Bardstown, Barrels and Bourbon

Two weekends ago, we headed to Kentucky for a Bourbon Trail Weekend. You're probably thinking that sounds like an odd choice for a weekend getaway for a 7 month pregnant woman and if I were the kind of person who liked bourbon when not pregnant that might be true. But honestly it didn't bother me a bit that I had to skip the tasting part of the trip and I think hubby was quite pleased that they still set out tasting glasses for me so he got to try double! 

We went with my parents and my aunt and uncle, my aunt being the travel agent extraordinaire for all of us. She found us a great Airbnb in Bardstown which was the best location! It was right by so many of the places we wanted to go. She also planned which distilleries we'd visit on which days and made the necessary reservations and basically without her we would have been lost.

Despite the fact that I don't love to drink bourbon, nor could I on this trip, I hadn't ever been to any bourbon distilleries and found it really fascinating to see the whole process, the impressive buildings, and the row upon row of barrels. And while obviously the process is much the same at all of the distilleries you visit and the tours have a similar feel, there was always something about each of them that made it just a bit different from all the rest which I loved! And my hubby was there to answer the other 100 questions I had that weren't covered in the tour. For example, why is this distillery so unbelievably hot and the others weren't? A very pressing question for a pregnant person. 

And of course at the end of each tour, or sometimes during, there is a tasting of some of their product and these tastings are obviously set up ahead of time so my spot always had a tray ready to go which meant hubby got a few extra sips along the way. But my favorite part of the tastings is that they almost all came with chocolate! So I settled for just smelling all of the bourbon, to get a feel for it but I definitely ate all the chocolate that was in front of me and also some that was in front of various family members kind enough to share! 

We enjoyed delicious meals, including a birthday dinner out for my uncle at a local steakhouse! And went to Mammy's Kitchen twice. On one of those occasions I ordered multiple slices of their homemade pie and I do not regret it one bit. There are some perks to being pregnant...no one questions you when you order both the chocolate and the butterscotch pie. 

And while I definitely felt like we were on the go most of the trip between the distilleries, meals and browsing the local shops,  there was also some downtime for watching the basketball games and playing cards which made for an overall delightful weekend. 

We came home with local prints from a darling shop in Bardstown, a tray for our bar made from a bourbon barrel top, several bottles of bourbon to add to the collection hubby is building and of course tired feet and happy hearts.  

Hubby is still hoping to get a whole barrel (not a full one- but for decoration) at some point. So I guess that means we'll have to go back right? 

Babymooning and Besties

I didn't intend to take a 2 week blog break but between being gone for over a week (a couple days longer than we intended- stay tuned for that story) and then I felt like I needed a week to recover so here we are over 2 weeks later but I'm back! 

You may remember that back in June of 2021 hubby and I took our delayed honeymoon to a Sandals resort and had the best time. While there we booked another trip to a different Sandals resort and we had our best friends book at the same time so we could take this next trip all together. These are the friends that introduced us- if you're unfamiliar with that story my best friend from teaching is married to hubby's best friend from college which is truly just a match made in "couple friend" heaven. So at the time we booked the trip for the following June- a year after our initial trip. Seemed like a good timeline at that point. But surprise- baby boy is due the week we were scheduled to travel. So change of plans, we all decided to move the trip up several months and so the "Dream Team" headed off to Barbados the first week of February. 

Getting ready to go was a bit of a nightmare with all of the requirements to travel and finding the right test, in the right time frame, getting everything approved and printed and ready to go. Travel during the time of covid is not quite as relaxing as one would like. But we made it and once you're there and your test has been approved and your heading out of the airport you breathe this huge sigh of relief and relaxation. 

I 10/10 recommend traveling with your best friends- we had the best time! We didn't venture off the resort at all just with the time we had and the restrictions to what we could do but we still loved every minute of beach and pool time combined with the unlimited food (eating ice cream every day? yes please) and drinks- for those of us that were not growing a baby. 

We had rooms that were just a couple doors apart from one another and they were "swim-up" rooms. So basically there is like a river that runs in front of all these rooms so we could swim between our rooms and most evenings were spent on one of our porches relaxing and laughing in our pool. The porches are also equipped with a "tranquility soaking tub" something that I am certain is meant for one or two people at most but also something that when you put 4 grown adults in at once, gets a lot of looks from the people strolling past.

One of the highlights of the trip was a girls morning trip to the spa for a massage! There is nothing I love more than a spa day of any kind and since I haven't had a massage since becoming pregnant, this prenatal massage was quite possibly the best massage experience ever. The massage therapist told me I should probably get regular massages during pregnancy since I also have scoliosis. You don't have to tell me twice...we'll see if I can get hubby on board with that suggestion! 

The weather was spectacular while we were there with only one day of morning rain before it cleared up for the rest of the day. To kill time and wait out the rain however we went bowling at their lovers lane bowling alley and the guys played several very intense rounds of ping pong so it definitely didn't dampen our day! 

Two members of our party opted to go for a quick paddleboard session that last full day of our trip and when I tell you that the water was ROUGH I mean it. There was a lot of fighting the waves to stay on the board, and there was definitely some laughter from the two of us watching on the beach, We ended our trip, or so we thought, with a dinner at the chophouse which was fabulous and ended up turning in pretty early that night everyone feeling sleepy and overly full from 5 days of indulgence. And then things started to go awry. 

We were scheduled to depart on Saturday but not until later in the day meaning we could enjoy a leisurely breakfast and even hang out at the beach some before lunch and leaving. However, as we were waiting on our breakfast to arrive at the table a multitude of dings could be heard- all of us receiving a notification simultaneously. And as we checked our respective devices we shared a combined "oh no" as we discovered our direct flight home that afternoon had been cancelled. And an even further grown when we began frantically looking for other options and found we would be rebooked on a flight that didn't leave until the following day, had a connection and wouldn't get us to our destination until 12:40am MONDAY. Yes...two days after we were due to be home. I should also mention, that our "destination" was nobody's actual destination as both couples would have to drive home from there- them 2 hours and us 5. But with no other real options we let the airline rebook us and decided to make the best of it. Oh and the covid test we had to take to come home would no longer be valid because it would have "expired" so we'd need a new one of those. Delightful. 

But once you decide that's the plan you can reset and enjoy the day. We did our retest for the flight home, changed out of travel clothes back into bathing suits, hit the pool and had a really lovely "bonus day" complete with a delicious dinner at one of the restaurants we hadn't made it to yet. Again, we opted for an early night since it had been a crazy day and the following was bound to be just as crazy. But when hubby woke up in the night and checked his phone around 3:30am he made the unfortunate discovery that our Sunday flight was also cancelled. And again they wanted to rebook us the following day- now not getting us home until Tuesday. So we had a powwow about what to do at 4am- a fun time for all. We had two guys who needed to get back to work, a momma missing her babies at home, and an anxious pregnant woman beginning to feel like we might have to live here now. So the decision was made to just get back to the U.S. however possible and go from there. 

Our plan that we settle on will sound counter intuitve but being back in American meant we could quit covid testing, and if worse came to worse we could always drive home. So we booked a direct flight out of Barbados to...Newark. Yep. We wanted to go to Charlotte but Newkark was going to have to do. With a follow up flight to Charlotte the next morning, allowing us to get to our actual home by Monday late afternoon. I cannot explain the frustration and exhaustion that accompanies those last 3 days of the trip nor can I express how grateful I am to have a husband who takes charge and figures things out, who drives 5 hours home after endless hours of travel when I could barely keep my eyes open. 

But we will not be letting the chaos of those last few days dampen our joy...even with the mess it was still a blast and we are ready to do it again next year! 

Birthday Weekend Recap

 My birthday was last week and boy do I love my birthday. I can pretty much guarantee I will wake up in a good mood and I did just that. I opened a birthday present, a few cards and soaked in a few extra minutes with my husband at home with me! He's usually headed to work by the time I'm out of bed so it was a special birthday morning to get to sip our coffee side by side and start the day together. I also treated myself to Dunkin Donuts, because birthday treats are a must. And to me a birthday treat is a fancy coffee and a sprinkle donut (or 2!). 

And then it was off to work. While I am of the belief that everyone should have the day off on their birthday, no one has put that in action yet so I spent the day with 22 of the coolest third graders and they were all on their best behavior. Which meant extra recess at the end of the day, which is both a treat for them and for a tired teacher too! And after that last bell I was outta there! We had made plans to spend the weekend in Harrisburg/Hershey for a little getaway that wasn't too far. We both needed a change of scenery and my birthday gave us an excuse to say yes! And y'all it was such a great weekend. It was laid back and relaxed and full of the best food and time with my favorite person. 

We ate the most delicious birthday dinner at The Mill in Hershey. Seriously, if you live nearby you must try it. It's a cool atmosphere with a truly stellar menu. We had cripsy brussel sprouts that were honestly food magic. As in we asked for a recipe so I could try them at home. (I'll keep you posted on that one). And I surprised myself by ordering brisket for dinner! The waitress told me it was her favorite thing on the menu and I think it earned that spot well because it was every bit as delicious as it looks in this picture. Probably more really. And no birthday dinner (or let's be honest any dinner) is complete without dessert right? Peanut butter pie is the way to my heart and this one was particularly delicious. 

And because we're no longer cool and hip in our 20's we called it a night after dinner. Being 31 is pretty wild right? Saturday was full of adventures! We ate breakfast at the hotel and then I got to see a little bit of hubby's old stomping grounds. He had lived here before moving to our current home so I got to see all his old spots. Downtown Harrisburg seems like a great spot! There are some of the most gorgeous old homes right on the river and the capital building was a sight to see! I'm definitely not above the "touristy" things when I'm somewhere new.

After a quick trip to the casino, because why not, we were a little bit richer and ready to spend our winnings on a couple of beers and a soft pretzel the size of a bicycle wheel. I mean maybe I'm exaggerating but it was pretty huge. Also, can I just take this moment to tell you one of my favorite things about living in Pennsylvania? There are soft pretzels on SO MANY menus! And I think that is how it should be everywhere. 

This brewery was so fun! It's a favorite local one of hubby's and the vibe inside was great! A fun mural on the wall, yummy snacks and delicious beer made both of us pretty happy. 

And after a few beers what is a great idea? Axe throwing of course! Have any of you done this? It's become pretty popular! I had done it one other time and I think it is so fun. It's a little tricky to get the hang of, unless you're part viking, which apparently my husband is because he's a natural. But after you get the feel for it, it's a pretty good way to let off some steam. 

We ended our day by checking out a few local restaurants downtown for some sips and snacks including a super fun piano bar. It was a little italian place and I had a tiramisu martini which was dessert in a glass. And because no day out is complete with late night pizza we grabbed some before heading back to the hotel. Does it count as late night pizza if it's 9:00 and not 2am? As I said, 31 is wild y'all. 

Sunday we were headed home but not before brunch! Did we do anything besides eat? I'm not sure. We ended the weekend at Millworks (which is different from The Mill from Friday). It was another great spot though, a former mill turned restaurant with in house art galleries. The artists are right there on sight which I found super fun! Also... who thinks I need one of these firewood walls in my home? Just me? 

and they had the tastiest brunch menu. A savory bacon jalapeno donut, and friend chicken biscuits and sausage gravy. My southern heart soars when I find somewhere that does a yummy biscuit, especially if it also has gravy. I will say, I have yet to taste a truly southern version way up north here but this was close and filled both my belly and southern soul .

This weekend was filling in so many ways. Not only did we leave the weekend with full bellies but also my heart felt so full of joy and rest and ease from a weekend spent with the person who makes me the happiest and who knows how to make me smile and laugh like no one else. Cheers to 31, can't wait to see what this year holds!

Honeymoonin' (Part 2)

Where does the time go during summer vacation? I had every intention of writing this post last week but alas, I was busy with who knows what that it got away from me. When we left off last week, we had finally arrived in Grenada after a bit of a stressful travel day and a few too many nose swabs in my opinion but we were there! 

We had a lovely dinner at one of the 10 restaurants on the property that first night after getting settled into our room. Particularly given some of the travel restraints still in place, it was so wonderful to be at such a fabulous resort. Where we still got to enjoy dinner at a new restaurant each night and over indulge in all the deliciousness. Our first official full day was spent at the beach. We got up early the next day (husband is an early bird and he's working on getting me to become one too) and headed down to the beach where our chairs were already set up for us, under the umbrella with a cooler of drinks and towels ready to go. While the butler service is definitely not a must, and a bit over the top, it was super fun to be pampered on our special trip. 

The beach at this particular sandals isn't huge but its beautiful. They have two areas jettied off to allow for some calm shores and the chairs are spread out a bit so you're not right on top of your beach neighbors. And it never felt overly crowded or anything less than relaxing. Our butler had also set up a snorkel trip for us for that afternoon so after some relaxation, dipping our feet in the ocean and a walk down the beach we headed over to watersports and loaded up for some snorkeling.

As you can see, we ended up with gorgeous weather for the trip. We arrived on a Saturday and didn't see any rain until Wednesday. And even then, it was a quick downpour and then done, never ruining the day. 

It was after our snorkel trip that we wandered to a separate area of the resort that we hadn't explored yet and found ourselves at the swim up pool bar. So fun!

We toasted our first full day with some yummy frozen drinks (a must when you're on vacation) and decided that this is where we'd camp out tomorrow. At what our butlers fondly call the "party pool". The resort has a couple of pools, including 2 main large pools. One is right off the beach and the other is towards the other side of the property, complete with a swim up bar and some games and entertainment each day. I was a big fan of the trivia! I've decided that trivia, which I love anyways, is even better when you're standing in the pool sipping on a daiquiri. 

And so this is where we spent the next couple of afternoons. Hanging out in our personal lounge chairs, or in the water. We made friends with a few other couple that were vacationing there as well which filled our days with even more laughter and fun. Hubs even played a few games of pool volleyball. And after a day of sunshine, we would head back to our room, maybe take a final dip in our swim-up pool before getting cleaned up for dinner. 

After dinner each night we typically would head over the "living room" which is a communal bar space where there was nightly entertainment. We'd play pool, or enjoy the live music or show for the night. 

Our "couple friends" from the week! And unexpected bonus for the trip was new friends!

Unfortunately due to island restrictions, they weren't offering their usual off property excursions. Initially I was worried, we would end up feeling like we didn't have enough to do but honestly I loved getting to stay on property the whole time and relax by the beach and pool. But even without excursions they still have their usual watersports and activities. So like I said earlier, we were able to snorkel early in the trip. And a couple of days later we took an island boat tour where they take you around the coast to give you a feel of the island outside of the resort. 

The island is beautiful and if we come back, I'd definitely love to explore it more. But we were able to see some of the downtown of St. Georges's, the vet school, and Oprah's house! 

And during this trip we were able to talk with another couple who talked my husband into signing us up for Snuba!  

What is snuba you ask? It is a snorkel/scuba combo of sorts. You have a regulator attached to an oxygen tank like in scuba. But unlike scuba that tank is actually sitting on a float, not your back, and you are connected via a long hose. It allows you more freedom than snorkeling, and you can go to about 20 ft. They have you practice with the regulator in the pool the day before you take your trip so your comfortable. Although I still needed some warmup time in the ocean before feeling comfortable to go under all the way, with the weight belt. Hubby was a rockstar and loved it! I enjoyed it, but was definitely a bit more hesitant. I'm going to share a bit more about our snuba trip hopefully in a later post once we get our underwater photos developed. Apparently, disposable cameras are so rare these days, it takes weeks to develop... So stay tuned on that one! 

That was Thursday, only a couple days before leaving and so that last full day we had, was spent enjoying every second of sunshine we could at the pool and a special last dinner at their french restaurant. 

We were able to snag these pictures before dinner I love them! The evening sky behind us, the palm trees, the sunkissed faces and relaxed smiles after a week of paradise.

It was the perfect celebration of our marriage and all the joy that's to come! 

Here's to many, many more! 

Honeymoonin' (Part 1)

Well multiple loads of laundry are done. Groceries are shopped for. And my weather app tells me that it's only 60 degrees outside. So I guess that means, we're back from our honeymoon. Hubs and I scooted off to paradise last week for our delayed honeymoon. We got married in January, but due to a bunch of travel restrictions opted to wait until now to actually take off. And let me just tell you that even waiting almost 5 months, there were still a whole bunch of hoops to jump through. Travel verification forms, and authorizations from the Grenada government, and several covid tests but we were finally ready to go! 

We have two sweet dogs, and one of them is pretty medically fragile these days so we wanted to leave them with family. So Friday, we loaded up the car and headed down to meet up with our families, enjoy dinner together and leave the dogs. Can I just pause here for a moment to share  how awesome it is that our parents get along so well? I love that my parents and in-laws are friends- it is just the best! Moving right along, we were up bright and early to head to the airport. We arrived at the airport with what we thought was PLENTY of time- 3 hours. But as we walked in the airport we realized that may not have calculated that correctly. Because apparently, the entire state of North Carolina decided that was the day to travel internationally. After waiting in the longest line of my life and running through the airport (an experience I would like to never repeat), we skidded into the gate as they were boarding the plane. Whew! 

But 4ish hours later. We landed in Grenada and headed straight for customs. We were going to be staying at the Sandals resort, which meant we could forgo the covid test at the airport (since Sandals does them on site for you) and after the quick little shuttle we were greeted by the world's friendliest staff with cool towels to beat the heat and our butlers for the week. Yep, butlers- you only honeymoon once right?  After our quick nose swab and negative results we were given a short tour of the resort and escorted to our room where a bottle of champagne and hors d'oeuvres were waiting for us. 

And we toasted to our marriage, paradise and the rest our lives.

This post was a bit more long winded than I had anticipated so you'll have to stay tuned for the rest of our trip until later this week...

Weekend Recap

 Anyone else feeling stir crazy these days? I know it's not just us! Hubby and I were both itching for a little mini vacation- we have our (belated) honeymoon coming up in mid-June but it wasn't quite soon enough! And hubby has been working so hard the last few months so we decided to find somewhere we could spend the weekend. Somewhere that wasn't too far, driving distance. And we landed on Atlantic City. Neither of us had been and it seemed like a fun weekend adventure for us. So this past weekend we found a Rover for the dog, loaded up the car and headed out for 2 nights away. 

Before I get into the actual trip, let me tell you the best extra detail we were able to work out. We happen to have to drive right past where my aunt, uncle and Mema live. This would be my momma's mom and her sister's family. I haven't seen this family in so long- I worked it out that I'd seen my Mema in the summer of 2019 and even longer since I'd seen my aunt. AND they had never met my husband! So this was extra special. We didn't stay long- but long enough for some long awaited introductions, hugs and some catch up time. 

After getting checked in and settled, we headed down to the casino to check things out. I had never been to a casino before so I was enthralled with everything- SO MUCH people watching to be done at a casino let me tell you. And in general it is sensory overload but definitely a fun vibe. 

The 2021 Casino look...let me tell you. A mask selfie is tricky!

After checking out the casino we headed out to do a little exploring on the boardwalk and walk to our early dinner reservation at a nearby restaurant. I wish you could tell how truly unbelievably windy it was in this picture here. There was a wind advisory Friday night, with projected gusts up to 50 -60mph. It was wild.  Still, it was a beautiful sunshiny evening at the beach so I was a happy camper!

We went to dinner at Dock's Oyster House and should you find yourself in Atlantic City, you should definitely plan to eat here. It's a super fun spot with delicious food! The restaurant is nearly 120 years old (opening in 1897) which I think is so incredible. And they serve some seriously delicious seafood. They did have some non seafood items, but I'm of the belief that when I'm at the beach I want seafood. So we started with some of their broiled oysters- two ways. Rockefeller and Champagne Leek. Both of which were amazing! And we added a chilled lobster to our appetizer selection because why not? We're on vacation! 

And that was followed with a delightful main course of scallops for me and halibut for hubby. No one was unhappy.  

We also ordered dessert but ate it before I remembered to snag a picture...key lime pie. Which is one of my all time favorites! Besides the delicious food, the atmosphere was really fun! They even had someone playing some live music on the piano.

We ended the evening, spending a little more time at the casino- not being lucky...and walked on the boardwalk. Saturday after a quick morning stop at the casino we spent most of the day up and down the boardwalk. We strolled down to the ferris wheel at one end...

                

...and then back the other way, checking out the views, doing some serious people watching and popping in to some restaurants for snacks, lunch, drinks- the works. 

                

The evening included another yummy dinner at Guy Fieri's Chophouse over at a nearby resort. It was great! Although, not as impressive as Dock's in my opinion. And we capped off the night with some gelato. Overall the weekend was relaxing, full of sunshine, quality time with my hubby, time for him to disconnect from work, hand holding down the boardwalk, toasts to the first 3 months of marriage and just enjoying life together. 

And then it was time to get those pups and head home...I'd say based on the pictures they had a good time too :) 

 

Wait Where?

Remember early on in my  A-Z countdown, I talked about our first visit to our new school...a mere 24 hours after landing in a foreign country? Well today's story starts during that same visit. We were touring the middle school, as I was starting the 8th grade, while my poor sister was taking her French placement test. And when we were in the main middle school office, the sweet secretary asked my parents if I'd be going on the pony trekking trip. 

The what? 

Oh you know... the trip to the Black Mountains of Wales.. for pony trekking.

As it turns out the 8th graders always take a pony trekking trip in the fall. And apparently EVERYONE is going...according to the secretary. So my mom says sure, then I guess she'll be going! Because they did not want me being left out of something, the moment I got started- because they're the best. 

So the kind secretary informs my jetlagged parents that the payment is due that day. Because the trip is in  just a couple of weeks. 

"Hm...Well... do we have checks that will work here? Or an account set up? Or the right kind of cash? Anything?" As it turns out they figure out a way to make it work. I don't know how. Did I mention we were jetlagged? But nevertheless, all settled.

Oh and I'll also need a sleeping bag...which in theory is no problem because we have sleeping bags. In our big shipment of things. That won'y arrive till after I'm due to leave. Oh no worries, we'll run to Target. Nope...no target. But the secretary had the answer for that too and let us know where we could pick one up.

Oh and one more question...where is Wales? And pony trekking... that's like horses? She's never been on a horse. And wait, chaperones? Oh, just the teachers? 4 teachers- 50 kids and a bunch of horses in the Black Mountains... well OK then! 

So a few weeks after moving to a new country and starting a new school I rode on a bus with all my new friends to Wales. A place I hadn't even heard of before moving there. To ride horses for 4 days. We learned the basics of horse riding and spent the whole day, each day, out riding. Including one ride to a nearby city with a stop in a pub for lunch. Yep- with the horses in the parking lot. There were also activities and things in the evenings and lots of girly chatter in our bunk room. I remember that trip as the one that let me really feel like I was settled and a part of that group of kids. I was where I was supposed to be. 

I unfortunately don't have pictures to share from that week. As they were most likely all taken on a disposable camera and who knows where I put them. But I can picture everything in my head clear as day. From the look on my parents' faces as they were trying to work out what they were signing me up for. To the wide open scenery spread out across from us as we rode the horses. To the busy, excited chatter of 50 thirteen year olds off on an adventure. All of it. Etched in my brain. 

V is for...

 V is for...

I had most of my letters planned out at the start of the A-Z and letter v was one of the few I wasn't really sure which direction to go. So what do you do when you don't know what to write? Write a list. This is my very mixed up list of a variety of v words that didn't make it into any other posts. 

V is for visitors...coming from our old home to our new. I can't count the number of visitors we had when we were there but it was always a treat. It was a taste of home while also getting to show off and play tour guide for our new home. 

V is for vacation...trips to all over, giving us hundreds of memories to hold onto. Some of which you've seen through my A-Z...some that didn't fit in a letter but all memorable. 

V is for Vatican...a visit to a tiny country within a country. We got to tour the grounds, the inside and of course put cricks in our neck admiring the beauty of the Sistene Chapel. 

We visited the Vatican when we ventured to Rome. 

Also... is it just me or does it seem from the pictures I post, that my poor dad never goes on vacation with us? He does! He's just also our photographer usually :) 

And in Rome, we also saw the TreVi Fountain. (I know...a stretch)

I'm thinking I made a wish that this could keep being my life forever and ever...

V is for Stratford Upon AVon....ok this one is a stretch, but there is a v in there.  50 eighth graders exploring all things Shakespeare. Who got in trouble for making too much noise in the hotel. Also- who let us all stay in a hotel with such minimal supervision? Nuts! 

V is for valuable lessons learned. Too many to count each but they all shaped me into the person I am. Life lessons that taught me to accept others. To work with people from all over. To be welcoming and kind. To be flexible. To be resilient...oh boy that was a big one. To be confident and brave. To be adventurous.

V is for voice lessons...a favorite after-school activity. Complete with my first talent show performance. I'm pretty sure my parents were QUITE nervous for this, but I'm pleased to say I didn't embarrass myself- I remembered all the words, was on key and loved every moment. 

V is for volunteer...working with the middle school Wyldlife kids  as a junior leader. 

V is for "vamanos"...Let's Go! (to Spain). I participated in the Spanish trip when I was a junior and we went to Santiago de Compostela. I actually have not made a trip to a "major" city in Spain but loved every minute of this particular trip. 

I think they intentionally chose a smaller city...less English...with the purpose of the trip being full language immersion for the week. We stayed with host families, who were only allowed to speak Spanish to us and I stayed with one of my best friends. We had class in the mornings and then after lunch we explored the city, did some sight seeing and then were free for the night. There was a day trip to the beach, we went strolling through the mall and played futbol in the park. 

There was a fair in town that week so we spent the evenings riding bumper cars and getting snacks, hanging out in the park, being every bit the free teenagers we were. 

V is for volume. The VAST  amount of things I want to write and want to share about my time living overseas. And then as I try to get it all out, I can't quite put into words all that those years meant to me. 

But I sure do appreciate you guys coming along for the ride as I try.