Dos días y tengo que empacar/two days and I need to pack

Hello,

I apologize for not posting yesterday, even though I wasn’t all that busy necessarily. My friends Lucas and Ash met up with me for coffee and brunch in town. With the rate I’m going at, I’ll probably gain ten pounds over the holiday season.

Today I have been in a mad scramble to get things ready for my trip to Oaxaca. I withdrew money from the bank for my trip, paid my internet bill, did some laundry, and started packing. The clothing I plan to bring is set aside waiting to be loaded into my suitcase. My books, liquid items, an extra change of clothes, and other personal items are ready to be placed in my carry-on. I have anti-nausea medicine, earplugs, music, crossword puzzles, two books, and a journal to help me pass the time/ease me into my upcoming flights. I also hope to buy my school textbooks either today or tomorrow for next semester, so they can arrive at my apartment in time. I hope to avoid ordering them at the last minute when I return from my trip.

I may not blog again until I’m on a big jet plane, or when I arrive in Mexico! I’m divided 50/50 on whether or not to bring my laptop, (it’s a bit heavy) so I may be blogging from my iPod touch and using internet cafes when I can.

Nos vemos, (see you soon)

-Sarah

Cuatro días/Four days

Four days until Oaxaca. I will soon be transitioning from Wisconsin winter into a balmy 75-80 degrees. There could have been progress made today. However, I instead decided to spend my day with one of my best friends. At around noon, they came over and we went out for coffee and cocoa at a coffee shop in town.

The two of us caught up over drink and conversation. They were over very briefly yesterday evening, but we didn’t have the chance to chat until today (another friend was over at the time, and they were running late to an event, so they could only stop by and say hello). Catching up over a hot beverage was a great way to reunite. After sipping our drinks, we headed to their house in the country.

When we were children, we used to be next door neighbors for eight years. Whenever I visit their house, I consider myself to be at home. Their sister, Mar, was spread out on the lounge chair when we arrived. She explained to us that she was taking a sick day from work. We joined her in watching Harry Potter on TV. I soon found myself sucked in.

The sun came out for a brief while, gracing us with its presence. It seems the sun has been reclusive as of late. My friend and I took advantage of it and went for a walk. However, despite the sun, the temps sat in the 20s, which was cool compared to the unseasonably warm temps in the 40s that we’ve been experiencing lately. We took in the winter scenery; pine trees rustling in the breeze, the sun shining through the woods onto the fresh, glistening snow. There are so many pines in the country, and with the snow, it looks like a Christmas card.

Wisconsin, I’ll miss you at least a little bit while I’m gone.

-Sarah

Cinco días/Five days

I have approximately five days until I’m headed to Oaxaca!

Today, I have been working on the mundane task of laundry. I also plan to look read over part of this book on Advanced Spanish my boyfriend gave to me over Christmas. I know the majority of the material already, but it should be a good tool to brush up on my Spanish, since it’s been about a year since I last took a formal Spanish class. Fortunately, I have been studying the language for long enough that I have few troubles remembering words, verb tenses, etc.

While the laundry is in the wash, I’ve been reading over articles from sites, such as wikihow, on ways to pack luggage efficiently. The “roll method” seems to be popular with travelers. It consists of folding clothing length-wise, and rolling them up from the bottom towards the top in order to save space while packing. It is said to minimize wrinkles when done correctly. My brother used the roll method last summer when he spent a month in Germany, and I’m thinking I may utilize this method as well.

What methods do you use when packing? Also, what are some travel tips you may have?

I’ve heard light cotton skirts are good to wear in Oaxaca, and shorts should be avoided if you want to not stand out as an obvious tourist. Other thoughts?

-Sarah

Feliz Navidad/Merry Christmas

My dog, Spike, would like to wish you a Merry Christmas!

Mother dressed him up for the occasion, as you can see below.

 I’m sure our pug was thinking, “okay, human… feed me the treats now, or I will destroy the presents!”

My parents and I opened gifts late this morning, along with presents from Santa. We lounged in the living room for a period, enjoying each other’s company. This year, everyone’s gifts were practical. My parents gave me items for the apartment, including hot pads, cookie sheets, and baking ingredients (sugar, flour, etc.) for cookies! While I do not cook often, I thoroughly enjoying baking cookies and other sweets about once a month.

This afternoon, I’m planning to make copies of my passport, itinerary, and insurance information in case I should lose this information on my trip. I figure keeping an extra copy or two (for my parents and I) is always important. I’m also going to be looking over my packing list more closely and getting an idea of other tasks I need to do before I leave, along with items that need to be packed. While I need to wash laundry before it can be packed in my suitcase, it helps if I can at least visualize everything that needs to be done or packed ahead of time.

Wishing peace & happiness to you on this day and always.

-Sarah

Happy holidays!

Hello! I went to see the family today. My boyfriend Scott came to visit and got to meet my grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins.

My mom and I baked five different varieties of cookies to bring with. My aunt and uncle brought drinks, and my grandmother prepared ham, potatoes, and other delicious food for the occasion.

After stuffing ourselves to full capacity, we were ready to fall asleep! However, we opened presents, and didn’t nap. I imagine once everyone returned to their homes, they went down to rest.

My parents also met with Scott’s parents for the first time briefly yesterday when we dropped Scott off at his parent’s house.

Wishing you the best this holiday season.

-Sarah

Christmas is coming!

Hello, friends!

Christmas is quickly approaching. I finished up some last minute shopping yesterday. I also caught up with an old friend (Danielle) who I hadn’t seen since high school, and we reminisced on old times and updated each other on where we’re at now in our lives.

Today, my friend Anna came to visit me at home. She’s studying cosmetology, so I gladly let her cut my hair for me (she took off about five inches). Here’s to creating a fresh start in 2015!

Danielle, Anna and I also met up for tea and hot chocolate at a bakery, and we ran into other old friends there as well from high school.

Short and sassy hair, works for me!

Last night I started thinking of things I need to pack. Above are some of the items I purchased while at Wallgreens yesterday. I’m hoping to avoid boredom on the plane, along with motion sickness; the latter which tends to affect me the most while travelling, especially on airplanes. I drug my suitcase out of hiding, but I haven’t put anything in it just yet. I still have Christmas presents I need to wrap first.

Tomorrow, my parents and I are going to be visiting my grandparents, in Duluth, swinging by to pick up my boyfriend so he can meet some of the family. My aunt, uncle, cousins, and cousin’s wife should all be there as well. It will be a delight to see them again.

After having many Christmas cookies and hot cocoa in my belly, I believe a cat nap is in order.

See you soon, and happy holidays. May your new year be bright and happy.

-Sarah

Introduction

Well, hello there! I’m so glad you have stumbled upon my blog.

Let me introduce myself, for those who don’t know me. And for those who do know me, perhaps you’ll learn another thing or two about me?

I’m Sarah, currently twenty-two years old and a senior at UW-Superior (due to graduate Dec. 2015). I am in a relationship with my wonderful boyfriend, Scott. My major in English literature, and my minor is Spanish. Once I graduate, I hope to teach English overseas (ESL). My dream country to live and teach in is Japan. I’m also hoping to live in Latin America at some point. I speak Spanish (professional level proficiency) and basic Japanese, and have a strong desire to learn other languages as well.

I enjoy reading, writing, and spending time online. I’d rather watch Netflix and drink tea over partying any day. I am an introvert, but I like to travel when given the chance. This blog will likely encapsulate these interests, along with following other things related to travel, literature, music, and whatever other interests pop up along the way.

What am I up to now? Winter break! That means I’m travelling! Follow me as I travel to Oaxaca, Mexico for two weeks on a study abroad trip. I’m leaving New Years Eve. I’ll be posting about that here soon. Stay tuned, friends.

Sarah

p.s. Here are some photos!

This photo is from January 2012, a personal favorite.

Here’s a more recent photo of me (Oct. 2014).

Thanks for dropping by!