Back in Cali

I have been back in Cali for 5 weeks. The first two weeks were spent inebriated in San Diego, the third was spent obliterated in Santa Cruz and job hunting in San Fransisco, and the fourth was spent poolside at my mothers eating and drinking. So where am I now? Well I am staying with my Grandma in LA working on my tan and hangin with my cousins. Okay, so my life in Cali isn't really looking much different from my life traveling. But something has got to give and it will probably give soon. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a total commitment-phobe thus the Peace Corps thing kinda freaked me out. I am just not ready for African poverty. So I gotta get a job if I ever want to blow this popsicle stand. Who knows how long I will work but one thing is for certain, I am working to travel again.

And as always,
Be a traveler not a tourist.

Bounce

I just got back from camping in the Sierras with my dear friends Joe and Jordan. We hiked and saw some beautiful lakes and shot some rifles for kicks back at the camp. I know these guys from when I studied in Paris and in their company I had the space to realize some things about my life.

I have been back for two weeks. I am not the person that I was when I left and I have no desire to start a life here in San Diego again. So where does that leave me? With the urge to flee. Tomorrow I am flying to Oakland to chill with my girls in the north for a week. Time to clear the head. I am currently in the process of filling my Peace Corps Application out and question #11 is a toughy. When am I available to leave? Most likely sooner than later.

Run For Your Life

10 abroad months... tick tick tick... 7 months in France...tick tick tick... 3 months backpacking Europe... tick tick tick...5 weeks in Greece... tick tick tick... 19 hours and 40 minutes until I fly home... BUZZZZZZ!!! My European life is slipping away one minute at a time. I fly home tomorrow morning. It is hard to accept that I will have to return to working life with a boss and schedule. I mean that is real life, isn't it? I have had such a good life here. From learning how to live in French culture to chasing my fantasies all over Europe, life has treated me well. I have met amazing people, I have learned so much about myself and what I want, and all the while I have been seeing the most beautiful sights.

This chapter is ending. My year in Europe. But the book is not nearly finished. I will go home for a breif sejour with the family and be back out on the road to another hemisphere as soon as I can, probably by mid-October.

For those of you who have read my website, thank you. I never knew who in my life cares enough of check in. I will keep this website updated with my summer in San Diego and all the trouble I get into there and will post more travel stories as soon as I get back out on the road. Considering I am a fan of the road trip, my first travel story will probably be in California.

Thank you for your support and encouragement.

Kavala and the island of Thasos

So Kavala was amazing, just like everything else in Greece. A small town on the sea with an old castle overlooking the port. The beaches there rival anything I have ever seen in San Diego, or even Cali. Warm crystal blue water and sand bottoms, perfect for swimming. On Sunday I headed out to the island of Thasos with my mom's friend Maria and her husband. Thasos has thousands of olive trees and just like Kavala it has great beaches. Unlike Santorini or Ios, Thasos has many trees and looks great for camping. My mom wants to retire there and I don't blame her. Perfection.

So Anne Marie is returning home tomorrow morning and I am heading back on Friday. We returned to Athens today and just like every other day in Athens it is freakin hot. Poli Zesty in Greek. I have two days to shop and lounge around till I have one long flight and a whole lot of culture shock.

But don't worry my dear reader, my adventures are not nearly over. I am only going home to get enough money to go to Australia and Thailand, maybe even India. You never know tho, life takes funny turns and you can never really plan for anything. Like the old joke goes, if you want to tell a funny joke tell God your life plans.

Comment if you think I should keep the website.

Thessalonki

So I have traded in my party hat for my church dress. Been hanging out with the Kofikotsios family and have been welcomed like I was their blood. They helped my young family back in the 70's get their start in Greece and are thrilled to have the babies they knew back as young ladies. They have like a million kids that love to learn English and the cooking has been amazing. Have visited a monastary and done a good amount of shopping. Sad to say that we are leaving tomorrow for a smaller town called Kavala to see one of my mother's friends. Anne Marie leaves next Tuesday back to the states and it is fair to say that she is happy to go home. You know how it is when there is a boyfriend involved. (gag) So I am heading back stateside next Friday and it is fair to say that I am FREAKING OUT. It will be nice to see my fam and all that but the culture shock is gonna be tragic. Just looking forward to getting back out on the road as soon as I can afford it.

Until next time.

Santorini and Ios

Annie and I have been having a great time together in Greece. In Athens we mostly slept and layed low cuz of her jet lag. On the island of Santorini we rented a quad and checked out the whole island, including the world renowned sunset. The island looks just like the postcards, white churches and houses with cobalt trim. The ocean is clean and glorious with black sand beaches. While we rode around we played a game of coiunting churches, we got to 39 before getting bored.

We have been on Ios staying at Far Out for a couple of days. Any wasn't exactly ready for the wild on spring break atmosphere, but she has handled it well. We have been laying poolside by day and partying by night. The only drawback is our crappy bungalow which is nothing more than a free standing round room with a thatched roof and no windows. Seriously weird.

On to Thessaloniki to visit family friends this weekend. Looking forward to some culture before heading back into the real world.

What is Urban Pigeon Hunting?

We all hate them, some more secretly than others, those filthy flying rats... Pigeons. Then there are the proud few of us who do something about them, we are the Urban Pigeon Hunters. In the National Gardens of Athens there we were, an engineer, a renaissance man, and your truly all with the same goal, to catch a pigeon.
First we did recon on our prey. They could not be those ferrel tree pigeons. No they would never approach a human. We had to go after those begger types, the ground peckers. A slip knot of twine and a few pieces of well placed bread later we were getting somewhere. They came, oh yes they came in droves, but only one stepped perfectly inside the ring of demise. SNAP, we had it flying around in all directions sometimes straight at the brave hunters. We were on the ground howling with amusement when some bleeding heart canadian teenage girls ran to see what we were doing. "Oh my god you are hurting that bird! Is this some kind of sick sport." Yes this is Urban Pigeon Hunting, and if you would like to see what dumb girl hog tying looks like we can arrange that. We cut the bird from the line and he flew off to a near by tree a string of glory hanging from his feet. We three proud hunters left the park safari glowing from a great day of urban pigeon hunting.

Ios

Hey everybody. So I took the bus from hell from the Pink Palace to Athens. They made it sounds like a really good comfy convenient bus but in reality it was an expensive ride from hell. You couldn't sleep and the seats were so uncomfortable that everyone had crazy neck cramps. Seriously stupid. So me and my fat camp squad Tony and Bryan rolled off the bus and dashed to the port to catch a ferry to Ios but there wasn't another one till midnight. So we sightsaw Athens for the day and I ended up falling asleep on the steps of the Archeological Museum... CLASSY! After a day in the hot sun we finally got to the ferry but they were trippers about letting people sleep on the couches. None of us had slept in 2 days so we passed out anyway. We made it out to Ios and slept and swam all day yesterday, not to mentioned partied at night. The people here are way more attractive than the Pink Palace crew and the island has better beaches. We are gonna party tongight and then catch a 4:45am ferry back to Athens where I will be meeting my sister. Very excited to see a familiar face and to get out of the crazy party modet that I have been maintaining for over a week now.

Love you all.

Get back on the crazy bus

Well my stay here at the pink palace is coming to an end. Tonight me and my cohorts are boarding the bus to athens for one final party. These last five days have consisted of a booze cruise, cliff jumping, a quad safari, a toga party, and lots and lots of alcohol. I am really almost tired of it... almost. Anyway the hardest partiers in the place are on the bus tonight and we just so happen to all be going to the island of Ios. I wish I could just sleep but it doesn't look like that is going to be happening anytime soon. Maybe by the time annie gets here we can have a relaxing vacation. A vacation from my vacation. Until next time.

Corfu Madness

Decided that I was OVER Italy, skipped Sicily and had to get to Greece. Couldn't be happier with the situation really. It actually would be better if I had slept since Sunday night, but so far my stay has been great. I left Marika's house in the south of Italy on Monday morning, rode on a train to Bari, took an overnight ferry to Igio...something in Greece, took another ferry to Corfu, arrived at the Pink Palace, took a shot of ouzo, checked into my room and am heading down to the beach. It's Tuesday at noon and I am out of my head. I bet I should catch a nap before the debauchery tonight, but some zzzz's on the sand might just have to do. The word is that this place is like a party summer camp that people just can't leave and I suspect that it is true. I booked 5 nights, my final night being a real deal toga party, and expect the craziest to occur. Now mom, I know what you are thinking, that this is totally not culturally Greek and that I am hanging with a bunch of drunk anglophones, well you are right. This is madness, utter hedonism. I will get to the cultural stuff later but for now I just need the beach, my bathing suit, and an ivory smile.

Pompeii and Lamezia Terme

Pompeii was cool I guess. I mean with the foot it was a bit of a challenge, and you are right Matt, those dogs are vicious. There are like 80 stray dogs laying all over the ruins with gooey eyes and frothing mouths. There was no way I was gonna touch those mangey mutts and I stopped a couple of little girls from playing with them. I couldn't save the japense tourist from sharing her sandwich with them tho, and when she ran out of food all hell broke lose. Let's just say that those dogs are thicker than theives and had their snarling vengence.
I liked the caster molds of the people dying. Pretty morbid but unlike anything I have ever seen. The coolest part of the ruins was all the freakin pornography saved from over 2000 years ago. Let's just say they had a thing for exagerated size.

After my trek thru the ruins I jumped on a train to Naples then on another train to Lamezia Terme, the home of my old roommate Marika. If Italy is a boot then I am chillin on the top of the foot. Let's just say that I have died and gone to heaven. She actually lives in one of the adjoining towns of Lamezia in the Calabria region. Her house is in the country side and OFF THE HOOK! Her mom has been cooking every meal with all homemade ingredients, the shower has more bells and whistles than a mercedes dealership, and her family is so sweet although we have no common language. This is just the vacation from backpacking I have needed. Today we are going into town and I am getting a full body masssage for only, count em, 21 euros! I just gotta make sure to keep the chick away from my busted foot. By the end of this weekend I should be fully recouperated and ready for Sicily and then... dun dun dun... GREECE!

My foot in Sorrento

UPDATE ON INJURY: Today I went to the hospital in Rome to make sure I wasn't going to have some horrible turn of luck when I was up Mt. Vesuvius. Word is all is well, the docs checked me out and wrapped me up. No stitches! They did say to stay off my feet for five days, at which I just laughed. Best part was they let me go without paying a cent! Once again, yippee for socialized medicine.

Made it to Sorrento and after checking out the town I decided to only stay one day. It is nice and mellow but since I can't enjoy the beach there is really no point treking out to Capri. The town itself if beautiful, perched on the Bay of Naples with Mt. Vesuvius looming in the background. Tomorrow I am going to wonder around Pompeii and then head down to my girl Marika's house in Lamezia Terme. I am not sure how long I am going to spend there but according to doctor's orders I need to take a rest.

Bad Luck in Rome

Well I wasn't going to come here. I was going to skip it and say to hell with the tourist hype, but no I fell into the trap. The past 24 hours have been rather unfortunate for Miss Shaw.
It all began with some nutella and my Swiss army knife. I was trying to clean the sticky substance off my knife when... slit... cut my finger wide open. If that were only the end of it.
Later that night after the pub crawl I was walking home. I slipped out of my flip flops and slit THE BOTTOM OF MY FOOT wide open. Now maybe for a normal person with a car and health coverage this may only be a minor accident. But for me, a backpacker with a first aid kit and no money to go to the doctor this is like a death sentence. So I bandage my foot up cuz there is a lot of Rome I hadn't seen yet and go walking thru Vatican city today. I let a guy I just met at the hostel hold onto my swiss army knife while I went into see what every one else comes here to see cuz of security and all. Well I guess I did a poor wrap job on my foot cuz it layered the the top of my afflicted foot with blisters.
And the freakin cherry on top, the guy never gave me back my swiss army knife. Nope, he just got on a train and left for Florence. So not am I physically disabled now I also don't have the best tool a traveler could ask for.

I am over the city and can't wait to leave. Gonna go try to do Pompeii tomorrow. Hopefully will get better soon and get back to having fun. Keeping my chin up and my foot clean.

Leaving Croatia

A few days in Split made me realize that there is a lot more to the major port of Croatia than the tour books let on to. It is a beautiful walled city situated on the bay and has a fair amount of stuff to do. It is not seedy like many other port towns and has great shopping. Counterfit everything sold openly, as opposed to cardboard boxes on Italian street corners.

I headed down to Dubrovnik on Friday 3 June with Sarah and Nathan, our newest travel buddy we picked up at Plivtice Lakes park. Dubrovnik is hands down my FAVORITE CROATIAN CITY and I wished that I had started there. It has complete fortified city walls, a rich history, and the recent turmoil of the bombings in 1991 lend it an interesting story. When one stands on the city walls one can see all the direct hits from Yugoslav bombs on the roof tops cuz the tiles are different colors, 166 direct hits in total. Mind you these are peoples homes and not military bases. The city has been completely rebuilt and shows few scars of it's troubled past. We swam off the shores and never made it to more islands. Although the water was so lovely I didn't really care. It is so clear that you can see the ocean floor as if it were right under your feet but when you try to dive and touch the bottom it is impossible.

Took a bus back to Split today and am going back to Italy tonight. Will be arriving in Rome tomorrow to go see what everyone else sees just to say yes when people ask me if I saw it. Freakin tourists.

Get on the Bus!

Just got off a 7 hour bus ride. That is better than the 12 hour one I did two days ago.

So the rhythm of Croatia goes as such. Take a bus to where you are
going. Get off and negotiate a room to stay in with a random person
at the bus stop. End up paying 12-15 euro to stay in a double room
with a private bathroom in someone's house. Go out to eat. Go to the
beach. Get on another bus and do it all over again. Internet is hard
to come by and can be expensive but right now I am in the major port
of Split and this internet place RULES. Cheap, clean, and american
keyboards. Can't go wrong.

Another funny thing about Croatia is that no one speaks English. Everyone speaks freaking german. Me and the girl I have been traveling with only spoke to eachother the first week. Then as soon as we remarked that we met three aussie guys, one of who is now traveling the rest of Croatia with us. So as I have said a million times, I am traveling Europe by myself but am never alone for very long.

The waterfalls were great. As beautiful as all the pictures that we saw. The colors were unreal and turned out to be a really peaceful place. Going to more islands tomorrow. Will it ever get old?

You know you are a backpacker when...

10. The only bug that scares you more than foot fungus is a bed bug.
9. a) a hot shower beginning to end is like a gift from god that you just can't stop talking about.
b) the person who takes a shower after you curses you for using all of the hot water.
8. Even the tastiest pizza makes you want to hurl but you just can't stop eating it due to price constraints.
7. You can' remember the last time you sat on a toilet seat.
6. You walk past a group traveling with rolling suitcases and think, "Losers."
5. A 'travel day' is synonymous with running with over 100 lbs of bags while having a simultaneous headache and backache.
4. Everything on your MP3 player drives you mad but you keep on listening to it anyway.
3. Even tho half of the information in the Lonely Planet guidebooks is wrong you still haul 1-3 around, each weighing 5 lbs.
2. You have ask where the bathroom is in 12 different languages but you can't understand the answer.

and the number 1 way to know that you are a backpacker when...

Having all 10 toenails is a thing of the past.

The Islands of Mali Lošinj and Susak

Laying on a deserted beach watching the warm blue water lap the fine sand I thought about writing this blog with much pleasure.

On 27 May we headed on a bus all the way from the port town of Poreč to the adriatic island of Mali Lošinj (pronounced lotion) in one day, which is quite impressive by my standards. Mali Lošinj has about 6500 inhabitants and a cute and colorful port. It reminded me a little of Cinque Terre, Italy in the colors of the facades. The island is covered in dense pine trees which gave me the feel of being at summer camp. The first day we treked to the far side of the island and sunbathed all day. While the bay was a beautiful color of turquoise I was not overly impressed. The beach was a gravelly at best and OVERUN BY GERMANS! Actually that could be said for all of Croatia. So we laid out till we couldn't handle anymore sun and we back in our cush beds before midnight. Needless to say the nightscene on Mali Lošinj doesn't pop unless you are interested in teenage german boys. Guten tag!

So the next day we took a day we took a ferry out to a tiny island called Susak to get away from the Germans. Population 188 and about 3 sq. miles when we stepped off the boat the thought, "Is this is?!" slipped out of my mouth. While the the buildings around the port are a bit dreary the old town up on the hill is quaint. There are no street names in Susak, just numbers. Mass had just let out and the old women were wearing their regional outfits which look like the top half of a nun's habit and the bottom half of a school girl uniform with thick stockings. After getting lost and talking to a local we found out that the nice beach took a 20 minute trek around the bend past a cave. When we arrived it was like that scene out of the movie The Beach. The water was crystal clear and warm with little fish swimming around. We threw down our gear and jumped in. The shalllow bay stretched out for at least a hundred metres. Everyonce in awhile boats manned by nudists would come into the cove. Nudism is a big thing here in Croatia and I have seen more than my fill of old man bits.

We laid there for what seemed like forever before making our way back to the first tourist beach which had been once again overrun by a group of school kids.

Today we got a 4:45am bus to Zagreb where I currently am writing this before heading to the Plevtice Lake Park in the middle of the country. The park is known for beautiful waterfalls and lakes. A nice change from the beach.

Porec, Croatia

Croatia is everything I ever could have hoped it to be and more. Welcoming locals, good food, plentiful clean beaches, and knock off designer sunglasses and bags galore. Not to mention cheap jewelry, I think I am in heaven.

Took a ferry from Venice to Porec, Croatia yesterday. Walked off the boat and was offered a cheap room from a nice (and slightly inebriated) croat named Miro. My travel buddy Sarah and I dropped our bags off and started walking around the small port town. Blue water, sailboat filled bay, pink sunset, and cobblestone streets. The people in Porec are very lovely and kind although the city is overrun by German tourists.

Today we took a boat to tour the Istria coast. Croatia is spotted with tiny uninhabited islands that are covered in pine trees, a nice color contrast to the cobalt sea. I saw we a pirate cave that was too cool. Tonight we are going to feast on the local truffles that are supposed to have some trippy effects.

Tomorrow we are headed to Rijeka as a base for island hopping.

Current Philosophy

The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.
~Mark Twain

Heading to Croatia tomorrow. No reservations, no preconceptions, nothing but me.

Venice

Canals, boats, bridges, blah blah blah... I am staying at a campsite outside of Venice and sadly enough that might be my favorite part of Venice. Sleeping in a tent is so much fun and really cheap. But back to the city. It is over run by tourists and to ride one of those gondolas down a canal cost 80 euros. No thanks. I went around yesterday and saw everything that I wanted to see, including the Guggenheim collection that rocked. No more Madonnas only contemporary art. So today I am sitting at the campgrounds doing laundry and trying to plan my trip to Croatia. Seriously there is almost no literature and no internet help booking hotels so I am kinda going renegade style. Showing up at the port city of Ancona on Wednesday and gonna get on a boat and see where it takes me. Wish me luck cuz I am gonna need it.

Next stop Split (If I can keep up the nerve.)

Florence

Florence was lovely. There is more Renaissance art there than you can stand and I decided that if I saw another Madonna with Child I was gonna freak out. Seeing Michelangelo's David was poignant moment. I was captured by his perfection and is it strange to be physically attracted to a carved piece of marble? What a man.

The best thing that I did in Florence was charm a sweet Italian man into take me wine tasting in the Chianti region. We drove in his convertable thru the Tuscan countryside to a little town called Greve. All along the way there were rolling green hills and winding roads. We feasted on Wild Boar and truffles before tasting at least 20 different kinds of vino. Wine is the international language I prefer to speak.

On to Venice...

Last Night in Cinque Terre

A camera cannot capture...

My friendly neighbor with his sax standing on a beached paddle boat improvising to to Pink Floyd's "Shine on you Crazy Diamond" playing to people eating and talking under a perfect italian nigh sky. Lit up caverns housed dry boats. Me on a stoney porch rocking to the familiar melody, not alone. A waiter brings me the house special to eat on the marina after I tell him that I am a friend of the musician and deny their coveted reserved table. I prefer to eat outside with the singing sax and my bottle of chianti.

This morning I had a dream that I met a old friend and had a great conversation. At the end she got on a train and said she had to go. I asked her why and she said that it was time. I awoke, packed my bags and left Cinque Terre for Florence. When it is time to go it is time.

Figueres

Went and saw a theatre that Dali built in his home town of Figueres and it was seriously the COOLEST art museum I have ever been to. I first heard about it years ago on some travel show and finally made it there on my way out of Spain. Dali converted a burnt out theatre into a museum of his work and his crypt lays below. I saw my favorite painting of Lincoln and it was absolutely huge. Everything in this place was a testament to defying the borders of reality. The Mae West room had a couch in the shape of lips, a couple of fireplace, and pictures of eyes hanging over the mantle. One climbs stairs and looks thru a fish lens mounted on a camel and everything comes into persepective... It is Mae West's face!!! Too cool.

Anyone who loves surrealism must make the pilgrimage. Stay off the drugs tho, the art is enough to drive you crazy.

Cinque Terre

It was quite an ordeal to get here so I will quickly recap my trip from hell. Well there have been train strikes in France and Italy so I had to change trains 6 times and was never sure if I was going to be dumped off in some dark empty train station in the middle of the night alone, or worse yet with a group of freaky dudes. Luckily I met this lovely elderly American couple who were a testament to true love. When my couchette was full of creepy learing men they let me have one of their first class beds and shared the other. Together we were ripped off by a French conductor who took my Eurail pass and threatened to tear it up if I didn't pay him 100 euros all because he didn't like the way I wrote my numbers and accused me of fraud. The couple had to pay 35 euros a piece for some other nonense. That was the last time I was in France and I may never go back again. After being to Spain and Italy I see how terrible and mean they can be. (Sorry Romans friends, I had a bad day.)

So I arrived in Cinque Terre and slept for what seemed like an eternity. Cinque Terre is five lovely villages perched along the rugged Italian coastline overlooking the Mediterranean. They are connected by a series of foot paths, some hanging off cliffs others winding throught the mountains. I have been traveling with a couple of Cali Kids from the OC. Last night we had an AMAZING dinner in this cute little restaurant. The owner came to our table and kept on telling me and my travel buddy that we are "As beautiful as the sun" in Italian of course. At the end of our meal he sat and held my hand as he told us his life story and blew kisses to the women at the surrounding tables. Now this is something that has definitely changed about me. Before I would have been creeped out by what we call a "Dirty Old Man." I watched another table of girls from Cali give AIR KISSES to the owner instead of cheek to cheek acting like he was gonna make out with him. Give me a break, he is 78 years old!! I have been hearing from American girls that they find the attention from Italian men intimidating but I still mantain that there is nothing more menacing than French Arabs. After living in Romans for 7 months I have nerves of steel and find the Italians charming and sweet. Sure it is all just talk to get a kiss off you, but it is done in a way that can make you feel beautiful if you let it. I think that I am going to mellow out here for a couple more days then maybe go to Venice or Florence. I haven't decided yet.

Baci

NO TRAINS IN FRANCE!!

So I went to the train station today to head to Italy and low and behold all trains in France have been cancelled. The goddam French are at it again. I mean,what's new? If a conductor burns a pot of coffee he goes on strike to show solidarity with the beans. So now I am in Barcelona for one more night.

Kabul has been so much fun but kinda getting to the point of saturation. While it is fun to get blind drunk on cheap beer with rowdy Australians, after a week my voice and liver need a break.

Tomorrow I am going to see a theatre that Dali designed in Figueres then head on a 20 hour voyage comprised of 4 trains to get to Cinque Terre where I will chill, swim and maybe even fish.

Mellow, think mellow.

Barcelona

I am in a big party. I dance all night and tan all day. Over the weekend some spaniards took me and my friend Becky sailing around Barcelona. Even tho I took some dramamine I still was getting a little sick and went down into the exhaust filled cabin to sleep it off. I think I lost some brain cells with that little siesta.

Just moved into the infamous party hostel Kabul today. Happy hour is gonna start but I think that I am going to go eat a falafel from Maoz before the drinking begins. Have discovered an undercover bar that looks out onto Plaza Real with hot peeps and cheap drinks, you have to ring an unmarked door and climb three flights of stairs but then voilam the party is on.

More to come.

Mellow in France

So instead of boozing all over France, I returned to my small town Romans for another week. After running all of France with my grandparents I didn't feel like being a tourist for another minute. Instead I tanned on my terrace, sipping Orangina while listening to French radio and reading. Every once in a while I would stroll down the street and say hi to all the people I have gotten to know or duck in to see a movie at the cinema. After I was done soaking up the hospitality of the Romanais I headed up into the mountains to visit Die. Die is this awesome hippy oasis in nestled between snow touched mountains and is just coming alive with the tourist season. The spring rains have turned everything green and flowers scent the air wherever you go. Not to mention that my favorite French alcohol is made here, Clairette de Die.

Tomorrow I will be heading to Barcelona. I do not expect my life to be this tranquil again until I head to Italy. Going to see Dali and Picasso, lay on the beach, and get into whatever kind of trouble I can handle. Meeting up with my girl Crazy Berkeley aka Becky and we are gonna set the town on fire.

Hasta Luego!!

Wine over Water

Dropping the Grandparents off tomorrow in Paris then heading to drink the stars in Champagne country then bike ride through the vineyards of Dijon. This weekend I will be returning to Romans to grab my stuff and then head to mountains to a little hippy town called Die to visit my girl Lalaina from SF. After that I will be dropping into Barcelona for the beginning of my Spain adventure.

Taking my grandparents around France has been a lot of fun although the driving has been a bit stressful. The coolest thing we did was head to the tiny town called Grasse in Provence to see where Parfum was developed and became popular. I have never smelled anything so good in my life, although after about 15 minutes everything smelled alike.

More to come.

Tour Guide in two Languages

So I have been playing tour guide since Paris with my grandparents. It is funny cuz I have English in my ears and French coming out my mouth. They think I am fluent which just makes me laugh but I guess I am a lot better off than when I first got here.

Seeing the beaches of Normandy, the American Cemetary, and the WW2 memorial in Caen was very moving. I definitely appreciate the sacrifice made my the generations before mine. I would suggest anyone who wants to feel the effect of war to visit these memorials and keep their eyes open. Very moving and life changing.

In Avignon right now enjoying the golden sun of Provence. The lavender scented air and pollen laden breeze keeps my allergies active. Enjoying the warm nature of the local population, which is a nice change from the cold bastards in Paris.

Tomorrow going to Nice, will be visiting Monaco and Grasse, where perfume was invented. After I drop my grandparents off in Paris I think I am going to go wine tasting in Champagne and then who knows.

Last Class

Hey, just had to tell you about my last class. My favorite class that I have had all year sang "Imagine" to me in the music room and then we had sweets and drinks. It was seriously the most touching class cuz all of the kids were very sad to see me go. They were all giving me hugs and kisses and were taking pictures. Probably the most memorable class ever.

Adieu Triboulet, Je vous manques énormément. Gros Bisous Tout Pleine, Alexandra

Au Revoir

So my friend who I was going to backpack with got a bleeding ulcer and now has to go back to the US! Therefore I am at square one again. That is just the icing on a dramatic week that has included an international love triangle, unknowingly going to the club with 2 guys I dated, a cameo by the psycho french boyfriend, being deathly ill, the end of my job, and moving. And that's all off the top of my head. Don't get me thinking. I am a freakin lightning rod for drama!

Saying goodbye to the kids and the highschool is a bit surreal. In the end, the students really warmed up to me and I enjoyed their youthful antics. I always let my class be a fun and exciting place for them to express themselves in any language they wanted. I haven't made a lesson plan since December and I think I pulled it off very well. I will definitely miss the young boys smitten looks and blushing cheeks as I tried to coax a little English out of their mouths. It is not every day that you get to be a goddess.

I have been packing my room and cursing myself for bringing so many things from home that would have been better left in storage. Who needs 12 pairs of shoes? And two freaking dictionaries? How about the 3 backpacks and 8 purses? I must have been smoking a heavy dose of crack when I brought that stuff out. Now I have to get it all back plus the crap I have aquired since.

Saturday the Grandparents come to Paris where I will meet them. Then we are off to see Versailles, the D-day Beaches, Avignon, Nice, and Monaco. I am not exactly sure what I will be doing after they leave. I kinda feel like going to Prague, but then again Amsterdam sounds good. I have no idea what I am going to do.

Me, my backpack, my tour book, my eurail pass, and my bank card are ready. Let the games begin.

Countdown to Lift-off

So April fool's day in France is celebrated by taping paper fish on the backs of unsupecting friends. Weird tradition but probably from the same Christianity vs Paganism roots.

Today begins the last week of my stay in Romans. I am pretty happy to be leaving but sad to be leaving the comfort of my life, namely my kitchen and my bed. I will be backpacking Europe for the next three months during which time I hope to see parts of France, Spain, Italy, and Greece. I will be carrying all of my earthly belongings on my back and sleeping in a different hostel every two nights. I except fatigue but also a great adventure. I will be backpacking by myself also, so there are risks that I am going to have to anticipate. Of course I am never alone for very long as I tend to attract fellow travellers of the same genre.

I will actually kind of miss my job as an assistant. I had a fan club of teenage boys that thought I was a goddess. That was cool cuz it was definitely not the case when I was in high school. I will also miss the fact that this seriously is the easiest job that I ever had and probably ever will have.

I should probably mention my trip to Nice over Easter. It was awesome!! We partied hard in the pubs, sat on the beach, and walked around the city. I got kicked out of a Casino because they didn't like my sandals, which was pretty funny. I will be going back in a few weeks with my grandparents, which should be fun.

Watched the pope's funeral today. It's like the world is changing all around us. All of these revolutions and deaths of famous people just makes you wonder what is going to happen next.

Expect my posts to be much more interesting in the months ahead. A tend to get into lots of interesting situations when travelling and won't skimp on the details.

Who Even Reads This Thing?

So we are entering the final 21 days of my stay here in Romans. In the beginning it was boring, cold, lonely, and hopeless. Now it is warm and fun and I am almost sad to leave. As of late I have really gotten into rugby and go and watch all the local games. It is so much better than football or soccer, and the guys are a lot hotter. I know a bunch of the players and coaches. Meow...

Going to Nice tomorrow for the Easter weekend with my Romans girls. Looking forward to the warm weather and the rockin night life. There should be a bunch of English college students there for the holiday. Looking forward to the party.

Happy Easter everybody!

St. Patty's Day in the Twilight Zone

St. Patty's day isn't really celebrated here, so at around 4pm my girl Carrie and I downed a bottle of Malibu and Orangina on the sunny fields of her highschool. It was just like sophmore year. Sitting there drunk as skunks we complained about how French men are so strange. I hadn't heard from my French "boyfriend" in a few days and my vibes were telling me something was awry. At dusk we headed to the one Irish bar in town, which is in fact not Irish at all except in decor, and proceeded to drink even more. 10pm rolled around and I was ready to retire so me and my roomies started heading home. As we approached the highschool where I live a male figure came out of the shadows. Who was it other than my elusive French Amour! He said that he saw me walking on the street and stopped to talk to me. I sent my roommates ahead and as soon as they were out of ear shot the stupid bastard broke up with me!! I am amazed to report that "the talk" is the same no matter where you are. Such lines as, 'it's not you it's me,' 'I think that you are great but...' and 'I am just really messed up in my head' were all used. It must be programmed into the male chromosome or something.

All of the sudden we heard sirens coming up quickly from around the corner. Frenchie said that the cops were coming and almost immediately a small car came racing into the roundabout with a cop car hot on it's tail. Swerving at high speeds around the corner the fugitive car smashed into an oncoming vehicle. Then the cop car rear-ended the fugitive car! Out of the passenger door sprung out a young arab miscreant who came dashing in our direction with a cop on his heals. Frenchie tried to stand in front of me as some sort of chivilrous gesture, but I pushed him to the side. There was no way I was going to miss the most exciting thing to happen in Romans in the past 7 months cuz he wants to feel like my 'protector.' The young fugitive juked right, then left and in from of the kebab shop the cop lurched forward and pinned the punk to the sidewalk. A minute later another cop car had shown up and they dragged him away. Everyone got in their cars and drove off, and once again the street was empty except for me and the Frenchie.

"So you still want to end things with me?"
"Yes. I adore you...blah blah blah... I don't want to hurt you..."
"Right..."
I just kinda zoned out at what he was saying as I knew the words before he even spoke them. I reacted with a numb smile on my face as I soaked in the bizarro-land happenings. An air of resignation passed over me and gave way to a spring in my step. I shrugged my shoulders, gave a laugh, and wished him a good night. It would have never worked out anyway, but I am definitely cool about the experience. If he never broke up with me on the street that night then I would have missed the only episode of Cops-Romans, and that my friends was priceless. Hands down the weirdest day in Romans.

Bad boys bad boys, watcha gonna do?

Everyone who has a french boyfriend raise their hand

If you could see me you would see that my hand is raised.

Yes oh yes... after swearing off French men due to their tight pants and overall greasy demeanor I have found one in particular that strikes my fancy. He does not where tight pants and is the sweetest thing this side of the Atlantic. It took many bad dates and convaluted intentions with guys that would have ZERO chance with me in Cali, but 6 months after arriving I have a found the one who is just right for me. I will keep the details to myself except for the most important one, that he ADORES me and thinks that I hung the moon.

I will be done with my job one month from today. After that I have no idea what I will be doing or how this new romance will factor into it, but I have faith that everything is gonna be just fine.

And for the ladies out there, you have no idea what romance is until you hear it in French. NO IDEA whatsoever.

Enjoy the Spring my friends, no matter where you are.

Square One has Snow on It

So I am sitting here in Romans and once again it is snowing. It has been snowing for what feels like weeks. Everyone tells me how uncharacteristic it is for there to be snow here, how exceptional this year is, and how lucky I am. All I can think of is the kind of luck you have when you step in a steaming pile while barefoot. Back in Cali I am getting weather reports of Paradise. It sounds so nice there and I really wish I could feel the sun on my skin.

So I am just planning on backpacking for a few months while the money lasts and then heading home for a few months. I still really want to go to Oz for a few months for their summer, which is October thru January, and am working on that plan. Would like to see all of my cities of interest in Europe before I go back to San Diego to finish out what I hope will be an Indian Summer.

As for my french fluency, yeah I think that it has arrived. I dream in French and can have pretty much any kind of conversation that I want. Whether my grammar is perfect is another story but at least my comprehension is there.

Really excited to see my Grandparents when they come out next month. We are touring the south of France and I suspect that they are going to love it.

Going this weekend to Lyon to go shopping. A little retail therapy is exactly what I need. I dream of the spring shoe line and wearing light dresses.

Square One

Back for the final part of my assistantship. Nice was full of surpises. Like the big surprise that not only do I not have the right to work in France but people really do take that seriously. So I spent much of my time talking up bar owners only to have them laugh at the idea of letting me work under the table. At least I got some free drinks out of the whole deal. Other than that Nice is a beautiful beach town that reminds me a lot of California. Perfect weather, crystal blue beaches, beautiful people and quite a night scene. It snowed the day before I got there for the first time in 20 years. I missed the whole incident and am thankful for it.

So my life is kinda in the air right now. I don't really know what I will be doing exactly in the next few months. Just keeping my mind in a state of 'humble resignation.'

(thanks jimmy from Oz)

Cold and Colder

So the first week of my vacation has been spent battling a mean cold and watching snow fall. As I would sit on my couch and watch the weather I kept my eye on Nice. Everyday that it was snowing here it was sunny and warm in Nice. Well, I thought that the weather would hold, but it has not!!!! A freakin SNOW STORM has moved into Nice and some warmth is headed here to Romans. I couldn't believe it. I could have died!! So know I am packing to head into the freakin snow on the beach to search for a job for 5 days. It couldn't be worse. I am so not prepared for this and was really hoping for some sun during my holiday. Whatever, c'est la vie. Wish me luck in the job search. I will need it.

Who wants Gmail?!?!

Hey, so I have 50 invites to Gmail, the coolest email around. Anyone who wants an account just drop me a line and I will invite you. Because it is still new and invite-only your desired address is probably still available. alexandrashaw@gmail.com

Let the Vacation Begin!!

So today is the last day of classes until March!!! I so love the French school calendar. For the first week of the vacation I will just be hanging out here in Romans and up in the mountainous oasis called Die. Then for the second week I will be heading to Nice for Carnaval and to search for future emloyment. It should be great fun as the weather has recently improved greatly.

And one word on Prince Charles marrying that skank Camila, it's called class buddy, Get Some!

And the sun will shine again

I have found my pace. I am running for the sake of running and I won't stop now. It is so easy to slip into depression around the holidays and for the month of January, but I have overcome. I will not go back to San Diego until I have done everything I can out here. Not until my bank account is empty and I have to place a collect call home to scream for help will I return. Romans is boring but it is where I live for now. Nothing is permanent, I am just a visitor here.

Since when is it okay...

Since when is it okay to ask an American at 9am, pre-coffee, what it felt like to watch 9/11 live? Since when is that acceptable morning conversation?!?! I appreciate the honesty of my students questions, but sometimes I feel like I am an exhibit at the 1890 World Fair. Regard, the strange ways of the Californian Native. Watch how she squirms at the memory of watching people plummet to their firey death. Watch her eyes glaze over as she remembers how everything changed that one day in September.
Sometimes this job is harder than I thought it would be.

She Can Walk!!!

In case anyone had a spy cam on the mountains of Villard de Lans this weekend, the home of the '68 winter olympics, that was me tumbling down the mountain. No that wasn't a snow ball or an avalanche, that was a human girl strapped to skis refining the art of avoiding inevitable death or crippledom. I took a ski lift a solid ten minutes up the mountain and pointed my 'death sticks' down the slope not knowing how to stop or turn. A few times I landed literally upside down on my neck barely avoiding paralysis. I would shake off the daze of a head injury and wiggle my toes, and rejoice in the miracle of bodily motion. Other times I summersalted down the mountainside while a rogue ski would crack me in the leg. I can honestly say that I know how Nancy Kerrigan felt. Why Me!!! All and all it was a cool experience and I impressed everyone at the end of the day by sloshing down the mountain only falling a few times when my left leg couldn't support my body weight any longer. I am covered in deep huge bruises head to toe. From now on I think that I will stick to ocean sports. At least you can get a wicked tan while being pummelled by natural forces.

A little joke for my fellow Americans

Q: How many Bush Administration officials does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A: None. There is nothing wrong with the light bulb; its conditions are improving every day. Any reports of its lack of incandescence are a delusional spin from the liberal media. That light bulb has served honorably, and anything you say undermines the lighting effect. Why do you hate freedom?

Turning a New Leaf

Hello all. I have been slow to write on my blog as not a mucho has been going down, that is until this week. France was gripped by strikes and protests all week long, first the post office, then the trains, and then it was my turn, the teachers. It was great, I didn't have to work on Thursday and just shopped all day in Grenoble. I saw the protest move thru the streets but it was nothing new for a girl who went to UC Santa Cruz. Vive la grève!!
I have come to the decision that life in it's current routine has become mundane and predictable so I am shaking it up. I refuse to hang out with the same old anglophones and have really been making an effort to get in with the Frenchies. Last night it paid off as I attended a party in Romans with kids my age and had a rockin time. We played the drinking game 'quarters' with old francs for most of the night and got totally blind on Martini, Rum, and a variety of other liquor. Being ostricized and hated on by French girls has been a major speed bump on my freeway to friends. I have been talking with a French friend of mine about how to keep the peace with all at a party and her main advice was to talk to all the girls for a solid half an hour before even chatting with a guy about the weather. That way the chicks see that you aren't some dummy who wants to steal their men. Well the tactic worked and now I have the beginnings of a circle of friends. God help me I need them.
With the new year one inevitabely begins to plan upcoming life events. As I mentioned before I am looking for a job on the Riviera for the summer so I am heading down to Nice next month for Carnival and to do some rep work. Rep work meaning showing my face in these bars, batting my baby blues and trying to score some employment. I have faith in my ability to sell a ketchup popsicle to a woman in white gloves.
Other than that I have decided that 2005 will be the year of the endless summer. I would like to move to Brisbane, Australia with an aussie friend of mine in September and stay thru the end of the year. I will probably just get a temp job in some office and play around on the beach on the weekends. If all works out the only seasons that I will be experiencing will be spring and summer for the next 18 months.
So to answer a common question, No I don't have a new boyfriend because I really don't want one. French men aren't all that either. I can't stand being told how beautiful I am for 20 minutes at length from a man in jeans tighter than mine. It is just unnatural and ferrell. People are always trying to hook me up with one of their friends and I date quite often, but I am happily single at the moment.
Going skiing tomorrow. Wish me luck on the slopes as I will need it.

Back in France

I have been back in France for over a week and haven't had much to update on. My weekend in Paris was awesome, but was marred by two little pickpockets that tried to steal my train tickets. My friend Carrie caught them red handed and we managed to get away with all of our stuff intact. Of course they spit in our faces to mark their defeat, which was more disgusting than I would like to remember.

California was so freakin awesome I can't even put it into words. I saw almost everyone that I wanted to see and ate all the Mexican food that I could stand. Not to mention my first cheeseburger in over 10 years from Hodad's in OB. That was amazing.

So now I am back in Romans, finishing out the school year and looking forward to my next adventure. This summer is going to be the beginning of the structureless leg of my trip, only marked by the seasons. So far I know that I want to work with tourists either in Nice or Cannes for the summer and head thru India to Australia for the end of the year. A little bit of an endless summer quest. Brisbane sounds like my kinda place so I look forward to trying my hand there for awhile.

I am pretty relieved that I didn't go to India for Christmas. Even if I was lucky enough not to be at the bottom of a tsunami, getting out of the country would have been a nightmare, not to mention getting back into France. But I guess none of us gets to choose the way we die, just like you can't choose your race or your parents. I just gotta keep on truckin and hope to God that I will make it home again to see my loved ones and eat another awesome cheeseburger.

Carpe Diem