To Spain

January 3rd

The early departure was indeed tiresome and sad as we flew from Madrid to Frankfurt, Germany, and then to Dallas and then OKC. The flight seemed to take forever as we were all anxious to get home and get a good night's sleep in our own beds before school the next day.

I spent the trip sleeping, listening to my iPod, watching movies, chatting, and thinking about how much I would miss Spain. I wanted to stay for another month, our trip was just not long enough.

Today, I think about some of the little things about traveling to a different country and all the experiences that go with it. I remember the Swiss chocolate (Milka) that I bought on the airplane. It is still the best chocolate ever (and luckily I found some at Disney World 5 months later).

I think about the street performers and the exotic things they did. I think about the late night hot chocolate and churro treats. I reminisce on such things as the chapel in Barcelona where Christopher Columbus first announced his discovery.

The amazing streets and alleys and shops and the black market selling knock off Luis Vutton purses and Polo cologne. I think about our great guide Antonio and all the sponsors that helped make the trip possible. A big thank you to them for making the trip one of the best vacations and experiences I have ever had.

I think about the food and how we did not like most of it. I remember Ben Britton eating corn nuts at 3am and that still makes me chuckle. Ben was eccentric, but cool. All the people that went were just really great people and I love them all.

Los Conquistadors was so amazing that I cannot even describe the joy and happiness I had when hanging out with these guys. To Mitch Cook for his tireless preparation and flawless execution. To all my fears of being robbed (I never felt remotely threatened or in danger). To VIPS for showing us a true Texas burger unlike any burger I have ever had. To the idea that they serve tap beer at Burger King. To Magnum for opening my eyes.

To the greatest New Year's Eve I have ever seen. To the long and boring plane flights, for without them we would have never made it. To all the museums and Dali and Picasso, now I appreciate you more fully. To the Spanish people for being so interesting and beautiful. To Barcelona for being so glorious and beautiful and to Madrid for enlightening my mind.

To Spain for changing my life.

The End of Travel

On December 27th, we finally reached our destination of Barcelona, Spain. After the many long hours of traveling, we spent a few hours getting acclimated, had dinner, and then made up our rooms to prepare for a night of much needed sleep.

Upon arrival at the airport by way of Germany, we got into a bus that took us to the hotel. I do not know what I was expecting, but the area around the airport was I guess you could say, "shocking." It appeared underdeveloped but a closer look revealed heavy construction in every direction.

So, the drive to the hotel was indeed very interesting as we took in the sights and enjoyed the atmosphere (once we got outside the airport area, it was amazing!!). The bus trip was very exciting, but we were all very tired.

We explored the hotel and had dinner and then fell victim to the comfortable beds in our 3 person rooms. Classmate and buddy Kevin Pojezny, underclassman weirdo Ben Britton, and I shared a cozy room with a lookout over the hustling town of Barcelona.

We went out early as we knew we would rise early to explore this intriguing foreign country.