Lindsay Ricketts

so. i leave madrid.
im so tired… bc the last couple nights have been awesome. 7am in the morning, thats when the spanish kids get in!

spain… i DO LOVE YOU NOW. i want to return and see you more. it was a good experience,a lot slower than phase one with ladi, alot less people that I could hang with untill the last week. but ive always done well on my own, for a while at least. a week of introduction. 2 weeks of wandering on my own and sometimes with the asa kids seeing museums, going to concerts with russian guy, dancing with sevilla girls in a hangout with fishbowls for laps with M.J.s ABC in the background, scribbling in my tiny notebook, aquired a fantastic appreciation for abstract art, reading spanish books (or trying to), taking pictures, going to sevilla, barcelona (omg gaudi is so amazing…), el escorial, and segovia, starting to find the kids there to have fun and experiene spain wo complaining… then i had a week of too much to do, too many people to hang with, and late, fabulous nights of drinking and clubbing, and cholocate churros. i feel like ive changed, but im not quite sure how yet. which to me, seems like the best, bc it means im not trying to morph myself and psych myself into being what i want to be (how can i if i dont even know what that is)? anyways. i love it. i want to bring some ppl here and keep learning spanish and live it out. i love the culture (only complaint: i can get used to the mullets, theyve even grown on me. not literally. BUT the really abrupt and in your face guys - including some old old men - checking you out and following you trying to whisper sweet creepies in your ear when your clothing does not ask for it… gah. me no likeie… i just wanted to punch some guys by the end).

i learned how to be more still in this city, seeing the places and people in phases, and not completed and thus unable of labeling, which to me leads to unlawful limitations. i dealt with somone so peculiar - id come so close to dismissing him as this or that, but in the end, id just end up seeing him as a complilation of his past, at a crossroads deciding whether he wants to be this ass or not. (hi john :) ) Youd have to met him. insane conversations that sometimes tested all my sanity and peace. besides that, which was a rather minor part, so many interesting museums and little tea shots and pubs that you can sit on the the pillow lined floor, bohemian style, sipping sangrea, or wander about chueca in the record stores, hole in the wall book stores, poster stores, retro shops, spanish vietnamese anythinggoes stores, gay men thong stores (for all shapes and styles), durem kabobs, and then you run into a plaza of dogs (the little dog trend is deff not just a cali thing fyi, and niether is tights!) and kids and people having wine during their siesta break… so many tired wanderings turned out so beautiful!

but i… am so… excited to see rico. its wierd. i banashed all thoughts of him bc i knew id miss him, and i was surprisingly successful. throughout this trip, i am continually suprised at what my mind and being can form into based on the power of thought and will. i was telling him, i feel so independent and single and not used to feeling those gushy feelings… its a crazy thing, something i couldnt imagine not feeling. but man. all it will take is like one hug and ill be back all gushy and giggly (well, maybe not quite giggly). haha one of my fav emails from him included “you better not break up with me soon because I am so excited to be with you again” so i guess i cant break up with him yet. but man.

so after waiting 5 hours at the airport (since i have to catch the metro before it closes) with my trusty harry potter book, i arrive in netherlands, catch a mysterious bus to the train station, catch a 1.5 hour train to amsterdam, arrive in central station which is being redone, and magically find rico awaiting for me… PHASE THREE BEGINS!!

phase three includes a thrilling trip through: amsterdam, paris, interlocken (switzerland), gimmelwald and lauterbrunnen (little cable car towns south of interlocken in the alps), munich (my love), and friedrichshafen (to visit jeremys friend) then zurich to catch our plane on august 15. oh man. let it begin. i am so ready to finally travel with someone close and happygolucky.