Gracetopher’s Travels (Miss Me Yet?)

Barcelona

/ Gracetopher Kirk / 3 Comments

Well, I’ve been in Barcelona two and a half days now. Overall… it was a lot less scary than I thought it would be, although I did definitely get ripped off by some cabbies that first day… they saw young American tourist who speaks imperfect Spanish and definitely took advantage of the easy extra money. Since then I’ve learned to use the metro, and now I don’t have troubles with cabbies.

Also, it rained yesterday. A lot. And hard. It’s funny… Barcelona is supposed to be a sunny city to go on holiday… but I come and bring Portland weather! Except it wasn’t really Portland weather. If it were, I wouldn’t have come back to my hostel soaked to the bone. The fun thing is though, there are so many balconies here in Barcelona that I was able to half hide under them…. it kept me a little drier at least!

Speaking of hostels… I really like them. Not only is it cheaper than a hotel (by a lot), but you get to know all sorts of interesting people who are also traveling… Unlike when I drove across the US alone in a Chevy Cavalier (although even then I did make friends in Wyoming).

Tomorrow I’m going to pack in as much sightseeing as I can before leaving in the afternoon for the Basque Country where I will spend the rest of my summer tending to sheep and making cheese out of their milk.

For now, ¡Addios!

The High Dive

/ Gracetopher Kirk / 1 Comment

Image

So, this is about how I feel on the subject of Spain right now. High dives are awesome, and I remember when I was young I was always mad that the lifeguards thought I was too little to jump, but when you get to the top of the high dive for the first time…. It’s ridiculously frightening. You may only be 10 feet up, but it feels like a thousand… And then you have to jump off of that? How! Well, luckily I have finances and the fear of wasting money to saw off the diving board for me. Thanks guys. *rolls eyes*

(photo from the following website: http://drgrobsanimationreview.com/2012/11/30/high-diving-hare/)

Since When is Impulsive a Bad Thing?

/ Gracetopher Kirk / Leave a comment

It’s time to admit something: my summer plans are not yet finalized. All I know for sure is that I fly into Barcelona on May 13, and fly back to Portland on August 1. The decision to spend the summer with WWOOF was a tiny bit impulsive, but then again, who would have the courage to do something so crazy if they took the time to think it all the way through?

I’m currently figuring out the application process, and since it is after all WWOOF Spain, the page is in Spanish (there is an English version, but if I’m going to be spending two and a half months in Spain, I’d better work on my Spanish right?). I have been studying the language long enough to understand the webpage, but it’s still a little daunting… I’m going to spend all summer not just reading, but also speaking a language that I am nowhere near fluent in. I’ll be the silly foreigner with an accent who tries to construct sentences as they would in their native language.

I suppose it’s like when I ran cross country in high school. The first couple weeks suck because you’re forming new habits, but then you get into the swing of it and feel yourself improving every day. Lets just hope I, and everyone I meet can live through those first couple of weeks.

Summer Plans

/ Gracetopher Kirk / Leave a comment

I recently decided to finally become the global citizen I have longed to be for so long. I’m finally leaving my country and my continent. I will be spending two and a half months in Europe, primarily in Spain, where I will participate in WWOOFing. I’m so excited! I intend to document my experiences here: writing at least twice a week, so if you’re interested in international travel and/or organic farming, tune in between May 13 and August 1 2013!