Hey all!!!!

So the past six days I have been traveling in Africa. I went to Morocco. It was absolutely amazing. In my opinion we spent way to much time on the bus. Our first day we spent driving and stopped in a few towns for a rest stop. We spent that night in Fez. We also had a very rocky start. On our way to the port after 15 minutes in to the drive we heard a loud bang. After inspecting it, we realized that our suspension had broken. Then after we arrived in Morocco we were pulled over. Apparently we scratched the toll booth. The people there were asking for 50 euro to repair it and the young children near by were giving us death threats. The second day more bus time!!! We traveled to the Sahara desert. After we got to a hotel, we took 4×4’s to the desert hotel. We had to drive off rode and through the plains right before the famous sand dunes. The next day we went to a near by village. It was extremely poor. We stopped at the orchards, oven and handicraft store. That afternoon we mounted camels for a 2 hour ride into the Sahara. We were heading to the oasis where we were to camp for the night. We climbed up the most famous and tallest sand dune to watch the sunset. We had dinner and a bonfire where our guides sang Moroccan songs and danced. The next morning we went back to the hotel and made our way back to Fez. We rode the 4×4 through the dunes of the Sahara and got to meet the driver’s family. He also taught me how to drive stick shift!!!! We swam and then took the bus back to Fez. We spent the day in the Medina of Fez. I felt like Jasmine from the movie Aladdin. Vendors were shoving products in my face trying to encourage me to buy them and then me hade to haggle the price down to something reasonable. We also went to the looms, communal oven, tannery… (All the dyes they use are natural and the best kind of leather is camel skin, while cow skin is the worst) and the pharmacy. Our last day we spent driving. In the town of Tangier, where the port is, children like to make a game of jumping on the back of trucks and buses. Our guides warned us but I still panicked when I heard another bang and saw a kids face pop up in the back window. Before we got off the bus our guides checked under the bus because Moroccans will notice the Sevilla sign and try to sneak across the boarder. Thankfully there were no Moroccans under the bus or in the luggage compartment.
The group I went with is Discover Sevilla. The trip was totally worth it!!!! I wont lie it was on the pricey side but worth every penny!!!!

Well I finally went to a futbol (soccer) game.  I figured it was probably illegal to come to Spain and not watch even one game, so when a group that works with the international students offered us tickets to a local Oviedo game, a bunch of us went.  I am NOT a soccer fan even in the itsy bitsy least, but as I said, it seemed like something I should probably do while here in Spain.  So…. what can I say; it wasn’t a very good game even by soccer fans’ standards and it started to sprinkle towards the end, but it was fun to hang out with friends for the afternoon, and we got a tour of the field and stadium

I saw an advertisement in a window for a five dollar vegan dinner, and followed my stomach as it led me upstairs into a yoga center on Vivian Street.  When I entered the room I noticed a collection of shoes in the cubbies at the entrance, so I kicked off my “jandals” and let my feet connect to the earth.  I followed the faint music to a room that was filled with warm light and colors, and pillows on the floor.  A man on a drum that looked like two lampshades glued together, a woman with the most melodic voice, a tambourine, all combining to make the slow honey sounds of Indian music.  At first we were encouraged to dance by the musicians, then by our bodies.  At first we were suggested to join in and sing “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare,” a chant which connects you to your spiritual side.  Then it became impossible not to.  And barefoot and dancing and singing with strangers I felt the colors of the music dye my skin like henna on my hands.  A light within on these past few days when I’ve needed something like a revival.

Then a monk who has traveled all over the world spoke to us about Indian Philosophy.  He laughed like a slow Buddha and while I didn’t agree with everything he said, I took a lot of truth from his words.  Oftentimes I had to squeeze Jackie’s hand when we both knew he was speaking my life.

Afterwards we were treated to passion fruit juice, and an entirely vegan dinner.  I couldn’t tell you exactly what I ate, but there was comfort in knowing that no animals were harmed in the process.  I spoke with a girl from South Africa who has been studying these philosophies for the past four years, she held my hand and talked to me about finding happiness in the self.  Exactly what I had been searching for just earlier in the day.

Saw a sign for a three-day eco-yoga retreat where vegan food, yoga classes, discussions, transportation and housing are provided for you, which also concentrates on sustaining our earth and gardening and getting dirty in the earth.  That’s March 20th-22nd and it’s just another experience to add to this mind trip of an abroad experience.

I could have just as well not walked down that street, had eaten before or not had money for a vegan dinner, had not walked up the stairs.  But I did and I believe that it was for a reason.

when applying for housing in new zealand, you have a choice whether you would like to be in a dorm (they call them ‘hostels) or if you would like to flat with kiwis or international students (i live in a flat with a girl from japan, a girl from vietnam, a girl from pennsylvania, and a new zealand boy!). as going abroad is a lesson in independence, i highly recommend choosing the latter option. meal plans are included in the dorms which may be helpful if the only thing you have ever created in the kitchen is a fire, but i think the experience of tolerance and responsibility in a house with strangers has prepared me for “real life” better than a hostel experience that reflects my freshman year in shango hall ever could. plus, when i cook for myself,  (some flatmates have communal dinners. i choose not to because i am a vegetarian.) i can go to the SUNDAY MARKET every week and buy heaps of fresh fruits and vegetables for very cheap. and i look forward to it always.

there is both a bar and a cemetary on campus. you know, in case you want to get a drink or… converse with the dead.

I have found that Prague is the perfect location for traveling.   It is where the east meets the west.  In the words of my Czech Surrealist teacher it is the surfboard the Soviets used to get across Europe.  So obviously its has a great geographic location. Traveling around Europe is somewhat cheap.  I must myth bust this right now and say its more expensive than most people think.  One you cross an international border the price of a ticket jumps significantly.  You can go anywhere in the Czech Republic for under $15 for a one way trip.  Thats a great price and there are some amazing things to see in the country such as

Cesky Krumlov- The most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.  It is the backdrop of many movies about fairy tales.

Karlovy Vary- A quaint little spa town where you can drink out of the hot springs and get a massage.

Zdar nad Sazavou- The site of Czech exclusive Baroque Gothic architecture.

Kutna Hora- Site of the Sedlec Ossuary.  Church decorated with the bones of thousands of Plague victims.  A must see.

Karlstejn- Location of Charles 4th’s castle.  He was the leader of the Holy Roman Empire.

All of these places are within a 3 hour train ride from Prague.

Besides the Czech sites you can get anywhere in Europe under 3 hours by plane.  For countries nearby most people travel by train or bus because it is cheaper and a great way to see a country.  I have had the opportunity to travel to England, Germany and Austria.  Before I come home I plan to also travel to Turkey and possibly Serbia.  Heres a picture of me skiing the Austrian Alps from my weekend trip there.

Easter in the Czech Republic is a lot of fun………..for men.  It is custom for males to run around hitting women with sticks on Easter.  They do this in order to bring youth to the women.  I took a picture of a kid on the prowl to share with you.  The sticks are made out of intertwined vines and can be as long as 5 feet.

perhaps, since i am “studying” abroad, i should talk about the educational aspect of going to university (or “uni” as they so call it) in a foreign country. quite honestly, i think the experience of leaving your familiar surroundings and venturing off into wonder and uncertainity is the greatest lesson. i left a very decent english program at SUNY new paltz to study abroad in wellington, new zealand. by no means does victoria university offers a superior program in english, but the experience of going abroad provides something entirely different. i am learning about myself. at twenty years old,  i thought i had been acquainted with myself long enough to say that we had a pretty good understanding of each other. not necessarily the case, and i believe that abandoning your comfort zone and immersing yourself in strangeness is a superb, and often horrifying, way to find out our life’s question: who the heck are we and why?

on the chalkboard of my first lecture on living abroad: “independence” was written in white dust. also in the lesson plan was “responsibility,” “budgeting,” “coping,” “balance,” and “exploration.” the last part has been my favorite so far, it has been the field trip of this whole experience. slowly the reality of not vacationing, but actually LIVING in another country sets in. then you have to gather the scraps of life around you and make a nest for yourself. get comfortable in foreign discomfort.  especially when the time difference and distance is so drastic, mom and dad are more than a phone call and a plane ride away. some things you have to figure out on your own. even though kiwis are not too different from americans, this separation is culture shock at its finest.

i love being abroad in new zealand, some days more than others. but i will never pretend that as enjoyable as it is, it is not also a challenge. if it were not, i don’t think i’d be learning all that i am or deciding who it is i want to be.

but you asked about classes? eh. they’re alright. lectures (twice a week) are optional, but tutorials (once a week) are mandatory. participation is absent in lectures, but required in tutorials. also, the recommended course load is only three classes. it’s been alright so far.

learning about yourself > learning about renaissance literature
[that's what they don't tell you.]

@ the river. after eleven miles and eight hours of consecutive up and downhill hiking, i sit by the water and breathe. i survived.

@ emerald lakes, which are located on the downward descent from tongariro. [don't think that it's over when you reach the top, downhill is atleast another four miles long.] but this was the most beautiful green i’d ever seen.