Cruisin through Catalonia

Man oh man. This trip came at a perfect time. Capstone = done, and we're roundin into the single digits (of weeks left before I return to the homeland). It's a bitter sweet feeling. Six months ago I felt like time was just draggggging and I couldn't wait to just be done. (Side note: someone is cooking bacon next door. I can smell it through my open window. I might have to go make some new friends). Yet now that I have 7 or so weeks left...I realize how much I still want to do and see. Europeans are quite privledged. I mean, you can take a train from London and be in Paris in 2 hours. Different food, culture, language, you name it...2 hour train ride...boom. You can hop a flight for 40£ RT and be in Morocco or Istanbul or Italy, Germany....I mean.....the wealth of cultural experiences they have at their fingertips blows my mind. It's no wonder (obviously) why they tend to know so many different languages where we as Americans (i'm making a VERY broad generalization here obviously) might only speak English or maybe Spanish. I must say, I found myself embarassed on several occasions. I waltz into a country and most of them can speak some of my mother tongue and I'm left with "blah blah blah...some form of broken French or Spanish" 

Indeed that is my own fault. I shall resume Ms. Rosetta Stone at once to try and remedy said situation. 

Wow, I went wayyyyy off topic there. Oh well....that's why it's my blog;)

I will let the pictures of our Barcelona adventures speak for themselves. What an incredible city. I'll be back (said with Terminator like determination). 

Xo

Ryn

Proper brew whilst in Bacelona = Sangria. Duh. 

Our cute lil hostel. 

I don't even know where to begin when discussing Tapas. 

The beginning of the Sangria consumption. Best I've ever had. Well done. 

Tortured pigs feet. I know.

Real Spanish churros WITH chocolate sauce. 

Christopher Columbus. 

Eggs.

Ha! Not a chance. 

La Sagrada Familia. Blew. My. Mind. Wide. Open. 

The reason for every season;)

Ohhhh you bet your a** I had one of these. €1.50?! 

Straight up found Obama. 

You put the lime in the coconut.

Mmmmmmahahajuasnuwjsbsn

Best Paella ever. 

See???? Amaze balls. If you get a choice.....GO. Don't hesitate. 

Adios! 

That St. Paul is a good lookin chap...

Took a break today and went for a joggy jog round one of my fav areas here in London town. It's a 4 mile run from my door to Borough Market (which ended up being closed today because it's a bank holiday.......so......yeah, I'll be going back) and on the way you pass St. Paul's Cathedral. I actually went to a service around Christmas time and they ask at the beginning of the service if anyone wants to sit with the choir in the front. Needless to say, I jumped at that opportunity. I didn't take any photos whilst in the pew....you know....gotta keep it classy for Jesus. It was pretty incredible I must say. St. Paul's is breathtaking inside it really is.

 

Directly across from it, you have the Millennium Bridge. As you cross it you see the Tate Modern Art Museum, to the left you have Shakespeare's Globe Theater and around the river Thames....you have the oldest dungeon in London and Borough Market. I actually walked down to the Southbank today as well which is a pretty neat lil area. They were having a Spanish Food festival (that I did not take pictures of because it was so crowded I got a bit anxious and wanted to body slam my way through everyone).

 

Learned some really interesting history about good ol' London today. I shan't bore you with it all now, but here are some pictorals of my travels today. Oh, and I am going to SPAIN (Barcelona) to be exact next week (insert big ass smile) as a celebration for the end of this CRAY term.

 

Till then, enjoy and drink up.

 

PB: Iced Latte

Proper Reads: Check out this website: Known Collective  and read about what this AMAZING couple is doing in Jordan. Makes me want to go. Hmmmmmmmmm.....

 

x0

Ryn

 

 

 

 

Third attempt Globe Theater.

This is hysterical. I love that these things are EVERYWHERE here.

Books.

My Must Haves...Ryn Style

I always like reading about other people's ''must haves''. That's usually how I get new ideas and learn about new products. These are just some of the things that I never travel or move to another country without (for the most part).

 

Are there things you never leave the house without?

 

Xo

 

Ryn

 

PB: Chocolate Chilli Chai Tea

 

 

 

 

1) My CamelBak (complete with an old Mt. Saint Helens Climbing Permit)

2) Good Ol' Maybelline Great Lash: Blackest Black. Cheap and Good. Just like I like it.

 

3) Yeah, I get a LOT of knots. The Y Roller is like having your very own amazing/horrific deep tissue masseuse in the house. It's a love/hate relationship.

 

4) My yoga mat

5) Glass, BPA Free h20 bottle via: Whole Foods

6) My favorite leather sandals from Costa Rica

7) Bodum coffee/loose leaf personal travel filter

 

8) Dolce & Gabanna #3

 

9) My Grandmothers rings

10) I put this on my face daily. #getouttaherewrinkles #pushin30

11) This bad boy has been everywhere with me. Africa, EU, UK....it's my official travel blanket. My Madre and Padre made it for me. x0

12) Bialetti (thanks Jordania)

 

13) Daily Dose of Jesus Calling. Starts the day off right.

Those are some of the things that I love and I brought with me during my stay in the UK. What are your go-to items?

Le tour de flat...or something like that.

Well, two-ish weeks from now I should be back to a semi-normal life when my life doesn't revolve around writing. And let's be honest........if my ''blog'' is any indication of my writing skills, well.......let's just say Mr. Thesaurus is gettin a lot of hits so I sound as professional as possible. Like I've always said "C's get degrees".  However, I'm selfish and want A's. So far, so good.

 

I was sittin here working on another essay for another class and realized...my time here will soon be at an end. Which, is like....so crazzzy. I'll miss my teeny tiny lil flat, my daily walks, Regents park and the best falafel down the street from this hysterical Lebanese dude. So many other things I'll miss, which i'm sure will all wind up in an obligatory ''what I miss most about London'' post. So, keep your eyes peeled for that exciting development.....(insert sarcastic eyebrows....)

 

Anyway, here's some iphone shots of our little space. It makes me happy.

#ishouldgetmyrealcamerafixed

 

x0

Ryn

 

 

Proper brew: Coffee.

 

Proper tunage: ''Space Oddity"-Mr. Bowie

 

 

 

Welcome to my habitat...

 

Daily dose of ''Jesus Calling" does the mind and soul good. I recommend picking one up...like now. I actually sent two close friends one since I've been here via Amazon. The fact that I can order something from London from a US supplier and have it shipped to their doorstep....well, that just makes me even happier.

 

My......''cute'' corner?

Our pull-out table that sits 3 comfortably. Well, maybe not so comfortably. One person ends up sittin in the kitchen.

Yes, my flowers are dead. However, I like dried flowers. Call me crazy.

A little bit o'Africa I always bring with me...

So this is our kitchen window nook. NO, we're not alcoholics. My flatmate gets free beer like every shift, so it has just been accumulating. We're both knee deep in our Masters courses, so we're waiting until we have lives again until we ''dive in''. A Mexican Fajita night/beer fest will commence in 2-ish weeks. Mark my words.

Kinfolk Table book my sis sent me. I heart this book. It's full of delicious recipes, stories and photographs. However, now I'm coming to the realization I have to fly all this heavy stuff back with me. #hindsight

A Jordania original....

 

 

 

 

Stay well my friends.

History...Natural Style

This is a "laterpost" if you will. I decided to take a lil joggy jog (or "yaww-ging" as Mr. Burgandy calls it) to the Natural History Museum a few weeks ago. 

Why it is so awesome:

1) its free.

2) its free.

3) its by Hyde Park and Kensignton Gardens/Kensignton Palace aka where Prince William, Kate and George live

4) its free

5) i ran through 3 different parks to get there 

6) its right by Whole Foods

7) there are dinosaurs there 

So if you're around that area...get your booty inside. 

Xo

Ryn

For your mouth (thats what he said) 

Proper brew: Green Tea Chai or basically a hipster drink 

For your ears

Proper tunage: "For what it's worth" -Buffalo Springfield 

For your eyeballs

Museum of Natural History, London

For your funny bone