'Missing You'

and then it was time for a SURPRISE. I went home; and re-energized my batteries.

Lake Geneva

Somehow, we made the next morning to the airport: to catch an early morning flight to Switzerland. And once we were there, we SLEPT! With INCREDIBLY little sleep, a lot of hunger, and a sufficient amount of pain from carrying packs we did the wisest thing to avoid conflict: sleep. I can definitely say that the two of us have seen (and experienced) each other at our worst (hahaha) and at least now, I can laugh about it. Anyways, we walked throughout the city; saw the flick THE FOUNTAIN; played cards; and caught up on reading.

Separating in Barcelona:
Returning to Barcelona was great. Munson and I met up with friends from his study abroad program and walked through parts of the city I had never seen: Parque Guia and La Casa de Gaudi. Our time together ended with a trip to a famous monastery called Montserrat…

Barcelona: ‘pack my bags and head to Barcelona because this city is a drag…’

The first 3 hours of the 9 did not seem bad, but after that point Munson and I felt like we were being tortured: we couldn’t sleep! Once we made it to our hostel in Barcelona the fun began: walked through out the city, toured Sagrada Familia, talked life-love-faith, and watched a live acoustic flamenco band in an AWESOME jazz venue! 

Tunisia

‘in Selah’
On our way to Tunis, Emily re-informed me of the family we were staying with for the next 10 days. Apparently the key facts ‘German diplomats’ slipped my mind! I had the time of my life in Tunisia. Highlights include walking in the streets, dining in Hammamet, driving through the mountains, touring the Carthage ruins, dining with the German ambassador, shopping in the marketplace, riding a camel on the beach, watching the slaughter of a sheep, listening to the family’s stories, talking with Emily and Maren about life goals, eating all kinds of different food, hearing the Islamic call to prayer (5 times a day), listening to the Christmas story in Latin, pillow talk with Emily, eating in a 400 year-old and list goes on and on and on...
Michael and Monika were wonderful hosts; they provided and gave so much. Monika cooked a variety of homemade meals I had never had (or heard of); and on our last night there, Michael cooked a five-course Chinese meal-it took me the longest to eat my food because I was HORRIBLE with chop-sticks.
Overall, that time in Tunis changed me: new ambitions and greater perspective of the world…I am truly blessed to have met the Freudenbergs…
Back in Madrid:
After the New Year, Emily and I returned to Madrid to meet her sister and our friend Munson. With less than 24 hours in Madrid, the four of us quickly caught up on Christmas stories, toured the Prado Museum, and walked through a few botanical gardens. Then once the clock struck 10 P.M, Munson and I hopped a train to…

Tunisia no.2

 

Tunisa no.1

 

Madrid: taking a stroll

A night and afternoon alone in Madrid was relaxing. First of all, the hostel was a renovated palace; secondly, there was a pretty chill café/bar attached to it! My night solo consisted of listening to Spanish side of Ireland, we also decided that a bus tour would be the best way to hit up all the hot spots in the Galway-Cliffs of Mohr region. And, we were right! Our bus tour guide was AMAZING-not only incredibly knowledgeable but quite entertaining. He brought us to great historical spots; told us all kinds of stories; and taught us all kinds of things about the Irish culture. Everyone was always laughing and the restaurant he brought us had the best seafood chowder I have EVER had. (He definitely entertained all 15 of us on the tour.) Once the tour was over, the five of us made the long track back to Dublin (by train). And since it was our final night there, we hit up an Irish pub to listen to some folk music and drink some more Guinness. When my final day came, only Munson, Kelly, and I made it to St. Patrick’s Cathedral…then they wished me well and I was off to Madrid for a night…
music and reading. The next day I had all kinds of time to kill before I needed to head to the airport to meet Emily, so I took a stroll in the city: checked out a few historical sites. First I went to the Palacio Real near the city central. Huge gardens with spacious walkways and monuments surrounded the palace. And of course there was a random acoustic musician playing in the middle of the garden. Afterwards, I went to the Basilica in Madrid (forgot the full name) and fortunately toured the inside for free! It was definitely a more modern Basilica but the ceiling was incredible-gold trim, stain glass windows, and soft colors…
Eventually, I made my way to the airport and met Emily. We were like kids in a candy store- just so dang giddy because we hadn’t seen each other since mid-summer…

Dublin: 'Oh my Guinness!'

Immediately after the fall semester, two of my friends from the program and I met two of my Chi Alpha friends in Dublin. The five of us had a blast walking the streets, touring different attractions, traveling to the West coast, and -most of all- cooking in the hostel! One the first day, we went to Trinity College and learned about The Book of Kells. Afterwards we decided to walk through a famous part of town (Temple Square) and watch a Christmas choir at Christ’s Church-Cathedral. The choir sang Christmas carols in Latin-absolutely beautiful! That night we made our first feast at the hostel: huge pasta dinner. The others staying at the hostel couldn’t figure out our generosity (offering our extras)…but by the third night they had it down (won’t hesitate to accept-hehehe).
The next day we toured the National Museum; and once our brains were fried from looking at art, we decided to hike to the other side of the city and tour the Guinness brewery! (Yes, I know the perfect antidote for a fried brain: beer…totally, joking!) Our day ended with another feast at the hostel.
Morning came so soon on the third day; the previous night the five of us decided to book train tickets to the West coast of Ireland. Since none of us had seen the country side of Ireland, we also decided that a bus tour would be the best way to hit up all the hot spots in the Galway-Cliffs of Mohr region. And, we were right! Our bus tour guide was AMAZING-not only incredibly knowledgeable but quite entertaining. He brought us to great historical spots; told us all kinds of stories; and taught us all kinds of things about the Irish culture. Everyone was always laughing and the restaurant he brought us had the best seafood chowder I have EVER had. (He definitely entertained all 15 of us on the tour.) Once the tour was over, the five of us made the long track back to Dublin (by train). And since it was our final night there, we hit up an Irish pub to listen to some folk music and drink some more Guinness. When my final day came, only Munson, Kelly, and I made it to St. Patrick’s Cathedral…then they wished me well and I was off to Madrid for a night…

 

Closing Time...

There is a Semisonic song that perfectly describes how I feel today, "...closing time every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."

Today I finished my exam and turned in my books; packing is the only thing left (YIKES). Then, on Saturday I begin my travels. Have a wonderful Christmas, family and friends!
Until next time and always God bless!

Ms. Arnold & Ms. Mortenson...

Last weekend was like a breath of fresh air…

It felt so good to be with someone what knew me! Plus, I strolled around with Ms. Arnold, who is quite the gal (Kim is a close friend of the family and kind of my career idol).

But I will begin with getting to Maastricht, Netherlands: Thursday night I took the bus to Madrid (6 hours on a bus wouldn’t have been to bad but the first 3 hours I was stuck sitting next to an older gentleman that didn’t believe in deodorant!) Once I was at the airport in Madrid I took a flight to Brussels. (And now the best part) Kim had given me instructions how to get to her house from Brussels---which trains to take, the departure times, where to switch trains, how to get to her house from the train station---and her phone number. Ironically, I could not get a hold of her so I had to just follow the instructions. (Hahaha) I felt like “such a big girl” figuring it all out alone. And every person that I asked for help was incredibly helpful. In one of the trains I had a great conversation with a Dutch biology teacher (she was in her mid-twenties). So, eventually Friday night I ended up at Kim’s doorstep!

Saturday, Kim and I decided to be adventurous and hit up 3 countries. Kim drove to this famous (and very touristy) park where the borders of Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands come together. We walked around in the park and then decided to head to Germany. In all three countries there are “Christmas Markets” and in the Eiffel region of Germany there is a small town with famous Christmas Market. It was something else trying to figure out the road signs in Dutch/German on the way (hahaha)- we were guess which one meant enter and exit! Nonetheless, we made it and the town was so cozy: the buildings close together, a creek running through the center, and at night the whole town was lit up! Kim and I went from shop to shop, drank hot wine (it’s a specialty there), and ate a popular German snack (hot mushrooms cooked in garlic and other spices).

Later that night, Kim and I headed back to the Netherlands and went to the Maastricht center. Until Christmas, Maastricht hosts a Christmas carnival with craft and food stands and a few rides. We ate tons of homemade french-fries and took all kinds of goofy pictures. There were people ice-skating around this gigantic Christmas tree but it was kind of drizzly out and we knew that if we fell our pants would be totally soaked…so we opted to put a rain check on the ice-skating (actually, Kim was probably going on a date there-hahaha) and instead Kim wanted to show me her favorite Dutch venue. Then Sunday was very relaxing: we walked around the town, rode on the Ferris wheel, and ate homemade waffles.

Last weekend revived my spirit: the whole atmosphere, the deeper conversations, and the comfort of being with a friend. Kim and I had all kinds of very random conversations about Sevilla, life, career goals…thinking about them still makes me smile. I honestly am tickled pink with thoughts of traveling with Kelly, Munson, and Emily…I can’t wait.

I have one more week left of school and then I am done for the semester-CRAZY! My prayers and love to you all. I miss you guys so much and can not wait until I see you.

God Be With You All~

Kim and I

This was a the same "3 countries-1 point" park. There was a monument for the soldiers of WW2... Kim and I at the German Christmas Market...
Kim chowing down on homeade french fries...
What can I say, I couldn't get enough of Santa- I was glued to him like bees on honey! 

3 Countries in 1 Day...

Kim and I went to a famous park where the borders of Belgium, Germany, and Holland come to one point! It reminded me of home (*sigh)
Kim and I took a road trip to the "Eiffel" part of Germany. The small town had a creek running through it and a Christmas Market-incredibly cute and cozy!
Until Christmas, Maastricht (Holland) hosts a Holiday festival. At night this plaza is lit up ice skating was offered around this gigantic Christmas tree...
One morning, Kim and I ordered waffles and then went on the Ferris Wheel (the one that was shown above)... 

Last weekend adventures

Both nights in Paris the Eiffel Tower would light up like the above. It was seriously breathtaking and when we were running to it from a distance I felt like a bug attracted to the light (hahaha) Then, the picture below was taken at the Thanksgiving party I went to. Stephanie and I were the only ones there that did not know French...everyone else is studying in France but from other countries...nonetheless it was one of the best nights of this semester...as a close friend once said "...make my world a bigger place"...meeting those people that night, spending more time with Stephanie, and hanging out with Alex and her brother has inspired so many of my future goals...
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A BRIEF SUMMARY
When I walked into my bedroom Sunday morning, I trucking away with POCITO sleep! That is right; around 15 hours of sleep in 3 days! Seriously, Stephanie and I calculated this out…(I was so wiped out this morning that I didn’t hear my alarm clock go off later that morning…crawled into bed at 6:45 am)…

Wednesday night, Stephanie and I hopped a bus to Madrid. (We hardily slept because we were so hyped up with excitement) Six hours later we arrived in Madrid and we waited…and we waited…and waited some more…5 hours until our departure…

I felt like I was living in Seattle, Washington because it rained the entire time we were there! But, rain didn’t stop us from having a good time. I drank way too many cups of coffee and strait espresso, ate too many bars of chocolate, and for some odd reason ate like 6 oranges (still not sure why)…anyways

Thursday night we celebrated Thanksgiving with a bunch of Alex’s (Stephanie’s best friend from college) friends. But before hand, Stephanie and I made a few stops. First we visited the Basilica de Sacre Coeur. The Basilica was incredible: it rested like a fortress on top of a hill- gardens, benches, and stairways totally embellished its beauty-and ‘the icing on the cake’ was the classic carrousel at the bottom of the hill! The, inside of the Basilica was immaculate. I am sure that my jaw was dropped the entire tour. The murals were amazing and way more preserved—compared to the other cathedrals I have seen. Unfortunately, there was a “no picture taking” rule enforced…so the best way to get an idea of what it looks like is by googling it…
Afterwards, Stephanie and I booked it to the Moulin Rouge-we only had enough time to take a picture from the outside. But the walk there was wonderful. Imagine narrow cobble stone streets with cozy cafes, restaurants with outside seating (even in the rain people sat outside underneath canopies), and tons of people speaking in that beautiful French language…that walk was like a movie…an poet stopped us in the street and read us a poem (and then tried getting money from us)…we walked past the studio of an artist (and watched him paint)…so many details…

Once we met up with Alex it was time to celebrate Thanksgiving. After a couple hours of getting lost (meeting up with Alex’s brother, trying to find a supermarket, and then finding the party) we gorged ourselves with a traditional thanksgiving dinner. By 3:30 am we finally called it a night.

Friday we tried to cram everything else in! We toured the Museo de Orsay (primarily art work of the impressionist artists) and The Louvre (that place was overwhelming- next time I go I want to be way more prepared)…walked all over the city and all along the river…saw tons of monuments like the Republica de Francia and the Obelisque (some Egyptian monument that looked like the Washington memorial)…walked past the Notre Dome and the area were all the French politicians work…the night ended well- dinning at an Italian restaurant and walking to the Eiffel Tower! Once again, morning came quickly too soon. Stephanie and I almost missed our bus back to the airport! Over all, the trip to Paris was amazing! Two days was definitely not enough time to take it all in. But I look forward to going back, some day

The 14 hours in Madrid was a little rough. Stephanie and I were incredibly exhausted and it was still raining. I couldn’t store my backpack at the bus station so I had to carry that thing everywhere! Thankfully, the metros in Madrid were easier to understand (reduced the stress).
We spent quite a while at the Prado Museum which was wonderful. I absolutely loved the Prado Museum- way more than the Louvre (I had more background knowledge about the Spanish artists and paintings)! We also walked around the Puerta de Sol; which is the main shopping and nightlife area of Madrid….since it was still raining Stephanie and I definitely took advantage of the American chains like McDonalds and Starbucks in Madrid…and then at midnight we left Madrid and headed back to Sevilla.
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Sunday I took full advantage of the Sabbath: studied for a quiz, visited with my senora and roommate, edited photos, and walked around the city. The best part of my day was my quiet time. I sat beside the river and listened to a Rob Bell sermon. Bell continued his series entitled “Jesus wants to save Christians” and today’s theme (corresponding to the Parable of the Good Samaritan) was ‘who is your neighbor’ and hatred…always so much to think about and reflect on…

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! There are only 2 ½ weeks left of the semester! I can’t believe it…Emily and Munson, I can’t wait to begin our Christmas break adventures!!! And until next time and always, sending lots of love and prayers.
God bless you guys,

MaLeah

14 hours in Madrid...

my favorite museum...

Madrid's Botanical Gardens-we walked around the outside of them but then it started to down pour... the streets of Madrid were decked out for Christmas...