Hasta la vista (baby)

In a mere 48 hours, Joel and I will be smack in the middle of a 4-hour layover in Newark, NJ.  At 7pm on Sunday, we'll board our plane for the overnight Barcelona.

It would be fair to say that I'm a little bit excited. 

It would also be fair to say that I'm starting to FREAK OUT A LITTLE BIT.

I panic a little before every trip because that's just how I roll.  But since this is as long trip, and an international trip, I'm really starting to fuh-reak.

I think Joel is expecting me to, like, be able to speak the language in Spain.  Apparently since I was a Spanish major and because I once lived in Madrid for three and a half months, I'm supposed to be able to speak Spanish or something.  Sure, I could say I spoke Spanish... six years ago. Now... creo que no.  I can hardly understand the perverted things the fine hispanic gentlemen yell out me from their third story apartments when I walk home from work.  Plus, the Spanish they speak in Catalonia is not the same Spanish they speak in Madrid.  Nope.  And it's not just the difference between a Southern drawl and a Boston accent.  There was this guy from Barcelona living in my dorm when I was in Madrid who apparently was sort of in love with me.  At least, that's what the other kids told me, I honestly don't know because  I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND A WORD ALBERTO SAID TO ME. 

I also feel woefully unprepared for this trip.  We have a lovely list of things to do from Audrey (and seriously, Audrey, THANK YOU SO MUCH MUCHAS GRACIAS) and a couple of travel books, but that's about it.  This really isn't any different from any other vacation Joel and I have taken together, but for some reason it's really stressing me out this time.  This is Joel's first trip to Europe!  In fact, not including Canada, this is his first trip out of the country!  We must do and see everything there is to see!  In the entire country!  In the entire world!  ALL IN ONE WEEK!  Anything less will constitute a complete failure on my part, don't you agree? 

Also, I need to clean my house from top to bottom before we leave because that's what normal people do.   I also need to get a haircut, get my legs waxed, renew my library card, give my neighbor very detailed instructions about how Max likes his filet mignon cooked medium rare and sliced into tiny animal shapes and how Henry will only piss in one litterbox (and even then only if the litter is perfectly raked with diagonal lines) and Madison doesn't like it when you pet him too much, but he also doesn't like it when you ignore him.  There's a delicate balance.  He'll let you know when you've crossed the line by clawing your eye out.

Oh, and I also need to pack.

Other than the panic attack that comes standard with any longish trip, I'm really really excited.  Dude, we're going to SPAIN.  The forecast for Monday is close to 70 degrees.  And I still have sixteen Euros left over from my last trip to Europe.  Score.  people go on trips to countries where they do not speak the language at all every day.  We have all day tomorrow to pack.  Our neighbor has a pile of recycling in the alley that's been there for over a year, so I don't think she'll mind to much if I don't mop the kitchen floor and dust the bedroom blinds before we leave.  Everything will be fine.  Everything wil be wonderful.

I don't know what the internet situation will be at our hotel, and also in case I haven't mentioned it twenty million times already, WE'RE GOING TO SPAIN!  ON VACATION!, so I don't think much posting will be happening.  But I do plan to upload our pictures to Flickr daily if I can, so check there for pictures if you care to.

Adios!

Comments

[Audrey]

Are you sure the guy wasn't speaking Catalan to you? Because they speak that in addition to Spanish over there in Barcelona, and it really is an entirely different language -- some Spanish-French combination. If someone says something to you that you don't understand at all, just ask "Castellano, por favor?" Then they'll be sure to speak the Spanish you recognize rather than Catalan.

70 degrees? And BARCELONA??? The jealousy, it is eating me alive right now.

Buen Viaje!

[Angela]

Have a FANTASTIC time!!!

[Operation Pink Herring]

He did speak Catalan, but everyone there insisted that it wasn't a big difference. Thank you for validating me, IT'S NOT THE SAME LANGUAGE. They were all, "people in America speak differently, no? This is the same thing, no?"

And then they looked at me funny when I couldn't translate "Bootylicious".

God, I miss Spain!

[Erin]

Have a wonderful trip! Can't wait to see the pictures!

[Danielle]

Have a fantastic trip! And yes, I will be checking Flickr, so please post if at all possible...

See you on the flip side!

[Nic]

Have an AMAZING time. I'll be looking for the pictures. Eat lots of food for me. Have some boquerones for me.

[angela]

WOW, this is going to be an amazing trip. I can't wait to live vicariously through all of your pictures.

[Kristabella]

HAVE FUN! You will be fine and you'll have an awesome time!

Can't wait to hear all about it!

[Laurel]

Have a wonderful time!!! I am so jealous.

Also, normal people totally have to clean the house from top to bottom before leaving for vacation.

[Kenzie]

be careful! they don't wash their hands in spain! i know that's terrible, but it's the truth.

[Isabel]

SO JEALOUS.

[Isabel]

Am loving the flickr pics. Thanks for sharing this trip with us.

[Jemima]

The Flickr photos are awesome,although I'm having to dictate this to Beulah from the floor, seeing as how I have slap DIED OF JEALOUSY! Also, I agree with Laurel. Who wants to home to a gross house? And who wants the housesitter to think you live with dirty baseboards?

[Caryn]

My God. I majored in Spanish, too. Thank God I also majored in English, because at least I can speak *that* most of the time. Spanish? Gives me trouble now, even though I studied abroad in Toledo, Spain one summer, um, eleven years ago. (Was it really that long???) Anyway, what you were saying is so similar to what I go through, that I just had to tell you.

[Caryn]

P.S. Just think, when you blithely posted this before your trip, you didn't know that in your very next post you would be announcing that you were engaged, did you? Or did you actually know? Well, it's a fun thought.