"Write your own story. Live well."
My mom did. She worked hard all her life, and after this trip when she told me, "I'm so thankful for you. You made all this happen. You showed me an incredible world I never thought I'd see."...I could only chuckle, responding, "Please, stop. You have given me EVERYTHING. You and the family are hard working, loving, and I cherish you now more than ever in all kinds of ways." So if I never get around to writing a book about her, here's a little bit...
One of my friends at the coffee shop handed me this note on August 19th, 2011 as I was working at the counter. It said, "Liz, the love of God will follow you wherever you go." Truer words have never been spoken. I am blessed and grateful.
This is my mom, with me in Cadiz on Playa La Caleta, and she is undoubtedly an incredible woman. Of course, we can all say that about our mothers - but I have to stress how great she is. Her strength is what helped me find my own, especially in the past couple of years; her parenting is what got me exactly where I am today. Completely happy.
So this is Paris, along with Madrid at the end. My mom arrived in Chiclana during Carnaval to a chirigota (live performance of traditional Spanish songs on the street by near-professional singers in matching costumes) at midnight, experienced the traveling I do on the weekends (and the HASSLE, but it's worth it!), tried new foods and things with me in France, let me fall asleep on her shoulder during the train rides, giggled with me ALOT, showed me pictures of the family on her digital camera, and lived a Spanish style day on her last one here with siesta & churros con chocolate to top it off haha.
Life in Spain has continued to be just as good as I hope and even better than I could have imagined. I'm always experiencing new things (like a new kind of cured ham last week at school during an impromptu paella in the teacher's lounge) and my mom's visit really solidified my situation. I am about 3 months away from going home back to Texas and the whole concept is still bittersweet. This time is going by fast, and I certainly can't wait to hold my loved ones!
It's interesting, my mom brought my iPhone and I've been able to text again. Along with that, it felt like opening a time capsule. Everything I'd done on that phone was frozen in time since September. My last web pages I'd opened were a Wikipedia page on Chiclana de la Frontera (I've GOT to write a compare and contrast blog on that), lyrics to "Keep it loose, keep it tight" by Amos Lee (so fitting), Pinterest (little did we know how much THAT would blow up and yes I've tried a few recipes here), and the link to Relevant Magazine's "11 Things to Know at 25ish" (which I feel the need to share: http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life/whole-life/features/25956-11-things-to-know-at-25ish).
Spain has overall been the most therapeautic, eye opening, peaceful, situation I could have put myself in with the best timing. Sure there are highs and lows, but why focus on the negative? It was a crazy cold winter, Spanish culture is interesting and special..., and my 5 flights of stairs up to the apartment have not gotten shorter - but I survived it all! I had Emilee's awesome cards with inspiration to look at in the mornings, my best friends' emails, Real Life Fellowship sermons available online, and technlogy that continues to amaze me. THANK YOU SKYPE.
When you get to Paris, you can pretty much just wander up and down the Siene. The river has an eerie path in the middle of the city, which allows you to choose your own path. Either way, you'll see the Eiffel Tower in all its glory. This was our first stop and it led to several exciting finds...
For example, a couple of friends celebrating on the bridge of love locks. I really don't know what to call that area, but it definitely started to glimmer (for lack of a better term) from far away. The closer we got, the more we realized that the shine was coming from what must be THOUSANDS of locks attached to the bridge by couples throughout the years. They each have a story and it's beautiful. There's just a great energy there. It also leads right into the Louvre :)
We saw the tower in all its glory for the first time at night. On the side we were on, your view is blocked by a large building, so that when you do see it...well, the pictures don't do it justice. The rainy evening really set the mood and it shined on even brighter as a result - I like to think :) p.s. my mom waves happily in pictures every time she loves the place, apparently. it's sweet haha
Versailles ended up being a beautiful and long metro ride away (thank you double decker style train that goes over the river and by Paris neighborhoods). The area was peaceful, quiet, and a long walkway in the middle led up to the stunning palace. The gold on gates, just like in London, will never get old. Majestic.
Crepes are alright. Don't get me wrong, they're delicious and I like the variety of choices but I think I just miss tortillas at this point. Yeah, i said it.
Notre Dame! That courtyard was great, it was buzzing with tourists but the weather was fantastic that day and there was just a great mood all around.
Dear "Taken" movie, thank you for scarring my image of France, slightly. This image I got from under the passage that leads to the Arc is a prime example of how I felt about it all sometimes haha.
French breakfast: stamp of approval! Cafe au lait is sooooooooooo creamy there!
We spent an entire afternoon at the Eiffel Tower and the park nearby.
At one point, my mom and I just sat by the carousel. Children laughed all day long, my mom fell asleep on my shoulder for a while, once again the weather was just right and slightly cool, it was just great.
Nobody mentions how BEAUTIFUL the details on the tower are. Well I'm stressing it. Every single inch of that monument is delicate and romantic.
I love how the view from up on the tower actually shows you everything you'd expect. It's not a letdown, it's worth the wait, and there's even a couple having a picnic on a blanket.
The streets on Madrid, at the end of our trip.
I LOVE that smile.
Mmmmm the market in Madrid near Plaza Mayor. It's really tourist-y but you still can't help but stare in awe.
I don't know what happened. I really like olives now. and eggplant. and lots of tea. and quite frankly, i might bleed olive oil by the end of this experience.
Oh stained glass. I'm in love. Especially on a day like this, where it seeps into the building and fills the place with colors that can't be replicated easily.
Perfect quote to follow up that last statement, "because i think it's wrong to make a slave of what God and nature made free" - a sign right outside of El Prado Museum
I missed Cody right here. The Central Park of Madrid, as I like to call it. It's been 11 months together now, and I couldn't be happier to be with such a mature, loving, gentleman of a guy.
The streets filled with quotes :)
Surreal: to see this video for the first time, in Paris on the first night we arrived. "No one you love is every truly lost." - Ernest Hemingway
I am in such a great place right now, with my heart and my mind. I'm so glad I chased my dreams, with what led to the the people in my life today.
http://youtu.be/hLQl3WQQoQ0
"Shot in Paris, in the very early hours of the morning, it is little more than Adele wandering the deserted streets of the city, gazing longingly at the Seine, very nearly breaking into tears. Director Jake Nava made the smart decision to shoot it in arty, smudgy black-and-white, which only adds to the clip's desolate, haunted feel. In a lot of ways, as she drifts along, Adele is little more than a ghost, haunting the streets, destined to remain invisible to all, especially the one she wants to notice.
It's a lot like how everyone feels after heartbreak, and that's what makes the "Someone Like You" video so powerful. There are no special effects, no camera tricks or elaborate choreography, because those are quick fixes. Life doesn't operate that way, especially when the bottom falls out and we are all alone. Our days are endless, our hearts black, our skies are gray. And when it gets to that point, all we have is our pain, majestically, beautifully so. Thankfully, we also have Adele, and that sonorous, sorrowful voice of hers." - MTV article online
Amazing and beautiful! Thanks for sharing! I never have heard about the detail in the Eiffel Tower so thank you for sharing that too! So glad you had a wonderful time with your mother. You certainly do have a way with words, made me feel a little like I was there experiencing the trip with you :)
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