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.

Meg White by Ray LaMontagne

Here is the weird thing about today's post: I have had an absolutely brilliant last two weeks, Barcelona has been so full of new and old friends and everything has been all bright and shiny. It struck me a couple times that I should try to write in my dear old blog while I was on such an up, so that my parents (hi J&L) wouldn't be all 'That's a lot of money we're spending for you to be writing whiny blogs about how there aren't pancakes in Spain,' but when fun things are going on, there is never TIIIIME to sit and write about stuff. Lucky for YOU, dear J&L, today I reaped the benefits of last night's calamares in the form of food poisoning and that means that I have all the time in the world to sit in my bed and whine about how there are no pancakes in Spain... only calamares.

Actually, I don't have all the time in the world, because I have three term papers due in the next three days. This weeks sucks, but don't worry-- I'm still finding time for beach picnics and box sangria in between puking and frantically typing.


In the last two weeks, I:

met up with Lucy in Bologna

went to an Islands concert

hung around creepily costumed women at Carnaval in Venice

learned a lot about the world
CAME BACK TO SPAIN for
Carnaval in Sitges, after which I
found out (through facebook, cool guys) that my brother Adam and his wife Harper are expecting their first child in October, after which I joined
Connor and Lucy in a train station in Barcelona, where we took pictures of ourselves (no more, no less). I also got to see Griffin and Tom, which was delightful but not photographed.

After all this, I was pretty tired, so I took a siesta. But THEN, I
visited Tarragona, where the sky is impossibly blue and they keep the ruins close to the sea so you can jump in if you get too hot. Next up was

Sant Creus, a small monastery town where I took pictures of beautiful Romanesque architecture and

beautiful Romanesque babes. This weekend, we relaxed around Barcelona,
taking in some rays at the beach even though it was a bit colder (note the scarves).

Other things of note:

1. One of my abroad dreams came true last week when I ran into Zach Lubeck, a friend of mine from Omaha, at Parc Guell in Barcelona. That has never even happened to me in Boston! Thx for the mmrs, Zach.

2. Today Emily said that my a cappella group is like our sixth housemate (because I talk about them so much, I guess), which is true but also complete BULLSHIT because none of them will answer my e-mails-- what does the cd title mean? When does it come out? What is the song choosing category? People from home keep sending me little messages saying completely standard things like 'I miss you' and 'You look like you're having fun.' That is nice and a thoughtful gesture, but I prefer video posts/skype dates/answers to questions. Until then, I will change my desktop background to a picture of my NEW a cappella group (I'm the only member so far), because as I am supposed to be busy dancing and kissing Spaniards I can't be looking all foolish.

Really, it has been a splenda-d two weeks, full of thoughts and moments and people. But can a chica get a little more gossip girl, a little less food poisoning?

xoxo

PS- Didn't mean to downplay the baby with the facebook: CONGRATULATIONS, ADAM AND HARPER! Although I would suggest that yall seriously consider naming this kid Facebook Gozer Vaughan.

PPS- Griffin called Barcelona 'aggressive' and 'machismo' in his blog. True on both counts.

PPPS- I brought one suitcase of clothes here in order to travel with more ease at the beginning, but more importantly the end, of my program. Although initially a good idea, I have now taken to dressing like I'm from Seattle. You decide what that means.

steal my sunshine?

Time is FLYING. I enjoyed another few days in Barcelona last week, having tapas nights and bars and attempts at homecooked meals with my friends. On Friday I left for Bologna, where I met up with Lucy for Carnaval in Venice. The weekend was a blast-- I love the people I'm meeting in Spain, but there is nothing quite like a hug (/spoon-and-giggle-fest) from someone who knows you well. Seeing Lucy came at the perfect time, and we had a chance to catch up in a non-skype way (SO necessary) and hold hands while wandering down the uneven brick streets of Bologna.

So, without going into detail (because you can imagine what Carnaval is like, and if you can't, you're my parents and that means you don't want to imagine), I'll say that this weekend was delightful. I'm looking forward to a week that might even be BETTER, starting with tonight, which is a Mardi Gras celebration in Sitiges, a beach about an hour south of Barcelona. I'll catch up on a little sleep/homework tomorrow before Lucy gets here tomorrow night, then I'll show her around to the most important places (like Maoz and the beach) on Thursday. On Friday, Connor, Griffin and my cousin Tom all get here, and I can't wait to take them around and give them all huge hugs. God bless America.

Alright, enough blogging. Gotta live now.
Tara

PS- I haven't uploaded pictures from Italy yet, but when I do I'll post a few.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v92OsaD40w

It is unreal how accurate this song feels right now, accordion and Spanish and all.

This whole week I’ve been walking around with a smile on my face—partly due to the cardigan-and-sunglasses weather we’ve been having here and partly because of Valentine’s Day, which happens to be my favorite holiday after Christmas (boy, you just learn something new every time you read this blog, don’t you?). I know that Valentine’s Day is just another excuse for corporations to cash in on over-eager, spend-happy America, blah blah blah, cynical cynical cynical, but I just love the idea of a day in the year where it’s not quite as creepy to let the lovely people who surround me know that I think they’re great. Plus, I always get so nostalgic for Valentine’s Days of old, when in Omaha the weather was getting warmer (disclaimer: I think I remember spring in Omaha as warmer than it actually is) and my dad would surprise us with little boxes of chocolates after school, and in still-freezing Boston where Lucy and Emily and I would go to Sugar and Spice to celebrate love AND my half-birthday. What a fantastic bunch of people I’ve gone and mentioned…

So I spent an hour Thursday afternoon sitting on my balcony in the sun, armed with scissors and colored pencils, listening to a cheesy love song mix, excited to make eccentric little Valentines for a couple new and old friends. My housemates and I spent the week planning an amazing weekend that included trips to Sagrada Familia and Montjuïc during the day Saturday and big, Barcelona-worthy nights. It all started so well—Friday we had an amazing time at this club called Elephant, where the clientele consisted of mainly friendly Spaniards of the non-creepy sort, and afterward Suki, Will and I even found a place to get pizza at 6:30 am when the club closed. Unfortunately, this meant that we didn’t stumble out of bed until around 3 o’clock Saturday afternoon, not quite in a cathedral state of mind. We spent a while that afternoon feeling kind of crappy that we’d messed up our sightseeing day, but in the end decided that we should come up with a new game plan and leave the other plans for another day. I know it’s strange to say so, but breaking plans I’ve made with myself makes me feel kind of liberated and wonderful, so I was good with all of this.

Saturday evening, I had a coffee date with my friend Jess. We went to a restaurant at the top of Corte Ingles that had a fantastic view of the city and the mountains. I’ve been keeping a mental list of places to take people when they visit, and I think this one definitely makes the list. That night we all went to Gracia, a trendy, gentrified neighborhood just north of the city, to have dinner and drinks. We ended up at a Lebanese restaurant that was really cheap and delicious. I’m drooling just thinking about it. Anyway, enough describing food and colored pencils for now, I’ve got to go see more of this delightful city.

Que lástima, pero adiós.

T

PS- I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being over-eager or spend-happy, anyway.

blast from vday past

Darlin, your head's not right

This past Sunday I bought a city guide which listed different movies, art exhibits and music events happening in Barcelona this week. One of the events was listed as a singer-songwriter jam session, so my housemates and I went to check it out on Monday night. It was at a little underground bar near the water, and about thirty or forty people had crowded in to listen to the songs of acoustic Spanish singer-songwriters. I signed up to play and was SUPER nervous, considering that I was having trouble just figuring out how I would introduce myself to a bar full of people in Spanish, but as soon as I got to the microphone and said 'Soy de Nebraska,' the rowdy Spaniards all started cheering good-naturedly.

I played two songs: one (Every Little Word) which I introduced as being about 'un chico muy guapo de Nebraska' and the other (Things I Said) I said probably should've been called 'cosas que dije cuando estaba emborachada.' They all clapped and laughed, and even though I was pretty sure they were making fun of me a little bit, it all seemed pretty relaxed so I just went with it. So I played the songs and everyone was really excited and friendly, asking me for my website and if I'd come back next week, and even a few who asked if they could kiss my cheeks (which is normal here.. I think). Anyway, it was a good experience and I was really glad to have my housemates with me, and we're all going to go back next week. Wahoo!

Let’s see, what else… I just finished reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower, a book which is aimed at an audience much younger than me, but was still really worthwhile to read. It basically tells the story of a year in the life of this freshmen in high school who quietly watches the people around him, having all these profound adolescent revelations. I feel a little weird about the fact that the protagonist in the story is a full five years younger than me, but it was also kind of nice to remember that everybody shares in teenagerdom.

I guess a part of growing up, or just making progress, is being able to look back every half year or so at the half year or so that preceded it and be slightly less mortified about the stupid things I did. I know that I am continually (though slowly) getting better at living, but there is still an adolescent girl who gets all riled up listening to bands like The Strokes and Outkast roaming around in this grown-ass woman’s body, and some of the situations the kid in this book ends up in really speak to her. The other big part of growing up for me, it seems, is learning that buying piles of clothes and jewelry and food and mind-altering substances won’t make me happy. I am still learning though.

Anyway, less emo, more Barcelona. Check, double-check. Next time.

T

Emily, Kate and Carina on the roof of Casa Battlo

Emily and Kate... this picture is one of my favorites of all time

Carina inside la Casa Battlo

In the mood to lose my way

Yesterday I woke up around noon and wandered over to the university with Suki and Carina for our make-up photography class (we were making up a class that we’re missing because of a Spanish holiday in a few weeks), then wandered back towards the apartment by myself. I do a lot of wandering, and Leah said I can call it ‘andando sin rumbo’ to make it sound even cooler. I had my 35mm camera with me, and I wanted to use up its current roll of film, so I andando sin rumbo’d my way over to the market a few blocks away from where I live. This market is amazing—it is basically a huge farmers market that you would find on Sunday afternoons in the Old Market in Omaha or near Quincy Market in Boston, except it’s open every day! I know what you’re thinking, and yes, they even have what appears to be skinned chihuahuas with the eyes still in them. So I took a few pictures at the market and picked up a few basic necessities that I was basically necessitating.

I guess something that you wouldn’t know about me from knowing about me is that I really like running. Specifically, running to get to know new cities (also drunk running through the streets of Somerville, but that’s a horse of a different color altogether), because it helps me to keep some kind of rhythm in a new setting and is a great way to get accustomed to the layout of a city. So after returning from the market, I strapped on my New Balance sneakers and jogging gear and hit the street. I like to take different routes every time I go, but I usually wind up picking some form of water as a destination; this particular time I figured that if I ran east for awhile I would eventually hit a beach that I hadn’t seen yet.

Unfortunately Barcelona is not set up in a complete grid, so I wound up running straight into a zoo and a palace-type thing which I couldn’t get around and ended up twenty minutes later finding a dodgier beach that I’d been told to avoid after nightfall (Barceloneta, if you’re wondering), but luckily I made it just in time for the sunset. I sat there in the sand, Mediterranean breeze cooling my flushed cheeks, watching the sun sink down over the top of Montjuic, listening to my American, American music. Oh yeah, it turns out that I’ve decided that listening to my iPod is ok… Sorry Barcelona, I know you’d prefer I complement you with spicy flamenco rhythms, but this is MY perspective so it makes sense that I see you through my rose colored lenses and hear you through filters of Chris Brown and Rilo Kiley.

Anyway, after sunset I quickly booked it off the beach and managed my way back to the apartment, where housemate Kate was ready with a mom-like round of questions—she thinks it’s pretty bizarre that I slip off on my own sometimes. Todo esta bien. After I showered (ahh, I could take three paragraphs right here to describe my soap—maybe I’ll send a bar of it to Morgan so she can dedicate one of her blogs to it), I hung around with the girls for a bit, making dinner and listening to music and laughing, before we headed out on the town for the night. Nine hours later, I went to bed. Hello, Saturday.

T

mercado de la concepcio

sculpture on the beach

Elbows and exposed knees

I guess I've been avoiding writing a little bit, even when I had the chance, because I kind of wanted to wait until I had some decent pictures to share with the world. Unfortunately, all the pictures I've taken since I've been here have just been really...bad. So maybe those will wait. Anyway, Barcelona is wonderful! At the moment I'm sitting in the study lounge at the Arcadia center with two of my also wireless-less housemates. Ahh, my housemates.

Like I mentioned, I live with four other American students: Suki, my roommate, is a Nashville girl going to school at Charleston College in South Carolina. She does yoga every morning and is honestly one of the most genuine people I've ever met. I have a very good feeling about her. Carina goes to GW in DC but is from LA and has a couple typical characteristics of other LA girls I know-- she's well-dressed and street-smart, seemingly never surprised by some of the bizarre stuff that happens to us in the city. She's also hilarious and keeps me on my toes all the time. Kate and Emily are both from Massachusetts, so we're already planning some kind of bay state reunion for when we all head back to the states. Kate is incredibly witty and sassy, and looks frighteningly similar to Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra. Emily is very sweet and is always laughing-- her twenty-first birthday is actually TONIGHT at midnight, which might make 9:30am spanish class tomorrow a little painful, but 21st birthdays are so worth the pain.

Gah, I feel like Louisa May Alcott describing the little women... how obscene. But I feel like I should give you (whoever you might be) some idea of who we're dealing with here. Basically, I love my living situation; even without a living room or wireless we are having a great time. Althoooough, both of those would be nice.

So the five of us, along with other friends we've met through the program (and quite a few others who we've met just wandering down the street, in bars and clubs, or through classes at the university) are having a grand old time taking in the city. We're trying to adjust to Spanish hours, which include lunch around 2 or 3 followed by siesta, dinner at 9 or 10, heading to a bar around midnight, and ending things by going to a discoteca at 2 or 3, finally returning home at 6 or so. It's crazy how lively things are here at 2 in the morning-- the streets are full of people young and old, just looking to have a good time.

Aside from the nightlife and hours, we've also been having some exciting adventures in cooking. I've never been completely responsible for cooking for myself all the time, as I've had LeeAnn's gourmet stylings in Omaha and Dewick's sophisticated offerings in Somerville to keep me satisfied. Here though, I'm finding an unexpected little adventure in going to the various stands (fruits, vegetables, meats) and Spanish supermarkets to find things to cook, then cooking them. I won't go into detail, but I have come up with some extremely creative menus that I think I will force upon everyone when I get back.

One other thing I've been doing since I got here is taking classes (duh). Mom and Dad, I know you were probably wondering when I'd get to this part, but obviously I have to save the juicy stuff, like classes, for last. I'm taking four classes: a Spanish class which meets 4 times a week for two hours (at this rate, I better be fluent in a week TOPS), 2 classes in English at the Arcadia center, and a class taught in Spanish at the University of Barcelona. The two English classes are Art & Architecture and Photography, and I'm really pumped about both of them-- so far, so good. The class that I'm taking at U of B is called Contemporary Spanish Culture, and for half of it I'm learning Catalan (really strange-- I'm learning to speak Catalan in a class taught in Spanish... quite confusing but really exciting!) and the other half, Spanish geography and culture.

Wow, am I rambling...I just feel like I should try to fit in everything I've been experiencing for the past week since I don't know when I'll have sustainable internet again. However, as my fine brother Ryan so eloquently puts it, less is more, so I think for now I'll go do some more exploring and the next time I have a chance to write, I can go into more detail about events now that the general stuff is out of the way.. until then!

Tara

Okay, a few pictures...

My little room! And balcony.. you are jealous, I can tell.

Roommates at Gaudi's Parc Guell: L-R Suki, Kate, Emily, Carina, me

ceiling of what was supposed to be the market at Parc Guell

part of Gaudi's Casa Batllo, and some nerds hanging out around the Barclays ATM

Young Elizabeth Taylor

one of the orange tree-filled courtyards at U of Barcelona

and finally, Suki and Emily getting some homework done with the help of 5 bottles of wine (hopefully the 83 cent type)