The Graduate

It happened. Despite denying, since January, that I am part of the real world, May 7th came and went and I received a degree; a BS to be specific (which at this point in my life is quite the double entendre). Nonetheless it was a fabulous weekend back in Boone and away from work!!



My family planned a post graduation cookout which turned out perfectly! I cannot explain how rare it is that ALL sides of my family get together and how special the day was to me, for that reason! I felt so loved and cannot imagine a better scenario.








'Grad Diva' crown, my new essential accessory...

Though it felt a little silly to return for graduation after being gone for so long, I am so glad that I did it. It was nice to physically close that chapter and to experience such a fabulous time with my family!!!

Now to patiently wait for grad school!

Lagos, Portugal

Last weekend, I set out with 6 other girls for a weekend spent at the beach in Lagos! There is a company in Sevilla that offers trips specifically for students but they can be a bit pricier. Instead of this option, my friend Becky, (a fellow Appalachian), planned the trip, booked a hostel, and found the bus! Instead of paying 135 euro we paid around 70 each! And was it worth it??? Absolutely, YES! I have never seen more beautiful beaches.

I think I fell in love with Portugal! The people were very friendly, everyone spoke English, and in the evenings it felt like fall! Granted, this is a very touristy town, it was nice to enjoy a change of pace from Sevilla. Did I mention it was cute, all in white and cobblestone?

Basically, my two glorious days were spent lying in the sun (on the praia Dana Ana), swimming in the crystal clear water, and marveling at the cliffs and grottos. On our last morning there, we took a boat ride through the grottos on the Algarve coast! It was awesome to be able to go through the coves and to see all of the beaches and rock formations from a different angle.

I thought that this was the conclusion of my excellent weekend however, I ended up being able to pass another day in paradise…when upon arrival at the bus station we were told that it was full (the next bus to Sevilla being at 6:30 the next morning). This meant that we had to stay another night, miss our Monday classes, and arrive in Sevilla around 3 o’clock, the NEXT day!

We made the best of it and passed the rest of the day on the beach (it was just as wonderful as before)! We resigned ourselves to being homeless for the night and staying up all night to catch our early morning bus. This voluntary homelessness stopped being fun in the cold, around 2 am. As you can imagine, cold, sleep/food deprivation, and a six-hour bus ride is an unkind combination. I can only imagine what my host mom thought when I staggered into the apartment the next day wearing half the contents of my suitcase, smelling, and with indescribably horrific beach hair. Remember, there were no showers after a lovely day spent on the beach!

In retrospect, it is a funny story (one I will strive to never relive, ha ha). Despite the hiccups, I had a great time in Portugal! It is a paradise that most people, at least in the States, overlook.

In other news, photo uploads are not working and I am struggling with the fact that I am STILL in school (what’s homework?). Miles just booked his flight to visit in December and I am now very distracted planning a trip to Rome!

Goodbye Boone, Hola Sevilla

It feel like any other day in Brevard but, it is Wednesday so that means I leave tomorrow. How did September 2nd happen so fast??? I promise I will get excited! My security blanket is that I am leaving tomorrow to fly to Belgium where I will meet my mom and other family--so it's not quite the day of reckoning.

I need to do my final packing and errands but, I have been feeling really nostalgic about leaving Boone and college for that matter! I am so going to miss fall in the mountains, football games, snow, trivia at Galileo's, homemade dinner with friends, themed parties, mimosas, birthdays, Thai Food, and mostly, all of the incredible people who became my best friends!!!