Internships and Cambridge

Well this week began our internships and I have to say that I am overjoyed with my placement. Digitas is an international advertising agency working with big name clients such as Head and Shoulders, Herbal Essences, Snickers, Tampax and Lacoste just to name a few. So we are talking big time money going into this agency and it was very exciting to work with people with so much power. It was a little overwhelming at first just because I did not know a lot about these products before hand and therefore had to be quickly updated on their desires of the ad agency and the projects they were working on for months all in one day. So I was thrown right into the midst of things and essentially just had to figure things out for myself through exposure. Unfortunately for you guys I cannot talk about these exciting projects too much as they are highly confidential (I actually had to sign a contract of confidentiality and I have to shred all of my papers after I use them just in case). So things are pretty serious at Digitas, but the opportunity is incredible and I am loving the experience thus far. I really feel like I am getting a great feel for the industry and understand how complicated it really is. I also had them contact the CT agency branch that I applied for a summer internship through, so hopefully that will help me get that job for the summer! Keep your fingers crossed for me as that would be an incredible opportunity. Before I get into to many details and get sued by big name companies for breaching their confidentiality I need to stop. Moving onward...

This weekend I got to go up to Cambridge to visit my very good friend from the wonderful Camp Greylock, the one and only Darren Xu. I was so excited to visit this incredible educational institution and I have to say I was not let down. The campus is a dream, literally castles, courtyards, fountains, bridges and gates with secret doors and epic architecture. It was incredible and I was almost immediately jealous of Darren's attendence to this institution that has educated some of the greatest minds of history. Over the course of the weekend Darren showed me this great institution and I got to meet some amazing people from all over the place (i.e. the great converstation I had with a guy from Lithuania about the economy). On Saturday the weather was truly gorgeous and we walked around the campus and snuk into many schools that he normally wouldn't have access too. It was great. But easily the greatest part of the day was when we went punting. Possibly the most fun thing ever, punting is when you use a long pole to push a relatively flat boat in which you stand on a platform on the back,  off the bottom of the river and push the boat forward. Then you must use the pole to steer after you have gotten some momentum. All the while you need to maintain your balance while ducking under willow tree branches, bridges and by other boats that bump into you. It was so much fun and I could have done it all day, but unfortunately we only had an hour. After this I got to go for a run around the Cambridge area and go exploring which was really fun. I got to go to a more residential region and see the beautiful houses of what I assumed were professors. The second greatest part of my stay in Cambridge would be the formal dinner that Darren took me too that evening. We wore these intense academic robes they call gowns, and sat in this incredible dining hall that was very similar to the Hogwarts dining hall. We were served by waiters in suits and sat under candle lights. The students have made this tradition of a game that is played at formals that is quite silly but really fun. You are supposed to bring pennies and 5 pence pieces to the meal. When someone sitting next to you isn't looking you put a penny in their glass of wine if they do not have their hands on the glass, and this means they have to down the drink as fast as they can, plus immediately refill their glass. So you can imagine the trouble this can get some light-weights can get into in this situation. Then for dessert if you do not pick up your utensils when the food is placed in front of you then your neighbors can stick a 5 pence piece in your dessert which means you must eat it with no utensils and no hands. This one is quite comical. While I was pennied once I made sure that I was not 5'd and therefore got to laugh at the expense of some of the less fortunate people around me. It was really funny and made me feel like I was really getting an authentic feel to what it is like to attend Cambridge. The next morning we went to brunch with a bunch of Darren's friends back in the amazing dining hall where they have free toast and drinks for the students which is nice. Also the food in the kitchen, the hot food, is priced way down for the students so breakfast only costs them about 2 or 3 pounds. Plus it was good food so Cambridge takes care of their students well. Unfortunately by the afternoon it was time for me to go but I got some amazing pictures and had an unforgetable experience. And for that I thank Darren from the bottom of my heart.

Today we went on a field trip to the Globe Theater (or at least the recreation of what we assume was the Globe Theater) and learned all about Shakespeare and such figures. It would have been a great trip if our tour guide wouldn't have been performing every word he was speaking. Seriously he was over dramaticizing everything he was saying and performing these facts about history, it got quite annoying even though I'm sure it was supposed to be funny. After this we had to rush to our new internship course that we are taking that FIE requires. It seems like it is going to be a pain but we don't have a choice so I'm going to try to keep a positive disposition about it. Also this afternoon I got to run with my favorite running buddy here Meghan from UC Santa Clara who informed me that she is leaving and going back to school next thursday. So sad. Her school follows the quarter system so she was only here for one quarter. So this makes me very sad as we have had some great runs and laughs together. So we are going to try and run as much together as we can now, even though my internship makes things difficult. But I'm sure we will find a way.

What is on schedule for me? This week is some great work at Digitas including a video shoot I get to attend. Also very exciting is my much anticipated Ireland trip that I am taking this weekend. I am really pumped for this and to reconnect with my roots if you may! Go back to the homeland! Plus the weather is supposed to be great so everything is falling into place for a great weekend. Amazing. So I am really looking forward to this week. But here are some pictures of my adventures in Cambridge for all of you back at home so you can see how amazing this school really is. Hope everything is great back at home with everyone wherever they may be and that all of my friends on spring break are having an amazing and safe time! Take care everyone!

Spring Break Finale!!!

As the curtain closes on my amazing spring break 2011 as I ride back on the EuroStar under the English Channel on my way back to London I am realizing how fortunate I am. I really am blessed to have been able to have this opportunity, to afford it, and to actually carry it out safely and successfully. So much has happened in the past few days it is quite absurd and honestly overwhelming. At the same time I am anxious to get back to London as I feel like it is my home now. Of course Maine is my true home and will never be replaced, but for the time being London feels comforting and safe to be going too. With that said lets take a look back at the events (and drama) of the past few days.... okay deep breath.... and..... GO!

Barcelona. Three words. Stole my heart. I am truly jealous of the persons studying in this city as it was incredible. Although I speak no spanish further than “si”, “adios” and “gracias” (or the American prenunciation 'grassy-ass' I like to use every once in a while) I would learn as quickly as possible to study there. The city is absolutely stunning in its set up and history. The colors and architecture along with the stunning natural beauty associated with its beach front location all worked together to give it a warm and welcoming European feel that was refreshing because it was just so different than Morocco, Madrid and London. On our first night there I asked the front desk worker if people went running in this city (just to check so I didn't look like a crazy person) and if it was okay if I went even though it was dark out. She told me that not many people ran in the city but that the city was really safe and extremely well lit. So I took out a map and planned on running quite literally repeatedly around this small triangle of a root around the hostel just to be safe. But once I got outside I quickly realized that she did not know what she was talking about. There were many runners, bikers and rollerbladers out being active and working on their fitness (I was there witness, just to make a quick Fergie reference, that will be the only one of this post.... G-L-A-M-O-R-OUS YEAH! Okay I'm done) so I felt comfortable running a little further away from the hostel. I ran through amazing archways, past enormous fountains and sculptures, through a zoo, and down to the beach front. It was stunning. I ran back into our room to tell Yasin and Sarah how cool the city was only to be greeted by an Asian family on the other side of the door. AWKWARD. I had totally forgot that we were staying in a room with other people that night, and honestly did not expect an Asian family at that since the name of the hostel had “youth” in it. Nevertheless, they were really nice and quiet (wait is that racist, I didn't mean it. But they were good at math). Moving forward to less racy topics (play on words there, win).

That night we decided that we wanted to go to one of the famed Ice Bars in Europe. The one in London was ridiculously expensive and the fact that they used the same price that they did in the rest of Europe but using the pound instead of the Euro, thus making it even more expensive, we decided that the Barcelona one was our best bet. So we made our way down to the beachfront club and on the way were given a flyer to go to a club called Opium (at first I was worried that I would be drugged just entering this club) and read that they were having a free entry and chocolate fountain night at the club, which for our fat-asses sealed the deal. This was absolutely going to be our destination after the ice bar, even if that meant walking in, immediately going to the chocolate fountain and then turning around and walking out with hands full of chocolate. Anyways, the ice bar was amazing and definitely well worth it just to experience such a marvel. It was almost more like art than a club. The sculptures inside and the intricate lighting designs were incredible. The music was really fun and featured many awesome 90's classic hip hop which made this guy very happy. Not to mention we had the entire room to ourselves so we could just run around everywhere and dance on anything we desired/take pictures everywhere with no hesitation. The ice bar brought me back to many a ski seasons standing on top of those mountains for umpteen hours waiting for a race with its constant -7 degree celsius temperature. Ahh, good times. But the bar was really fun and I'm really glad we did it not only because it was cheaper to do so in Spain, but also because we afterwards got to eat free chocolate. Which leads me to Opium. We think that this club is pretty new and this was one of their promotional events trying to get people in their club as everything looked brand new and because everyone was dressed very nicely. We made the most of the club and ate our chocolate and had a really fun time as we found ourselves in a club that probably costs a lot to get into for free just like the one in Morocco.

The next morning I woke up and went for a run to see the city in the daylight and once again was impressed by the beauty of the city and the amount of people out being active. This day brought a free walking tour we found out about through our hostel. The guide we had was amazing, really funny and made the history of the city extremely interesting. We toured the narrow and adorable streets of the old city section of Barcelona and got to see so many amazing pieces of history. Unfortunately Sarah was really suffering from her food poisoning on this day and struggled just to make it through the duration of the tour. She ended up having to leave and go back to the hostel while Yasin and I did a little more exploring before we had to leave. We got to see some amazing modern architecture as well as experience the vibe of the city as we roamed the streets all over. With that being done it was already late afternoon and we had to catch our train to Nimes for the night. The ride to Nimes proved to be our longest journey of the trip even though it was geographically the closest to its prior location we were traveling from. Poopy. So we sat on the train for a good 5-6 hours before we reached Nimes, with one very confusing transfer (the person at the information desk continually gave us this spaced out/shocked look at our asking if we getting on the right train, it was a simple question and he was acting as if we were asking if we could bring a nuclear weapon onboard). But we made it to Nimes fine and were immediately impressed by the small city feel.

But Nimes provided its own problems. Firstly, I did not have a hostel for this night as Sarah booked a room for two people since there were no 3 person rooms and then I was supposed to book a single. Of course I didn't do this. So the night before I was researching where I could stay since, of course, the place Sarah and Yasin were staying was fully booked. But they convinced me that they could sneak me into their room as they would act as if I was one of their lovers for the night. I was a little unsure about this but thought it would be pretty funny, and I knew of other places I could stay if for some reason it didn't work so why not. When we arrived at the hostel, and as I waited in secrecy around the corner hoping not to be seen by the front desk worker, the girls were greeted at the door by a quite hasty man who was not very friendly. Within 10 minutes I heard both of them walk out the door and saying repeatedly “sorry” so I knew something was wrong. Turns our Sarah had accidently booked the room for the following night, not that night and there were no rooms available. So the girls found themselves upon the streets just as I was anticipating myself to possibly be. So we lugged our stuff back towards the train station where the hotel that was my backup plan was located. Luckily they had a room for three and it wasn't terribly priced either. The room was actually really nice and we even had a tv. And so we all got a good nights sleep after what could have turned out to be a disaster of a night. The next day I got up and went for my run and essentially went exploring just to get to know the city. Nimes was highly influenced by the Romans and this shows in their colliseum arena, statue filled parks, and ancient ruins. I was blown away by all of this and had so much fun on my run as I ran up the hillside gardens that led to a strategically located old military tower atop a hill that overlooked the entire valley. Afterwards I essentially took the girls over the same route I had run since it was so incredible. The weather turned around for us as well as the sun broke out of the clouds and was even warm enough for no coats. We sat on top of the hillside garden at the tower for a good amount of time just basking in the glory of our lives and soaked up the incredible moment together. After we made our way down into the city center and explored the adorable narrow streets that were filled with clothing designers, pastry shops and mom-and-pop shops. Nimes really took us by surprise and it seemed like a great city to go to school in as it wasn't too overwhelmingly large, it seemed like the place where everyone new eachother yet could still live a city lifestyle. I loved it and would go back in a heartbeat to also explore the region as it seemed boasting with amazing sites and activities.

This brings me to definitely the most dramatic part of our trip so brace yourselves. That night we were going to Grenoble up in the french alps, which was my most favored destination of our spring break plans. I really was dying to go into the alps just to experience them and reconnect with my ski cultured roots that I was raised on. Notice the first “was” in that last statement, its important. So we went to the train station in Grenoble and got our train ticket to Lyon as we needed to make a transfer there to get up to Grenoble. Our train was scheduled to come in at 4:58 and so we looked up at the arrival board and saw, Paris Gare De Lyon and so we figured that the train we were going on had the final destination of Paris but would be stopping in Lyon, where we would get off. So it shows up at 4:51 and we figure its just a few minutes early, no big deal. The train was extremely nice and definitely a high speed one. So onwards we pushed until we realize, “hey we were supposed to get into Lyon at 6:10 and its 6:20 and we left early, why hasn't it stopped?” Well it turns out that train was headed to Paris, and Paris only. And that the station in Paris that it was going into was called, “Gare De Lyon”. Great. So now we are in a state of shock at our stupidity and are scrambling to find if there is going to be a train to Grenoble from Paris we could take. Granted this would mean we would arrive much later than intended but that was literally the price we paid for. Unfortunately when we got to Paris we came to find that there were no trains to Grenoble that night and therefore had arrived an entire day early, with no where to stay. Great. Luckily the woman working behind the ticket counter was an angel directly sent from God. As she ascended from the heavens to help us make some phone calls to the hostel we were supposed to arrive at in Grenoble and scramble to find one to stay in that night, we were all just in disbelief that we had been so stupid. Well with some quick thinking, some internet cafe use, and last minute bookings we found a hostel in Paris that could house us for the night that wasn't going to cost us an arm and a leg like the hotels we were quickly being forced to consider. Exhausted we made our way out to this hostel which was out in the, what we would call the ghetto but what Parisian's apparently just call a normal living section of the city. Not to mention our hostel was quite literally a converted old hospital with wider than normal doors and elevators, awkwardly large corridors and giant metal gates at the entrance and exit. But with a roof over our heads and internet access we could plan the next day. I was still dying to go to Grenoble and decided that I would just do a day trip of it the next day leaving early in the morning and coming back late at night. The girls were done with traveling and had made their minds up that they would just stay in Paris for the day. So we planned to part ways for the day.

The next morning I woke up early and got my bum down to the train station ready to catch the very first train to Grenoble. Yet when I got there the ticket salesman informed me that all of the tickets were sold out and that every ticket to any destination in the alps was sold out for that day as well. Great, I literally wanted to cry I was so disappointed. So then I just straight up asked them, “where would you suggest I go?” And they told me Lille was really nice up in the Normandy region, aka the northeast region. So off I went up to this unknown destination hoping to make the most out of the garbage dump of a situation. I was pleasantly surprised by Lille as it was obviously a city affected greatly by the world wars with many monuments and obvious sections of the city where modern architecture was used atop old ruins of bombed regions of the city. But the mixture of these two, the old and traditional with the new and innovative, made for a very intriguing and different experience for me. I really enjoyed my time there and by the time I was back in Paris I was glad that I had decided to go. That night however I was exhausted and decided to stay in as Yasin and Sarah wanted to go out and do a pub crawl since they were leaving in the morning. I however stayed in since the next day was my day to explore Paris. Turns out their pub crawl kind of sucked and they left early because they really weren't having a good time. So I'm actually kind of glad that I didn't go with them in the first place as they felt it was kind of a waste of money.

Which brings me to today. Starting in the morning I went on quite possibly the best free walking tour of all time. It was absolutely amazing. I had the funniest and most amazing tour guide, Jacq (short for Jacqline) who was from Australia but had lived all over the world it seemed. She was seriously funny enough to be a stand up comedian, smart enough to be a professor, and friendly enough to be I don't know... a nun? Well something really nice. Anyways she made the tour extremely fun and we got to see a lot of great things. After the tour she invited the group to go get wine and cheese with her at a little Parisian cafe. Since I had nothing else to do I was like, why not right? Have an authentic Parisian experience. Out of our entire tour of 30 plus people only 4 of us went to get the goods at this cafe but we had an amazing time just talking and getting to know one another. There was this adorable old British woman and a relatively youthful (maybe mid 30's) Irish couple who gave me great advice for my trip to Ireland. But it was just an amazing way to spend the afternoon. I had a cheese/meat sampler with the most amazing Brie cheese ever made I think. I was really nervous to try the cheeses as my cheese experience goes as far as American, Cheddar and Swiss oh and the rare provolone. But I was adventurous and tried them anyways and the Brie blew my socks off. It was a great way to spend the afternoon and I got to know the tour guide better and it turns out she has a bachelors of arts in photography so we got to talking about that. Also these tip only run tours are her only means of income while in Paris which is quite risky and she explained how it definitely can get frustrating because of the inconsistency of the pay but she loves what she does. And she lives in Paris so thats not too bad either. Following this I only had a few hours before my train back to London so I walked over to see the Eiffle Tower which was actually great because the sun was setting so it looked gorgeous. After I walked up through the streets and saw the big archway, Arc de Triomphe and watched the chaos of all the cars going around it (where apparently there is an accident every 30 minutes, craziness). After I made my way back to the hostel, then walked to the train station while eating a great piece of pizza I got from a little pastry shop on the way. The EuroStar was absolutely fantastic on the way back as somehow I was in first class even though I know for a fact I only paid for standard class. So I was living the fab life sitting in my own extremely comfortable seat reading a Time Magazine feeling all educated and important while I rode back to London. The ride was so fast and smooth it was ridiculous. We crossed the English Channel in what seemed to be 3 seconds it was crazy. Everything went very smoothly and I have to say I was quite excited to get back on the tube and hear the voice say, “This is a Picadilly Line service to... Heathrow Terminal 4 and 1-2-3.” I felt at home again!

So there you have it, my amazing spring break! I am so excited because I am now starting my internship on Tuesday, so wish me luck! Also one of my very best friends (who is being given the opportunity to go to Istanbul over his spring break, God the things Harvard can pull off is ridiculous) Danny Pellerin is coming to visit! I am so excited to see him and show him around London, its going to be crazy!!! I am doubly blessed because one of my best friends from Marist is coming to London as well very soon, Jen Alessio so I will be able to see her as her father is coming on business! DOUBLE WIN! So these upcoming weeks should be jam packed with lots of fun and new experiences, as if I didn't have enough on my spring break! But for now I am just glad to be home and hearing about everyones crazy antics and on-goings-on over their spring breaks. We all have had great stories and laughs about the events that occurred. I hope everything is well at home for everyone reading! Take care, much love, all that jazz!

Here are some pictures to make you all jealous of my life, haha!!! 

And thats all she wrote for spring break 2011, you most certainly will go down in history!!!

Spring Break Update Part 1

SPRING BREAK 2011!!! As I sit here on the nicest train I have ever rode, on my way from Madrid to Barcelona, traveling at an average speed of 267 km/hour (crazy fast), I have decided to update the masses on my adventures thus far. So lets take a trip back in time as we have done so much in the past few days its absurd....

Saturday morning, woke up early to go for a run. After I grabbed a train out to Stansted Airport, as the girls wanted to leave a little earlier and took the EasyBus but I wanted a little more time to run, and so I travelled alone to the airport but everything went smoothly other than the fact that I had to carry my bag as it is not a rolling duffle so this got old quickly. Anywho, we got through the airport fine and were quite surprised at the rush there was to get onto the plane by our fellow passengers. RyanAir is one classy operation. Our plane landed, we watched to passengers get off it from the terminal, then we proceeded to immediately board afterwards. Apparently no clean up was necessary. But the plane ended up being nicer than expected and we got window seats so everything was good. And before we knew it we were off to Agadir Morocco!

The flight was absolutely beautiful as we watched our plane cross into France, then over Spain and finally cross the Mediterranean Sea to AFRICA! The entire time we were singing Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) by Shakira just to get in the spirits. We were all stunned at how mountainous and snowy Morocco was. It was amazing to see everything from above. As we landed in Agadir the sun was setting and we were fortunate enough to be able to walk outside and not need a jacket! It was so warm and welcoming in Morocco. After making it through security and finding a group of fellow travelers who were staying at the same hostel as we were, a person who worked at the hostel took us by cab through Agadir and up the coast to our little village of Taghazout. On our way our British born world traveler told us of how he made it to Morocco and practically all around the world. A very well traveled man he told us of how Morocco was still recovering from a severe earthquake it experienced decades ago. The aftermath could still be seen as there was rubble everywhere and it seemed as if all the new buildings were just built around this instead of cleaning them up and then rebuilding. It made for a very interesting cityscape. The hostel we were staying in was right on the waterfront and the waves were crashing in all night long, very calming and relaxing. We found our hostel to be a very welcoming place that was intended for surf beach bums, and was quite literally run by them as well. All of the staff were either Brit or Australian surf bums who were in their early to mid 20's it seemed. We also quickly found out that it was quite strange that we were only going to be there for 2 nights and didn't come solely for the surfing. Apparently most guests stay for a week or more and surf the entire time. But we made it clear that wasn't our intention and that we would rather just ride camels and explore the city. But that night brought out more than we expected.

That evening we wanted to go into the city to go out to check out the nightlife. We were quickly invited to go along with a local man who worked for the hostel. This was key to our night being great. First we get into a cab that was driven by his friend it seemed and listened to some intense techno music that was honestly quite hilarious. Then we went to the “English Pub” which was essentially everything you could want in a pub, there was karaoke, pool, amazing music and fresh pizza that when taken out of the oven was signaled ready by the ringing of this obnoxious bell. So after listening to some good, some bad and some amazing karaoke (specifically some girls rendition of Natalie Merchant's 90's smash hit Zombie which blew me away) we decided to move onto the club that was promised to us by our guide. We entered “Actors” having no idea what to expect. Later we found out that it cost 200 Dirham to just get into which is equivalent to a little over 20 dollars! This was the nicest club I have ever set eyes on. Between the white interior to the amazing light systems to the Usher “Yeah” video green lasers that shot around and bounced off disco balls all night lets just say we had a really fun time. We had so much fun and by 3 we were spent and made our way back to the hostel.

The next morning was somewhat rough as we had to wake up at 8 for breakfast, but thats just the sacrifice I guess you have to make when you're living a dream everyday! So once we were ready to go we headed down to the beach as it was already about 80 degrees by 10 in the morning, fabulous. We were immediately greeted by some camels and their bargaining owners who convinced us to take a ride for 20 dirham. This seemed like a good price as it was only about 2 dollars. The camels were so much fun riding up and down the beach and splashing through the water but I do have to say, I have no idea how people used to ride them for long distances. Those things move at the speed of an ant. I'm certain they are just as fast as a slow walk, so props to everyone who ever rode one of those things across the Sahara because they have patience! And so after we got done the man collecting the money started insisting that we pay him 20 euro, but that was not the deal we made with him. So we started to say to him “No, 20 dirham” and he started to freak out. We could tell this was not going to end well so we just quickly gave him what we though would be equivalent to 20 euro, which was 200 dirham and left. After we asked another person how much we should have been charged and he said that it should have been 20 dirham and that we got scammed. Crap. So we felt like dumb tourists. But we didn't get killed or stabbed, which seemed to be the direction this man was heading if we didn't pay him, so we are lucky. After we went swimming in the ocean and had a blast dodging surfers and riding the waves. The water was cold but felt warm to me in comparison to the temperature of the ocean in Maine during the summer months!

After this we had an amazing lunch in Taghazout where I had kabobs of chicken and roasted peppers and onions, absolutely incredible. Then we headed into town on the local bus system which was actually really pretty nice. We wanted to go to the local markets and buy our bus tickets for the following mornings trip to the airport but really didn't have any idea where to go. Luckily the police station was right outside the bus stop so they pointed us in the right direction. But then a very nice man came up to us and said that he would take us to the market because he owned a shop there with his brother. At first we were very skeptical as this just has horror film written all over it. But turns out he wasn't lying! He actually did have a very nice booth at the huge markets where his brother sold herbal teas and lots of natural products. After getting served traditional Moroccan tea and sampling almost everything in the store we decided to buy a few things. He also gave us these Moroccan toothpicks that are a plant. It has a cluster of long sticks maybe 4 inches long that are just like toothpicks that make a cylinder shape. Also the cool part was that if you move the thistles around then little seeds fall out and it naturally regrows itself so I should be set with toothpicks for the rest of my life! Following this we got a tour of the rest of the market, I tried an Avacado smoothie, which wasn't all that great, and went over to get our bus tickets for the next morning. Following this we made our way back to Taghazout and chilled for a bit before getting the highly suggested pizza in the town. Within the town there was this rooftop french pizza place where what Sarah insisted upon was Jack Johnson eating pizza (We are still unsure because he looked a lot like him and he is known for being in random surf places in the winter). I had a quite delicious 4 seasons pizza with ham, peppers, onions and mushrooms on it. The girls had items with chicken on them which reeked havoc for them later as it gave them food poisoning. But that night we stayed in the hostel got our next mornings travels set up and paid our hostel. We also got upgraded from the mixed dorm room we were originally in which ended up having one less bed in it meaning Sarah and Yasin had to sleep together, to a much nicer private apartment with its own bathroom and kitchen area with a porch. This nights sleep included a few more hours than the previous night which was much needed but unfortunately this is when the food poisoning hit Sarah and Yasin as they were vomiting all night. And so the next morning was not a pleasant one as they both were vomiting on our entire journey to Marrakesh. Once we got to the airport and through security the girls were both feeling like death and I just felt bad because I was fine. But this brings us to Spain!

We landed in Madrid and made our way onto the Metro and to our hostel relatively easily. After we went and grabbed some food and were pleasantly surprised by the presence of Dunkin Donuts in Madrid! That night I got to go for my first run in almost 48 hours and so I felt like death but ran through the most amazing park ever! Absolutely stunning. That has to be one of my favorite parts of running, the fact that it allows me to go exploring and see cities in a whole new way. That night both the girls were very tired and still not feeling all that better so not much came from this night. The hostel was really nice and we had our own room with great beds and internet connection. So all in all it was a great night with great nights sleep which was much needed.

Today we did a walking tour that I planned out last night with the sites suggested to see by the travel channel. The city was so amazing with the greatest scenery and cutest streets ever. Everything was so different from London and so quaint. The streets were close together and narrow with mostly mom and pop stores that made for a very welcoming feel. The city is fully of history and landmarks that we got to see and some incredible cathedrals and palaces. After a great walking tour and some beautiful sights and sun we made our way back to the hostel and to the train station. Which brings me to where I am now, sitting on this incredibly fast and nice train riding through the Spanish countryside (which has a strange resemblance to Oklahoma or north Texas in its grasslands and sparse trees). By tonight we will be in Barcelona and we are all very excited to see what this port city has to offer because it is rumored to be AMAZING! And so the Spring Break 2011 saga continues.....