and I cast her an awkward Janelle Hi you're young and so are we smile and when we got on board we were sleeping on the floor together so the rest is history! But it was pretty cool. I mean, as unlegit as I look with my awesome Swiss Pink backpack, pink blanket, hand santesizer dangling from my bag and hot pink neck pillow, I am definitely getting into the rhythm of meeting people, rushing for trains and showering less than some people may be comfortable with me admitting. (see Claire in Rogue Hat below)



I kept finding myself thanking my Mom for all the things she taught me and gave me. The shoes and all the goodies!

But back on point. The views out of Venice and into Greece were life-changing. I mean, the most beautiful thing my eyes have ever encountered...ever.... More than I could dream.

We were stoked to get in, jumped on a bus to Athens and checked in with Eva. Our hostess there. She gave us her bed and slept on the floor and I think I took my Euro-awkward kiss hug greeting over her comfort zone. But beside that we ran out the door to do the touristy thing (Acropolis and whatnot) which was cool cool cool but admittedly not my favourite thing I've done. We got back in, listened to her music and talked to her about regional idenity and corruption in the Greek culture. Always interesting. Really. (I spy with my little eye, wee Janelle!)



The next day was Greece as I dreamt it. We went on a cruise to 3 islands with so many tourists they had to do every annoucement in about 10 languages.



Hydra was all blue and white and beautiful and I stripped down and jumped into the Meditarrean which was cool and cleansing. Finally getting that baptism of mine. It was ... spectacular, moving and emotional. I loved Hydra.

The second island, Poros, we weren't on for long, but Kapy and I sunning got mistaken for Brasilneras which always makes my life. After hopping back on the boat: Aegina.



In Aegina, we walked, wandered, ate and had another wonderful human encounter. By chance we walked past a group of older people gathered and they asked about where we were from with genuine interest. We ended coming back through (after I searched for a worry stone on the beach for you Mommy! Got one!) and they invited us for a bite and a drink. We refused until they insisted and they sat down, like the poor, outgoing college students we are. The wine was delicious. Made across the street and after political debates and laughs and a wonderful time we had to rush back to the ship and into the sunset. How dramatic!



We got in exhausted, the sun golden and rose setting into clouds hovering over green mountain tops... full and loving life.

We spent the next day finishing up what we could in Athens and then hopped over to what was expected to be the anti-climax: Patras, Greece.

Boy were we mistaked. From jump, Odisseas, our host, was amazing. He made us comfortable, we chatted (he's right around our age -- 22 and his sister, Anastacia is 18) and his apartmento was SICK. So he gave a tour, suggestions, offered his kitchen, shower and computer and we talked for ever and ever. Seriously, within the hour we were like close friends.

That night I tasted Greek food for the first time, and since the day before was No Day for the Greek ( a holiday hailing the saying NO to Nazis!) his sister had gone home and come back with Mommy and Grandmommy food from SPARTA (which is where he is from by the way...he is a SPARTAN!) And he stuffed us to the brim with some of the most deliciously wonderful mouthwatering goodness your brain can conceive.

Oh my god.

When we asked how to repay his generosity he just said: cook for me tomorrow.

So we mulled over what we could cook while we listened to him play the beatles and APC and everything else I love and sing in his gorgeous voice and we swayed drinking a bit of Ouso. Afterwards we went out a bit, saw the sun over water and a few sites but mostly just chatted and loved life.

The next day was even better, I got up early and shared tea with him and discussed life and love and all that beauty. I was delighted at how similar we were. I mean, honestly, even in the States it's hard for me to find people who say my thoughts like he did. We love music (pretty much all the same) the same way and with the same intensity. He showed me videos, loaded my iPod with his new music suggesitons and then we just chilled more.

The night before I dreamt that we should try to cook my favourite dish: sausage, beans and rice with apples. Unsure if it was plausible, we decided to go for it. We ran to the store, and a nice man who spoke English helped us find things and ordered feta and everything. After some time all went well. Miraculously, the delicious dish of my Mommy came to life and it was perfect. A genuinely American dish (home-cooked, down-home, New O'leans cuisine!) and there was SO much. We ate on the deck and were just so satisified and happy and oh!



Mom would've been proud.

We didn't want to leave, but when we had to we had to. It was a tough goodbye but we swore to stay in touch and I plan to stick to that!

He and his soft-voiced, curly-headed, beautiful sister were amazing. And another plus mark for couch-surfing which just keeps changing my life!

From Patras it was back on the cruise where Kapy and I dressed up like superheroes (i.e. sillypants) for Halloween. I was feeling down at this point, tired and sad and missing home and my baby so I didn't want to get dressed. But when a little girl dressed up like a cat came by we decided to inform him we'd love to trick or treat for his daughter. I found him in line, told him our proposition and Andrew got candy. After we fawned over how precious she was (the little British girl -- Katie -- goes with her parents all around the world in their ship!) and then we talked to her father for ever. It was so so so cool. And yet again we got political and just introspective in a way that I haven't been able to do in the same way ever before.



The rest of the trip passed pretty well, and we rushed through Venice which was swollen high and perfect from the rain. It is the most singular city in the world and I plan to go back with my lover and see it properly. It was stunning. So stunning. And seeing beautiful Italians in boots up to their thighs walking to work/class is amazing. The colours are what make the city look more alive and more art-like than anything else.


Onto the train. Rushing to Nice. Getting into Nice. Eating. Falling asleep -- exhausted.

And the next morning -- train difficulties. But after so much wonder -- who cares? On to 15 hours of trains and back here to Barca.

Soul full. Mind satiated. Charmed by the people of the world and the world itself.

All the love,

Jza