they say that love is all you need to heal your wounds

Erin Go Bragh-less today, but it's because I was wandering around the city debuting my hot orange bikini top (under a grey sundress, the blandest and thus most European-looking beach coverup I could find), a style which got me quite a few strange looks from the non-beachy Spaniards, the most conservative of whom are still wearing modified peacoats. It is a bit, 'ow do yoo say, que friki, because it is hot enough to skin a goat here (you know what they say, when you can't think of an aphorism, make up your own). At any rate, today I celebrated my Irish ancestors' conversion from whatever to Catholicism the way that St. Paddy himself probably intended, with a trip to the beach and a little Gossip Girl. Actually I'm still downloading Gossip Girl (only 4 hours left until this blessed machine delivers!), so don't tell me what happens... I only hope it's extra-juicy.

So, it has been a week. A bunch of stuff has happened, but it's so hard to remember, because it all just keeps going so fast! There is actually so much going on that when I try to go to sleep, I can't do it without help because my mind is racing so fast. Yikes. I guess in keeping with that quick-paced, fragmented theme, here are some thoughts on the last week:

- My photography midterm is due next week and I am having a buuunnnch of trouble deciding what to shoot. Ideas? Compliments? Thank you.
- Sunshine folk are happier folk. I love Boston, but being here has reminded me that as soon as I can, I'm getting out of that frozen, historical wasteland and migrating south.
- Topless sunbathing is legal here, and is not only for old women in Arizona anymore.
- Everyone in Spain thinks my name is weird. People have a hard time saying it as it is, so I've been going by 'Tah-ra,' which people still get tripped up on, because it has a couple meanings in the language already (one of them is a clothing defect...odd). My Catalan professor makes sure to stop and read my name 5 or 6 times every time she takes roll.
- My Catalan professor looks like the witch doctor in The Princess Bride's wife.
- She even has matching warts.
- Two of my good friends from the summer I spent at Berklee are becoming hot shit. I've kept in touch with Grace pretty well, and she just released a new EP that is a little too urban-folk for me, but still pretty good-- I especially like 'Baby Ain't My Name.' Listen to it here.
Gin is also doing really well for herself, I kind of lost contact with her in the last couple years, but I just found a couple of her music videos on youtube. They are strange to watch, because the girl she portrays in her videos is completely different from Gin in days of old. Veird. Anyway, I'm really excited for both of their successes-- check them out if you have time.
- If you're reading this, you know me and that means you probably know that even though I'm excited for my friends I am a little jealous and getting a little antsy to get done with school so I can do cool stuff too.



I feel bad for saying the Boston thing (although I'm not deleting it), because I LOVE Boston and all its cold-as-a-witch's-tit nuances. Although I feel cheesy and cliched for doing the whole 'I went abroad and re-discovered myself' bit, I think that giving myself a little space from everything going on back home has helped me to re-center a little bit. I've really fallen for a lot of what I've seen here, but it's also a good reminder that I really want to be in a place that has a big body of water, a big sky, a lot of sunshine and a bunch of trees in the good old U.S. of A. to spend my life.

AhhhI have to go DO THINGS now, like shower and get the sand out of my crevices, and study for midterms (oh, those are another thing this week), and go drink a beer (Happy Day!) and get ready for my girl-crush, Sara DeFo, to come tomorrow. No time for fancy, fancy blogs.

Love and kisses and a hug as big as a big, big tree,
Tara





PS- Because on St. Patrick's Day, you're supposed to say what you're thankful for:
In case you didn't know, the title of this post is from a G. Love song. Since I have my bro Ryan to thank for introducing me to a lot of the music I love, I'll...thank him. Thanks, Ryguy.

PPS- I already know what I'm going to be for Halloween next year, and you are going to be jealous. xoxo

PPPS- This is what three months without practice does.