Starting New

So I think it is time to start this blog over.

With the chaotic nature of my last semester of school and the lack of time to post anything, I believe a clean slate is in order. And on that note, this blog will no longer be just about training for my next Ironman competition. It will also include my journeys in Spain while I live in Barcelona for the summer! So on that note, let's get started!

As you may have figured out, I am no longer in the US. I left on May 24th, two short days after graduation, 69 days before I come home, and 81 days before I start life as working 'adult.' My brother Cole took it upon himself to travel here with me for the first 8 days of my stay. Without him, who knows would have happened. It was pretty daunting walking around the city, soaking in the sun and window shopping.

We first stayed in a vacation apartment Born which is located in Southern Barcelona. It was simple but functional   and was located on a very busy alley. We saw the city on foot, no taxis or scooters for us. It really is something else being able to go up to buildings that are hundreds of years hold and touch the stone that holds them up. It is something else to sit in a plaza next to them and enjoy a nice cold beer. Which we did...often. I'm not saying that we drank all day for all 8 days of Cole being here but we sure as hell didn't go thirsty!

Cole has a good friend by the name of Andres (Androcho is his nickname) who lives here. We spent many hours with him when he wasn't working his life away and being grown up. Our bar of choice was located in Gracia, my current home in the more north-central part of town. The bar, called El Otro, was always filled with fun people and the bartenders were great. We spent hours on the dart machine late at night after dinner and I believe Cole won every game.

Lucky for me, I was here for the most important futbol match for FC Barcelona. They were crowned the European League Champions in a 3-1 win over Manchester United! The city was an absolute madhouse, with  never ending car horns, emergency flares, and the massive flood of people in Plaza Catalunya!

Our second temporary apartment was a short 400m walk from El Otro down the street in Gracia. This one was a little nicer and was owned by a much more professional company. Cole only talked about Gracia before coming to Spain and I quickly learned why he enjoys this part of town so much. The area is filled with young professionals and students so the vibe is very relaxed.

In between the going out, we actually made time to find me an apartment, set up a cell phone, and get enrolled in an intensive language school. The apartment search was an adventure! We posted ads online about how I was here for the summer and looking for people to live with. More or less, we were selling myself to the people here, hoping that someone would like me. Lucky for me, I found a cozy little place for only 285 Euros. Its not much but it will do for the summer. I have 4 other roommates, and being here for a day, I have only met 3. But anyway, I'll get to that later.

Through hanging out with Andres, who works for RyanAir, I have met a number of people who are stationed in Barcelona including a couple of guys from Sweden. Looks like I won't be hanging out alone every night. What a relief!

After 8 awesome days, Cole left this morning at 10.....and just like that, I was alone. It took a couple hours for it to set in, but it did once I ventured out into the city on my own. I didn't have my older brother, my Spanish protector, to help me express myself. Everything came down to me. What a scary feeling.

I manged to take a wrong street while walking to my new home, looped around it, then finally landed at the door. Even with Cole and me coming here last night to get the key, I did not think I would forget the streets. I opened the door to silence...no roommates to be seen or heard. And it was like that for the first two hours. My room is across from the bathroom so I eventually heard people going in and out, but then they would just disappear. I guess no one wanted to meet the new guy.

I unpacked and left the apartment in search of food after Icar, the roommate whose family owns the place, told me where I could keep my stuff. I found a nice little fruit stand two blocks away and snatched up cherries, bananas and apples. So far I haven't gotten sick so I think my fruit is E. Coli free. I also went to a store to pick up some other household items. I then went back to the part of Gracia where Cole and I had stayed. The lonely felling was setting in by now. It was at that point I figured it would be best to go get breakfast at El Otro and enjoy a cup of coffee. It was nice but not the same. Did I mention it was raining at this point? You could only imagine how that affected the mood.

I left El Otro in search of a bike to train with during the summer. Cole and I had found one the day before for 590 Euros. It seemed like a good deal for a used bike and it was very well maintained but I wanted to do some research. After a few questions arising, I thought it was best to go back and look at it again. I still really liked it but just wasn't ready to buy (most likely tomorrow). From the shop I stopped in a book store to maybe buy something easy to read in Spanish but I couldn't find something I liked.

At this point in the day I was ready to get away from my inability to communicate. I figured my Spanish would be fine but I was wrong. It may be a couple weeks before I can comprehend what these native speakers are saying. They just speak so fast! It really puts into perspective what people go through in the US when they can't speak English.

I went back to the apartment, changed and headed out a short run. It was very nice to just cruise through the city knowing I was not going to be bothered or would have to talk to anyone. I just wish the sidewalks were bigger! I would hate to run someone over!

The evening came relatively quickly. I went and had a couple beers by myself (I know it's sad) and went for dinner. I found a little cafe not too far from the apartment that had some sandwiches and stopped to eat. The man behind the counter spewed some Spanish, saw I was confused, and then switched into English. All I wanted was a sandwich and even that is difficult.

I am not concerned with the learning curve that is ahead of me. I know once classes start that I will be able to get around very well and enjoy this summer. It just seems that for the next few days, with little to do, I may be shell-shocked. But that is what all my friends all for. I just have to sit down at the computer, call Alli or my mom on Skype, talk to people on facebook and life returns to normal.

Heres to the next two and a half months and one of the hardest challenges I may go through!

Ciao.

P.S.- Thank Cole! I really appreciate all of your help! I'll see you in 6 weeks when you come back!