It's finally here!

The day I've been waiting months to arrive is FINALLY here!

In about an hour, I'll hop on a bus to Madrid, where a few hours later, I'll meet my family in Baggage Claim. I can't even believe it! This has got to be the BEST birthday present ever!

So, let the good times roll. Commence chaos. C'est la vie. And everything else in between. The Sabelko family is about to take over Spain.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Stubborn Horses and Dirty Jokes

So it's been a couple weeks since I've posted, and boy, have I been busy. First was the weekend in Sevilla followed by horseback riding on a beach in Huelva. It was my very first horse ride, so I was a bit nervous, but everything turned out great! My horse's name was Princesa. Her name definitely suited her; she did what she wanted, when she wanted. There was NO way she was going anywhere near the water when we were riding on the beach, and after having to give her a few nudges to get her moving, she gave me a piece of her mind, and rammed my leg into a tree. 

Touche Princesa, touche.

Yeah, she was pretty sick of me by this point.

Last weekend I took a trip to Barcelona to visit my friend Paty, who I met 5 long years ago the very first time I came to Spain with my high school Spanish class. One of my classmates was staying with Paty, so that's how we initially met. With Facebook, we've been able to keep in touch, and I'm so glad we have. It was great seeing her again, and I had a fantastic weekend!

At Parc Guell in Barcelona

I'll write more about my trip to Barcelona later when I get back from Paris (oh yeah, I'm going to Paris this weekend!). Let's just say there was a lot of drinking, dancing & chaos. Also, one of the funnier moments of the weekend occurred when Paty invited me to this improv show that a bunch of her university classmates do every Friday night. I was sitting back, enjoying the skits and joke-telling, when all of a sudden, I was the one chosen to get up in front of everybody to tell a joke. 

My first thought: panic. My second thought: can somebody please get me a drink?!

Well, I told the first joke that popped into my head. It was a dirty joke. A very, very dirty joke. Like, so dirty I'm almost ashamed that I know it and told it to a group of people I just met. (No, I will not tell you what it is) But in reality, I'm not ashamed. I'm proud. You know why? Because I told the entire joke in Spanish. To a group of Spaniards.  And they even understood the joke.

The best part? They thought it was pretty funny. 

Win.

Anyways, if you're looking for me this weekend, you can find me doing one of three things:

1. Falling in love under the Eiffel Tower (hey, it could happen) 2. Eating Macaroons 3. Actually, I'll probably just be doing those two things until I'm satisfied.

March Madness (not the basketball kind)

March has always been my favorite month of the year. Why, you ask? Well, for those of you who don't know me, my birthday is in March!! I'm turning 23 this year, which is kind of one of those 'meh' years that doesn't really matter, but still. I. Love. Birthdays.

However, March is going to be extra special this year, and I'll tell you why:

This weekend, I get to do something I've always wanted to do -- go horseback riding on the beach. It's supposed to be 75 and sunny, so it should make for a fantastic day at the beach!

Next weekend, I'm heading to Barcelona to be reunited with a friend I met 5 years ago the first time I came to Spain. I can't believe how fast time has gone by, and I'm extremely excited to visit her and the fascinating city of Barcelona.

Also, on a spur of the moment decision, I booked a plane ticket to Paris. It was super cheap, so I jumped on it right away! That's right, I'm going to Paris! It's always been a dream of mine to go there, and I can't wait to see the beautiful city, and more importantly, the Eiffel Tower.

I bought this plane ticket today as an early birthday present to myself, so I'll be heading there on March 23rd. It can't come soon enough!

Next comes my birthday on the 29th, and I'll be getting the best birthday present ever this year (besides the plane tickets to Paris...)... my FAMILY is coming to visit!! I honestly can't wait to see them! It's been almost six months since I've seen them, and let me tell you, it's been tough at times. After they arrive, we'll be heading off for a 10-day adventure that includes stops in Madrid, Segovia, Salamanca, Merida & Seville. It's going to be great! 

Ahh sibs, how I have missed you.

I'm so unbelievably happy right now when I look at all the great things I have to look forward to! Life has been full of ups and downs lately (mostly downs), but I've decided to take charge of my life and my happiness. I'm eating better, working out, job searching, and in general, just really looking forward to the rest of March!

Hasta luego!