Do Not Try To Shrink Me, Gypsy!

This is long, long overdue.  I will take any complaints, criticisms or death threats that anyone has to offer, either for not posting in two months, or getting your hopes up that I was finished and then surprising you with this garbage.

However, as relayed to me by my mother, my Aunt Cynthia (recently married, congrats!) said not to be one of those people who start a blog and then just leaves it.

So here I am, not being one of those people.

It is probably well known that I am currently living and studying in England, but before I can talk about how things are going here, I have to go back... to Spain.

We're driving to Spain from Portugal with Steven.  I have already been forewarned that it's about a 10 hour drive, so I have come mentally prepared for whatever hardships this trip entails.  It just so happens that this trip entails hardships such as flies attacking my grilled cheese sandwich, gypsies trying to sell us melons on the side of the street, creepy little rest stops, gypsy music and oh, yes, gypsies feeling the need to fit their entire family in a single-person bathroom.

I cannot explain the urgency in which I have to relieve myself after hours of driving and drinking Pepsi.  I practically sprint into that creepy little rest stop, where I find what I can only assume is a creepy little restroom.  I knock politely on the door and when I receive no response, I try the door handle. It's unlocked so, naturally, I open to door.  I open the door to see two young girls standing next to a sink and one calls out "Ma!" So I quickly shut the door, walk over to the drink area and try to look nonchalantly at what size Pepsi I want for the remainder of the trip.  After a few minutes, I see the two girls and an older woman (all what Steven explained as Moroccan gypsies) come out of the restroom.  So there. I'm going back in. Another little polite knock and no response after, I try the door and open it again.  What do I find? MORE GYPSIES! At least 3 more! How many of them are in that bathroom built for one? At this point, I'm pissed, because I have to use the bathroom and those gypsies are taking it over!  I honestly think I might pee my pants, so I buy my drink and have to run over to another restroom next door.  Right as we're about to leave I see about 8 gypsies (including the ones from the bathroom) pile into a car that's probably made for 5, tops, INCLUDING what looks like all of their possessions!

Those gypsies....

Our first two nights are spent in a hostel (to which most people reply "Hopefully it's not like the movie!" I've never seen it, so please quit freaking me out with your horror movie references) that I can only classify as slightly below satisfactory.  Though, I manage to keep myself feeling slightly at home by watching some Disney Channel dubbed in Spanish!  Luckily, I've seen every Hannah Montana episode and know what's being said anyway.

The Barcelona Zoo and Aquarium are highlights for me. I'm really a sucker for animals.  The rest of the trip is filled with late night dinners of tapas (a Spanish meal of lots of little appetizers), Steven's wonderful, Russian friends Andre and Igor, and plenty of Gaudi buildings to go around.  Before I know it, it's time to go back to Belgium.

Such a foreign place but such a wonderful time.